Anti-vaccine chiropractors 54

[Originally published as Anti-vaccine chiropractors redux 4]

Just over one year ago, on August 8 2013, the Chiropractic Board of Australia issued a directive to all chiropractors. From the media release [bold mine]:

The Chiropractic Board of Australia cracks down to protect the public.

The Chiropractic Board of Australia is cracking down on chiropractors who step outside their primary role as healthcare practitioners and provide treatment that puts the public at risk.

To protect public safety, the Board has:

– ordered practitioners to remove all anti-vaccination material from their websites and clinics
– removed several courses from the list of approved CPD programs, and
– introduced random audits of practitioner compliance with the Board’s registration standards.

And

’However, the Board takes a very strong view of any practitioner who makes unsubstantiated claims about treatment which is not supported within an evidence-based context,’ he said.

’We will not tolerate registered chiropractors giving misleading or unbalanced advice to patients, or providing advice or care that is not in the patient’s best interests.’

I deliberately state the date on which the CBA released that press release, as I had to draw a line at which I would stop looking at today’s anti-vaccine chiropractor. Life is just too short. And it marks the cut-off day when all chiropractors should damn well know better.

April Traynor runs a manipulation business called Health in Hands Wollongong, in NSW. She is/was a member of the anti-vaccination pressure group, the Australian Vaccination (skeptics) Network (AVSN).

Up first we have a lie. Who’d have guessed? A “typical” influenza vaccine contains no mercury, but, this doesn’t stop the AVSN – Traynor’s source – from lying about it:

Next up we have one of our old favourite anti-vaccine memes, ‘why are my kids a threat to yours?’:

Traynor shares another anti-vaccine meme from the AVSN, this time using the “r” word. I do no think it means what you think it means:

The German homeopath’s survey of anti-vaccinationists. Traynor liked this one so much she shared it twice; astonishingly, the first time on the very day the CBA issued its directive:

Traynor also gives us the obligatory Natural News article of “outrageous facts” about vaccines:

Another AVSN share, this time it’s the Meryl Dorey petition based on anti-vaccine misinformation:

I was losing hope, but, Traynor came up with the goods, sharing another AVSN post about the mandatory anti-vaccine lie that vaccines cause autism:

Moving on to other topics, Traynor gives us some cancer cure misinformation, the type of which is the lowest of the low of false hopes pedaled for money:

Like any good chiropractic vitalist Traynor raises the kids’ ear infections, as if chiropractic has been shown to be effective or something (it hasn’t, and Murdoch University agrees):

I love this one. Nothing really to say. This one only needs a meme of that little chubby bubbles girl running for her life, from a microwave:

And next we have an example – well, four, really – of one of the greatest pieces of misinformation used by vitalistic chiropractors worldwide: the **% immune boosting properties of getting an adjustment. It is rubbish, and Murdoch University agrees:

Any chiropractic organisation, teaching facility, or practitioner worth their salt now regards the chiropractic, or vertebral, subluxation as a theoretical, historical concept. It exists in the minds of the believers. And there are plenty out there. Watch out for that “loss of health”:

Subluxations are also invisible on imaging. So, always, these aren’t the subluxations you’re looking for:

When we have a look at Traynor’s business website things are only slightly better. Still not good. But not as bad.

Traynor links to anti-vaccine sites the AVSN, and The Greater Good. She also links to cancer cure crankery such as The Wellness Warrior, and Cancer the Forbidden Cure; as well as many other links of ill-repute:

Traynor also links to the anti-vaccine book written by anti-vaccine chiropractor Warren Sipser, board member of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia – Victoria. I previously covered Sipser’s book, here:

I only wanted to cover one more topic, and it’s a big problem in Australian chiropractic. It seems that there is still so much bravado present that these chiropractors don’t care if they are in breach or not. We’re talking about testimonials. Here is Traynor’s Facebook page, again:

And here is one written by New Zealand anti-vaccine chiropractor and dog-adjuster, Sheridan Kay:

This is the recently updated National Law – Guidelines for advertising regulated health services. Compare what it stipulates, as opposed to what knowingly appears on Traynor’s Facebook page:

6.2.3 Testimonials

Section 133 of the National Law states:

1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
   3. Uses testimonials or purported testimonials about the service or business

The National Law does not define ‘testimonial’, so the word has its ordinary meaning of a positive statement about a person or thing. In the context of the National Law, a testimonial includes recommendations, or statements about the clinical aspects of a regulated health service.

The National Law ban on using testimonials means it is not acceptable to use testimonials in your own advertising, such as on your Facebook page, in a print, radio or television advertisement, or on your website. This means that::

1. you cannot use or quote testimonials on a site or in social media that is advertising a regulated health service, including patients posting comments about a practitioner on the practitioner’s business website, and
2. you cannot use testimonials in advertising a regulated health service to promote a practitioner or service.

Health practitioners should therefore not encourage patients to leave testimonials on websites health practitioners control that advertise their own regulated health services, and should remove any testimonials that are posted there.

Hopefully the CBA can have a look at this chiropractor’s behaviour and make appropriate findings. We’re not hearing much in regards to meaningful action against rogue practitioners. We need to hear more about what is being done.

 _________________________________________

Much thanks to Wallace for pointing out this chiropractor’s website. 

Update August 28 2014

Traynor obviously has no intention of ceasing her anti-vaccine campaign, today sharing two more anti-vaccine posts. The first one is the NVIC version of the flawed Pascal’s Wager:

And the second one is information which has already been debunked, the paper being removed for investigation:

Update September 2 2014

Traynor posts another anti-vaccine meme from the premier US anti-vaccination outfit, NVIC:

Update October 14 2014

Traynor posts this offensive, conspiracy-driven, factually inaccurate anti-vaccine meme from conspiracy beacon, The Liberty Beacon: