Anti-vaccine chiropractors 63 – what’s new at CQU?

[Originally published as Anti-vaccine chiropractors redux 13 – what’s new at CQU?]

Yesterday afternoon I noticed a tweet from Central Queensland University which linked to a CQU published news article highlighting a visit by a local chiropractor to a class of fitness students, as a part of their academic exposure to allied health professionals:

Readers may remember a previous 2013 post regarding CQU, who at the time were instigating a chiropractic program under the direction of Phillip Ebrall, who in turn was intent on seeing a return to the non-evidence-based vitalistic education which has gotten chiropractic into so much disrepute today. Ebrall was forced to apologise for his public behaviour at the time and left CQU soon after; the CQU chiropractic program was to focus on evidence, not magic.

The article on the CQU news page noted:

CQUniversity’s Certificate IV in Fitness students were given great insight into the area of chiropractic science recently, thanks to an industry visit from Dr Rod Le Coz, owner of Grays Chiropractic.

Rod spoke about the role of chiropractic care in maintaining spinal health and the positive effects this has on the nervous system.

Students were given information on how chiropractic care can assist in all ages, from babies to seniors, as well as assisting with a range of complaints, from behavioural problems to back injuries.

Those who follow the goings on of chiropractic, and the claims made by some chiropractors, would have had alarm bells ringing, immediately. I know I did. Trigger words such as “positive effects on the nervous system”, “chiropractic can assist babies”, and the alarming “range of complaints including behavioural problems”, makes me immediately question if CQU had conducted any due diligence on this “industry” spokesman; the like of which I undertook for the rest of yesterday afternoon. We know all too well how this precise lack of due diligence played out recently, with the Coffs Harbour medical school having to terminate a contract held with an anti-vaccine chiropractor of some disrepute.

Rod Le Coz is the chiropractor who was asked to present to university students. He owns a business called Grays Chiropractic Centre Mackay. Le Coz is a member of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, as well as the anti-vaccination infected Australian Spinal Research Foundation, and raises money for the latter.

Of note is Le Coz’s colleague at Grays Chiropractic, as of this year: Ben Phillips, who readers may remember from Anti-vaccine chiropractors redux 11 – the chiropractic immunologist. Oh boy:

So, after seeing the CQU article, and doing the usual scroll through Facebook pages and profiles, and the business website, what did we find out about Rod Le Coz? There is so, so much to include; I apologise profusely.

Anti-vaccination posts

Vaccines cause autism, via the anti-vaccine chiropractic doyen of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), and Pathways to Family Wellness (PTFW) magazine, Jeanne Ohm:

Anti-HPV vaccine article from Lucija Tomljenovic:

Vaccine dangers and dangerous vaccine ingredients; from the anti-vaccination organisation, the National Vaccine Information Center, via PTFW:

Vaccine risks to children posed by aluminium adjuvants – a standard anti-vaccine trope – via the infamous anti-vaccine site Gaia Health:

The scary CDC vaccine schedules, twice:

The anti-vaccine chiropractic infomercial, Doctored; twice:

Le Coz also uses his personal Facebook profile for his chiropractic business. We can see he notes his place of business and profession in his “about” section:

There are many more recent anti-vaccine posts on his profile.

Natural News story on the “corrupt” pharma industry and vaccine harm:

Hep B immunisation causing MS:

JAQing off about vaccine safety by citing Gaia Health, again:

And of course the Italian vaccines-cause-autism zombie which has since lost its head:

In this post I also wanted to include several of Le Coz’s posts which are directly pertinent to his claims made in the CQU article. These are his claims about subluxations and nervous interference; claims about chiropractic adjustments boosting immunity; and claims about babies, children and pregnancy.

First, however, I wanted to show what is at the heart of these claims. The miracle of a deaf man who could hear once again due to the power of the innate intelligence, flowing again thanks to the chiropractic adjustment; the chiropractic origins story, complete with the sage and founder of the faith:

Subluxations and nerve interference

On his business’s website Le Coz claims that chiropractic can lead to a decrease in the need for medications, such as asthma puffers:

Le Coz claims that subluxations are caused by  the following:

poor posture, knocks, falls, car accidents, even the birth process can be a major cause of subluxation in the newborn child. Stress, whether it be physical, emotional or chemical, is one of the most common causes of spinal subluxation

Le Coz also  makes some grand claims about the safety of chiropractic, for all ages; and he uses comparative advertising to denigrate mainstream medicine – in itself a breach of the Guidelines for advertising regulated health services: 6.2.1 Misleading or deceptive advertising:

Chiropractic adjustments are extremely safe for individuals of all ages – from infants to 100 year olds. Our adjustments are safe because we only use natural and noninvasive methods of care. Research consistently shows that care from chiropractors is among the safest care available and is literally light years ahead of traditional medical care in terms of “safeness”.

Here Le Coz uses the mobile phone reception similes to explain that subluxations are a real thing which need to be treated by a chiropractor:

These images attempt to explain how chiropractic adjustments rid the customer of subluxations, thereby rendering a “greater expression of LIFE” for the customer:

The safety pins. Of course:

“Dis-ease”. Caused by something which doesn’t  happen:

And if you haven’t bought the story so far, you could always get the shirt:

Immune boosting via chiropractic adjustments

These claims are a clear breach of the National Law. It is black and white. We now have a precedent thanks to anti-vaccine chiropractor, Tim Shakespeare.

Claims adjustments boost immunity, enough so as to fight off influenza and colds:

Chiropractic can “develop” your immune system, and help with colds:

Adjustments will boost your immune system and “enhance immune function”:

Babies, children and pregnancy

I have a feeling that chiropractors will be needing to provide some reputable citations if they wish to continue making any of the following claims.

The ubiquitous, outrageous 10 Reasons from Jennifer Barham-Floreani:

95% of infants have misalignments:

Babies and children require adjustments due to being born, needing immune boosting, and for breastfeeding. Also chiropractic children have “happier dispositions”. I’m not sure how that is measured:

Children who are indoctrinated by chiropractic believe in the “innate intelligence” which flows throughout the body. Who would have guessed? Le Coz also claims chiropractic is “safe, gentle and effective for kids”. Without reputable citations to substantiate this claim, and without an adverse events register, I don’t understand how these claims were ever allowed:

How do you know if your baby has a subluxation from the birthing process, punk? Well, do you? Also the frankly silly claim that chiropractic cures bedwetting:

From Barham-Floreani, the fanciful claim that chiropractic “may help new mothers produce milk”. And just in case that isn’t the nursing problem, chiropractic care will “directly affect” a baby’s ability to breastfeed:

And, from his profile, Le Coz shares this misleading image from the ICPA, that chiropractic is essential for mother and baby:

Testimonials

Look. Testimonials are banned. They are against the National Law. Just stop.

What better way to stick it to the man than to allow a testimonial to remain published under a whinge:

Another three testimonials from Le Coz’s business Facebook page:

Another breach of the National Law for the use of comparative advertising. I’d like to see substantiation presented to the Chiropractic Board of Australia for all of the claims made in this image:

General health misinformation

Le Coz is anti-fluoride, of course. And he is anti-fluoride for his home-town of Mackay:

The wonders of turmeric are endless; cancer cure, depression, asthma, antibiotic, slows MS:

And for a real cancer crank it’s hard to go past this one:

Aspartame, of course:

And, finally, the various claims of the healing properties of aromatherapy:

As with my previous post regarding the use of an anti-vaccine chiropractor for medical school allied health rotations I can only say the same in this case: what due diligence was exercised when it was deemed appropriate to secure the services of  chiropractor Mr Rod Le Coz to impart his professional knowledge upon university students?

I think it is now high time to start asking serious questions about the appropriateness of any university campus allowing any member or representative of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia to have access to their campuses or any students in them.

There is now another organisation, Chiropractic Australia, from where moderate, more evidence-based industry representatives can be sourced. The bonus is that we know they will not have anything adverse to say about public health measures such as immunisation; nor will they attempt to teach students that anything seen in this post is a reputable claim or treatment worthy of inclusion in any university course.