As part of an interview process for a chiropractic assistant position, a friend of mine was told that the doctors there believed in, essentially, channeling God through their “purist” chiropractic efforts — that they are healers for God and modern medicine is basically junk with no foundation. Although substantially taken aback by this, my friend continued with the interview process and was offered the job. My friend is fully respectful of others religious beliefs and didn’t really see how the doctors’ beliefs would be of much significance or conflict-prone given her role there. It needs to be noted for later reference that, as part of her application, she was required to fill out what amounts to a “New Patient” form. Her medical information was provided, including the usual medication list.
“Apparently they don’t seem to mind that I am jewish.”, she said. She was hired into the position several days later.
At hire time, my friend was made aware of her required attendance (with several other staff) at a seminar in Orlando for August 4th and 5th. The seminar was a Teach The World About Chiropractic effort.
Let’s first meet the people behind the seminar - Teach The World About Chiropractic:
Teach The World About Chiropractic was founded in 1999 by Dr. Ben Lerner of Celebration Family Chiropractic in Celebration, Florida and Dr. Greg Loman of Trinity Chiropractic in Naples, Florida. Both graduates of Life University (formerly Life Chiropractic College) in Marietta, Georgia, Dr. Ben and Dr. Greg are two of the most accomplished Chiropractors of their generation.
TTWAC Building upon the legends of the Chiropractic profession, Teach the World about Chiropractic was founded with the vision of sharing the gift of saving lives through the Art, Science, and Philosophy of Chiropractic. Dr. Ben and Dr. Greg are the largest volume chiropractic team in history and believe that in their lifetime they can touch thousands of people who are suffering from the effects of subluxation. Through Teach the World, they are now helping other Chiropractors reach their full potential and improve the quality of each patient’s life while touching millions.
Who better to teach you than the largest practicing Chiropractors in history? Through the Teach the World seminars, coaching programs, and resources, we are revolutionizing the chiropractic industry by teaching principled chiropractic. Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman invite you to come and experience the Teach the World difference. Your life and practice will be changed by seeing more volume, providing more quality care, having more free time for your family and interests, and ultimately, touching more lives.
Dr. Ben and Dr. Greg combined have seen over 4,000 patients per week, while being able to provide quality service to their patients and maintain an orderly, profitable office without sacrificing what means the most to them - their families. The Teach the World system will allow you to grow to your full potential. Our coaching staff is made up of successful, practicing Chiropractors who embrace the vision and systematic approaches, allowing them to enjoy thriving practices.
Clearly “accomplished” individuals with very financially successful businesses. A note about 4000 patients seen by 2 people per week: That’s 28 people per hour assuming a vigorous 10 hour work day 7 days a week. One patient every 2 minutes.. Calculated under the constraints of an 8 hour work day for 5 days per week, that’s 50 patients per hour or one patient every 1.2 minutes.
The speakers at the seminar made extra sure to tell everyone, “It’s not about the money.” Of course it isn’t. That’s why it was free… to spread the word. Oh wait, my bad. It wasn’t free. Thousands of people spent $200 each for it.
And now, the TTWAC philosophy:
Our Goal is to make certain that every Chiropractor on the planet is living the purpose that God had ordained for them, which is to never let life get in the way of their daily life of service. God created the human body last because of its uniqueness and special planning. As Chiropractors it is our duty to teach every person on the planet the power of the human body. We need to teach every soul that God created an innate intelligence within each human being. This intelligence runs the body, through the nervous system; but, vertebral subluxation is causing the most devastating disease known to mankind - separation and damage to the very system that coordinates all body function and emotional well-being. It is our duty to communicate Chiropractic to the planet. Most importantly our communication to the planet is not for the purpose of building a practice, but for the purpose of saving lives. Our promise at Teach the World goes beyond teaching and coaching. Our purpose is to keep Chiropractors on purpose.
A Chiropractor on purpose is a Chiropractor that is saving lives for the sake of pleasing God.
For about half the attending staff, including the doctors, it turned out to be a good opportunity for mass alcohol consumption. For a few other staff, a time to light up some marijuana in the hotel room.
Four days after the seminar, my friend was fired without explanation by the local chiropractic group (Largo and Dunedin offices).
A few business days prior to my friend’s firing, she was asked (in reference to a medication she indicated on her required “New Patient” form from her hire day), “Are you still taking that shit?” As if that wasn’t unprofessional enough, she was asked this question in the close presence of 2 massage therapists, 3 doctors, an accountant, and another chiropractic assistant. It went further than the simple question, too. She was pressed about it in front of everyone present for a good minute or two.
I’d have quit on the spot, personally. My friend, however, was not in the financial situation to have that luxury and especially doesn’t have that luxury now after being fired with no notice or severance pay.
Nobody but the practice knows why she was fired. My friend made 2 separate attempts to discuss the firing with the original hiring doctor in order to understand what went wrong. She was never granted his presence or any explanation (dodged). You can draw your own conclusions if you’d like, just know that my friend was never approached once about anything related to her quality of work (or anything similar).
You’ll have to do your own Google searches as I’m most definitely not linking to the TTWAC web site or the founders’ product lines. If you would like to find out the name of the practice and the doctors in question, feel free to email me: jblaine SHIFT-2 kickflop.net
Making money and spending it how you please is the right of anyone, but maybe… just maybe… it’s time to take pause at that gleaming brand new black BMW in the parking lot and know the people one is handing money to.
Be good to each other, think for yourselves, and live consciously amidst reality.
19 Comments
I am sorry to hear the above story. Chiropractic is not religion. It is simply getting stuck bones unstuck again, so the body can heal itself. If you are interested to learn more, we have a web based cartoon at http://www.bodyabcs.com/MainPages/LibraryEntrance.html
that explains the basis for chiropractic, which of course is a health care procedure and not a religious act.
Thanks,
Dr. David Klein
This man seems to be literally brainwashing people for the sake of Christianity. My neighbor tried to talk me into bringing my son, who has ADD, and another boy, who has asthma, and thinks Dr. Ben can cure both. It’s just another classic example of people weasling their way into the very vulnerable Christian Right and making gobs of money. I understand you can’t even see this guy unless you come up with something like $3,000 for an entire “program” they put you on. Sounds like a scam to me.
IN EVERY PROFESSION THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL MISREPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION. ERRORS IN WRITTEN MATERIAL OR IN SPEECHES ARE “OBVIVIOUSLY” MADE, YET DO YOU REALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE ENTIRE GROUPS BY INDIVIDUALS AND THESE MISTAKES. REMEMBER THAT IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, JUDGING IS NOT YOUR JOB. CHIROPRACTORS ARE HEALERS, AND THEY ARE NOT PUSHING CHEMICALS DOWN THE THROATS OF TRUSTING PATIENTS. IF THEY MAKE MONEY DOING WHAT THEY DO, HOW ARE THEY ANY DIFFERENT THAN YOU OR I…UNLESS THEY MAKE MONEY WITH INTENT TO HARM? WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE WHAT RELIGION A PERSON IS IF THEY NEED AN ADJUSTMENT OF THEIR STRUCTURE. WOULD YOU LET A BROKEN ARM HEAL NATURALLY. PLEASE THINK ABOUT YOUR INTENTIONS MR. PEARSON. THANK YOU
My intentions are clear, Mr. Pearson.
God, in any form, has no place in medicine.
The post very clearly is not a base judgment on “chiropractors”.
I quote the article you read and commented on, “Making money and spending it how you please is the right of anyone”
What difference does it make what religion a person is if they need an adjustment? NONE. I never said any such thing.
It’s clear to me you’ve done nothing other than skim what I wrote, so I’ll not respond further.
First of all, as someone who has been to a chiropractor under the training of Dr. Ben Lerner, I would like to explain how it is possible to see many patients although 4000 does sound a bit exagerated. The care I get from the chiropractor I see does last less than two minutes. There are two rooms which the doctor bounces back and forth. After my adjustment, it is up to me to do additional exercises, stretches and traction in a seperate room- no chiropractor is present for this portion of the appointment as they are not needed.
Secondly, I’d like to say it does heal. I’m sure the process has already been explained to you, so I’ll skip that part. The list of issues my wife and I have gone through and no longer have to deal with because of chiropractic care through this method taught by Dr. Ben Lerner. I am off blood pressure and cholesterol medicine for over a year now. My wife was unable to drive and move her head from side to side and up and down due to injuries to her neck and back sustained in a serious car accident. Now she is actually driving all the time now.
Next, I don’t agree with the part of the chiropractic teaching that states that medical doctors are basically all quacks. The chiropractor I am seeing was a medical doctor before he became a chiropractor and a practicer of Dr. Lerner’s methods and understands this is not true. I would recommend calling this chiropractic doctor or visiting his website because he actually has experience in the medical field. His name is Dr. David Erb. His web address is erbfamilywellness.com
As for the professionalism of the personnel at your friend’s former employer, it stinks that her first impression of a good chiropractic method had to come from a bully. I hope you and your friend will give it a second chance and contact the doctor who practices Dr. Lerner’s methods,really has made a difference in people’s lives, and doesn’t have to try bully tactics to make someone believe it.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Randy.
What most of you dont realize is that medicine DOENST cure. It suppresses symptoms. Why not just reach down to the part of your body that is causing the problem to begin with. Just take a human anatomy class and learn what is involved in your spine and you will think otherwise. And why spend hundreds/thousands of dollars on medicine just to suppress symptoms (and cuase side effects and alter the natural state) when you can just spend hundreds to cure the problem completely. Dont bash something without fully understanding and trying it first. It cant hurt, they are not pumping unnatural meds into your system. Just exercise and healthy living. Saying the TTWAC is a scam is just ignorance on your part.
I have been seeing a chiropractor who supports ttwac for a year now. And i can tell you that during the appointments, I DO only spend 2 minutes or less with the chiropractor. The other time is spent doing seperate exercises, tractions, etc… without the dr. They are things we are required to do on our own at the office and at home. It is not just the adjusting of the spine by the chiropractor but more so the extra work you do at home and at the office without the chiropractor that fixes your problems. Don’t get so caught up the “amazing/unbelievable” part and just try it. I promise it helps. I have had nasal congestion and fluid in my ears for 8 years. I saw several MD’s throughout and was prescribed every antibiotic, nasal sprays, etc… as a fix to my “nasal infection”. NONE of that worked. Finally in just a few months of visiting my chiro my nasal congestion was gone. I can now breath and sleep 100% better. The reason this worked was b/c of all the exercising I did with the home rehab kit to bring the natural curve back into my neck and spine allowing my nerves to function properly.
I think anyone with an 8th grade education comprehends that MOST medicines do not “cure”.
And for the record, the word scam was never used in my article so I assume you are referring to a prior commenter.
2 incoming comments in 10 minutes. Sounds like my editorial was referenced somewhere in TTWAC-land. I can’t wait for the deluge :)
In my search for a chiropractor, i came across this forum. At first, JB, your input caused me some concern for TTWAC. However, i have since done my “own” research and not based it on second hand information from you or your friend.
Is it possible that she was in a bad dr’s office?Certainly. Should she or you blanket a group because of her account of a story? If you are as intelligent as you think you are…
I had a chest pain that kept getting worse through 2005. I went to a cardiologist may 2006 for an exam. Within days, i had spent in excess of $2500 dollars on top of what my insurance paid, in his office on different tests. I never saw him once. I spoke to him for a couple of minutes on the phone. The next battery of tests and treatment was going to cost me ~$8000.00.
Did i care what religion he was or what type of car he drove? No. His family has kids my age. They all drove porsches, mercedes and the like to our high school. They live in the wealthiest part of Dallas. They are Christians but you would never know it.
Before i went on with any further M.D. test, i found Dr. Josh Ferrell at the Wellness Institute in Frisco. My spine was in the wrong shape and he personally explained the entire thing in what he calls the Dr’s report. There were 8 other patients with us and we all understood what exactly he would be doing before we agreed to his care. It was not pushy, strange or anything except full of information that i was so happy to hear.
I chose to pay him in monthly installments as opposed to one payment up front.
My chest pain is gone. My asthma of 36 years is gone. My medicine cabinet no longer has 20 bottles or boxes in it. I don’t even keep advil or alka seltzer any more.
Does it matter that Dr. Josh is a Christian or that he attends the TTWAC seminars. No.
Trust in the power of your body. Respect it. Don’t make the same mistakes that so many people make, ie. listening to the media, reaching for a pill for any little symptoms, listening to second hand info from someone you don’t know or trust.
I enjoyed reading all of the comments. As a practicing chiropractor for 13 years, it is refreshing to see actual patients weighing in and going to bat for our freedom to choose the health care modality of our choice (although those freedoms are being infringed upon more and more). I have never met Dr. Loman personally, but I have listened to many of his recorded talks at the TTWAC conferences. He has been a big inspiration to me. His greatest weakness is probably that his passion may have gotten a little out of balance. But, please forgive this human being as we all get out of balance in certain areas of our lives. We principled chiropractors just see the evil that exists in organized medicine. We often get the patients AFTER they’ve suffered for years with no help from drugs/surgery and spent thousands of dollars in the process. Then we hear the comments that have been made to those trusting patients by their physicians. Comments like: “It’s in your head”, “there’s nothing wrong with you”, etc, etc. There are definitely 2 sides to every story.
so what exactly is the difference b/t TTWAC and lets say, any regular “straight” chiropractor? Are they doing something magical or do they just have a better way of explaining the same thing chiropractors have been explaining for a hundred years.
Hi!
I am extremely impressed by your very blog entry. I thought it was very professional and truthful.
To make a long story short, I go to Life University in Marietta, GA (NOT TO BE A CHIRO but in The sports health science Graduate department: Yes, they have OTHER STUFF!! :D)
and I have worked as a chiropractic assistant.
I was also “informed” of this mandatory conference in orlando you were speaking of upon the first few weeks of being hired as a C.A..
While in attendance, I was very grateful for an all-expense paid trip (including airfare), but little did I know what was really in store.
From the moment the seminars (that lasted up to 14hrs/day) started I was tracked down even to simply go to the restroom by my boss/office manager.
I was coerced into going to lunch /dinner and spend every waking minute with my office co-workers while in attendance. This included all “lunches”, “breaks”, and “meetings” that the doctor of the office went to. We basically just followed him around like personal shadows.
I supposed because I was “being paid for” that it meant I would obligated to partake in cult-like activities.
Although, the very first day (right after checking in to the hotel) my other office “colleagues” …meaning the rest of the front desk staff was given the opportunity to partake in “seaworld”, with again all expense paid admission courtesy of the doctor (hmmmm…write off in business expenses??) and have a relaxing-filled day before the slavery began.
While my co-workers were out getting sprayed by Shamu, I was entitled to enjoying a wonderful nutritional seminar on neuro-toxicity and other useful topics.
Now, don’t get me wrong..I absolutely adore this topic because my Undergraduate degree is in Dietetics, but to sit through even MORE seminars while every one else is having fun in Florida? Something just wasn’t adding up: even at this point.
I personally met Dr. Ben and Dr. Loman and it was nothing against them individually, I just don’t agree with their style of going about pushing the religion card in addition to their practices.
I grew up 100% catholic and I’m used to people whipping out their reasonings for things .”God this, God that..”..but I agree with you completely and I understand EXACTLY why noone can give your friend an answer about why she was “let go”.
I saw a lot of shady stuff go on behind the scenes, with some always relating back to “God” and it really frustrated me because I am very pro-chiropractic, pro-active preventative healthcare, and pro-wellness.
I am glad that I was able to experience such monstrosity because it opened my mind up even more so than it is.
Ultimately, I did not feel right doing what I did with a group of people preaching what they were preaching.
So, I chose to leave shortly thereafter the seminar in Orlando. I guess my “innate” intuition made my ultimate decision that some people aren’t always in certain practices of life for the proper reasons.
Thanks for writing, I’m excited there are others that share my mentality!
Best Regards.
The old friend of a friend story. I was reading this and thinking to myself why anyone would put out the effort and research you obviously have into writing this when it was a friend who had a bad experience with an employer. And then to connect that bad experience to a group of other Chiropractors just doesn’t ring true. It sure sounds more like you have a personal axe to grind. If what you are even telling us is the truth about what a FRIEND said, to then to slander that office and the group TTWAC based on her version is pretty shady. You weren’t there. How could you know what went on? Maybe they were just a bad employee that got mad after being terminated.
I don’t know Ben Lerner or Greg Loman but I did look them up. I would have to say that anyone who rises to the top of a profession and is as in demand by patients as they obviously are must be doing something right. Ben has several books including a New York Times bestseller. He was an all American wrestler and he’s the Olympic Wrestling teams Dr through at least a two Olympics and six world championships from what i can see. He’s some kind of Pastor at his church and he runs triathalons. He’s been written up in national magazines and been on TV quite a few times. What is it that you do that is obviously so great that you can criticize a guy like this? You must have won a Nobel Prize or have the cure for cancer of something. You should take your own advice. “Be good to each other, think for yourselves”.
You don’t know who the “friend” was, for one. It was not a casual acquaintance of mine who called me one day and griped. It’s someone I know front and back, inside and out. It’s someone I trust completely who has been nothing but 100% honest and open with me about everything in his/her life including several unflattering items he/she is not proud of from past years.
I heard every detail of this “friend”’s employment from day 1 to day Final. Every day. I heard every detail, also, of the situation in Orlando at the conference. I asked questions. I asked for clarification on everything.
I have no PERSONAL axe to grind.
I have a soapbox and this is America. I spoke out about something that sat very poorly with me.
“”anyone who rises to the top of a profession and is as in demand by patients as they obviously are must be doing something right”"
That’s weak logic at best.
Being good to each other involves, at its CORE, sharing information like this with others so they can determine what they wish from it.
Reality and fact are not slander.
So you trust them. I trust plenty of people in my life but I will not go on a public forum and trash a group of people that weren’t even connected to my friends employment. That’s just rediculous.
How is it that some guy gets to be the Olympic Teams Chiropractor? Or write New York times best selling novels? Or get written up in national magazines or on national news. Did you even look these guys up before you trashed them? That took me all of 1 google to find that info and from what I can see they look pretty impressive. You don’t rise to that level by stealing, lying and cheating.
And you never let us know. Was it the Nobel Prize or the cure for Cancer?
Trash them? I recounted real-world experience and also my take on the situation. Your reaction (that I am “trashing them”) is based on your emotional attachment to them. Emotion has no part in objectively evaluating something.
You’re a very comically simple and naive person, Alan, if you believe that fame and success is always the result of honesty and good will toward others. There are hundreds of amazingly successful men and women who are complete scumbags at heart. Many of them, if society is lucky, end up in prison.
Dick Cheney is the Vice President of the United States! You go right ahead and trust him based on his success and status. Good luck with that.
I’m not going to sit here and bicker back and forth with you. You have offered nothing new in this latest comment of yours. You simply don’t like what you read and have said so many times now. We get it. You’re allowed. And I continue to approve your comments for posting here, but you’re a broken record now, and it’s old, so comment all you want but I’ll not reply further. Everything I have to say has already been said.
In reference to the above poster, I too, sought care from Dr. David Erb for 1 year. He claimed he could fix my scoliosis. Didn’t happen. The pain did subside, but it also subsided when I went to a “regular” chiropractor. I stopped seeing him when he refused to bill my insurance company for my 2nd year of treatment. He said the insurance company doesn’t cover “maintenance” care. I called the insurance company and they said they do cover it, but the code in which he was billing indicated the 2nd year of treatment was “not medically necessary”. Dr. Erb wanted me to pay for all 52 of my visits out of pocket - at $65 per visit.
Oh, he also preaches to get off your anti-depressants because “no one needs them”. I got off of mine for 3 months. But got back on them when I became suicidal. I’ve been on them since then and feel fine. His office prints hand-outs that reference how anti-depressants are a poison to your body, and I’m 100% sure that the “friend” mentioned in the blog was also taking anti-depressants.
I am all for chiropractic treatment, but these people are money-hungry. They do not FIX scoliosis and they do not take away your depression. God doesn’t “guide their hands”. It’s a bunch of crap.
I wen for a free consultation
end up paying over$200 for me and my husband x rays and first ajustment.
when i call they said they take cigan liars!!! they dont and they tell u after u pay and they wont give u the money back
Me and my husband went his condition is better than my condition, but his plan was just the same as mine. 52 weeks plan for over $3000
I can afford that, why they lie and said they take the insurance when they now for sure they dont,
Then they use the name of god to still your money.
be aware doctor lerner have a disciplinary action on filled chek it out on http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/IRM00PRAES/PRASINDI.ASP?LicId=5405&ProfNBR=501
it says in 2000 he was fined and reprimand
They also take xrays like crazy and dont protect any body from radiation.
total scam ,