The tenth edition of this wonderful publication was enthusiastically reviewed in 2000. This reviewer’s appreciation of this work is only strengthened by the current edition. The dominant colour on the cover is a soft blue-grey, a little like the new iridium finish on kitchen appliances. It is a very contemporary look, uncluttered with just four lines of text, a reverse outline of a human body and some orange highlights.

     Inside the front cover is space dedicated for the Patient’s Name, Doctor’s Name, and Special Instructions. This is a powerful way to personalise the book as a gift to the patient as part of their total care plan. The quote given on the next page really captures the essence of chiropractic: It is the body that is the hero, not science, not antibiotics … not machines or new devices … the task of the physician today is what it has always been, to help the body do what it has learned so well to do on its own during its unending struggle for survival – to heal itself. It is the body, not the medicine that is the hero. Coming from Ronald J. Glasser M.D. a former assistant professor of paediatrics at the University of Minnesota, it is a poignant reminder of the healing power within.

     Sportelli’s journey with this publication began some 30 years ago and each new edition has been the result of a critical review process which has questioned the content and removed issues and statements which were inconsistent with the facts as they were currently understood. Not only have new ideas, facts and interpretations been included, but the language has been carefully modified to strengthen its connection with the changing mind of the consumer. The result is a fresh publication that is in tune with the marketplace. For example there is a page answering the question What about those Miracle Diets? and a two page spread on Chiropractic Concepts of Health Maintenance.

     The underlying concept of the book is to provide authoritative support for the personalised information given to the patient by the doctor of chiropractic. If you have a new patient with ‘whiplash’ you can mark pages 36 and 37 Whiplash Injury as well as pages 34 and 35 Care of the Cervical Spine. The language is subtle but honest and is supported by excellent illustrations. There is also a box with six dot points as Instructions for Home Care for a Neck Injury.

     If the patient has a back problem then you would mark the section from pages 27 through 33, depending on the information you thought most relevant. There are Facts about Discs including a discussion on how long it may take for a disc problem to respond and a most informative section on Low Back Pain – a Universal Problem. Again there are instructions for home care and a number of excellent illustrations.

     The focus of this edition is on health and wellness from senior citizens to children (each has a dedicated page on the value of chiropractic care) within the contemporary context of lifestyle changes, stress management, nutrition and exercise. The work ends with 9 pages on exercise including a selection of specific exercises illustrated by line drawings which can be recommended for individual patients. It is important to appreciate that while this edition broadens the role of chiropractic in health care it does nothing to diminish the importance or significance of the spine in chiropractic practice.

     This reviewer remains respectful of Sportelli’s contribution to our profession and appreciative of this work in particular. It is extremely well designed and illustrated; its written content has been refined and reviewed over the years and then refined further. It deals with facts but wraps them in a context of health maintenance that should be attractive to almost every chiropractor. It talks about nutritional supplements, orthotics, reactions following adjustment and reasons why appointments should be kept. It uses language the patient will relate to and has 95 references to the literature.

     Dr Sportelli continues to serve the profession well through his ability to educate and communicate and his rock-solid commitment to honesty and integrity. This publication is a potent tool for patient education and will be a powerful asset in your practice. There really is no need for scripted reports of findings, year long contracts and massive up-front payments. Those who practise chiropractic with honour and truthfulness know the benefits of having a waiting room full of patients who want to be there because they understand the chiropractic paradigm. This booklet gives the best support you could ask for.

 

ACA Journal - Reviewed by Dr. James R. Grilliot
Introduction to Chiropractic: A Natural Method of Health Care

In today's health care industry, practitioners must be independent, motivated, and hardworking. In addition, they must educate their patients, using tools that promote their practices.

One aspect of patient education/practice promotion that leads to improved public relations is the use of educational tools that reference evidence-based documentation. Marketing has been a part of the chiropractic profession from the outset. It is essential for building and maintaining an active practice. As chiropractors, we are very aware of important differences between the medical and chiropractic professions that necessitate greater attention to public relations.

The question isn't so much whether you are going to advertise or market your practice - it's how. Evidence-based documentation provides the steadfast tools to build credibility. It enhances self-confidence and gives the practitioner something solid to offer those who express interest in the field.

This book is well written and easy to read. Its format is logical in sequence. It offers referenced information about what chiropractic is and what a chiropractor does. There are segments on nutrition, diet, and posture. It lists facts about the more common conditions treated in a chiropractor's office, and much more.

Each chapter stands alone and could be used to educate patients. The entire booklet could be used as a report of findings reference tool. Multiple exercise sheets at the end of the booklet are very nicely outlined and can be easily photocopied for patient use.

Now in its tenth edition, this booklet has been around long enough to have benefited from evaluation on numerous levels to improve its effectiveness and ease of use. It's a great educational tool not only for new patients, but also as a reference for lectures, community activities, and as information for physicians and attorneys.

Dr. Sportelli says "This booklet will serve the provider as a basic understanding of the science, art, and philosophy of chiropractic." This is a most accurate statement. The booklet would benefit any reader with an interest in chiropractic.

FCER - Reviewed by Robin R. Merrifield
A Natural Method of Health Care: Introduction to Chiropractic - 10th Edition

In 1989 I started working for the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER). At that time I literally know nothing about the profession. Someone at the office gave ma a copy of Introduction to Chiropractic (by Louis Sportelli, D.C.) to read and right away I felt like I had a basic grasp of the profession and I understood what the people with whom I was talking did for patients, and the importance of FCER's work. It also informed me of the possibilities of chiropractic for myself. It all just seemed to make perfect sense. I no longer have my original copy of introduction to Chiropractic because I passed it on to a friend who was asking questions about the people for whom I worked.

Now a new edition - the 10th - of A Natural Method of Health Care: Introduction to Chiropractic has been published and is available. Like the copy I read, this booklet provides information on the basic philosophy, treatment methods (including nutrition and exercise), and information specific to back and neck pain. Chapters range from "What is Chiropractic?" to "Your Diet and Your Health" to "Instructions for Home Care for a Neck Injury." In addition, the text is fully illustrated with full-color graphics and photos. As editor of FCER's Chiropractic HealthWays, I have already used graphics from Introduction to Chiropractic in the newsletter, and as one of the newsletter's reviewers said of the illustration "One good picture is worth a thousand words."

The booklet is also an excellent tool for patient education in that it provides several pages of illustrated exercises (general, for the back, for restoring ROM to the neck, and others). Space is provided informing the patient of the number of repetitions per set and the number of sets prescribed for each exercise. The inside front cover also provides space for the patient's name, doctor's name, and special instructions for the patient.

It has been my personal experience that this book provides excellent information for the patient asking questions, the potential patient, and anyone who wants (or needs) an understanding of the practice of chiropractic.

BEACON - Reviewed by Lisa Olszewski, SACA Member
Sportelli's Introduction to Chiropractic garners positive review

Entering its 105th year in existence, chiropractic has succeeded in enduring many challenges. Although as a profession we have advanced greatly since 1895, the majority of the public is still misinformed about chiropractic care. With an increasing aging population soon to dominate the health care arena, the public needs to be informed of the possibilities that chiropractic care has to offer. After reading Dr. Louis Sportelli's Introduction to Chiropractic, A Natural Method of Health Care, I feel this informative book will help the understanding of many new chiropractic patients, and the public as well.

As a student at The Fountainhead of this profession, I have only begun to learn about the science, philosophy and art of chiropractic that I hope to share with my patients in the future. Dr. Sportelli has done an excellent job in explaining each of these in a simple, basic, understandable way for the new chiropractic patient. He has given much information on basic facts of our profession, ranging from our educational experience to the optimistic future our profession holds for each of us. Dr. Sportelli has given a brief synopsis of the chiropractic examination, the use of x-rays, the adjustment, problems that could cause a person to seek chiropractic care, as well as becoming a regular maintenance chiropractic patient. Each has been presented in an understandable way for chiropractic patients.

Along with the discussing the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic, Dr. Sportelli provides the reader with information regarding nutrition, dieting, supplements, posture tests, disc herniations, and chiropractic care for children. Throughout the book he informs the reader of useful internet sites for discovering more information on a particular subject. He stresses the importance of the difference in time it may take for each individual person to respond to chiropractic care, along with the importance of ridding the body of the subluxation and not "just the pain." He reminds the reader that chiropractic care is not only useful for the usual backache and whiplash, but is also an essential component of living a healthy lifestyle along with diet and exercise. Dr. Sportelli stresses the importance of regular maintenance care for each individual.

I feel that the Introduction to Chiropractic, A Natural Method of Health Care is a very informative book that patients will be able to keep and use as a reference in the future. Dr. Sportelli has compiled useful information within a fifty-page book that each new patient to chiropractic care should read as an introduction. He has done a excellent job in presenting our health care profession in an easy and understandable way. I would recommend using Dr. Sportelli's book within a practice to allow patients to discover the background information on chiropractic and the possibilities within the profession.

GEORGIA CHIROPRACTIC BOOK REVIEW - Reviewed by Robert Hayden, D.C., Ph.D.
A Natural Method of Health Care - Introduction to Chiropractic
10th Edition (Louis Sportelli, DC)

Patient education is a critical part of what we do in chiropractic. I realized very quickly when I began practice that an informed patient is more compliant with care, progresses faster, and is more likely to bring friends and family members for consultations. I scrambled in those early days to find or create effective patient education materials for every possible source of human suffering. I have often thought it would be more cost-effective to find a single resource with multiple uses. It is my belief that Dr. Sportelli's Introduction to Chiropractic is such a resource.

The new 10th edition of Introduction to Chiropractic by Dr. Louis Sportelli is a beautifully designed, comprehensive, and attractive patient education tool. An advance copy touches issues such as interesting facts and frequently asked questions about chiropractors and chiropractic; diet and nutritional supplements; pediatric care; geriatric care; low back pain; disc injuries; and, cervical injuries, including a discussion of whiplash.

One of the very helpful features of this book is the section on exercises. There are excellent illustrations of various exercises to prescribe for patients in the acute, subacute, and rehabilitative stages of injury for both the lumbar and cervical spine.

This book is designed for the doctor/teacher to show the patient, using a highlighter or pen to designate that portion of the book which addresses that patient's problem, treatment, home care, exercises, and other important information. Specific reinforcement of information may be done by the doctor/teacher at a subsequent visit. There is even a place inside the front cover to personalize the book with the patient's name, your name, and pertinent page numbers for the patient's later reference. The exercise section has an area to prescribe the number of sets and the repetitions per set for each exercise illustrated.

This work is greatly strengthened by the use of color, high-quality paper, and easy-to-read language. The illustrations will appeal to your patients who are visual learners (right brained), and the simple, logical explanations will appeal to theoretical learners (left brained). There are internet addresses listed for other resources or organizations which will appeal to net surfers (web-brained). I believe there is something for everyone here.

I especially appreciate the care with which Dr. Sportelli documented his sources in textbooks and refereed journals. I believe it is critically important to communicate to the lay public that chiropractic is grounded in art, philosophy, and science. In fact, there is an excellent discussion of chiropractic education and research in the section entitled, "Facts You Should Know about Chiropractic" which can be shared with other health-care providers, such as medical physicians and health-care providers, such as medical physicians and professional nurses who may not fully understand what we do and who we are. My only quarrel with this section is that it depicts chiropractic as "the second largest of three primary health-care professions in the United States." While I am not certain of Dr. Sportelli's complete list, professional nursing (about 2.5 million strong) and medicine are both primary health-care professions, and larger than we, making chiropractic at least third on a top four list.

It is presumptuous of me to suggest an improvement on a book written by a man I respect so much, but no good review would be complete without such a point. I believe this already great resource could be strengthened by amplification of the section about how chiropractors adjust spines. A brief, general description of the various chiropractic techniques could help patients understand that chiropractors have many methodologies at their disposal, and that some doctors prefer some techniques over others for addressing specific problems or conditions.

I highly recommend the use of this resource during the first visit with your new patients. Today's sophisticated, informed, and educated consumer will appreciate the book, but they will always remember the time you invested in reviewing it with them. It is likely that no other health-care provider has made that investment in the sad context of managed care.

They are available to doctors with bulk discounts which bring the price down commensurate with the number ordered. You may order as few as 50 for as little as $2.50 each (Practice Makers Products, Inc., at 1-800-345-3099)

DYNAMIC CHIROPRACTIC BOOK REVIEW - Reviewed by Jeffrey Kintish, DC
Introduction to Chiropractic: A Natural Method of Health Care

Hot off the press is the 10th edition of Dr. Louis Sportelli's legacy, Introduction to Chiropractic. It is a great, well-referenced booklet for your patients, making it easy for them to read and understand the who, what and where of chiropractic care.

This book will be a time-saver for you in the office by educating patients at home. Many questions are answered for your patients that relate to chiropractic, the nervous system, the conditions we treat, posture, diet and exercise. In addition, there is an expanded discussion on neck pain, low back pain, disc problems and whiplash. comfortable to his patients. He demonstrates over 40 different elements to this technique.

Throughout the book are web addresses for finding further information on nutrition, weight loss and chiropractic. The back section of the book has exercise recommendations complete with pictures, and an area for you to prescribe the number of repetitions you would like your patient to do. This section is divided into ROM and strengthening exercise recommendations for low back and cervical conditions.

At $2.50 or less, this book is very reasonably priced for your patients' education. Dr. Kintish's rating: 10 out of 10.