Editor's note: Earlier this year, Dr. Merkle, a practitioner from Dayton, Ohio and a member of the Christian Chiropractors Association, went with a multidisciplinary team to Nepal (see May 20, 1994 issue of "DC").
In Yibin, there are two large hospitals where each DC was attached. I was assigned a treatment room along with two interpreters, one being a 31-year-old female pediatrician and a 52-year-old male pediatrician and professor at the local University medical school. These interpreting doctors were fluent in English, very open and friendly and, in fact, we spent social time together after hours. In so many ways these doctors are like us. They desire better things for their families and want to help their patients the best they can. They too dream of owning their own homes. All physicians use mass transit and bicyles for transportation.
My first day at the hospital, the hospital president, a neurosurgeon, came to my treatment room wanting to be adjusted. He complained of headaches, neck pain, a pain radiating down both arms, and upper-middle back pain. He was one of those chiropractic miracles. Rising from my table with immediate relief, he excitedly started telling everyone. Most of the hospital staff doctors and nurses came to me for treatment. In fact, the presidents of two other hospitals, both neurosurgeons, came for chiropractic care.
I lectured to the American doctors and 300 Chinese doctors concerning knee pain and why they're finding it so prevalent. I cited as its etiology poor foot support, hard roads and floors and extensive walking. Following this lecture, I became the knee expert and treated many knees. The wife of one of the neurosurgeon hospital presidents complained of an acute and swollen knee. She could not bend or straighten the knee and surgery had been recommended but she was very resistant to take so much time from her work. I adjusted and taped the knee. The following day, the pain and swelling abated and within two weeks she was walking normally. They thought I was a miracle worker and expressed their appreciation in their Chinese tradition by presenting me with a pair of elaborate gold inlaid cloisonne chop sticks. I was probably the most popular American doctor at the hospital because of the chiropractic results. They had never seen chiropractic, but witnessed its effectiveness, observing very closely and carefully what I was doing. The entire medical staff was intensely interested in this effective form of patient care.
An orthopaedic surgeon observed me closely for approximately 10 minutes and thought he could copy the same technique. He proceeded to manipulate a female nurse and as he rotated her neck, she yelled, so he stomped out of the room; we never saw him again.
A physical therapist with our team at this hospital informed me how he taught the staff MDs and some nurses all he knew in about four hour period. He had taught them his manipulation procedures and wanted me to teach the staff MDs cervical specific adjusting in an hour. I readily declined, informing him it would be clearly impossible to do so. The following day, the PT came to me with a woman patient he had tried to cervically manipulate for about twenty minutes. He turned the case over to me and I observed that she had spastic torticollis. I informed this physical therapist that this patient has had this problem for a long time and should never be adjusted without x-ray. I also informed him that I did not believe I could achieve optimum results due to his previous twisting of her neck over a 20 minute period. He was somewhat embarrassed that he did not recognize the problem after I pointed this out to him.
I treated approximately 25 to 30 patients per day and everywhere we went we attracted a crowd. Cancer and heart disease rates are lower in China and the people have fewer allergies and sinus problems. Their skin and hair are healthier than in the West, but they won't likely hold on to this advantage very long since Western diet and tobacco products are gaining popularity.
The overall impressions our team left was not only the efficacy of chiropractic care, but the intensity of our hard work and the overt Christian compassion for each patient.
Van Merkle, DC
Dayton, Ohio
Dr. Van D. Merkle, president of Science Based Nutrition, is a diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition and the American Board of Chiropractic Internists. He is also a diplomate of the recently formed Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and currently serves as vice president. Dr. Merkle has practiced in the Dayton, Ohio area for more than 25 years, and hosted the call-in radio talk show "Back To Health, Your Guide to Better Living" since 1995.