Page 12—SUSQUEHANNA TIMES
Dr. Bruce H. Dohner explains chiropractic medicine to Nurse
Lorna Simmons Nolt: natural method of health care, no medicine
by Lorna S. Nolt, R.N.
Can chiropractic medicine
become an integral, useful,
accepted part of the medical
profession as a whole? Can a
reporter who is also a
registered nurse feel com-
fortable accepting chiro-
practic medicine as a
needed, functional part of
the treatment of the ill-
nesses of the human body?
In other words, does
chiropractic work?
Yes, says Bruce H.
Dohner, a young, enthus-
iastic doctor of chiropractic
with a busy office in Mount
Joy. And yes, says this pre-
viously skeptical and ques-
tioning registered narse,
also of Mount Joy.
Several hours of questions
and several hours of inform-
ed and intelligent answers
later: the answer is a
definitive yes.
Okay. It has a place in the
organized web of medical
techniques. Now, what ex-
actly is chiropractic? What
kinds of medical problems
can it help? And how does it
work?
Settling down over morn-
ing cups of tea and coffee in
his comfortable office on
Main Street, Dr. Dohner
explains to the still-doubting
nurse:
“First of all, chiropractic
is a natural method of health
care,” .he says, with
emphasis on the word
‘““natural.”” ‘‘Instead of
prescribing medications, we
adjust, mechanically anc
structurally, any derange-
ments of the spine which
could be causing the
problem that has sent the
patient to a doctor.”
The vertebrae, or the
bony cage-like, elongated
series of structures we call
the backbone, protects the
vulnerable and important
nerves which come from the
brain and travel through the
encasing, protective spinal
column, branching off at
intervals to supply impulses
to every organ in the body.
Injury to the spinal column
can result, for example, in
paralysis of an arm or leg or
interruption of the electrical
messages the brain is
constantly sending to each
internal organ. In addition,
any misalignment any place
along the line of the
backbone can cause a bony
vertebra or intervertibral
disc to press on or constrict
these important message-
carrying nerve bundles.
Common results are pain in
the lower back and the
possiblility of ° migraine
headaches and other func-
tional disorders that involve
the body's organs and
internal glands.
“All the nerves leading to
all parts of the body pass
through the cervical, or neck
area,”’ Dr. Dohner contin-
ues. ‘‘By correcting any
mechanical misalignment of
any of the cervical vertebrae
we can keep it in the proper,
natural alignment and thus
reduce the irritation on the
nerves—what - we call sub-
Dr. Bruce H. Dohner
luxation. Nine, ner cent of
all spinal mechanical prob-
lems are primarily in the
neck, with secondary effects
or symptoms along the
spine, so in my practice I
concentrate on neck, or
cervical alignment.”’
Cervical alignment. What
exactly is that?
“Our system of spinal
care is based on the cervical
portion of the spine and the
ramifications that area has
on the rest of the body,’’ Dr.
Dohner explains. ‘“‘The
cervical region has to have
more mobility, more turning
and stretching ability, than
any other part of the spine.
It has given up stability for
mobility, and thus is the
most complex and the most
subject to misalignment.
Since it is such a complex
area, encasing such a large
number of nerves, there is
more of a chance for
something to go wrong. The
majority of spinal misalign-
ments occur in the neck.”’
The outer portion of the!
brain stem (that area just
above the neck at the base of
the skull) houses reticular
(or intricate) formations that
perform hundreds of func-
tions. ‘‘One of the most
important of these func-
tions,’ Dr. Dohner says, ‘‘is
mediating the system that
controls nerve impulses to
the muscle spindles, which
in turn regulate the tenacity
(or holding together) of the
entire spinal musculature.
An unjury to the brain stem
will interfere with nerve
impulses to the muscles in
the spinal area and cause an
imbalance of nerve impulses |
to one side or another. This
results in pelvic imbalance,
or a tipping of the pelvis to
one side or the other, and a
shorter leg on one side. We
can measure this in
degrees.’
. Dohner says proudly.
Dr. Dohner leans forward
to make a point. ‘‘My job,”
he says with conviction, ‘‘is
to determine if a patient has
a spinal problem and then
determine if it is related to
the problem he came
through the door with. Only
then do we get down to the
business of treatment.”
How does he go about the
business of treatment?
First of all, a patient
history which may include
family history, dietary
habits, and questions about
previous health care. Next,
a physical examination, and,
depending on whether he
feels there is a need,
laboratory and X-ray
analyses. Then, a careful
spinal examination to detect
any structural imbalances
which may be contributing
to the symptoms, and, in
many cases, specific spinal
and/or cervical x-rays.
“1 have the best equip-
ment anywhere for taking
cervical x-rays,” Bruce
“My
equipment was made for
and is especially geared 'to
taking the quality cervical :
x-rays I need to determine
cervical misalignments.”
Then, development of the
films and Dr. Dohner’s
careful measurements and
calculations to determine
the degree, if any, of mis-
alignment. Pulling a film
from a drawer of his x-ray
filing cabinet, he puts it over
a lighted background and
explains in more detail the
numbered notations and
crisscrossing lines.
And then what? What
about this ‘‘adjustment’’
we’ve been hearing about?
Is that next?
Well, not quite. After Dr.
Dohner determines the
presence, type, and amount
of cervical misalignment by
all of the aforementioned
techniques, the next step is
the proper and very careful
positioning of the patient on
the specially-designed treat-
ment table. ‘‘Setting the
patient up properly, with the
correct alignment of the
spinal column on the table,
is 90% of the treatment. The
success of the
physical adjustment
pends entirely on that.”
The adjustment is usually
given by hand and consists
of the application of pres-
sure, using specialized tech-
niques, to that area or areas
of the spine which Dr.
Dohner has determined to
be out of alignment.
Is one adjustment usually
enough?
“It’s one thing to correct
a cervical misalignment,”’
he says, ‘“‘and free the
patient from the symptoms
he’s been having. It’s
quite another to retain the
correction, for some patients
that is.”
And hereby enters the
crux of the theory of chiro-
practic medicine: the defini-
tion of chiropractic as a
natural method of health
care. And Dr.
actual
de-
Bruce
Dohner’s frustration with
man’s chronic inattention to
care of his body: his health.
“Sometimes there has
already been irreversible
damage to a nerve or disc,”
he emphasizes. ‘1 can
correct the problem with an
adjustment, but the
patient’s well-rehearsed life
style won’t allow his spine to
retain the correction. One of
my basic concerns is that I
wish I could see asympto-
August 29, 1979
matic people, catch them
before the symptoms devel-
op, help them to develop a
lifestyle that leads to fewer
and less severe health
problems.
[continued on page 8]
Glen and Diane Haneman have
nine children at Messiah
“What can 1 do?”
Mother’s everywhere have
heard this statement at least
a dozen times each summer.
Most of us, however, have
only a few children and can
manage to make it until
school starts again in
September.
Glen and Diane Haneman
happen to have nine
children, three boys and six
girls—the Haneman’s are
houseparents at the Mes-
siah Children’s Home,
Union School Road, Mount
Joy. They are new to the
Mount Joy area, although
both are former Lancaster
County residents.
Glen and Diane have been
married for five years and
have spent all their married
years acting as parents,
sharing and giving time and
more importantly, love.
Diane and Glen are in
their early twenties and
after getting married, they
decided to look for youth
camp work. They happened
to learn of a position as
houseparents in Wahkon,
Minnesota at the Galloway
Boy’s Ranch, where they,
worked and parented for one
year. They returned east
and took a job at the New
Life Homes—Snell Farm in
Bath, New York. At both of
these homes the Haneman’s
Glen and Diane Haneman
were house parents of boys
from the ages of twelve to
eighteen. Many of the boys
were sent to the homes by
the courts and many were
boys in trouble. Mrs.
Haneman said, ‘‘it was
difficult at times because
they were young too, and
their authority came hard.”
Their move to Mount Joy
was especially exciting
because they are once
again in Lancaster Co. and
Mrs. Haneman said, “‘it is
fun having girls for the first
time to care for.”” These
young people were mostly
referred through social
services.
Diane’s day is much like
any other mother, she feeds
them breakfast and lunch
and does the washing and
other household tasks.
Through the week there is a
cook to prepare the dinner
and other ladies to help out
occasionally. On the week-
ends Diane takes charge of
all the meals. The children
care for their rooms and
have chores and responsi-
bilities. Mr. Haneman does
house maintenance, helps
with the children and runs
the children to their various
activities around town.
Not only do the Hane-
mans share the house
chores but they do the
parenting, the sharing of
their time with these
Home
children when they need to
talk, have a problem, or just
need a little extra love! The
home furnishes help for
household cooking, and for
them to have time off, but
more importantly, it gives
them more time to be a
caring couple, better able to
parent.
And as many parents
know, there are good times
and bad times. She spoke of
one of their former homes,
about a child who ran away,
unhappy with the home.
When he was returned,
they had to begin the
rebuilding of trust. She
added, ‘‘sometimes its
hard, but its worth it to
make them secure and
loved.”
When asked about the
holiday season, they felt
that at those times especial-
ly, it seemed to be the most
trying times. She told of a
little boy who went to his
own home for the Thanks-
giving Holiday and came
back to the children’s home.
She learned he was
disappointed because his
turkey dinner turned out to
be bologna sandwiches.
They aren’t sure how long
they will continue to parent
in this fashion, but Mrs.
Haneman beamed as she
said, ‘‘they’re still going
strong, really enjoying every
minute.’’