Health treatment in the form of chiropractic has recently caught public attention following the death of Allya Siska Nadya (33) after she underwent such therapy. Ally had suffered from back pain before.
Orthopedist from Faculty of Medicine UGM, dr. Tedjo Rukmoyo, Sp. OTSpine(K)., said the backbone treatment could not be done at random. Prior to this treatment, patients ought to consult with doctors who have the competence, i.e. orthopedist.
“Patients had better consult with the doctor to know the diagnosis,” he said on Tuesday (12/1) when met at the Faculty.
This can be obtained after physical examination using X-ray, MRI, CT Scan, and laboratory tests. The results will determine the next medical treatment.
“After a diagnosis is obtained following the examination, doctors may determine the next treatment to take, whether physiotherapy or other therapy such as chiropractic is needed,” said Tedjo who also practises at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Panti Rapih and Bethesda hospitals.
Tedjo said chiropractic therapy was not a branch of medical science but traditional. Chiropractice is learnt at chiropractic courses or schools. In the U.S. this type of treatment can be found easily, but the practice is regulated by the government and is coordinated by an orthopedy unit of a hospital.
“Meanwhile, in Indonesia there is no such regulation on chiropractice. Chiropractic clinics, however, have flourished in recent years to give back pain treatment,” he said.
In fact, said Tedjo, back pain could not be treated without a doctor’s recommendation. Failures in the treatment may cause paralysis or even death such as what happened to Allya Siska Nadya.
“What happened might be the lack of knowledge of the chiropractor related to the patient’s medical records, thus the therapy is not suitable,” he said.