I have always had a fascination with chiropractors. Not so much with the chiropractors themselves, more so with the “art” of back cracking. Yes, I know, trained professionals don’t like it when people refer to what they do as “back cracking.” I’m told the proper word is “adjustment.” Whatever, you want to call it, for some odd reason I get such enjoyment from hearing someone’s back crack. I feel like they are receiving relief from their pain, but I digress. This blog is about an Ohio chiropractor who claimed to treat patients using time travel… sound bizarre? It is.
According to news reports, Dr. James Burda of Athens, Ohio was forced to surrender his license to practice after state regulators investigated his claims that he could “take care of anyone, anywhere by reaching back in time to when the injury occurred.” Reports reveal that Burda told patients that he discovered the skill six years ago when he hurt his own foot while driving. He said he “gave the pain a command to stop and it went away.”
Now, if you have ever visited a chiropractor you know that most place you in a position, which allows them to put pressure on a certain area of your back, shoulder, hip, etc. In doing so they aim to “adjust” or “realign” the problem area. In Burda’s case investigators found that he was not performing these traditional methods on his patients; rather he said that instead of using force to realign bones, he used his mind to manipulate the body. But if that didn’t work, he said he traveled back in time to fix the problem. He calls the practice Bala-Keem. State medical officials called it malpractice.
What’s more, Burda was offering his “questionable” practices online. According to investigators, Burda’s website offered long-distance healing service for $60 an hour. In defense of his actions, Burda told investigators that his practice is beyond chiropractic, and is beyond what “they understand.” He said that anything that’s beyond what people don’t understand scares them.
In the end, the Ohio State Chiropractic Board accused him of being unable to practice due to mental illness. Later, in a written statement, Burda acknowledged his form of treatment was not acceptable. Which leads me to ask: “Who bought his shtick? And, did they get their money back?”