March
2003
Major publishing house to
release chiropractic book
Bantam
Dell Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., will soon be
releasing "The Chiropractic Way," by Michael Lenarz, D.C., a
member of the World Chiropractic Alliance International Board of
Governors.
Bantam,
which publishes such best-selling authors as John Grisham, Laurie R. King,
Dean Koontz, Danielle Steel and Stephen White, will be heavily promoting
the book. Information on the Bantam website gives readers a glimpse of
what the book holds in store for them, noting that, "Chiropractic has
become
America
's
most popular form of alternative health care, offering lasting relief from
pain -- and many other health benefits -- to more than 25 million patients
annually. Yet many people still wonder exactly how chiropractic heals, and
even experienced patients may be able to get more from their treatments.
In this accessible and fascinating book, Dr. Michael Lenarz illuminates
the basic principles of spinal health, showing how the body naturally lets
go of stored pain and disease once the flow of vital energy has been
restored."
Review
copies of the book have won praise from numerous chiropractic leaders,
including Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the World Chiropractic
Alliance. "Chiropractic is so much more than a treatment for back
pain. It is a science, art, and philosophy of health that has become a
major part of American health care in the new millennium. Dr. Michael
Lenarz has done an outstanding job of explaining chiropractic, and the
wealth of information in his book can help everyone lead a healthier,
longer, and happier life," he stated.
Mark
Victor Hansen, co-creator of the New York Times best-selling series
Chicken Soup for the Soul and co-author of "The One Minute
Millionaire," was similarly impressed with the book. "For anyone
who wants to achieve their full potential in life and health, this book is
a must read," he enthused. "Dr. Lenarz weaves an enjoyable story
with chapters on choosing a chiropractor around essential information that
every person could benefit from. As a chiropractic patient, it is
refreshing to read a book that tells the chiropractic story with such
clarity!"
The
Chiropractic Journal was pleased to have Dr. Lenarz tell its readers more
about himself and the book.
Interview
with author Michael Lenarz, D.C.
The
Chiropractic Journal: What is unique about "The Chiropractic
Way"?
Lenarz:
There is so much that is unique about this book. Perhaps the most
significant thing is that this is the first book about chiropractic ever
published by a publisher of the size and reputation of someone like
Bantam. "The
Chiropractic
Way
" also describes chiropractic and
the chiropractic lifestyle in a way that is simple and enjoyable, without
being negative about any chiropractic approach, although the book is
primarily subluxation based. Many people have reviewed the book and found
that it is a very pleasurable read.
TCJ:
Tell us a little bit about your book.
Lenarz:
The book consists of three parts. Part I focuses on chiropractic
philosophy and physiology. I describe, in detail, the basis of Innate
Intelligence and tie this into the current mind-body, quantum theories.
There are also chapters on the functioning of the nervous system and
spine, the nature of pain, and the way an adjustment works. Part II, is
focused on the chiropractic lifestyle. There are chapters on how to choose
a chiropractor, how to work with a chiropractor as well as chapters on
nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction. Part III focuses on how
chiropractic philosophy can form a new paradigm for healthcare worldwide
as well as for individuals.
Throughout
the book there are numerous testimonials and case histories of real
patients, which illustrate the principles involved.
TCJ:
What led you to write this book, and how long has it taken to write?
Lenarz:
This is a project that I have been working on for seven years. I think
that most chiropractors are aware that if you went to a bookstore today,
you could find books on massage therapy, natural medicine and a whole host
of alternative healing modalities -- but nowhere is there to be found a
book about the largest alternative healing profession in the world --
chiropractic. The amount of effort it takes to put together a project of
this magnitude (the book is over 300 pages), and to get one of the biggest
publishing houses in the world to publish it, is significant. I set that
as my goal many years ago and have worked on this persistently over all
this time.
TCJ:
You mentioned that you've been involved in other projects as well as
writing this book. Can you tell us a little about that?
Lenarz:
Well, along with being on the World Chiropractic Alliance, International
Board of Governors, I have served on the Board of Directors and done
committee work for the Blair Chiropractic Society. I am also the founder
of Health First Chiropractic, which now consists of three offices in the
Puget
Sound
region of
Washington
State
. I
help to manage these offices, still seeing patients myself at one of them.
I am also a consultant with the Five Star Management consulting firm. All
of my efforts are focused on chiropractic care becoming recognized,
throughout the world, as the foundation of health. This is part of the
vision and mission statements of Health First Chiropractic.
TCJ:
How do you see "The Chiropractic Way" impacting the profession
and society in general?
Lenarz:
My father always described me as the eternal optimist! He may be right.
But here is the thing; now we have a book about chiropractic, published by
a major publisher, telling the chiropractic story from a positive
perspective. Because this book is focused on subluxation and philosophy,
it is very usable by subluxation based chiropractors. The information on
physiology and the effects of adjustments are all based on the current
scientific literature. The chapters on lifestyle are presented in such a
way that chiropractors with a broader scope of practice can use them to
help with patient management while subluxation based chiropractors can
allow patients to use this information on their own. You see, my intent
was to create a book that virtually all chiropractors can use to help
educate patients and promote chiropractic. My goal for this book is to
double the number of people seeing chiropractors in
North
America
within five years.
TCJ:
That's a pretty ambitious goal. How do you see the book doing that?
Lenarz:
Ultimately, the acceptance of chiropractic is based on public opinion. The
fact that chiropractic exists at all today is because it has helped
millions of people to regain and maintain health over the last 100+ years.
But it has always been a struggle, in large part, because of the efforts
by organized medicine to discredit us. People being helped by
chiropractic, along with legislative and professional efforts, have
ultimately led to enough public support to allow us to move forward as a
profession. Chiropractic stands at the brink of explosive growth. An
affirmative book, published by a renowned publishing house, has the
potential to push the public opinion pendulum fully in the chiropractic
direction -- allowing us to finally take the place of respect and
leadership that is needed to make the world of health care a better place.
This book can help to make dramatic shifts in our society's view of health
and disease.
TCJ:
How can chiropractors support the book and the goal of doubling
chiropractic patients?
Lenarz:
Of course, buying the book for themselves would be a great support, and I
believe chiropractors would really enjoy reading it. The book can be a
great education tool for patients as well. I am planning a 50-city book
tour, which chiropractors throughout the country can participate in.
Involvement in this tour is designed to help participating doctors
generate significant new patients through local book events.
TCJ:
When is the book being released and where can it be bought?
Lenarz:
The advance release date is March 1. It can be purchased from any book
store anywhere in the country. If they don't have it in stock, you can ask
the bookstore to order it. It will be available online on Amazon.com and
Barnesandnoble.com starting April 1. You can get more information about
the book, the book tour, and related products on www.thechiropracticway.com.
