I recently attended the annual health care conference here in the Russian Far East titled, "The Health of the Population of the Far East." This program is part of the State program "The Health of the Population in Russia" (1).

I found the whole convention fascinating for many reasons, besides the fact nobody had to sign in and out, yet, all the rooms were full! When the definition of health was discussed, for a brief second I thought I was attending a chiropractic lay lecture as health was defined as a complex of physical, mental, spiritual and social interactions. The conference included presentations by researchers and leaders with perspectives from these areas.

The discussion centered around long term outcomes since this is clearly the best way to assess the impact of health practices. Chiropractic researchers be on alert, they are looking at decades here, not six-to-eight weeks!

While the comparison demonstrated better health for the citizens of the U.S., there was overwhelming agreement that Russia should not simply take on the practices of the U.S. without sorting the wheat from the chaff. They acknowledged that while the U.S. has wonderful technology, the Russians, as well as the rest of the world, knows our health care system has its problems.

Their goal seems to be to develop ways to integrate the best of what we have and leave out the rest. Since they are essentially starting with a clean slate, they possess a wonderful opportunity to develop an effective health care system. This is an incredible opportunity for chiropractic to play a leading role.

Not only are they concerned about overall outcomes from the treatment of disease, but they are also focusing efforts on identifying disease at its earliest outset.

I attended several lectures on an outcome assessment and diagnostic instrument known as computer dermography. Using auricular points which correspond to segmental (spinal) coordinates this apparatus records "resonance" of different body systems and compares them to a normative data base. While I can by no means do the science of this technology justice in this column, it is felt by these researchers that the alterations in resonance signals the earliest signs of pathology.

Read the following quote regarding this technology carefully: "Unlike radiology, computer tomography and sonography techniques which are based on the recording of structural changes in body tissues and their reflection properties, the Computer Dermography Method assesses the status of the nervous system and permits recording of incipient pathologies and their location at the functional level and detects a condition of 'predisease'." (2)

What is most exciting is that one of the pieces of information it yields are the possible levels of segmental nervous system aberration (subluxation to you and me). It even shows it on a screen in living color highlighting the problem levels. Perhaps we'll soon be able to add Computer Dermography to our list of subluxation assessments, since this technology "allows one to examine in detail, the condition of the segmental nervous system" (2).

I've been writing for some time now about the availability of technology to evaluate what we do as chiropractors and have strongly encouraged D.C.s to embrace the use of these outcome assessments. These include the use of computerized muscle testing, range of motion, surface electromyography, thermography, evoked potentials, etc.

Chiropractors please take note: these technologies evaluate function and they do it objectively. They give you the ability to detect subluxation at its earliest stages, quantify and characterize it, then monitor its reduction.

I admonish you to begin today to change the mindset in your office from being focused on pain relief to focusing on the arrest, reduction and prevention of subluxation. This will place improvement of function at the core of what you provide your patients and the public. Who doesn't need or want improved function?

If you are afraid of facing the adversity this change in your mindset might generate from your peers and neighborhood doctors, not to worry, you have other options.

You could further the retirement plans of a few chiropractic leaders and go to work for their "no care, we don't care" chiropractic managed care company. The one that won't let you take X-rays or perform any functional subluxation evaluation on your patient and then drops you from the plan if you see the patient more than six times. After all, you cultist chiropractor, everybody knows chiropractic is only for low back pain, and if you go around fixing subluxations how will they make a profit?

You could also continue to focus all your efforts on dwindling personal injury cases and workers compensation while begging attorneys for referrals. Of course these attorneys will only refer to you if you say and do what they tell you. Repeat the mantra: "I will obey my mother, my father, the attorney and State Farm and never have a bill over $2,000."

If you're willing to jump through those hoops, you should find no surprise in having your care declared unnecessary and unreasonable and your bills left unpaid after an IME from one of chiropractic's supposed researchers.

My recommendation, repeat this familiar line: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" You went to chiropractic college to become a chiropractor, not a six visit inexpensive alternative to bed rest and acetaminophen. You worked hard to open a practice, develop it and had a sincere desire to help humanity with your talents. You invested in an X-ray machine some time ago because you understood its value in helping your patients.

Take the time necessary to educate yourself on the rest of the assessment armamentarium that is available to you, then get it and start using it along with the knowledge you have from school, your experience and common sense. If you're not sure what to get or how to use it, contact me and I'll help you.

Resist the temptation to join the "dark side" as Dr. Harold McCoy refers to it by resolving today to change the focus of your care to subluxation analysis and reduction and you will have taken the first step towards freedom from the dark forces that tempt you!

References

1. Proceedings from The Health of The Population of The Far East. February 5-7, 1997. Vladivostok, Primorski Region, Russia.

2. Computer Dermography educational literature. Maritime Medicine Computation Center, Vladivostok, Russia.