October 2003

Patient education and lifetime care

by Dr. Eric Plasker

How would you like to be able to turn every new patient into a chiropractic family member for life? Wouldn't it be great if everybody who came into your office knew about chiropractic and used it the way that you and your family hopefully do? That is, they get adjusted on a regular basis as a part of their lifestyle (not just because they hurt) but because they want to be subluxation‑free and maximize their potential as a human being.

The key to turning a new chiropractic patient into a new chiropractic family is to educate them about vertebral subluxations and how they impact people's lives at every stage growth of and development.

For example, we all know that research has shown that even a six percent stretching on a nerve can reduce its function by nearly 70%. We also know that the weight of a dime on your finger is enough to shut the function of a nerve down significantly. Further, research has indicated that within two weeks of immobilization in a spinal joint or any other type of joint, permanent damage can begin to occur within two weeks. Knowing this to be true, how can we allow people to not understand these principles and only get adjusted when they hurt ‑‑ just to feel better temporarily and remain subluxated?

Let's take it to the next level.

Think about a pregnant woman and the forces that are put on you as a baby in the womb. From personal experience, I know that my son, Cory, had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice during the latter stages of his gestational period. Do you think that being in the womb with that kind of stress on the cervical spine might have caused him to be subluxated? You better believe it. Of course, he was adjusted immediately after he was born.

The birth process itself can be and often is traumatic. The pulling and twisting on the spine, the stretching of the neck, all these things can contribute to and cause vertebral subluxations, which have the impact of neurological changes. Is it okay to have that child be born in the world and remain subluxated? And, how many more weeks should we allow him or her to remain that way? Hopefully, your answer is zero weeks.

What about when you started learning to walk. How many times do you think you fell each day? 25? 50? 100 times? Do you think that the accumulation of all these falls over time could have caused your spine to be subluxated with negative neurological impacts?

How about kids playing soccer, baseball, and basketball? Hundreds of thousands of them end up in the emergency room each year with severe injuries that require immediate medical attention. Do you think that these children suffer from subluxations as well? Absolutely. And, what about those injuries that weren't emergencies? Do you think that they might be subluxated? Definitely.

In fact, these incidents are exponentially higher than those who got rushed to the hospital. How many two weeks should we allow them to live subluxated? The answer is... zero.

Consider kids in high school and college (studying for tests and boards and mid‑terms) who also have added emotional and hormonal changes going on in their bodies. Do you think they will experience subluxations? Or brothers and sisters who love to wrestle each other to the ground or jump from trees? All of these activities, events and life experiences can contribute to and cause vertebral subluxations. How many two weeks should we allow them to live subluxated?

And what about when you became a young adult? Do you remember the growth and development that came with starting a new job and raising a family? The stress of finances and budgeting and not having enough time in the day? The stress of work and deadlines? The stress of not figuring out how to reclaim yourself after starting a family? Always being on the go and not taking care of yourself?

These stresses cause and contribute to vertebral subluxations that can have a neurological impact on a person's quality of life. How many more two weeks should we allow parents to be subluxated? The answer is... zero.

Then there's the mid‑life stage. Did you know that in the next decade, someone will celebrate his or her 50th birthday on an average of every seven seconds? Think about the life changes that go on during these stages of growth and development. Those hormonal changes, job changes, postural and physical changes alter the normal bio‑mechanics of the spine and nerve system which can cause and contribute to chronic vertebral subluxations and countless degenerative symptoms and diseases down the road. How many two weeks should we allow these individuals who are really and truly just getting into the prime of their life to remain subluxated? The answer is... zero.

How about grandparents and great‑grandparents with severe arthritic spines? And symptoms and diseases that result from deficient nerve supply? Don't these people deserve to live a more active, disease‑free quality of life? Of course they do! How many two weeks should we allow them to remain subluxated and living less than their full potential as human beings? The answer is... zero!

Knowing the answer to this, how many more weeks will you wait to start turning your new patients into new chiropractic families? You can begin by educating your patients in your practice. Are you doing health and human potential talks teaching your patients and prospects this information?

Make sure that you educate your patients about how subluxations affect people's lives and health at every stage of growth and development. Once they learn this, lifetime chiropractic care and family wellness will become their natural choice. It just makes sense.

It's so exciting to see chiropractors creating these kinds of results in their practice especially when they never thought it possible before. If you don't have this kind of practice right now and want it, then begin by teaching your patients and community this family practice message.

Remember, your practice will mirror what you teach your patients and community. So, if you want to change your practice, change what you teach. Just make sure you're ready for the results. Generations of families will come to your office for adjustments, all at the same time. Patients will pay you regardless of whether they're insured or not. People will bring you cookies at Christmas, and remember you and your family on birthdays.

Your patients deserve this kind of care. You deserve this success, love, joy and appreciation in your life. Don't settle for anything less. And, if you need help, reach out. Educate your patients about family wellness and lifetime chiropractic care and become a family health care leader in your community.

(Nationally recognized speaker, educator, and author Dr. Eric Plasker is the founder of The Family Practice, a premier chiropractic coaching and training organization dedicated to making chiropractic the number one health care profession in the world. Through his customized coaching and success training programs, he is helping D.C.s to position their practices ‑‑ and realize unprecedented financial success ‑‑ and the profession to lead family health care around a mission of LCfE ("Lifetime Care for Everyone.") For information on The Family Practice Systems Library, a seminar schedule, coaching, training, or other product information, call The Family Practice (toll‑free) at 866/532‑3327, ext. 118. Or visit The Family Practice website at www.thefamilypractice.net.)