September 2003

Action or re-action?

by Dr. Jon Baker

Decades ago, chiropractors were jailed for practicing their art, science and philosophy. I wonder how many just gave up. Even more important, I wonder what drove those who flourished in that adversity. We owe them!

A few years back, chiropractors were introduced to HMOs & PPOs. I wonder how many gave up. Even more important is how those of us who prospered had our best years ever.

Now (at least in California), it seems like our ability to care for injured workers is about to be limited to a few visits, no matter what the injury. unless our dear friends, the M.D.s, refer to us. Guess what? As always, some will fail and some will succeed.

The management of your life and your chiropractic office can be one of action or one of re-action. Is it really that much different than caring for patients? You know there's a huge difference between a new patient who had covered up his problems for years and a new patient who is system-free and in your office just to see whether chiropractic can help improve her overall health performance. Some of you may be saying, "I've never heard of a healthy patient walking in to see if chiropractic could be of preventative importance to them." Therein lies the answer to the question of how you deal with action or re-action.

If you haven't been telling the chiropractic story in it's entirety, how can you expect your community to know about the incredible healing ability of our bodies? Enough with the five or eight or sixteen danger signals. It's time to tell the entire story.

Being a chiropractor is such a wonderful gift. Why are we trying so hard to keep it to ourselves? Imagine if we focused as a group -- like the dentists did 40 years ago! I visualize chiropractors being the largest group of health providers out there. Medicine's time is running out. People are sick and tired of drugs, lotions, potions and surgeries that don't work. It's time to let the world know what we know about this incredible self-healing self-regulating body of ours! It's truly time to stop re-acting and start taking action.

Our uniqueness lies in the adjustment and correction of subluxation. When you stop and consider that chiropractic exists and continues to exist in spite of the tremendous opposition of medical and pharmaceutical interests you should be amazed. Talk about David vs., Goliath. If nothing else was said, merely the continued growth of the chiropractic profession is in itself the greatest proof of the merit of our chiropractor principle.

Isn't it time? In matters of style, it's okay to swim with the current. In matters of principle, we must stand like a rock. Why continue to re-act by looking for the scraps the insurance companies will throw our way or the few-and-far-between referrals from the M.D.s? Why don't we take action and tell the chiropractic story?!

Dr. Clarence Gonstead once said, "Remember that chiropractic always works. When it does not seem to, examine your applications, but do not question the principle." Do you think for one moment Dr. Gonstead simply re-acted to his world or do you think he was a man of action? Let's think about this one D.C. in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin with a huge clinic, hotel and private airstrip for his patients -- all in a town of fewer than 2,000 people.

It's crazy to think that D.C.s actually believe they need new ways to bring in new patients and to find new tricks for billing. What we really need is to open our hearts and minds and eyes to the infinite abundance that is in our towns right now! Let's take action. It feels so good!

Let's tell our acute care patients the reasons why their families should be checked. Let's tell our patients at the end of corrective care about the wonders of utilizing chiropractic care for wellness. Let's continue to complement our lifetime wellness

patients for doing what is right.