October 2004

Congruency in balance?

by Dr. Chris Akey

The wellness revolution is looming large on the horizon, and people are embracing a wellness lifestyle. We as a profession have to become purveyors of change within our communities, but we can't become influential if we ourselves are not congruent with the lifestyle we're promoting. We must embrace the change that is here or get left behind. I don't want to see this happen in our profession.

Living our vision

As a husband, a father of two, and a chiropractor, I'm dismayed that my state ranks among the lowest in the US in terms of health care quality. I'm equally dismayed that my country doesn't rank #1 in the world. I'm certain you would agree the situation desperately needs to get better, because we deserve better. What can we do? What can you do?

It starts in our offices ‑‑ with our vision for a healthier population, our goals for reaching out to our neighbors, and, most importantly, educating our patients.

We have an opportunity to change our patients' focus away from symptoms to the cause of the symptoms. If our only goal is to alleviate symptoms such as pain, we are usually able to accomplish that with a few adjustments. However, does that mean our job is done? Not if we want our patients to understand that their stress level, vocation, nutrition, relationships, recreation, and outlook on life will impact how soon those symptoms return. And not if we want them to know that neglecting their spine and nervous system may lead to more subluxations and irreversible damage later because their condition advances.

Educating our patients

Our patients deserve to know that certain supplements can improve overall function, that cervical support pillows can improve sleep (which helps bodies heal faster), that rehabilitative exercises will strengthen muscles for long‑term benefit, and that custom‑made, stabilizing orthotics improve the stability of the lower extremities and spine and can help enhance and hold the chiropractic adjustment for extended benefits. Such adjunctive products do not cost, they pay. It's a small investment that yields huge returns.

There is something about decreasing the biomechanical stress on the spine through pedal support that should be appealing to all of us and our patients. The feet are the foundation of the body, and they serve us in three important ways: they support the body whenever we stand, walk, or run; assist us in moving from one place to another; and help protect the spine, bones, and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as we move. Any weakness or unstable positioning in the feet can, over time, contribute to postural problems in the rest of the body.

The most advanced types of stabilizing orthotics help to keep the feet in their proper position of function throughout the day. They also help absorb damaging heel‑strike shock, provide custom support for the three arches of the feet, and help improve total body wellness.

Spread the wellness lifestyle

It's time to tell our patients the truth about the chiropractic wellness lifestyle. If this is a challenge for you, get with a colleague who has already embraced this change and learn from that person. Let's be more unified and help each other. Get information for yourself, go to life‑enhancing seminars, buy these tools and use them so they can be offered to your patients.

Better yet, if you know of a colleague who can benefit from information on custom‑made stabilizing orthotics, take the opportunity to send it yourself. Patients want to know what you know and use, and they'll buy what you display in your office. My office staff, family, and I all promote the vision of a wellness lifestyle ‑‑ from foot to head.

(Dr. Chris L. Akey has been in practice for five years and currently runs Life Family Chiropractic in Farmington, Arkansas. His focus is educating his community to be subluxation free. He can be contacted at kidschirodoc@msn.com)

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