January 2005

Chiropractic without children... We'll pass

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

In this age of political correctness, of saying what you don't mean and meaning anything to anybody for financial gain, once again we at The New Renaissance find ourselves taking a stand contrary to the majority.

The world is looking for leaders, not more followers. Being a wellness chiropractor means that, like parents, we must take a stand. And, while this tends to be unpopular with patients, looking back (after having been educated) they'll see the wisdom in our ways. It takes courage to be wellness DCs and not cave in.

Giving people what they need and not what they want is not for the faint of heart. Does your office feature the removal of VSC on a family basis, or something else? Do you adjust parents while their children sit in the car? Are you willing to make deals and financial arrangements with people to guarantee they'll come in for a few “cracks?”

If you give people what they want, you're an enabler. Even though you may never see a person's family, you can be sure you've added to his or her misery by your “helpful” gesture.

As coaches, we hear all the time from chiropractors that their problem is new patients. When they get new patients they give them the same old message of “come in when you're in pain, we'll fix you up, and then we'll see you again when you're in pain.” Much like lawyers, if the price is right, we can get you out of your current problem. All of this as the true identity and spirit of chiropractic slips quietly into oblivion.

The world views DCs as musculoskeletal therapists only to be seen after all other options have been exhausted. This identity came about because there are so many chiropractors who conduct their practices this way. Their focus is crisis care and financial reward. Children and chiropractic are nowhere on their radar screen.

This same world won't pay for back pain relief out of pocket because, if you don't do it for them, they can go down the street and have their needs met by someone else. In fact, the person down the street is running a special today ‑‑ name your price, he or she will take it. No x‑rays, no exam, no patient education and no out of pocket expense to your esteemed patient!

When will we as DCs accept responsibility for the lost identity of chiropractic and do something about it?

Can you imagine a 49‑year‑old seeing a dentist for the first time? You say that's ridiculous and we agree, yet that's your next new patient. Can you imagine a 30‑year‑old who's never been to a school? We can't either.

What's all this have to do with your practice? EVERYTHING. Chiropractic is for everybody, regardless of age or health. It starts at birth and ends at death.

In case you haven't noticed, the world is producing dysfunctional, sick children at a record pace. Do you see more autism, ADD, eating disorders, etc.? How about geriatric sick people? Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, arthritis are all recognized to be chronic and degenerative conditions of the brain and nerve system. In other words, these conditions exist because of what was not done and corrected in the past.

Removing VSC on a family basis is not only good for the individual family and society, it's good for the planet. Healthier people do fewer sick things to themselves, society, and to the earth. Healthier people are part of the solution to getting the world back on track.

In an age when so many recent graduates and seasoned practitioners alike ask what chiropractic can do for them financially, there are still DCs searching to put the identity back into chiropractic and stand up and be counted. It takes no passion to give people what they want. It does take incredible amounts of passion to introduce a new concept of health to the masses, even though some will ridicule you for trying to help them.

This is the measure of a man or woman. Do you have what it takes?

Children belong in our offices, period. Don't run from the truth. Of course there are always going to be people in crisis. They need to be adjusted too, but not more than a person who isn't in crisis.

A popular axiom is what you focus on becomes your reality. MDs focus on disease and sickness, they get more of it. As DCs, we can choose to focus on wellness for a better world that starts with our children, or we can sell out our heritage for financial gain.

Doctors, make your choice.

(A complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working on the doctor from the inside out, The New Renaissance is the next generation of office procedures and patient education for today's chiropractor who wants to implement the chiropractic mindset of success. The new Mentor IV Practice Development Program takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities of doctors in the field. To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact The New Renaissance World Headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)