July 2005

The ghettoization of chiropractic

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

Although this may not be a familiar concept, it is a word. Society and the medical community want to ghettoize the DC as a limited musculoskeletal back fixer of last choice. This beautiful "first lady" chiropractic, ghettoized into a limited sprain and strain profession, is an injustice to our planet, its people and our profession. You can almost see the chiropractic heroes of the past twisting in their graves.

The sad part of this tragedy is that, in trying to be all things to all people, we created the public's image of chiropractic in the name of acceptance. There's nothing wrong with acceptance if you have the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Are you a doctor of chiropractic or something else? Chiropractic is what it is and no amount of technology, legislation or public rejection can change its essence.

How many times in your life have you been in situations where you should have said something and you chose to be silent? Voltaire the famous philosopher said, "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who knew better and chose to remain silent." The creation and the solution of this tragic problem are the same. Do you have the courage to stand up and create a new chiropractic culture, or will you allow society to tell you who and what to be?

Chiropractic college training did not include communication skills, patient education and office procedures designed for your patients to "get it." Patients control who and what you are by their expectations and acceptance. As a direct result, most DCs have a huge gap in their ability to attract and keep patients. Without the communication and the patient education tools to break through society's low image of chiropractic, you'll be relegated by default to becoming a salesperson, hawking symptomatic relief only. What about wellness? What about children's health? DCs don't realize or seem to care that we're eating our young. Every patient who enters and leaves a chiropractic office without being educated to the true identity of chiropractic will perpetuate the back‑cracking myth for the rest of their lives. The ghettoization of chiropractic to be sure.

All patients who enter your office are educated to the "big idea" of chiropractic. It's not a question of picking and choosing who gets it and who doesn't. No more than it's up to a teacher who gets it or who doesn't. DCs empower every patient to make the decision that's right for him or her. The result is the creation of long‑term relationships based on patient education and trust, rather than the typical sales‑based "revolving door" practice of short‑term new patients.

Many DCs reading this will say to themselves, "I wasn't trained in wellness; I was trained to help sprains and strains only." There's nothing wrong with that, if that's all you know. Yet, when will you ever improve on your chiropractic college training? One of the key ingredients to being a successful DC is the ability to embrace change. We want to expand, not shrink chiropractic's role and profile in society today. When you embrace change, growth, self‑discovery and adventure await you. Will you settle for a future that is simply an aged version of the present or will you embrace change?

Today, there are two types of college football athletic coaches. Type one is the "win at all cost" man who uses every trick in the book to justify the end result ‑‑ winning and ultimately making money for his school. Violations in recruiting rules, steroids, sexual harassment, NCAA sanctions, and lawsuits don't seem to bother this type as long as his school keeps winning. The pureness of the college game is gone. The tragedy is, this coach's "success" comes at the expense of the greater good. The game of college football gets another black eye, and ultimately will lead to its demise.

Type two is all about relationships, education and communication. It's not that he doesn't win or that he doesn't like winning. Because he believes the foundation must be set in the individual's values before true growth can be achieved, he focuses on making meaningful permanent character changes in his student‑athletes to be more successful in football... and in life. He stands behind his people, believing in them and encouraging them to be great people, not just great football players. When these student‑athletes enter the "real world" they are team players who make their colleges and the sport of football proud. Type two coaches create lifelong relationships with their student‑athletes that endure long after their football careers are over.

So, as chiropractors we have a choice to either participate unknowingly or unwittingly in the ghettoization of chiropractic, or to create a new health culture. Society is waiting for true leaders in wellness to emerge, not more rehash of the past.

(The New Renaissance is a movement of passionate chiropractors dedicated to changing the world. The leader in patient education since 1977, the Mentor IV Coaching Program is a step‑by‑step navigational guide that embodies the very essence of The New Renaissance vision of healthier people creating a healthier world. Without patient education, your patients won't "get it." To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact world headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)