February 2006

The philosophy of feet

by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

One of the primary reasons that chiropractic still isn't the number one form of health care is that chiropractors themselves place limits on what it, and they, can do.

For some, this means seeing themselves merely as a secondary "complement" to medicine. The message they put out is: "If drugs don't work for that sore back, come to me and I'll try to relieve the pain."

Or, they restrict themselves just to patients who present with a laundry list of symptoms. Once the symptoms are gone, they have nothing more to offer.

Many subluxation‑centered doctors limit themselves to providing adjustments to correct existing subluxations, rather than look at the big picture and do what they can to prevent them in the first place.

I read a fascinating article by Will Tickel, DC, whose book "Stirrin' it Up! A baby boomer's look at life, liberty, and the pursuit of imperfect bliss" is as insightful as it is funny. In the article, Dr. Tickel reminded me of one of Dr. James Parker's favorite sayings: "Don't let the size of your shoes determine the growth of your feet."

Will applied this same premise to the use of orthotics in his article, titled, "Don't let the shape of their shoes interfere with the growth of their being." He argued very persuasively that "Philosophically, orthotics support the concept of vitalism."

That's a lot to ask of a pair of insoles, but it's absolutely true. The concept of vitalism boils down to the simple notion that the body has an inherent self‑healing mechanism. Chiropractic philosophy holds that a DC's job is to facilitate that mechanism and remove interference, whenever possible, that could hinder it.

When a patient suffers foot deviation such as over‑pronation or unequal gait, that biomechanical imbalance serves as interference to the innate healing process and can be a direct cause of subluxations. As Dr. Tickel said, "When the reflex relationship of the feet to the entire organism is considered, foot biomechanics ‑‑ sensory awareness and afferentation ‑‑ becomes a crucial step in the healing or restorative process, as well as in the maintenance of health and prevention of disease. From a healing perspective, custom orthotics greatly aid the body's adaptive or adjustive capabilities."

If chiropractors limit themselves too much, they may not be open to providing orthotics to their patients, or even to addressing this basic cause of subluxations. Thus, their patients are deprived of an extra level of help.

It also deprives the doctor of a significant revenue stream that can make a major difference in the success of the practice. DCs have to make very careful decisions as to what services and products they provide patients, and can deal only in those that can definitely contribute to patient health. On a strictly business basis, they also need to focus on those services and products that won't require unreasonable amounts of time or effort.

When choosing to help remove the interference caused by improper foot biomechanics, doctors have to decide which orthotics to offer. Most choose Footlevelers for a number of reasons. First of all, the company has an outstanding reputation for supporting the profession. Few other companies donate as much money to chiropractic causes as Footlevelers, and their founders Drs. Monte and Kent Greenawalt are true humanitarians in every sense of the word.

They choose Footlevelers for another reason as well. The company makes it easy for doctors to provide information to patients, and even fit them for orthotics. Patients simply stand in a foam "mold," which the doctor sends to Foot Levelers. Foot Levelers does the rest, by making the orthotic to fit the patient's foot.

So, as Will Tickel pointed out, chiropractors should let the shape of their patients' shoes interfere with the growth of their being. And they shouldn't let their own limited ideas of chiropractic interfere with the growth of their practice, or their profession

For more information Foot Levelers, call 800‑553‑4860 or visit www.footlevelers.com.

(Dr. Terry Rondberg is president of the World Chiropractic Alliance and publisher of The Chiropractic Journal and the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. A popular speaker at chiropractic conferences and seminars, Dr. Rondberg is also a frequent guest on TV and radio shows. He has written numerous articles on chiropractic for the profession and the public, as well as several best‑selling books, including "Chiropractic First," "Under the Influence of Modern Medicine," and, with Timothy J. Feuling, the "CBS Malpractice Prevention Program," and "Chiropractic: Compassion and Expectation.")