April 2009

Is 'wussification' wrecking your life?

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

Wussification: 1) the state in which a society, person, profession becomes less and less tough. 2) to become a wuss, coward, wimp, etc.

Today, we're witnessing the mass "wussification" of DCs because of a conscious or unconscious inability to properly educate the public about chiropractic. What's happened to the profession -- and chiropractors? There are spas, therapy suites, acupuncturists, vitamin salespeople, laser beams, massage therapists, but… where have all the chiropractors gone?

Instead of daring, bold young chiropractors, we see purposeless, philosophy disabled DCs who are connected and committed to no one and no profession. Fueled only by the insidious need to survive and make an income, they wave no flag or banner of philosophy. They are members of the wussification tribe.

Their freedom to practice was paid for with the sweat and the freedom of their chiropractic fathers and mothers. They are the takers of our profession. Subluxation, Innate, children are certainly important subjects for some DCs, yet for them it's a matter of survival. They "can't afford" to have a philosophy. They'd love to stay late for a new patient and his or her family, but Monday nights they have yoga class. See a new family over lunch? Sorry, they can't. They're taking a searching for life's meaning stretching class at the Y with fellow purposeless, underachieving professionals. Such is the battle cry or mantra for wussification.

When we asked all chiropractic colleges if they teach their students that you need massage, vitamins, orthotics, pillows, laser beams, PT to survive the answer was a resounding NO! Nobody goes to school for seven to nine years to be a laser beam therapist, a pillow salesperson, or a therapy manager. You don't need a degree for any of this. You do it because of wussification. You do it because you fear rejection when you tell people the truth about health and chiropractic. You take the path of least resistance, or so you think. No philosophy or concept can stand the test of time if it doesn't look towards the next generation. Wussification is a form of eating our young.

What's caused the wussification of chiropractic? It's the need to be accepted by the masses, to not rock the boat, to fit in instead of stand out, the need to believe as the majority believes -- in pain relief only. Wellness, children and families are currently the smallest part of most chiropractic practices. When people join our program we are constantly amazed that some DCs make less than 15% of their income from adjustments and the rest is, well, income-producing forms of wussification.

Where's our commitment to our patients, to our profession and to society at large? Wussification carefully paints a politically correct veneer over your office so it looks like a real doctor's office, even smells like it. Instead of compassion, you can only muster professional compassion for your patients.

We were at a mall the day before one of our seminars and we spied a chiropractor at a screening station. He had a white coat on, complete with stethoscope and was taking complimentary blood pressures and handing out vitamin samples. He talked about nutrition, acupuncture, exercises, orthotics, dermabrasion, hydrotherapy, etc. We looked carefully and saw buried with all the hundreds of pieces of wussification literature a lone Renaissance pamphlet talking about family wellness. We were both saddened at the sight of a once-proud DC in the grips of total wussification. He wore the mask of sadness as he pledged his allegiance to the wussification flag.

Is wussification fatal? Sadly, the answer is usually "yes." Like many chronic, degenerative and progressive diseases, wussification takes many years to suck the life out of its victim. There is hope, however. There are thousands of DCs just like you who do not turn to wussification as a way of life. They adjust and educate excited, happy people of all walks of life. They take a stand for chiropractic. They're not interested in what people think of them but are are committed to their beliefs about health. They have an urgency to help as many people as they can. They are highly successful, purposeful and grateful chiropractors who, while not against things other DCs do, are for family, subluxation-based chiropractic.

Imagine the feeling of being a parent searching for solutions to your child's health dilemma. There's so much hype and misinformation out there. When a parent discovers your office, what will he or she find? A real chiropractor or a once-proud DC with wussification?

(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.)