March 2009

Why are you wasting precious time?

by Dr. Joe Borio

It's often difficult for our new clients to imagine adjusting 300 or more people per day. Many have questions about the number of hours worked, the amount of time spent with each patient, the adjusting techniques used.

Over the years in my role as coach, I've observed it's common for many DCs to struggle with changing the way they work, educate, adjust, market, train staff or apply office procedures. Resistance to change is common because we always embrace what's familiar. Yet, by being mediocre, you never grow, never achieve your goals, and never reach your potential.

The fact is, you're only as good as you are now in practice and unless you learn, grow and change you'll continue to repeat the past.

The most important part of your life, your future, and your income is usually decided on some visits to a colleague's office and maybe a seminar or two. As someone who continues to see 350-400 people per day with this number exceeding well over 500 at times, I can personally tell you, moving a client into a high volume wellness model will take courage, trust, passion, desire and a willingness to change.

Knowing that chiropractic is the most misunderstood and under- utilized source of health in the world today, you'll need to start with a vision to achieve success. Collectively, chiropractors have done almost everything wrong to (unintentionally) damage the future of the profession. So, with all there is at stake for you, the profession and the health of our country, why are you wasting precious time?

Ask yourself what you want to achieve as a chiropractor with the limited time you have available. I hope your answer involves bringing chiropractic to as many people as possible for a lifetime of wellness. If you view your limited time with a smaller vision, then I urge you to visit a senior living facility or a hospital today. Pick up some research on the level of sickness and disease in our society and read it. Look at this week's obituaries and note all the young faces and ask yourself this important question. If you had the chance to meet these people and speak with them what difference would you have made? Could you have saved a life or two?

How much more time has to pass, how many more opportunities will be wasted, how many more people have to die before you decide you want to make a difference? Before you choose to get into the game, you have to know whether you're a spectator or a player, a witness or a hero. I must believe if you've made it this far you desperately want to have a thriving, successful practice.

Of course, you want and need to make a living. But anyone who's practiced for a while knows there are other ways to do that. You could have done anything in the world and yet, here you are with a license hanging on your wall giving you the privilege to help heal sick and diseased people.

You've been given renewed sight sharpening your vision, while standing on the shoulders of so many committed chiropractors who came before you. Yet, far too many of us are falling short of our potential as individuals while the profession suffers.

Today, when you start adjusting your patients, tell them what organs are innervated by the segment you just adjusted. When they complain about their low back pain, tell them you're also concerned about their prostate, large intestine, or bladder because these vital systems are being affected, too.

Continually check patients' posture, weight scale and thermograph and do simple neurologic tests to demonstrate improvement in nerve functioning.

Take blood pressure and heart rates, explaining to patients how effective adjustments are in lowering the stress response to the body. Ask them how often they got sick before being under your care and compare this to how healthy they are now with an improved nervous system.

Make sure you have monitors in the waiting area offering chiropractic wellness education. Provide health handouts and speak about a "theme of the week" with all patients and staff. Take pictures of every baby and child you adjust for display and record videos of patients who have a positive story to tell and play them in the office for all to see.

These are just some of the things we need to do consistently if we're to rise above the ignorance and prejudice restraining all of us. No work is nobler or more important than serving the health of your community, so do it proudly.

(Dr. Joe Borio is president of Chiropassion Consulting. For more information about the topics raised in this article and to learn about the company's services, call 866-441-7928, or e-mail drborio@cnymail.com . Visit the Chiropassion website at www.chiropassionconsulting.com .)