March 2009

At last, my patients get it!

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

"Why don't my patients get it?" seems to be a modern-day mantra. Most DCs decided a long time ago to stop delving into this question and just "hope for the best." This month's column is dedicated to the chiropractor who wants to discover why and learn the answer.

One of the most common and frustrating aspects of being a chiropractor is your patients not getting it. You've talked over and over about Harvey Lillard, subluxation, the importance of wellness and family care and… they still don't get it. It causes frustration in your practice and your life and hits you where it really hurts -- the wallet or the pocketbook.

Every patient who enters your office has a built-in dominant belief in medicine. Growing up in our culture, medicine is king. Top-rated TV shows watched by chiropractic students today include "House," "Bones" and "Greys Anatomy." Television has always had its quota of medical programs, but have you ever seen one featuring chiropractic? Your patients don't make a conscious decision to "believe" in medicine, they're immersed in it since birth. Actually, the assault starts before birth with all the tests and fear instilled in pregnant patients. What you focus on becomes your reality. If chiropractic students are watching medical shows, you can be sure their future patients are tuned in as well.

Someone enters your practice and you examine the person and give your recommendations. The individual seems enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of better health. He or she appears to like you, your office and your staff. Then, in the first few weeks of care the person either disappears or begins to negotiate his or her care programs or fees. What happened? In a nutshell, your patient's dominant belief system about health kicked in.

Whenever a dominant belief system is challenged, it fights back with aggression, disbelief, confusion, or an ill-defined anxiety in the pit of the patient's stomach. Uncomfortable or just not familiar with this new (chiropractic) way, patients automatically go back to the known or familiar, even if they know it's not in their best interest.

Belief systems program behavior invisibly and command people person to act within a very narrow range of accepted behavior according to what's been previously programmed. It's important we remove the words "good" and "bad" from the equation. Medical beliefs are the most powerful in this country. To prove the point, atheists and agnostics all carry a third party insurance card. While loudly proclaiming the absence of a higher power, they still subscribe to the very notion that there IS a higher power -- medical care. Now that's what you call belief!

Let's examine how powerful beliefs are.

Ask smokers why they smoke and they'll say "it relaxes me" or "I like it," etc. They're honestly at a loss to explain such self-destructive behavior. They know it will cost them their life, and yet they do it. A belief system that's invisible and under their conscious radar commands people to take their own lives. Quite a strong demonstration of the power of beliefs. Many people who use willpower to try and stop smoking become extremely uncomfortable and when their effort fails, they'll find a way to smoke. Period. But, here's where the solution lies. You must create an entirely different belief system that supports what you want... not what you don't.

Many DCs concentrate on symptoms only and forget to educate their patients about chiropractic and wonder why they drop out and don't get the big idea. It's because their dominant belief is medicine. Continuing to go to the chiropractor for anything other than short-term pain relief is foreign and doesn't feel right. It's an exercise in futility to challenge this. Instead, create your own identity that's separate and distinct from medicine. You don't have to bash medicine. You don't have to be against medicine. Be pro- chiropractic. Comment on chiropractic matters only. When people ask you medical questions it's not your responsibility.

Every step of the way you must educate your people. Nobody else will do it for you. People don't welcome challenges to their dominant belief systems. They react with anger, indifference and a so-what attitude. Failure to educate them will result in a lack of respect for you, lowered income, and a lack of fulfillment with your profession. You want more patients, more income and more fun in your practice so, educate your people like their lives depend on it. Many of us believe they do.

(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.)