Philosophy

I.Q. -- Interesting Quotes

Editorial Staff

Self Magazine Survey Examines "Alternative" Care

The January 1994 issue of Self magazine featured a readership survey on alternative health care. The results, while probably not entirely reliable, reinforced the trend toward nonmedical forms of health care. And while this publication targets a young to middle-aged, mainly feminine readership, their survey may indicate something about alternative care in general and chiropractic care specifically.

Eighty-four percent of those surveyed said they had tried nonmedical care in some form.
Of the 84 percent that had used alternative therapies, 60 percent had used chiropractic.
Of the 24 percent that had used alternative care but not chiropractic, only a disappointing eight percent said they'd be willing to try chiropractic.

If we give credence to this survey, we can be encouraged by the great percentage of alternative health users that have tried chiropractic (60 percent). Most surveys, however, project that only 10-15 percent of the population are _regular_ chiropractic patients.

The inability of chiropractic to increase the percentage of patients who get regular chiropractic care, points to a marketing challenge that may in fact be more important than trying to get more people to try chiropractic. People who have already sought chiropractic care should in many ways be easier to educate about the benefits of regular chiropractic care.

February 1994