One tendency that I have noticed during my 22 years of chiropractic practice: Many times doctors rely on their technical skills to the exclusion of their doctoring skills. Technical skills (motion palpation included) were never intended to replace a thorough examination and history. It is tempting to simply ask patients a few questions, run them through a brief exam, and then expect your technique to fix anything that might be wrong. Motion palpation, leg checks, muscle testing, or whatever analysis procedures you use are to be used in addition to, not in place of, a physical, orthopedic, and neurologic examination.
With some degree of regularity I encounter patients with lower back and leg pain who have previously been to other doctors (MD's included). While examining these patients I ask them if the previous doctor did similar procedures.
"Did they tap on your heel with a reflex hammer like I'm doing?"
"Did they test the strength of your leg muscles?"
Frequently the answer is "no." Even in cases with leg pain and numbness!
"The other doctor just asked me to touch my toes and then gave me a prescription."
"The last chiropractor didn't do any of this stuff, he just took an x-ray and started popping my back."
By telling you to take care not to fall into the trap of simply applying your technique to the patient without a proper examination should not take anything away from that technique. A technique or method of analysis was never intended to be all inclusive in the care of a patient!
Asking the patient proper questions can give you important information concerning the presence of arthritic, infectious, or other pathological conditions.
Is the pain worse at rest (possible arthritis), or on movement (subluxation)?
Is the pain constant and dull (possibility of underlying pathology), or is it intermittent and sharp (joint dysfunction)?
If the right questions aren't asked, potentially serious conditions may be passed over.
The standard orthopedic and neurological tests must be administered to determine the extent of the patients problem. It is suggested that a prepared form that lists the tests on a regional basis be used, otherwise it is too easy to forget one of them. Some doctors think they are too busy in their practices to do a thorough examination, however, it isn't as excessively time consuming as you might imagine; and of course your charges should reflect the higher level of service.
A final point that I would like to make concerns saving yourself embarrassment, and possibly a lawsuit. A patient may become hostile toward you after receiving little or no help from you, then being told by their MD that all along they had an extruded disc. In cases such as this you may become the hero or the villain in your patient's eyes; the choice is yours.
Michael T. Haneline, DC
El Cajon, California
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
