Have you ever wondered what happened to the local corner store in your neighborhood? You know, the local grocery store, where you could buy a quart of milk and a loaf of bread; the local hardware store, where you could buy a single item, rather than in quantities of 10 or more; and the local gas service station, where you could actually get your vehicle repaired and watch what they were doing!
All of these local businesses provided excellent service. Was it competition, or did the neighborhood change? I think it was a little bit of both. Competition played a major role in the delivery of service to the consumer, but the consumer brought about change as well. Think about the changes you've encountered - employers, benefits, where you live and raise your family, etc. The local community chiropractor also must make necessary changes.
Now for many readers, you know what I am referring to, but the younger generation may already have put this article down and gone on to something more exciting. But if you didn't stop reading, there is a message in this piece that will allow you to do something many in the profession are not doing: thinking about and planning the future of the chiropractic profession by joining your state and national associations.
If not you, then who will plan where this profession will be in the next 10-40 years? If you are not involved in your local or state association, you have no right to complain about what happens. Have a say in your future by having a say in your association. Volunteer now. We need your support in so many ways. Getting involved with your association helps provide the necessary resources to protect you and your colleagues in the chiropractic profession. Associations can be seen as your local corner store, where the service was individual and you were known by name. Our profession should have better membership at both the state and national levels.
The associations exist because you want change and results, so that your practice will continue to thrive and have a place in the health care system. Competition is constant and there are those who think they can do what a doctor of chiropractic can do without the necessary skill sets, education and training. Associations can best advocate for you and your colleagues, and defend and promote change necessary for growth in the chiropractic industry.
It is difficult maintaining your business each day with overhead expenses, family obligations, and school loans (especially for some of the younger doctors). But without the associations, this profession would not have achieved what it has in the past 112 years. A strong case can be made for tithing. Yes, that's right, tithing - the concept many congregations have utilized successfully for years. By tithing (e.g., giving the first 10th of your earnings), you are giving thanks to God for all the blessings you and your family have received and hope to receive. By supporting both your national and state associations, you are doing one and the same. You are thanking your forefathers in chiropractic for keeping the practice of chiropractic from falling by the wayside of the local corner store. But you are not being asked for 10 percent of your business to do so.
Think about your profession's history - not the infighting this profession is known for, but the interference this profession has endured from the medical and insurance industries. Without the national and state associations defending the right of the profession to practice, who knows if the chiropractic profession would have survived the past 50 years?
So, for those who have been and are currently members of both the national and state associations, I thank you. For those who have yet to make that all-important commitment, please do so before associations go the tragic way of the local corner store. Join today and allow your associations to make a difference for you and for all doctors of chiropractic!
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?
