Patients with musculoskeletal pain (MP) often seek relief from chiropractors, general practitioners, physical therapists or orthopedic surgeons. Yet scientific research shows that programs which address functional deficits through reactivation and rehabilitation enhance the coping ability of patients far more than any passive intervention such as medication, manipulation, manual or physical therapy, injections or surgery.1 Today, the public is discovering personal trainers, Pilates, yoga and tai chi, and often finds more pain relief from these methods than from traditional approaches.
This new consumer awareness represents a great opportunity for health care professionals who want to benchmark themselves as MP experts. Even if insurance won't reimburse for ongoing functional training, patients are prepared to pay for this service out of pocket. Health care providers in the MP field should use manipulation, medication or other treatments to facilitate patients' return to activities. However, these passive treatments should be seen as a means to recovery rather than an end.
A new organization, the International Society of Clinical Rehabilitation Specialists, is an example of how multidisciplinary health care providers can demonstrate their unique practice philosophy as MP experts who focus on functional fitness (www.clinicalrehabspecialists.com). Such experts benchmark themselves by adhering to the overarching goals of modern care for neuromusculoskeletal problems, as described by the recent clinical framework document from the Victorian WorkCover Authority in Australia.1 The aims and principles of care are clearly summarized in the following goal statements:
Functional fitness is a perfect way for any health care provider to help patients with disabling or activity- limiting MP syndromes resume normal activities. The focus should be on identifying what tissues require stabilization and which require mobilization, rather than routinely giving one or the other generically. In this way, an individualized, patient-centered approach can be prescribed. Excellent resources for performing a functional assessment and giving direction-specific (e.g. McKenzie, yoga) or stabilization exercises (e.g. Pilates, core training) are available.2-4
Functional training is growing in popularity. From adolescents to elite athletes to "weekend warriors" to the elderly, this is an emerging field that perfectly complements the MP specialists' place in the health care field.5,6 Those health care providers who develop and market their expertise in this exciting new field will be benchmarked as the "experts of choice" among active people and those wishing to restore function.
References
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?
