Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and in this case, a dying tree has become a striking symbol of chiropractic. David T. Ryan, BS, DC, CSAC, a 1988 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic who practices in Columbus, Ohio, was notified by several of his tree-savvy patients that the large silver maple in front of his office was doomed. "Carpenter ants were moving in and out like a free Vegas buffet," said Dr. Ryan. Knowing he had to take it down, Dr. Ryan contacted one of his patients who happens to be a tree trimmer. Along with the quote for removal, the tree trimmer suggested it might be nice to carve the tree into something.
Always wanting a spine figure of some sort in his front clinic area, this provided Dr. Ryan with the perfect opportunity to take a doomed tree and turn it into a powerful statement about chiropractic. According to Dr. Ryan, it was only a few hundred dollars more for the chainsaw artist, Jack Cantley (from Centerburg, Ohio), to carve the bone replica out of the dying tree.
"The best part of the whole thing is we are our own landmark," said Dr. Ryan." It is lit up at night with bright white lights shining on it and a pulsing red light in the area of a bad disc. I am dedicating it to all the chiropractic physicians and their patients. Yes, it is here at 6040 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, Ohio, but it is for the enjoyment of everyone who has been touched by chiropractic. I invite any doctor to have their picture taken with the spine in the background. It makes a great picture for the media."
While the national and state organizations are hard at work campaigning for chiropractic, it's important to appreciate the role individual doctors can play in informing the public about chiropractic care and sharing the positive message of all you do to promote health and healing. So, what have you done in your office or surrounding area to promote chiropractic? If your office features a unique representation of the spine or similar pro-chiropractic element, send a high-resolution photo and a short (300 words or less) background story to editorial@mpamedia.com. We'll publish a few of the most creative ideas with accompanying photos in a future issue of DC.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
