This month's article title is lifted from a Facebook post a doctor received from their patient. The entire post is: "OMG Whatever you did yesterday ... WORKED!!!!! I am pain free now for 24 hours!!!! THANK YOU!!!!" To this, the doctor replied: "Woohoooo!! I'm so glad!!"
The good news: the patient knows chiropractic works. The challenge: the patient may not adequately understand the care they received or the value of regular care to remain pain free and maintain wellness.
The Pain Doctor Perception
This scenario reminds me of an advertising tactic that appeared in the Yellow Pages many years ago. (Yes, there was a time when the phone company printed a large, paperback book with thin pages that listed all businesses in the area.) Among the listings for chiropractors were 5" x 5" ads for an over-the-counter (OTC) pain-relieving drug.
The drug manufacturer recognized that many people viewed DCs as pain doctors. The company spent considerable money getting its drug ad on every chiropractor page in the book. It probably did the same in other markets beyond Southern California.
Expand the Conversation
Pain relief is the first step in caring for a patient in pain. But if that's all we do, we can't expect to see patients more often than their pain dictates. My 65-plus years as a chiropractic patient tell me chiropractic is far more than that. Just based on my own personal experiences, I also see chiropractic care as: pain prevention, structural development, performance enhancement, functional improvement, health maintenance, wellness promotion and disease prevention.
You may see this list as limited or not in alignment with your understanding of chiropractic. Regardless, I think we would all agree chiropractic is more than just pain relief. The point is simply this:
Each patient visit is an opportunity to instill a deeper understanding of the value of chiropractic. Every visit spent talking only about the weather, sports, etc., is a wasted opportunity that will likely result in fewer future visits and fewer referrals.
Patient Education: An Every-Visit Job
By educating your patients, you give them knowledge they can use to enhance their health and make better decisions for themselves and their loved ones. They will also be better health care consumers; ones who hopefully avoid unnecessary drugs with dangerous side effects. Care enough to take the time to educate your patients about your care. Both they and you will reap the considerable benefits.
Read more findings on my blog: http://blog.toyourhealth.com/ wrblog. You can also visit me on Facebook and Twitter (donpetersenjr, @donaldpetersen).
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?
