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January 2007, Vol. 17, No. 1
Table of Contents
• Are You Busy Selling Chiropractic or Correcting Subluxations
• BJ's House Needs Repairs • Another Look At Cell Phones
• Chiropractic R.I.P. • Colloca and CBP Nonprofit Study Wins Best Paper Award • Help Us Locate Allen Botnick • Letters to the Editor
• Michigan Chiropractic Society Sees Evidence of Growing Need For Chiropractic • Meeting With Success • A New Look At Mirror Image Exercise • Mourning The Loss Of Tony Keller • Past Present and Future In Chiropractic • Posture Study By UQTR Researchers and CBP® Published by JCO • PostureRay™, PosturePrint™ Helping Doctors Help Patients
• The Importance of A Clinically Relevant Presentation of Findings
• It's Pauls Opinion • Research Corner • Scoliosis: SpineCor Brace
• Triano and CCGPP's Will Give You Six Visits
• Clinical Indications for Videoflouroscopy
• Western States Chiropractic College Receives NIH Grant •
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Chiropractic
by Mark Radermacher, D.C., President
Total Practice Management Int’l, LLC
Dr. Radermacher has been a chiropractor for the last 30 years and has been coaching some of the largest, most balanced and profitable practices nationally and internationally for the last 20 years. He is the author of: The 5 Minute Report Of Findings©, The 5 Minute Pre Consultation© (including the invaluable Life Impact Points©), The Dynamic Micro Report© (communication with patients during adjustments), The Fade and Fade Response©, The Minimization and Minimization Response©, Cluster
Scheduling© and The 24 Hour Per Week Mega Practice©. He is currently the leader in coaching chiropractors in patient communications and practice building.
Over the last twenty years, I have had the honor and pleasure of successfully consulting some of the greatest chiropractors in our profession. One might think that after twenty years and a few thousand clients that one might have “heard it all.” This is not necessarily true. Just a few weeks ago, I had a chiropractor call me for the sole purpose of informing me that chiropractic is dead. I’m too busy to be a chat box freak and have no interest in becoming involved in chiropractic gossip, so just for a moment, I thought the news flash of the death of chiropractic had, perhaps, eluded me. Within seconds I regained my composure, went on the offense and began to ask questions. The stream-of-consciousness list of answers I received is cause for grave concern to our profession.
The first question I asked was when the death of chiropractic actually took place. His answer was non-specific but he was sure that the death occurred some time in the last eighteen months or so. The next question I asked dove into the depths of his consciousness while his answers revealed a frustrated, confused and shallow chiropractor. I asked for reasons why chiropractic had died. He obviously was cognizant of a list of reasons — a list which seemed to be rehearsed. The list sent shivers up my spine, and while he articulated each point he seemed to be haunted by having to be the one who bore the knowledge.
Reason #1: The majority of people just don’t want chiropractic. He went on to explain that in most people’s minds, chiropractic care is optional. Chiropractic care is considered an unnecessary service that is, at best, a luxury service someone might consider if they have the “right” kind of pain and are in just the right mood. He drove the point home by informing me that the few people who do get chiropractic care certainly can’t be sold on care beyond the resolution of symptoms.
Reason #2: Most people just don’t have the money for chiropractic care. He went on to explain, “Considering that chiropractic care is a luxury and money doesn’t grow on trees, we can’t expect people to pay out of pocket. Prior to the death of chiropractic, there was third party pay that covered chiropractic. Even then,” he went on to say, “people usually had to pay a little money, and it was tough for them. People,” he reminded me, “had better things to do with their money. For example, money must be spent on mortgages, automobiles, food, insurance, computers, big screen TV’s and trips. Surely,” he finished his thought, “people have financial priorities, and chiropractors must be sensitive to their financial struggles.”
Reason #3: Most people don’t have the time for chiropractic care. “Everyone knows,” he told me “that time is of the essence. People are just so busy they can barely squeeze enough time in for sleep. In fact,” he concluded, “people are just used to getting everything fast, no one uses dial-up speed on their computer; D.S.L. is too slow. Why, even T1 is old news. Speed is critical, and chiropractic is just too slow for people. When someone can get rid of pain within minutes or hours with just taking medication, why in the world would they ever waste time going to a chiropractor?”
Reason #4: People are too smart for chiropractic care. “This is the 21st century, for gosh sakes,” he said. “People understand health. For many months people have been telling me what they need for care. They know their bodies and their bodies’ needs.” “Additionally,” he said, “people like ancillary care options like massage and feel-good therapies. We as chiropractors should respect people’s choices for care and not try to sell them chiropractic adjustments that are uncomfortable because they just won’t tolerate it and will quit and go someplace else. And, if you awaken to realize you can charge quite a lot for some of the care people really like, you can run a profitable business.”
His final statement was a compilation of short rapid-fire comments to complete his case. “Look” he said, “chiropractors are going out of business all over the place. The time to focus on pleasing the patient with the right kind of care has arrived. Now that chiropractic is dead, only the incompetent chiropractor will ride its coffin into failure and oblivion.”
I thanked the caller for his announcement and insightful input and then asked him if he wanted a response, he took a deep breath and said he only had a few minutes, but I could tell he was curious to listen.
I decided to respond in order to each of his four reasons. I realized he was rigid with porcine determination and thought it would be best to parallel instead of argue and to use the Socratic approach of engagement in order to better communicate with him. I told him I thought I understood why he thought the majority of people just don’t want chiropractic. In fact, I went so far as to say that I actually agreed with him on this point. Then I started asking some simple questions. Does he get adjusted? “Yes, of course,” he said. I asked if he had a family? “My wife and I have two daughters.” “Do they get adjusted?” I asked. “Sure, they all get adjusted.” I then asked, “Why?” He told me that he has recurring low back pain from an old lifting injury, and if he doesn’t get adjusted his low back pain becomes so intense that he can’t adjust patients. “In fact,” he said, “my low back pain will hurt so much that I can’t even sit.” “What about your wife and daughters, why do they get adjusted?” I asked. “Well my wife used to get a lot of headaches and neck pain, but she hasn’t had any symptoms for at least a year now,” he responded. “And your daughters?” I pressed on. “One daughter has always been healthy, but the other suffers with allergies, and adjustments always help her in high season,” he informed me.
At this point, I felt I had enough personal life impact information to bridge a concept gap. “You, your wife and your daughters neither consider chiropractic a luxury nor an option, am I correct?” “Of course not,” he replied. “We get adjusted because we need chiropractic care.” “Would it be possible,” I asked, “to expect other people to want chiropractic care if they understood how successful care might be? And,” I went on, “do you think they might even move from wanting chiropractic to needing chiropractic if they knew the positive life impact chiropractic care might have on their day-to-day life and activities?” He answered, “Well, I suppose so, but they would have to understand the connection before they would ever want or think they would ever need chiropractic care.” “I couldn’t agree with you more,” I responded. “If only there was a way for them to learn.”
“In so far as reason #2,” I went on to say, “I whole-heartedly agree that most people just don’t think they have the money for chiropractic care.” I then asked him how many people he knew who were independently wealthy? He said he’d heard a few people talk like they were, but he didn’t necessarily believe them. To attempt to bridge the gap with him, I asked, “How do people pay for things?” He said, “Everybody has loans and credit cards.” “Ah,” I sounded relieved. “So loans and credit cards allow people to afford the house, the cars, the food, the insurance, computers, big screen TV’s and, of course trips, correct?” “Yeah,” he said, “they’d never be able to do it without.” “People,” I said, “obviously have financial priorities but seem to buy just about whatever they feel they want or, perhaps, need. Would you agree?” I asked. “Well, I suppose,” he mused. “I wonder,” I thoughtfully asked, “if people knew that chiropractic care would improve their symptoms or conditions enough to allow them to dance again, golf again, work again or maybe even continue school, would they ever feel the want or need for care?” His response was, “Well, if they knew care would make that much difference they’d probably feel like they both wanted and needed it.” “Then,” I said, “they’d probably even financially reprioritize in order to pay for it, wouldn’t they?” “Yeah, they probably would,” he said.
I said his third reason was a tough one. “Time,” I said, “is the one thing we can’t change. We can’t slow it down, we can’t make more of it, in fact, we can’t even manage time. The best we can do is learn how to manage ourselves.” “No kidding,” he said. “No one has time for anything anymore.” “I wonder,” I replied, “how some people get so much more accomplished compared to others?” “Well,” he stuttered, “they probably want to get more done.” “Maybe,” I said, “people even prioritize what they want or need to get done. In this way, they make the most out of the time they have.” “Sure,” he responded, “that makes sense. I mean, how else would some people get so much accomplished in so little time.” “They probably even have goals,” I said. “You know, at least a short list of what they are willing to take time to do.” “Yep, I know a lot of people who do that,” he answered. “Speaking of goals,” I pondered, “I just wonder if health is worthy of being one of a person’s goals?” “Well of course it is,” he said. “What is life worth if you lose your health?” I agreed. “Just think,” I went on to say, “if you could approach someone who is dying of cancer or heart disease and offer them health again. I wonder what people would pay or what amount of time they would commit to regaining their health in order to live.” “Oh,” he said, “I’m sure a person would do anything to not have to die. In fact, they’d sell things they own to pay the price of health, they’d work from dawn to dusk in order to do whatever was necessary to regain their health.” “Come to think of it,” I responded, “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
“You mentioned a fourth reason, something about people being too smart for chiropractic care, correct?” I asked. “Absolutely,” he said. “People know so much now-a-days. I mean you can look anything up online within seconds. You can check out any disease, any treatment and all sorts of studies and statistics. It’s phenomenal! People just have so much information about health... they’re really smart.” “I agree,” I said. “I was online once and looked up headaches. I read, one, two, three articles and then started searching additional links to headaches. And, after countless links I got to an article about The Ultimate Headache.” “What was that about?” he quizzed. “Something about Marie Antoinette and what a headache she must have had, she even lost her head over it,” I said. “Yeah,” he responded, “sometimes the internet gets crazy.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “Well,” he went on, “a person can go from article to article, link to link, and pretty soon a few hours have disappeared and all you are is confused.” “Yeah,” I laughed, “I’m sure that happens often.” “All the time,” he said. “All the time.”
“I wonder,” I asked, “how many people understand subluxation?” “No one,” he answered. “I mean, who goes around talking about subluxation?” “Yeah,” I said, “you’re probably right. In addition, who would ever talk about ‘above-down-inside-out’?” “Absolutely no one,” he emphatically replied. “People don’t know anything about how the body heals.” “Too bad,” I said. “If people only knew about subluxation and how the body really heals, they’d know a lot more about chiropractic.” “Yeah, too bad,” he said. “It’s just too bad.”
“If people knew,” I offered, “they’d want to do more than just feel good, they’d actually want to get healthy.” “I bet they would,” he answered. “I bet they really would.” “It’s too bad chiropractic is dead,” I said sadly. “Just think if people had enough knowledge, they’d want chiropractic care to the extent that they’d pay for it themselves, take whatever time was necessary to get the care and end up not just being smart about health but actually getting healthy.” “No doubt,” he said, “if people only knew.”
In the background, I heard a telephone ringing. I asked, “Is that your line or mine?” He answered, “It’s mine, just hold on a minute.” While I was on hold, I realized I had forgotten to ask about the details of the funeral arrangements and made sure I’d ask as soon as he came back on the line. “Doc,” he responded a moment later, “I have a new patient on the other line... I’ve got to run.” I said, “Okay, but where’s the funeral?” “What are you talking about?” he confusedly asked. “The funeral for chiropractic,” I responded. “Remember you called me to tell me chiropractic was dead!” “Oh,” he replied, “there’s not a funeral or anything. I mean, you know, maybe it’s not really totally dead-yet.” “Perhaps not,” I responded. “The world would really be in sad shape if it were.” “Yeah, well anyway,” he said, “I’ve got to run and handle this new patient call. He’s really in a lot of pain and wants to come in right away. Thanks for the time on the phone. You are very insightful.” “Thanks,” I responded. “We should talk more often.”
I hung up the phone and began to write. Chiropractic, I wrote, is bigger than any of us. Yet, the precious life of chiropractic is, at any given moment in time, in the hands, hearts and minds of those who comprehend and practice chiropractic for the sake of the patient who so critically needs it. The vital signs of chiropractic may be weak and its pulse a bit thready in the minds of many in our profession, but those who understand enough to communicate chiropractic to the people will be attending no funerals in the immediate future.
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