I just watched the movie Invictus that was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Great movie, as most of his are. Basically, the movie was an inspirational movie centered around South Africa,rugby, Nelson Mandela and ending apartheid. It showed how Mandela unified a country using common ground between people. A movement. People thinking and believing in the same things.This movie got me thinking about what I do as a profession. Where is the common ground or movement in chiropractic? I always get asked by other business people what our business training was like in school.
I will explain that we really got very little if any real advice on how to run a business. What we did receive is a first class clinical education on the technical work of how to help people with their physical aliments.
I can see it on their faces as they ask themselves, “then why are you all in business?”
The “Why” you start your business is never a concrete thought with most chiropractors. Of course if you ask them they will give you the canned answer, “I love to help people”, “I was born to serve” or “my technique is the best.” These are very obtuse general answers given by most chiropractors.
Most of the focus in chiropractic is on the “How” they are going to help you or “Why” they are a “better” choice than the other chiropractors. Or “What” separates them from others, whether it is price, technique or diagnostic skills. With no frame of reference for a new patient to chiropractic they have no idea what makes one chiropractor better from the next.
Most chiropractors have so firmly stuck to their “How and What” and are trying to convert people rather than just finding the people that believe in their “why movement”. What is worse is that the conversion most often is NOT routed in the ideals of the chiropractor but in the profits it produces.
There is no doubt or question chiropractic is the best for acute lower back pain (among other ailments). Study after study has proven this and Mayo clinic has announced it. But how to gather people to understand this?So what are my ideals you ask? Why am I in business?
I was put on this earth and believe that my job is to correctly diagnose your spinal problem, TEACH you about your diagnosis as a way to for you to help yourself.
You did not get back pain because you had too few spinal adjustments!
Blasphemy! I can hear the chiropractors say! Well, it’s true and truth is a powerful thing.
People come to me for information about their spinal aliments. This is what they pay me for, information.
Yes, they want me to use my adjusting skills to help with the pain and symptoms. Are the adjustments going to “fix” the aliment of your spine? They will help, but as I said, you did not get back pain from not getting adjusted.
So why are you having back pain?
What if you go to a chiropractor that does not understand the diagnosis?Or have a diagnosis? What if the “why” of his or her business does not exist? Big problem.
I see patients leave my office for all kinds of reasons. More convenient hours somewhere else, better cracking techniques, cheaper prices and false promises. Big mistake. Most of these people come realize that I wanted nothing more than to help them understand why they were having back pain. I wanted nothing more than to give them all the options based on their diagnosis. They simply chose not to listen. Maybe they chose to go to another chiropractor that told them what they wanted to hear, that I “the chiropractor” will fix your back and take that responsibility from you. Making you dependent on me to get healthy. Not true.
I want to tell you what you need to hear.
Patients come back to my office years later when chiropractic adjustments just aren’t “helping” somewhere else and they remember something I told them.
I have to remind them that their diagnosis years ago required much more that just chiropractic.
Now, why do you have spinal pain. That is my mission in life!
That is a goal and movement worth having.
I am looking for chiropractors and patients that want to take responsibility for their lives, businesses and health.
Please join me on twitter, facebook and join this blog! Together we will move.
Movement (social), A coordinated group action focused on political or social issue.
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