CHIROPRACTIC EXCELLENCE

It would appear that the greater the number of Chiropractors in a community, the healthier that community will be…

In the USA the news that Minnesota ranks first in health and Louisiana last, suggests that their connecting medium, the Mississippi River, or some other north-to-south phenomenon might be a factor. Consequently, correlations were assessed for various outcomes for states along the Mississippi River in an effort to better understand possible mechanisms for the health disparity along the River. Doctor ratios were also correlated with the outcomes.

Each state along the Mississippi River was ranked according to its north-to-south position. The position ranks were correlated with various outcomes in the areas of health, education, and socioeconomics. Doctor (physician [medical and osteopathic] and chiropractor) ratios for these river states were also correlated with these outcomes.

Except for generosity index, the outcomes had a tendency to worsen from north-to-south but tended to improve with increased doctor ratios. Chiropractors had stronger correlations for improved outcomes in 20 of the 25 outcomes compared to physicians, whereas physicians had stronger correlations in four of the 25 outcomes compared to chiropractors.

Decreased health along the Mississippi River, from north-to-south, is likely a multi-factorial phenomenon, i.e., a decrease in income, educational attainment, and quality of health care.

The ratios for both doctor types (physician and chiropractor) were correlated with improved outcomes, especially for chiropractor ratios.

Click Here To Read The Research Abstract At The Journal Of Vertebral Subluxation Research…

Many of us spend much of our thought life thinking about what we HAVE or what we would like to have; and even what we don’t have or don’t want to have.

Whether we are thinking about our finances (“If I was rich the things I could do…”), our material possessions (“I need that toy…”), our relationships (“If he/she paid me more attention I would be happy…”), our business (”If I saw more patients then I would enjoy practice…”), our health (“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired…”) etc.

When we are day dreaming about what we would like to have, or stressing about what we currently have , we forget that there is always something which precedes what we possess! And this is - what we DO!

It can be a depressing thought, but many personal development authors tell us that what we have and what we will have in the future are a direct result of what we have done previously and what we are going to do next! Action leads to results.

There is an even higher activity though, which precedes doing, and hence also having. And this is - BEING!

Have you ever thought about what you want to have and someone has advised you what to do. But, you just don’t seem to be able to break through and consistently DO a new behaviour. This is because you haven’t changed your BEING.

There’s times when we all wonder why two people can be taught the same procedures but get totally different results - This is because their BEING is different.

So - to make quantum leaps in our personal development, we need to make changes in our BEING! Our being is the roots of our character and personality: Our beliefs, our mission statements, our values, our visions, gifts and talents.

Who do you want to be? What will they say about you at your funeral? Are you here to serve or to receive?

Business management in the ‘80s taught people to plan what they wanted to HAVE - set goals - then work backwards to determine what they needed to DO - and this in turn would direct what the person needed to BE.

Sometimes Christian ethics teaches us that we just have to concentrate on our BEING, and God will provide for all our needs (our HAVES). This ignores the fact that whenever we get our BEING into true integrity we become inspired with things we can do - which leads to what we will HAVE, by “God’s Grace”!

Then there’s those of us that are so trapped in the DOING that we forget what we were BEING when we got inspired to DO! (read the last line again slowly!) And we can’t even remember what we are going to HAVE as a result of that DOING! We just keep on doing those things over and over into the future, because they are what we have been doing in the past.

The new business and personal development ethic is based on putting first things first - work out your “BEING”, and spend time regularly keeping in touch with that BEING. This will direct and keep your “DOING” on track. The “HAVING” will then just become a by-product of these processes, a symptom or fruit of our BEING!

Click Here To Find Out More About Practice Coaching…

The number and type of clients you see and draw to your practice are a SYMPTOM of your own attitude towards chiropractic!

1) If your attitude is that chiropractic is great for the relief of any number of aches and pains - then you will have a pain relief and crisis care practice.

No matter how many visits you try to extract from your customers, they will tend to use you only for the relief of aches and pains - you may have a PVA of 20, but this will be 20 visits of crisis care. And because you will see primarily pain relief occurring, you will justify your attitude. In other words, you will either not initiate larger state of wellbeing and general health changes, or even if they are occurring you will be oblivious; because you won’t even ask the questions that might detect that something else is going on. And your patient’s won’t think to mention any other changes that are happening in their lives, because you are the “Back Doctor”, and the other stuff has nothing to do with you.

2) If your attitude is that chiropractic is good for fixing back problems, or straightening abnormal spinal angles - then you will have a corrective care practice.

You could have a huge practice, with people seeing you for a bunch of visits in a relatively short space of time. People will be convinced and even impressed by your level of professionalism, equipment and affluent appearance. But here’s the question: How many families are you seeing, how many of your clients have been seeing you for 5 and even 10 years, how dependent are you on the next bunch of new patients to refill the appointment book and balance sheet?

3) If your attitude is that regular chiropractic helps to prevent spinal problems from progressing to be serious, acute and painful - then you will have a maintenance practice.

How quickly do your patients get to four to six week intervals in their care? Often they get to monthly visits and you haven’t even reassessed them. A couple of times a week for a couple of weeks, then once a week for a couple more weeks, and then before you know what’s happened they are booked in, in 4-6 weeks. They may be out of pain, and they may have experienced some initial health improvements, but have YOU really made any signifiant physiological and functional changes to their global state of wellbeing? Will they live longer and better as a result of an adjustment every 30-60 days, while in between they undo all your good work?

4) If your attitude is that chiropractic is an integral part of a person’s health program, having an effect on their nervous system and releasing the work of the body’s innate intelligence - then you will have a broad scope health and wellness practice.

Their symptoms, state of disease, financial position are even totally irrelevant to your belief that a regular adjustment will do them good… It’s this simple - PEOPLE WHO GET ADJUSTED DO BETTER! And they usually feel and function better too. But you don’t take responsibility for your practice members’ state of health - You didn’t get them into the state they are currently in, and you can but assist them and even coach them towards a more optimal lifestyle… You understand that each adjustment is a positive healing step forwards, and you utilise all your clinical and technical skills to determine how many steps they take backwards in between adjustments to determine the optimal schedule for their care. And this attitude is contagious, because the type of new patient that appears at your door seems to intuitively understand this philosophy, and they seem to be surrounded by a family and peer group that wants to join them at your rooms on a regular basis.

Click Here To Find About Practice Growth Coaching…

The Internet has now become one of the primary ways that practice members and prospective customers find out answers.

Do you help to direct them to congruent health related resources?

65% of people report access to the internet. A total of 74% of those with access use the Internet to find health information for themselves or family members. Disease-specific information is most frequently sought, followed by medication information, and then information about nutrition and exercise. Did you know that as a health care professional you can significantly build your relationship and loyalty with your customers by referring them to useful and helpful web sites?

Here are some short cuts to assist you to point your patients in the right direction…

1) Collect your patients email addresses and offer them a periodical email update service: Send out a periodical group newsletter with links to interesting health articles that align with your philosophy and services. Nowadays you can even remind some patients about their appointments via email.

Click Here To Find Out How To Send Powerful and Impacting Emails…

2) Get a web site: Not just an online business card - but one that has significant amounts of health related and even self-help information, which is regularly updated. There are chiropractic specific services that can help you with this.

3) Have a list of health sites that you regularly refer to yourself - link to these from your web-site, and try to set up reciprocal links from their site to yours.

Click Here To Visit My New Health Blog Suitable For Anyone To Read…

The Million Dollar Question

Many of us now call ourselves “Wellness DCs” or “Healthy Lifestyle Doctors” or some other impressive sounding title - I guess we are trying to differentiate our services from the other “garden variety” DCs? But these titles often are a reflection of us, and not a true reflection of how our customers really see us, or how they themselves behave. Maybe we exercise regularly, get adjusted every 1-2 weeks, keep a positive outlook, eat organic etc. But then we have 80% of our practice on monthly schedules, and have no discernable influence on their other healthy habits?

I suffered a daunting revelation when I upgraded my technique and scheduling systems to a more “wellness” driven focus. You see I used to spend ~15 minutes with each client, and they loved my soft-tissue techniques, and often complimented me on my ability to find the sore spots and to provide instantaneous relief from their musculoskeletal aches and pains. Not that there is anything wrong with this - but my mission is to improve the health and wellness of everyone that I can influence - not to be the natural alternative to Nurofen and Panadeine. And when I changed my technique to a neurological model, many left the practice before they could possibly experience the extra health benefits - why? “Because I didn’t rub their shoulders”!

So, what do YOUR clients really think of YOU? Here is the million dollar question to ask your practice members that will inform you of the truth…

“If you could come and have an adjustment whenever you wanted to, and it didn’t cost you anything, how often would you come?”

1) If the answer is, “Oh I’d come every single week, and sometimes even more”: Congratulations - you probably are truly a wellness DC - your clients truly comprehend the global benefits of an adjustment. They probably perceive the reduction in tension and stress, the improved sleep patterns, the maximised immunity, and the increases in energy after each adjustment.

2) “Oh, I’d come every 4-6 weeks”: Maybe you should replace the title “Wellness” with “Maintenance” DC. Your clients have probably discovered that if they go longer than 4-6 weeks, that their aches and pains start to increase in severity and regularity. Your periodical adjustments offer them effective and lasting pain relief.

3) “Oh, I’d come a 2-3 times a year”: I actually don’t quite understand this concept - maybe it’s because they get their car serviced twice a year, and go to the dentist twice a year, and floss their teeth twice a year, and make love twice a year? I’m not sure of what possible benefit two adjustments per year could have - maybe I underestimate the power of an adjustment?

4) “Oh, I’d come in whenever I had a problem”: Whoops, if you get a lot of this answer, then it is time to change your title to “garden variety DC”.

To take this question to the next level: If your practice members answer that they would like to come more often than they actually do - the next question to ask is - “What do we need to do to help you come as often as you would really like to?” - now its time to work out a strategy, schedule, fee, that makes their dream a reality…

Click Here To Find Out More About Practice Change Coaching…