Most people wonder where in the world the past year has gone, and now here it is…2005. Many people make New Year’s resolutions that begin on January 1st. Perhaps to eat healthy? Maybe to exercise more? How about reducing stress? So many good intentions are there…. And, believe it or not, these resolutions almost always have at least something to do with health, fitness, wellness, weight loss, feeling better, or increasing the quality of life. People want to feel better, weigh less and have more energy. They start each year with an idea about what they want, but they do not know how to stick to their resolutions.
Why not help the people who truly want to improve their quality of life actually DO IT! As our society embarks into the New Year, still entrenched in the medical and pharmaceutical viewpoint of “health”, we should stop to consider that there is a possibility of making a difference.
We are the health care providers that can make a wellness based society more of a reality. Though chiropractic philosophy varies according to personal values, school attended, and books read on the subject, there are a few common threads that “sew” our profession together. One of those threads is INNATE. Innate intelligence is basically the belief that the body can heal itself, given that it is free of nerve interference. Innate does not in any way suggest that medications heal the body. As chiropractors, we know this and, yet, we are not reaching the public.
The public still perceives that we are “cracking backs” and treating pain. They are not aware that chiropractors are able to enhance their quality of life. It is up to us. By increasing public awareness of the miracles of chiropractic, especially those miracles that have nothing to do with pain, more people will consider chiropractic care as opposed to medicine. Imagine how many potential chiropractic miracles there are out there who have no idea they should see you?
The question then becomes, “How does the public find out how chiropractic care fits in to their New Year’s resolutions?”
There is one simple answer: As a profession, we need to educate the public. Yes, chiropractic has tried for years to educate the public. However, it is not reaching the masses. We know we do more than crack backs. We do more than relieve pain. Chiropractic is the answer to so many people’s health concerns and, at the same time, the answer to many people’s wellness concerns.
The way to target the mass population with regard to our profession, especially during this time of high perception of the concept of wellness, is to promote our profession as a wellness profession.
In the year ahead, it is likely that a similar number of patients will see a chiropractor due to some type of injury or pain. This would lead to a similar year of patient visits, and a similar year of new patients. Imagine what would happen if you educated each and every one of your patients’ family members, and friends regarding the other benefits to chiropractic care. Some ways to do this is through testimonials from other patients. Every office should have a means of having their patients read testimonials; you can make your own book, or use a published book like Improving Your Health Pro-Actively or Chicken Soup for the Chiropractic Soul. This is a fountainhead of referrals!
Wouldn’t the average chiropractor increase his or her belief in their own profession by reading these stories of chiropractic success? Help the public by doing your part. Help them understand that what they don’t know may be hurting them or a family member or friend. Here’s to a healthy, happy and prosperous 2005!
Dr. Maurice A. Pisciottano, Executive Director of Pro-Solutions for Chiropractic, is a practicing chiropractor, noted lecturer, author, researcher and teacher. He is well known for his practice management expertise and new patient development programs. He has devoted the past 14 years to the development of the instrumentation and the computerization of chiropractic treatment and documentation. Worldwide, Dr. Pisciottano has trained over 10,000 chiropractors and treated over 650,000 patients with the Pro-Adjuster®. He regularly lectures at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA, and at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Pisciottano is an honors graduate from the Palmer College of Chiropractic. He can be reached at Pro-Solutions for Chiropractic in Pittsburgh, PA, at 1-877-942-4284.