Leading Care through Innovation and Passion

:dropcap_open:D:dropcap_close:r. Kevin Jardine graduated from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2002 and has been in practice for just over a decade. Dr. Jardine comes from a background in exercise science from the University of New Brunswick. 

 

Dr. Jardine is the co-creator of SpiderTech which has become a globally recognized brand delivering kinesiology taping products and education. On top of providing the professional health care market with an easier, more standardized approach to kinesiology taping, Dr. Jardine has brought the field of chiropractic to a world stage of credibility with the endless traveling and presenting he does for all health care professions.

 

Dr. Jardine has presented at dozens of chiropractic colleges and association events, as well as written numerous articles showing the world the broad diversity that chiropractic can offer. He has presented to such prestigious schools as UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Penn State, to name a few. 

 

Following his contribution in the building of SpiderTech, Dr. Jardine founded a Toronto-based multidisciplinary clinic called the Urban Athlete which has more than 20 different health care professionals all working together for the benefit of the patient. Dr. Jardine has treated some of the world’s greatest athletes as well as consulted with numerous professional sports teams.

 

As an avid sportsman, Dr. Jardine also contributes to the community by providing complementary services to less fortunate competitive athletes. Dr. Jardine has also volunteered his time to bring the sports chiropractic community together by acting as an advisor for the International Sports Chiropractic Association in its merger with the FICS organization.

 

KJ: In addition to creating SpiderTech, Dr. Jardine has developed additional innovation in the health care market by producing leading health and fitness products and mobile technology. Dr. Jardine’s company, Feeling Pretty Remarkable, provides targeted exercise programs to help people overcome and prevent some of the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Chiropractors benefit from using the products by learning more about the role of rehabilitation in patient care. In addition to the educational courses provided, practitioners can purchase DVDs and manuals to sell to patients as a simple way to extend the advantages of active care. 

:dropcap_open:For me, being a chiropractor is more than eliciting an audible click.:quoteleft_close: 

With a passion for education, Dr. Jardine also created a continuing education company called Collaborans with Dr. Nick Tsaggarelis, which provides both online and hands-on courses. Collaborans currently operates in 12 different countries and provides leading education around rehab, taping, and movement-based diagnostic skills. Collaborans also provides chiropractors with a platform to help develop their own products and educational ideas so that they can effectively share them with the whole chiropractic community. 

 

KJ: My goal in treating patients has always been about providing the best resources to help my patients reach their personal health potential. I take a “whole system” approach to patient care and I have always been a believer of the notion of patient empowerment and that physical activity is a fundamental pillar in someone’s approach to leading a healthy life.

 

KJ:  I have always considered myself a lifelong learner, and I have always been very curious about the human body. This has led me on a continuous path of learning and developing my skills. I realized a long time ago while on this journey that there is always something new to be learned. I enjoy collaborating with others and combining both the relevant research with practical experience to find innovative ways to help my patients.

 

KJ: The most common problem I see chiropractors struggling with is the confidence in what they can help their patients with. For me, being a chiropractor is more than eliciting an audible click. It is about providing insight, context, and actions that patients can benefit from in order to live more fulfilling lives. Too often, I see practitioners focused on the technical side of what they do, or on how difficult it is to function in today’s troubled health-care system. Throughout history, there has never been a more important time to be a chiropractor. This profession puts you on the front lines of the battle of overcoming obesity and other non-communicable diseases that are sweeping the globe such as diabetes and heart disease.

 

KJ: I am a diversified practitioner with a broad range of skills that I can draw upon to help my patients. I typically use a combination of soft tissue work, articular adjustments, and physical activity for most conditions I see. In addition to being a medical acupuncturist, I also use nutritional intervention to help promote recovery and health in my patients.

 

KJ: My patients are ones that understand that I am not going to just become a physical aspirin for them and do all the work. They understand they have a role to play, and it is a very important role. This helps me focus on working with patients who want to play an active role in their care rather than become a spectator.

 

KJ: I feel the two go hand-in-hand and the greatest results are achieved when they are combined. I believe in order to provide complete chiropractic care, you need to provide patients with active exercises designed to help them get back to being able to take on the daily challenges without continually having to rely on your adjustments. I’ve actually created a whole brand around providing chiropractors with the tools necessary to learn about and implement active care within their practices. Feeling Pretty Remarkable was created because of a need to build the understanding of the role of exercise in clinical care for chiropractors. It provides clinicians with structured programs targeting the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Programs such as The Knee Program or The Low Back Program are offered as DVDs so chiropractors can continue to provide the best in care for patients while building the success of their practices.

 

TAC: Can you give an example, no names of course, of a patient that sticks out in your mind as having really benefitted from the care you delivered?
:dropcap_open:I have unfortunately seen, far too many times, patients in their sixties that are more physically deteriorated than my 96-year-old client.:quoteleft_close:

KJ:  I’m very fortunate to have worked on some of the world’s greatest athletes. I’ve worked on professional and Olympic athletes. I love the part of my job that involves reading the success stories of the people I have been able to help. And it doesn’t matter to me if they are someone’s grandmother or a world champion. The last couple of years have been great with being involved with a Tour de France-winning professional cycling team as well as the London Olympics. The case that stands out the most is my 96-year-old patient I see every month. There are two reasons that she stands out. One is because there are many times that I feel I am not able to do anything for her. This bothers me and I constantly ask if she feels that what I am doing is helping. Her reply is always “yes.” This teaches me that what I do is more than just the physical act of my technical skills. The other part that strikes a chord with me about working with her is that she is an example of what can happen if you take care of your body and take responsibility for your health. I have unfortunately seen, far too many times, patients in their sixties that are more physically deteriorated than my 96-year-old client. This breaks my heart to see people suffer knowing it didn’t need to be that way. This has fueled my passion to educate and inspire the habit of health in others.

 

KJ: Chiropractic has a dangerous and challenging road ahead. What chiropractors have traditionally felt they have owned, the act of joint manipulation, is now being taught at leading physical therapy schools. And with the introduction of the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs, chiropractors will have an even more challenging time to differentiate the need for their services. In my opinion, chiropractors can make a mark for themselves as experts in health and physical activity. But this takes leadership with a vision for change and a profession that is willing to adapt for the times. Rehab and physical activity will become an even more important skill to have in the coming years and those who possess the tools that help their patients get better faster will lead the way to success.

 

KJ: Being a healthcare professional includes a commitment to continual learning, and having the intent to learn from the best suited for the job, not the cheapest. My call to action for you is to commit to leading others who are looking for your expertise and skills by first leading yourself. What is your health like? When is the last time you went for some preventative care? If you were your best client, what would you recommend as the first thing to do for building better, longer lasting health? Asking questions like this can be tough to swallow, but in today’s troubled healthcare system, I’ve often said “the best form of health care, is caring for your own health.”