Have you ever bet on the horses, played two-up or any other form of gambling? The nature of this industry is that the most likely outcome is also the least rewarding one! Bet on a horse that has odds of 2/1 and most likely it is going to win, but you are only going to get a little bit of extra cash for this achievement. On the other hand if the horse you bet on is 100/1, more than likely you are going to be waiting for a while after the winner passes the post to see your horse cross the line - but IF he does win then you are going to get a great return on your "investment".
What if there was a "game of chance" that paid higher dividends when the odds/ratio was also going to make your bet the most likely winner? Wouldn't this mean less time wasted looking for the the "long shot" and bigger returns on your input? Fortunately such a "game" does exist - it's called chiropractic...
Did you know that two separate research processes have confirmed and agreed on the "odds ratio" for subluxation probabilities? That is; a patient is lying prone on your adjusting table - which level of the spine is most likely to be subluxated, and hence is the fist level of the spine that you should always check? Why would you waste your time looking at the least likely spinal level first? If you knew the ranking list of primary subluxations then you would save yourself a LOT of time as you would on average find EVERY subluxation quicker. The less time it takes to find it, the less time it will take to fix it: Less time CAN be converted to more money.
So what is this ranking list I hear you ask? Unfortunately space does not allow me to cover this comprehensively. To give you a hint though - If you take the name of one of the most-used low-force techniques and reverse the order of the words, you have the first and second most likely primary subluxations on the planet. The rest of the list is covered thoroughly during the Torque Release Technique Program, including the differential diagnostic tests that reliably tell you whether each segment needs to be adjusted, OR NOT, and what correctional vectors will give you the greatest return from your adjustment.
Due to popular demand we have booked another TRT program for this year - to be held on Friday/Saturday November 23/24 in Auckland, New Zealand...
Click Here To Find Out More...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Practice Tip - ASKING FOR REFERRALS
I can remember paying good money to attend a practice management seminar that promised me I'd be able to see more people, charge more for my services, work less hours, convert everyone to lifetime care, and attract hundreds of new patients. The crux of the seminar was rehearsing, memorising and then regurgitating powerful "scripts" which if said in the correct manner, guaranteed that everyone would do anything you told them to do. I must say they did work well, but here's the glitch: When you've been in practice for a little while, and you start to see the same people over an extended period of time; and you also see their family members, and friends and colleagues, and reactivated patients; and if your CAs and associates are also using those same power scripts - eventually you are all going to be "found out". You see this technique is based on "Disney" systems - BUT; how many times have you visited Disneyland? Once, maybe twice to go to the bits that you missed the first time? And guess what - you only have to listen to the script once! If YOU are going to be a wellness DC with people seeing you 12 or more times a year, for many years, then you'd better have something different to say... Here's the best way to develop dialogue processes that evolve and adapt to where you practice members are at... Ask better questions!
Here's a really simple strategy that doesn't take long; builds rapport, intimacy and relationship; and produces numerous opportunities for generating referrals: Get to know the practice member's family, friends and colleagues by asking a simple series of questions... My CA even knows their Dog's name/s!
It goes something like this:
Q: "What does your husband/wife/partner do for a living?" A: ........
Q: "Wow, does he/she enjoy that?" A: .........
Q: "Has your husband/wife/partner seen a chiropractor before?" A: ........
This is where the brief conversation can take a number of turns, but regardless of the answer, your questions should search for a reason for you to recommend that they bring their partner in to be checked to see if you can help.
On subsequent visits I'll take some brief moments to get to know their kids, and then their friends, and then their colleagues...
I know this sounds really simple, but I have got to tell you that the conversations are much more interesting than listening to the sound of your own voice saying the same thing over and over again?
Here's a really simple strategy that doesn't take long; builds rapport, intimacy and relationship; and produces numerous opportunities for generating referrals: Get to know the practice member's family, friends and colleagues by asking a simple series of questions... My CA even knows their Dog's name/s!
It goes something like this:
Q: "What does your husband/wife/partner do for a living?" A: ........
Q: "Wow, does he/she enjoy that?" A: .........
Q: "Has your husband/wife/partner seen a chiropractor before?" A: ........
This is where the brief conversation can take a number of turns, but regardless of the answer, your questions should search for a reason for you to recommend that they bring their partner in to be checked to see if you can help.
On subsequent visits I'll take some brief moments to get to know their kids, and then their friends, and then their colleagues...
I know this sounds really simple, but I have got to tell you that the conversations are much more interesting than listening to the sound of your own voice saying the same thing over and over again?
POSTURE - THE SIMPLEST AND MOST POWERFUL PRACTICE TOOL
A Picture Paints A Thousand Words!
Many Chiropractors analyse their new patients' posture, and then scribble lines on a stick figure chart that is supposed to represent the person's postural distortions? Try showing the hand-drawn diagram to the person - IT WILL MEAN NOTHING TO THEM - And it's not a very convincing communication medium. Try showing the diagram to another chiropractor - I bet they won't even understand what the markings mean. Then try using this diagram at the re-exam - How could you objectively measure, let alone demonstrate to the client that any sort of change has occurred?
Some others have entered the twentieth century and have started to take digital photos of their practice members' posture. I've seen some who print the photos and then draw lines all over the picture to highlight the problems. But the question remains - How can you objectively track and demonstrate the changes that are occurring in their posture? And, how could you store, file and retrieve all those images?
There is a twenty first century technology that is cheap and effective for storing, analysing, calculating, retrieving, and comparing digital postural analyses - And it takes about the same time as a traditional postural assessment...
Click Here To Find Out More...
Many Chiropractors analyse their new patients' posture, and then scribble lines on a stick figure chart that is supposed to represent the person's postural distortions? Try showing the hand-drawn diagram to the person - IT WILL MEAN NOTHING TO THEM - And it's not a very convincing communication medium. Try showing the diagram to another chiropractor - I bet they won't even understand what the markings mean. Then try using this diagram at the re-exam - How could you objectively measure, let alone demonstrate to the client that any sort of change has occurred?
Some others have entered the twentieth century and have started to take digital photos of their practice members' posture. I've seen some who print the photos and then draw lines all over the picture to highlight the problems. But the question remains - How can you objectively track and demonstrate the changes that are occurring in their posture? And, how could you store, file and retrieve all those images?
There is a twenty first century technology that is cheap and effective for storing, analysing, calculating, retrieving, and comparing digital postural analyses - And it takes about the same time as a traditional postural assessment...
Click Here To Find Out More...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Practice Tip - WHAT DO YOUR PRACTICE MEMBERS REALLY THINK ABOUT YOUR CARE?
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...
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...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Practice Tip - CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT PEOPLE THINK AND WHAT THEY DO
There is compelling scientific evidence that what people know about diet and how they eat are in many cases two different issues? I'm sure you have observed that this void between knowing and doing crosses over into all health behaviours?
1) The acute antalgic low back or torticollis crisis patient who promises you that they will keep seeing you forever for maintenance care if you can only help them get out of agony; who then discontinue somewhere between visit two and six because "they are fine now and will ring if they have any further problems".
2) The reactivating patient that confesses that they were feeling great while they were doing the exercises that you taught them, but then they just forgot about them because they didn't have any pain. And then they ask you "why does this problem keep coming back?"
3) The osteo-arthritic retiree that starts complaining of increased aching and stiffness, and when you ask them if they are still taking their Glucosamine, they respond "Oh I finished the bottle and thought I'd see how I'd go without them for a while".
4) You meet an old regular practice member who discontinued 1-2 years ago, and when you ask them how they are going they give you the long list of ailments, diagnoses and prescriptions that they now take, and then pass comment "you know when I used to see you I didn't have any of these problems".
There's a push in our profession right now to adapt us into risk-factor screening machines, who then pass appropriate educational brochures to those at risk, and warn them of the dangers of not changing their ways. Think about this: Most people who are overweight already know they are overweight; most people who are unfit already experience the effects of it; most people experiencing symptoms of Diabetes are aware of the symptoms... They don't need you to identify the symptoms of their condition. They need help closing the void between their awareness and their behaviour!
If you want to be a wellness practitioner let me tell you a major paradigm shift you are going to have to make - It's not about you, it's about them. Wellness is a personal journey of lifestyle choices leading towards better life and health outcomes. You can't make the decisions for them - if you try to then its not wellness - it's medicine.
Here's four questions that you must ask your practice members to make massive changes in your wellness relationship:
1) "What is your biggest health priority right now?" Their choice not yours.
2) "What are three things you think you could do to improve this area of your life?" Their choice, not yours. But this may be the point where they ask you for your educated opinion.
3) "What information do you think you need to help you make this change?" This is the point where they will most likely give you permission to feed them with resources.
4) "What would you like me to do to make sure you follow through on your plan?" This is where you help them to make some commitments, set some goals for them to achieve, define some measures for monitoring their progress, and set a time-line for review.
1) The acute antalgic low back or torticollis crisis patient who promises you that they will keep seeing you forever for maintenance care if you can only help them get out of agony; who then discontinue somewhere between visit two and six because "they are fine now and will ring if they have any further problems".
2) The reactivating patient that confesses that they were feeling great while they were doing the exercises that you taught them, but then they just forgot about them because they didn't have any pain. And then they ask you "why does this problem keep coming back?"
3) The osteo-arthritic retiree that starts complaining of increased aching and stiffness, and when you ask them if they are still taking their Glucosamine, they respond "Oh I finished the bottle and thought I'd see how I'd go without them for a while".
4) You meet an old regular practice member who discontinued 1-2 years ago, and when you ask them how they are going they give you the long list of ailments, diagnoses and prescriptions that they now take, and then pass comment "you know when I used to see you I didn't have any of these problems".
There's a push in our profession right now to adapt us into risk-factor screening machines, who then pass appropriate educational brochures to those at risk, and warn them of the dangers of not changing their ways. Think about this: Most people who are overweight already know they are overweight; most people who are unfit already experience the effects of it; most people experiencing symptoms of Diabetes are aware of the symptoms... They don't need you to identify the symptoms of their condition. They need help closing the void between their awareness and their behaviour!
If you want to be a wellness practitioner let me tell you a major paradigm shift you are going to have to make - It's not about you, it's about them. Wellness is a personal journey of lifestyle choices leading towards better life and health outcomes. You can't make the decisions for them - if you try to then its not wellness - it's medicine.
Here's four questions that you must ask your practice members to make massive changes in your wellness relationship:
1) "What is your biggest health priority right now?" Their choice not yours.
2) "What are three things you think you could do to improve this area of your life?" Their choice, not yours. But this may be the point where they ask you for your educated opinion.
3) "What information do you think you need to help you make this change?" This is the point where they will most likely give you permission to feed them with resources.
4) "What would you like me to do to make sure you follow through on your plan?" This is where you help them to make some commitments, set some goals for them to achieve, define some measures for monitoring their progress, and set a time-line for review.
WHAT IF YOU WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO MAKE ONE ADJUSTMENT?
Imagine if every Australian was allowed to receive one adjustment per week, and that adjustment was covered under Medicare? But here's the condition: You can only deliver one adjustment per week, per person, and you have to demonstrate the measure benefits of those adjustments every three months using impartial objective outcome tools. I guess there would be a minority of DCs who would think they had found easy street and delivered any old adjustment, in any old fashion, without much consideration for where or how they delivered that adjustment - just so long as the cheques keep rolling in. But for the rest of us, we would want to be completely diligent in ensuring that this one adjustment was a good one, a really good one, and that we adjusted the segment which most needed to be adjusted, and in the right direction because you can't just hit it on both sides - you only get one shot!!
Think about this in the context of how you currently prioritise how you deliver your adjustments each and every day:
1) Do you start at the bottom and work your way up, or some other variation of this theme? Check and adjust the low back, check and adjust the thoracics, then roll them over and check and adjust their neck? Most DCs have an order in which they adjust everyone. It may not be the order I mentioned, but in most cases it will be a "routine" based on the practitioner's habit as opposed to some patient-centred findings dictating where you start and finish. STOP IT: Take an extra few seconds to analyse your patients' spines and make a decision about which is the most important adjustment to make on that visit.
2) Do you adjust the same segments in the same order, any three visits in a row? I thought your practice members were supposed to be getting better and progressing to a new level of health - why then would they continue to have the same subluxations? If you are activating retracing in their body then surely the next layer of subluxation should appear and need to be corrected? And, since they last saw you a lot of different stresses have presented, so they may have a new and different layer appearing on the next visit. Why do we say that the body is a self-healing adaptive organism and then fail to adapt and change our adjustments to keep up? BEWARE: If you check your notes and see that patients are getting the same mix of adjustments on every visit then there's only two options - A) you put the stuck pattern there with your repetitive habituating stimulus, or, B) their spine isn't evolving under your care - either way you need to try a new strategy.
3) Do you have a system that allows you to make a live analysis and differential diagnosis of which subluxation wants to be adjusted at any given moment in time? When we teach TRT we show you 14 different indicators of subluxation and train you in the differential diagnosis technique that gives you absolute certainty and precision in making this vital decision...
Click Here To Find Out More About TRT Training...
An interesting question arising from my hypothetical above is for our profession as wellness providers. I used the weekly example based on the observation that: 1) If I could get adjusted as often as I liked I would probably get an adjustment every week; 2) I conducted a highly informal survey of a group of my practice members when I asked them "if you could get adjusted whenever you liked and it didn't cost you anything, how often would you get adjusted?" The most common reply was "I'd come every week"; 3) I have been using functional assessment technologies in my practice for over a decade and have observed qualitatively and quantitatively the biggest changes when clients are getting adjusted weekly (go beyond three weeks and you will see a significant percentage of clients start to deteriorate functionally); 4) Many chiropractors I have met who claim to be wellness DCs get adjusted weekly and recommend weekly adjustments.
But, how much would this cost the community if every man, woman and child was adjusted weekly: Using the round figure of 20 million people and $40 per adjustment, that comes to $800 million per week.
Here's the ultimate challenge: We would have to be able to demonstrate without a shadow of a doubt that we were saving the Australian economy at least $1 Billion per week? Can we do this? Your thoughts are welcome...
Think about this in the context of how you currently prioritise how you deliver your adjustments each and every day:
1) Do you start at the bottom and work your way up, or some other variation of this theme? Check and adjust the low back, check and adjust the thoracics, then roll them over and check and adjust their neck? Most DCs have an order in which they adjust everyone. It may not be the order I mentioned, but in most cases it will be a "routine" based on the practitioner's habit as opposed to some patient-centred findings dictating where you start and finish. STOP IT: Take an extra few seconds to analyse your patients' spines and make a decision about which is the most important adjustment to make on that visit.
2) Do you adjust the same segments in the same order, any three visits in a row? I thought your practice members were supposed to be getting better and progressing to a new level of health - why then would they continue to have the same subluxations? If you are activating retracing in their body then surely the next layer of subluxation should appear and need to be corrected? And, since they last saw you a lot of different stresses have presented, so they may have a new and different layer appearing on the next visit. Why do we say that the body is a self-healing adaptive organism and then fail to adapt and change our adjustments to keep up? BEWARE: If you check your notes and see that patients are getting the same mix of adjustments on every visit then there's only two options - A) you put the stuck pattern there with your repetitive habituating stimulus, or, B) their spine isn't evolving under your care - either way you need to try a new strategy.
3) Do you have a system that allows you to make a live analysis and differential diagnosis of which subluxation wants to be adjusted at any given moment in time? When we teach TRT we show you 14 different indicators of subluxation and train you in the differential diagnosis technique that gives you absolute certainty and precision in making this vital decision...
Click Here To Find Out More About TRT Training...
An interesting question arising from my hypothetical above is for our profession as wellness providers. I used the weekly example based on the observation that: 1) If I could get adjusted as often as I liked I would probably get an adjustment every week; 2) I conducted a highly informal survey of a group of my practice members when I asked them "if you could get adjusted whenever you liked and it didn't cost you anything, how often would you get adjusted?" The most common reply was "I'd come every week"; 3) I have been using functional assessment technologies in my practice for over a decade and have observed qualitatively and quantitatively the biggest changes when clients are getting adjusted weekly (go beyond three weeks and you will see a significant percentage of clients start to deteriorate functionally); 4) Many chiropractors I have met who claim to be wellness DCs get adjusted weekly and recommend weekly adjustments.
But, how much would this cost the community if every man, woman and child was adjusted weekly: Using the round figure of 20 million people and $40 per adjustment, that comes to $800 million per week.
Here's the ultimate challenge: We would have to be able to demonstrate without a shadow of a doubt that we were saving the Australian economy at least $1 Billion per week? Can we do this? Your thoughts are welcome...
Monday, October 15, 2007
CONVERT YOUR EXAMINATION EXPLANATIONS TO NEUROLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS
There seems to be a mythology in chiropractic that the average person is unable to comprehend the nervous system - IF this is true it is because no-one has ever taken the time to teach them...
Masseurs and Physios are hardly going to teach ANY principles that explain the nervous systems' role in health and disease. The pharmaceutical companies and AMA would probably prefer that the average person did not understand the CNS, except that they have drugs that can block all pain and unwanted emotions. Not many people are going to see a neurologist in their life - and those who do rarely come away with any insight into the normal functions of the CNS. You're a chiropractor - it is your calling to teach the world about the importance of a healthy and fully functional nerve system. No-one else will. The simplest way to do this is in bite-sized chunks...
1) Explain at the very beginning of your relationship with a new client that the nervous system controls and regulates ALL bodily functions, and therefore everything that you do to them is is all about improving their nervous system; and warn them that you will tend to explain everything to them in terms of the nervous system so that they can better understand their own body and how to look after it.
2) Convert your explanations of your exam procedures to neuro speak: eg. POSTURE - Posture is not a biomechanical phenomenon - it is a neurological phenomenon - it represents the body's ability to perceive and position itself against gravity - its effectiveness in maintaining the sphenoid directly above the coccyx - this requires proprioception and fine-motor control. When you display a person's postural distortions to them, forget the mechanical talk about the spine bending forwards and putting more strain on the discs. Instead explain to them that the reason their head has got into such a ridiculous position is because their brain doesn't know where their head is; and the most likely reason for this is something (a subluxation) blocking the information getting from their neck joints and muscles to their brain.
When you explain spinal XRays spend as little time explaining the shape and position of the vertebrae; instead teach them how the changes on the XRays will be affecting their CNS: "See how your neck is leaning forward, and has become straight - this will be stretching your spinal cord like someone trying to wring out a wet towel". Look at this extra backwards bend in your low back; look at the size of the holes between the vertebrae - this is where the nerves have to exit to control your body - what effect do you think this squishing will have on the nerve's ability to transmit information?
3) Do an audit of each of your exam procedures and examine your explanations. Then re-write your description for that procedure in terms of the nervous system - you can do it - you're a chiropractor. AND/OR Attend a TRT seminar and we will help to show you all the neurological indicators that you can use to assess, explain and educate your practice members.
4) Explain the outcomes of your adjustments in terms of the nervous system and then show them the changes that occur in their positive findings when they are adjusted. When you learn TRT you will be able do do this in a few short moments...
Click Here To Find Out More About TRT Training...
Masseurs and Physios are hardly going to teach ANY principles that explain the nervous systems' role in health and disease. The pharmaceutical companies and AMA would probably prefer that the average person did not understand the CNS, except that they have drugs that can block all pain and unwanted emotions. Not many people are going to see a neurologist in their life - and those who do rarely come away with any insight into the normal functions of the CNS. You're a chiropractor - it is your calling to teach the world about the importance of a healthy and fully functional nerve system. No-one else will. The simplest way to do this is in bite-sized chunks...
1) Explain at the very beginning of your relationship with a new client that the nervous system controls and regulates ALL bodily functions, and therefore everything that you do to them is is all about improving their nervous system; and warn them that you will tend to explain everything to them in terms of the nervous system so that they can better understand their own body and how to look after it.
2) Convert your explanations of your exam procedures to neuro speak: eg. POSTURE - Posture is not a biomechanical phenomenon - it is a neurological phenomenon - it represents the body's ability to perceive and position itself against gravity - its effectiveness in maintaining the sphenoid directly above the coccyx - this requires proprioception and fine-motor control. When you display a person's postural distortions to them, forget the mechanical talk about the spine bending forwards and putting more strain on the discs. Instead explain to them that the reason their head has got into such a ridiculous position is because their brain doesn't know where their head is; and the most likely reason for this is something (a subluxation) blocking the information getting from their neck joints and muscles to their brain.
When you explain spinal XRays spend as little time explaining the shape and position of the vertebrae; instead teach them how the changes on the XRays will be affecting their CNS: "See how your neck is leaning forward, and has become straight - this will be stretching your spinal cord like someone trying to wring out a wet towel". Look at this extra backwards bend in your low back; look at the size of the holes between the vertebrae - this is where the nerves have to exit to control your body - what effect do you think this squishing will have on the nerve's ability to transmit information?
3) Do an audit of each of your exam procedures and examine your explanations. Then re-write your description for that procedure in terms of the nervous system - you can do it - you're a chiropractor. AND/OR Attend a TRT seminar and we will help to show you all the neurological indicators that you can use to assess, explain and educate your practice members.
4) Explain the outcomes of your adjustments in terms of the nervous system and then show them the changes that occur in their positive findings when they are adjusted. When you learn TRT you will be able do do this in a few short moments...
Click Here To Find Out More About TRT Training...
Practice Tip - HOW TO SEE MORE KIDS IN YOUR PRACTICE
I was recently cleaning up a shelf in my store-room when I found an old post-pack - not sure what was inside, I blew off the dust and opened the cover and found dozens of Polaroid photos of all the kid's that had arrived as new patients at our practice through the nineties. I called in my CA and we spent a few joyful minutes recalling all the memorable moments and miracles. Then we noticed that there was a whole bunch of kids (some now teens) that were still regularly seeing us - and as you can imagine they are now all a lot taller and bigger, some 10-15 years later. So, our new project has been to recreate their photos when they come in for their tune-ups. The funniest is two small giggling boys squeezed closely together in an arm chair - they used to keep the whole reception room laughing because they used to be so ticklish that they would laugh uncontrollably through their adjustments - now one is nearly 6 foot and the other nearly 100kgs - and they still both giggle when I adjust their necks! We are going to produce a "where are they now" display with the title - "Want your kids to grow up healthy and straight? Then get them adjusted regularly."
Our kid's room walls used to be covered with photos of kid's and all their colour-in sheets and drawings of their chiropractor, and this was without a doubt the biggest referral tool for us when attracting families and kids. Why?..
1) People love to be where people are - when parents are in your practice and see all the kids that see you, they will ask you about chiropractic for kids... On the other hand if all they see is trendy prints and the latest edition of WHO weekly and the Bulletin - then they will not give a single thought about whether or not their kids need chiropractic care - they'll probably read the last advert for kiddy pain killers instead.
2) You can tell the success stories. If someone asks you about chiropractic for asthma, or bedwetting etc - it's great to be able to quote the latest research, but what really works is when you can point to a number of kids on your photo wall who you have treated for that very same condition.
3) Kid's see the photos and ask what they have to do to get included on the wall of fame - say no more...
4) When you see a kid new patient there is a reduced factor because they can see so many other kids smiling and being adjusted in the photos (make sure you take lots of photos with you adjusting, laughing, and interacting with the kids - but no photos that show images of the kids in twisted positions).
5) Dedicating a room or area to kids shows that you are family and child-centred - if your practice looks like a kid has never stepped inside - then they probably won't?
Our kid's room walls used to be covered with photos of kid's and all their colour-in sheets and drawings of their chiropractor, and this was without a doubt the biggest referral tool for us when attracting families and kids. Why?..
1) People love to be where people are - when parents are in your practice and see all the kids that see you, they will ask you about chiropractic for kids... On the other hand if all they see is trendy prints and the latest edition of WHO weekly and the Bulletin - then they will not give a single thought about whether or not their kids need chiropractic care - they'll probably read the last advert for kiddy pain killers instead.
2) You can tell the success stories. If someone asks you about chiropractic for asthma, or bedwetting etc - it's great to be able to quote the latest research, but what really works is when you can point to a number of kids on your photo wall who you have treated for that very same condition.
3) Kid's see the photos and ask what they have to do to get included on the wall of fame - say no more...
4) When you see a kid new patient there is a reduced factor because they can see so many other kids smiling and being adjusted in the photos (make sure you take lots of photos with you adjusting, laughing, and interacting with the kids - but no photos that show images of the kids in twisted positions).
5) Dedicating a room or area to kids shows that you are family and child-centred - if your practice looks like a kid has never stepped inside - then they probably won't?
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Your Philosophy May Be Vitalistic, But Is Your Art?
Your Philosophy May Be Vitalistic, But Is Your Art Mechanistic?
What is Vitalism?
1) Theory that life originates due to a force distinct from chemical and other physical forces. The classical 18th century vitalist doctrines propose that all life phenomena are animated by immaterial life spirits. These life spirits are unexplainable and undescribable from a physical point of view, but determine the various life phenomena.
2) Where vitalism explicitly invokes a vital principle, that element is often referred to as the "vital spark," "energy" or "élan vital," which some equate with the "soul." Vitalism has a long history in medical philosophies: most traditional healing practices posited that disease was the result of some imbalance in the vital energies which distinguish living from non-living matter.
3) Was once a term of Aristotle pertaining to a cosmic force known as "ether" that was supposedly giving life to dead things.
Chiropractic has a vitalistic philosophy in the sense that we claim we all have an innate intelligence which gives our human bodies their healing potential - the ability to intelligently regenerate. To take this one step further, it was proposed by our pioneers that this information is transmitted through the body via the "Mental Impulse". This is a separate and distinct concept to that of action potentials and electrical currents...
D.D. Palmer: "Chiropractors do not treat diseases, they adjust the wrong which creates disease; they have discovered the simple fact that the human body is a sensitive piece of machinery, run throughout all its parts by mental impulse." (1910)
Stephenson: "We might conceive of this mental impulse as being composed of certain kinds of physical energies, in proper proportions, which will balance other such forces in the Tissue Cell; as electricity, valency, magnetism, cohesion, etc., etc.. Perhaps some of these energies are not known to us in physics. What right have we to assume that we have found them all? The writer presents this as a hypothesis or theory in order to get a working basis... It is no discredit to Chiropractic that it must also use theories concerning the transmission of mental forces." (1927)
So, here's the challenge - how does this affect the way we adjust each and very patient? Is our application, or the "Art" of doing what we do, a reflection and outpouring of this vitalistic philosophy? Let's contrast the above definitions of vitalism with those of mechanism...
Mechanism:
1) Machine part: A machine or part of a machine that performs a specific task.
2) Something like machine: Something that resembles a machine in having a structure of interrelated parts that function together the fragile mechanism of the planet's ecology.
3) Method or means: A method or means of doing something.
4) Philosophy philosophical theory: The philosophical theory that all natural phenomena, including human behavior, can be explained by physical causes and processes.
To be perfectly honest - this sounds more like the practice of chiropractic as it is practised in most chiropractors' rooms.
Now here's the challenge: If we have a vitalistic philosophy, but this has no application in what we do - then what's the point of having this philosophy? After all - isn't the purpose of a philosophy to provide an internal compass, via which we make decisions about what we think and believe, and hence how we behave?
This leaves us with two options...
1) Jettison our traditional philosophy and replace it with one that sounds more like the mechanistic methods - so that our Art follows on from our philosophy - that is - change our philospophy to match our behaviour.
2) Upgrade our behaviours so that they align with our core vitalistic philosophy.
Torque Release Technique provides chiropractors with a much more vitalistic model of applying their philosophy on each and every patient. And here's what most practitioners find when they make this upgrade - they see more vitalistic changes in their practice members: Over and above the garden variety mechanistic changes - That is - they see MORE LIFE returning into the faces, minds and bodies of their patients.
What is Vitalism?
1) Theory that life originates due to a force distinct from chemical and other physical forces. The classical 18th century vitalist doctrines propose that all life phenomena are animated by immaterial life spirits. These life spirits are unexplainable and undescribable from a physical point of view, but determine the various life phenomena.
2) Where vitalism explicitly invokes a vital principle, that element is often referred to as the "vital spark," "energy" or "élan vital," which some equate with the "soul." Vitalism has a long history in medical philosophies: most traditional healing practices posited that disease was the result of some imbalance in the vital energies which distinguish living from non-living matter.
3) Was once a term of Aristotle pertaining to a cosmic force known as "ether" that was supposedly giving life to dead things.
Chiropractic has a vitalistic philosophy in the sense that we claim we all have an innate intelligence which gives our human bodies their healing potential - the ability to intelligently regenerate. To take this one step further, it was proposed by our pioneers that this information is transmitted through the body via the "Mental Impulse". This is a separate and distinct concept to that of action potentials and electrical currents...
D.D. Palmer: "Chiropractors do not treat diseases, they adjust the wrong which creates disease; they have discovered the simple fact that the human body is a sensitive piece of machinery, run throughout all its parts by mental impulse." (1910)
Stephenson: "We might conceive of this mental impulse as being composed of certain kinds of physical energies, in proper proportions, which will balance other such forces in the Tissue Cell; as electricity, valency, magnetism, cohesion, etc., etc.. Perhaps some of these energies are not known to us in physics. What right have we to assume that we have found them all? The writer presents this as a hypothesis or theory in order to get a working basis... It is no discredit to Chiropractic that it must also use theories concerning the transmission of mental forces." (1927)
So, here's the challenge - how does this affect the way we adjust each and very patient? Is our application, or the "Art" of doing what we do, a reflection and outpouring of this vitalistic philosophy? Let's contrast the above definitions of vitalism with those of mechanism...
Mechanism:
1) Machine part: A machine or part of a machine that performs a specific task.
2) Something like machine: Something that resembles a machine in having a structure of interrelated parts that function together the fragile mechanism of the planet's ecology.
3) Method or means: A method or means of doing something.
4) Philosophy philosophical theory: The philosophical theory that all natural phenomena, including human behavior, can be explained by physical causes and processes.
To be perfectly honest - this sounds more like the practice of chiropractic as it is practised in most chiropractors' rooms.
Now here's the challenge: If we have a vitalistic philosophy, but this has no application in what we do - then what's the point of having this philosophy? After all - isn't the purpose of a philosophy to provide an internal compass, via which we make decisions about what we think and believe, and hence how we behave?
This leaves us with two options...
1) Jettison our traditional philosophy and replace it with one that sounds more like the mechanistic methods - so that our Art follows on from our philosophy - that is - change our philospophy to match our behaviour.
2) Upgrade our behaviours so that they align with our core vitalistic philosophy.
Torque Release Technique provides chiropractors with a much more vitalistic model of applying their philosophy on each and every patient. And here's what most practitioners find when they make this upgrade - they see more vitalistic changes in their practice members: Over and above the garden variety mechanistic changes - That is - they see MORE LIFE returning into the faces, minds and bodies of their patients.
Are You Relieving Your Patients' Emotional Pains And Strains?
Are You Relieving Your Patients' Emotional Pains And Strains?
Whether or not we all agree on the theory that Subluxation is the cause of ALL illness - most DCs agree that there are three primary causes of Subluxation - Physical, Chemical and Mental.
At our TRT programs I ask the participants to rank these factors, and we always get 100% agreement - Emotional factors are by far the most common cause of Subluxation. So how does this revelation impact your every day clinical conversation and your adjusting procedures? Let me put this another way - what system/s do you have in place in your practice to identify and correct the emotional component which is causing most of your practice members, the majority of their problems?
What happens in your practice when someone is responding slower than you would expect, they keep exacerbating their condition, or you keep identifying the same recurring subluxations?
Here's what it sounds like in most chiropractic offices: "Well Fred, what did you do on the weekend - did you do any gardening or lifting? Tell me about your office chair at work. How many hours do you spend in front of the computer? Are you doing some exercises? What position do you sleep in? Tell me more about that car accident you had 55 years ago."
Notice something missing? Where were the questions to identify the emotional cause, let alone the second most common cause of subluxation - chemical? Physical, physical, physical...
Do you want to be a wellness chiropractor and not a back doctor? Then you need to connect with your practice members on an emotional level. This has got nothing to do with counseling or psychology, and it's definitely not about finding new referrals for the Beyond Blue program. But it is about providing your customers with a more holistic service...
Next time you find yourself in the above scenario, stop yourself before you blow the opportunity for a learning moment, and try this instead...
"So Fred, why do you think that your body is having trouble getting better as fast as YOU would like?" Fred's usual answer will be "well I d'know, your the doctor?"
"Have I told you that there are actually three causes of subluxation? There's the obvious one, the physical stuff that happens to you and that you do to yourself. Then there's chemical stuff; you know, all the toxic stuff that we eat and drink, and all the poisons that exist around us in our homes and in the environment, like allergies. Then the one you might not have thought of before, is the mind - this is actually the most common and the most severe cause of subluxation. Fred, can you think of any mental or emotional stuff in your life that might be creating stress inside your body?" Now don't drop the ball, stay silent until Fred comes up with some ideas... Then adjust him as per usual.
Like I said, this doesn't have to lead to a psychotherapy or hypnotherapy program; just the therapeutic power of the identification and connection of HIS emotional stuff with his subluxation will astound you....
Whether or not we all agree on the theory that Subluxation is the cause of ALL illness - most DCs agree that there are three primary causes of Subluxation - Physical, Chemical and Mental.
At our TRT programs I ask the participants to rank these factors, and we always get 100% agreement - Emotional factors are by far the most common cause of Subluxation. So how does this revelation impact your every day clinical conversation and your adjusting procedures? Let me put this another way - what system/s do you have in place in your practice to identify and correct the emotional component which is causing most of your practice members, the majority of their problems?
What happens in your practice when someone is responding slower than you would expect, they keep exacerbating their condition, or you keep identifying the same recurring subluxations?
Here's what it sounds like in most chiropractic offices: "Well Fred, what did you do on the weekend - did you do any gardening or lifting? Tell me about your office chair at work. How many hours do you spend in front of the computer? Are you doing some exercises? What position do you sleep in? Tell me more about that car accident you had 55 years ago."
Notice something missing? Where were the questions to identify the emotional cause, let alone the second most common cause of subluxation - chemical? Physical, physical, physical...
Do you want to be a wellness chiropractor and not a back doctor? Then you need to connect with your practice members on an emotional level. This has got nothing to do with counseling or psychology, and it's definitely not about finding new referrals for the Beyond Blue program. But it is about providing your customers with a more holistic service...
Next time you find yourself in the above scenario, stop yourself before you blow the opportunity for a learning moment, and try this instead...
"So Fred, why do you think that your body is having trouble getting better as fast as YOU would like?" Fred's usual answer will be "well I d'know, your the doctor?"
"Have I told you that there are actually three causes of subluxation? There's the obvious one, the physical stuff that happens to you and that you do to yourself. Then there's chemical stuff; you know, all the toxic stuff that we eat and drink, and all the poisons that exist around us in our homes and in the environment, like allergies. Then the one you might not have thought of before, is the mind - this is actually the most common and the most severe cause of subluxation. Fred, can you think of any mental or emotional stuff in your life that might be creating stress inside your body?" Now don't drop the ball, stay silent until Fred comes up with some ideas... Then adjust him as per usual.
Like I said, this doesn't have to lead to a psychotherapy or hypnotherapy program; just the therapeutic power of the identification and connection of HIS emotional stuff with his subluxation will astound you....
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