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.
