Have you ever noticed that it’s always chiropractors that have the next best thing in regards to healthcare?  While this statement may not necessarily be true but it’s mostly true from the daily view of a practicing chiropractor.

It is always the next greatest laser for any condition, weight loss solutions, neuropathy care or any other things that comes on to the market that a sales person can sell to a clinic or office are the ones that pop up. I’m sure every profession is the same but I’m just exposed to chiropractors. While I don’t want to come across as the stuck in the mud, fuddy duddy I sometimes feel that chiropractor’s lost their way.

When you are in school, everyone wants to be a sports chiropractor and work with young people and athletes. While it is a wonderful idea, I actually come from the opposite side of the argument, because old people and middle aged patients need more care than a young athlete. Treatment plans be damned, older individuals are the ones with the time and money. I’m horrible at treatment plans; I treat patients until they reach maximum medical improvement or until we plateau in regards to symptoms and release them from care.

Is this a glamorous way to practice, not really but it is rewarding. It’s really hard to continue to post things on social media to show that you are a cutting edge chiropractor with all the new toys. We just treat people with a moral and ethical compass and send them on their way.

Good conversations can be had and a good time is normally had during the day. In the most recent months, I’ve had to have some difficult conversations with people in regards to their current health complaint. I normally ask if they want the conversation to go one way or the other: did you want me to talk to you in medical jargon that you may not understand or did you want me to talk to you as if I’m a family member. We can normally have a combination of either but when a tough case walks through the door and our office cannot help, sending the patient to the place that can help them the most is ALWAYS the best option.

Dragging out care just to collect more insurance money or to keep collecting from the patient is not only wrong but is downright unethical. There are offices that are much better at certain treatment types, but I would like to think we can hold our own when it comes to a correct diagnosis and projecting how the course of treatment will go. With that I am able to sleep soundly at night.

We provide a comfortable atmosphere to which patients can seek a genuine opinion as to what may be going on with your pain. The care provided is evidence based and guided by the conversations that continuously take place as to what the comfort level of the patient is. If more care is needed, we will be upfront. We make no guarantees as to the number or length of care but we would not start you down a road if we didn’t think it would help. We stay in our lane, chiropractors do chiropractic work.

As the year turns over, if you EVER find yourself in a situation in a chiropractic office that is requesting thousands of dollars for care and payment plans are going to be necessary or that so many therapies and exams are going to be needed, just know that a second opinion is always an option.

I would much rather be able to sleep at night then have one ounce of guilt that I am taking advantage of a patient and their situation. The business has been around for over a decade and there is no ounce of guilt or shame in the treatment that we provide and for this I sleep well at night.