“Chiropractic…. Really?”
Let’s not waste any time. You need to know what and who we are and what we stand for. If you are like many people, what you may have heard about chiropractic care might not be particularly complimentary. “It takes forever.” “They want you to come back all the time.” “It’s expensive.” “It’s painful or can cause damage or a permanent need for care.” “My doctor/friends/family have warned me not to go.” And on and on.
Believe us, we’ve heard it all. Some of these criticisms are not without merit, but let’s set the record straight about OUR practice: we can’t fix most of what’s wrong with the world, but we CAN offer you a better experience, along with a good explanation for WHY we do, WHAT we do. And, some hope for a simple, affordable solution to your painful problems. Really.
“It takes forever.”… Not if we can help it!
If there is one thing that bothers us the most about what people often think about chiropractic care, it’s the idea that a long schedule of treatment over several months is required to produce any significant benefit. For most of our patients, this is simply not true, if an accurate diagnosis is made, followed by up to date treatment methods.
In most of the cases we treat, we expect to see significant improvement within 3 to 5 visits, or we will consider sending you on for another opinion. What do we mean by “significant?” Your condition has either resolved or improved enough that we both, patient and doctor, are convinced we can resolve the problem with a little more time and work. Of course, there are always exceptions, particularly for very difficult or chronic cases. However, we expect the majority of our patients to improve to discharge standards within 2 to 6 weeks, including some problems that have persisted for years without relief.
We have had the benefit of extraordinary training, mentors and instructors over the years and most importantly, we have paid attention. Our hands and our minds are our primary tools, which, when combined with exceptional skill, makes a big difference when it comes to your care. There will always be more to learn about the human body and its function. But, we adhere to the philosophy of giving the patient every ounce of attention and knowledge we can in that moment.
If you’ve been under chiropractic care before, we think you might find our office to be a different experience than you’ve already had. You might just recover so quickly, that you forget our names when we see you at the supermarket… we’re okay with that. Really.
“I have to keep coming back.”… Yes and no.
If we do our job properly (and you do yours… which is just as, if not more important!) our relationship should be like the one you have with your dentist: we fix any problems quickly and give you the tools and information to keep you from developing more problems, then encourage you to get back in before a problem gets really bad again. Otherwise, we expect that the better job YOU do, the less likely you are to remember what WE look like.
We are not into arm twisting about your treatment, but we have been known to nag our patients about lifestyle habits, exercise and stretching, nutrition, hydration (drinking lots of water) and making smarter choices every day about things that make a long life easier to accomplish.
If we can find a straight forward and effective solution to your problem, we plan on being there for you if it ever comes back. Do your job properly, and we will miss you, but we’ll be okay, knowing that you don’t need us.
“It’s expensive.”… Not really. But poor health is.
Well, then. If it works quickly, keeps you active, productive, reduces or eliminates your need for medication, allows you to sleep, exercise, work and play without interruption, your insurance pays for most of it, and you learn enough to reduce the likelihood of needing much, if any care in the future, what’s it worth to you?
A good number of studies over the past 30 years have shown that chiropractic care is usually much more cost effective than alternative treatments for the same conditions.
We do have some standard treatment procedures that, because of their effectiveness, we cannot practice without. Occasionally, like other newer, more effective treatments, your insurance may or may not cover some of these procedures, but we work hard to keep everything we offer as cost-effective as possible. The extra minor expense up front typically pays off in shorter treatment times, and often, no recovery is possible without including these additional procedures and the time they take to perform.
We don’t want to spend time with you doing things that don’t work, any more than you want to pay for them. Really.
“Chiropractic is risky.”… Not really. But ignorance is.
Well, okay, we admit it, sometimes treatment is no fun. While many patients will tell you it really doesn’t hurt at all, some will tell you that manipulation is a weird experience and sometimes a little uncomfortable. And people especially hate our thumbs when we are digging around, breaking up scar tissue in tight muscles and joints. But minor discomfort doesn’t stop you from going to the dentist, starting an exercise program, cleaning house, carrying tired children to bed or mowing your mother’s lawn, does it?
If your treatment is a little less fun that you would like, we fully expect that the trade off in relief will seem worth it. If we can make it fun, we will. If we can’t, we will try not to smile while we are ‘working’ on you, at least until you begin to feel better.
On a more serious note, you may have been encouraged by someone, (including your occasional medical provider) to fear manipulation as unsafe and a risk you should avoid, especially when it comes to treating your neck. It’s important to consider though, that at the rate that medical research is released today, it is almost impossible to stay up to date in one’s own specialty, let alone someone else’s profession.
Expecting every doctor you see to be up to date on the safety issues regarding chiropractic care is a bit unrealistic. As professionals, they have your best interests at heart, but if they are warning you against manipulation while they hand you a prescription for another bucket of ibuprofen, you may need to wonder if expecting them to know everything under the sun about what’s good and important for your health is realistic.
On the other hand, imagine the effects of a life spent without the ability to move or exercise without pain, pursue your work or hobbies without limitation, or the impact on your body of having to take unnecessary medication for years on end. Being able to live life more actively may just allow you to stick around a bit longer, or at least feel better and more productive while you are here. Don’t discount the impact that feeling good can have on you for the rest of your life.
Here’s what research has said about the safety of manipulation, over and over: very simply, the risk of manipulation causing stroke is almost non-existent, while the risk of temporary soreness from treatment is minor and usually goes away quickly, like soreness from exercise.
If you knew what we have come to know, after years of study and treating thousands of patients, you would feel safe about any of our recommendations for your care. Really.