It’s sad that so few chiropractors who call themselves straight or BJ, or traditional chiropractors ever read Dynamic Chiropractic. The publisher presented an excellent article in the January 1, 2012 issue. He destroyed the fantasy that many of us have, particularly the seminar gurus and practice management consultants who claim we are turning the corner in the battle with allopathic medicine and that the public is turning to natural health care, wellness care, drugless care and prevention. He used, of all things, facts, to disprove our halucinatory professional dreams. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) claims that the percentage of Americans on prescription drugs has risen 8% in the past 20 years and 2012 may be the first year that one-half of Americans are regularly on prescription drugs. He spent most of the article giving statistics to show that not only are we not winning the battle but we are falling further and further behind and some say that the number of people who see a chiropractor with any regularity is less than 2%.
He says that many chiropractors are looking to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution by wanting to prescribe drugs, but we already know that. Here is a new thought, at least for me: perhaps those who want to prescribe drugs do not see themselves as part of the problem but believe that as people are becoming increasingly dependent on pharmaceuticals, chiropractors need to be in the forefront with a rational approach. In other words, perhaps we can, with our philosophy, dispense drugs in a more conservative way than the local MD. Now that’s an interesting perspective. Obviously, not one that we would embrace but, for a person with a “get sick people well” perspective, who better to treat people than a “conservative Mixer”? He did come up with another interesting statistic. Supplement use appeared to have peaked to over 52% in 1999-2002 but has fallen to below 51% in recent years. Perhaps that is partially due to the economy, people cannot afford pricey vitamins, or perhaps they are not seeing the miracle results that have been promised. Either way it does not bode well for the chiropractor trying to corner the vitamin supplement market. I must applaud Don Peterson for “telling it like it is” although I am not in agreement with his conclusions and recommendations. To his credit he does not advocate joining the DC’s who want to prescribe, but oddly enough he encourages the chiropractor to keep on doing what has failed to work for the past 40 years, “provide our patients with better information to help them undestand the dangers they (drugs) are potentially doing…” Ironically, most of the traditional chiropractors are doing what he suggests “post information regarding wellness, much of it revealing the dangers of various drugs.” Who else but traditional chiropractors would be already doing that? Surely not those who want to prescribe!
For some of us, “if you can’t beat them, join them” is not an option. Neither is doing the same thing that has failed in the past, bashing the practice of medicine and expecting a different result.That’s insanity. I’m reminded of something Joe Flesia and Guy Riekmann use to teach in their Renaissance Seminars years ago. They talked about the frustration that the 7-up soft drink people had in competing with Pepsi and Coke… they were always third. Then they began to market themselves as the “uncola-no cafeine, never had it never will.” They decided to let Pepsi and Coke fight it out over who had the best cafeinated cola and sell themselves as something different, reach a different market. Well, we in chiropractic have something different and it’s not “getting sick people well without drugs and surgey.” If you cannot articulate to the public what we do, you probably don’t know what it is and you need to start reading the other 850 posts on this blog for starters. Buy a few Blue Books…and read them! Then, and only then start asking us questions. There are plenty of people on this blog who can and are willing to help you learn what it means to be the uncola (the un-outside-in) of the health care community. Can that help us replace medicine? Well, 7-up is still third after Pepsi and Coke. We, in all liklihood, will not replace medicine because many people are just as addicted to outside-in treatments as they are to caffeine. But 7-Up got a bigger share of the soft drink market after changing their perspective and I believe we can do a lot better than our present “less than 2%.”
Hi Joe,
I read DC. I enjoyed that article. You are absolutely correct when you say we need to identify our product. Being for or against drugs, including vaccines, maybe a correct health choice,but it is not chiropractic. I hope many will pursue your suggestion and discover what we are really all about.
Thank you Dr. Hollensed.
By the way, we just went over 1000 comments on 850 posts. Thank you everyone for your participation.
Thank you for your effort and diligence Joe. Reading books is great but conversation is always better
It’s different, I like it!
I do not feel it is our duty to replace medicine, I do however inform patients of the causes of subluxation, and (toxins) chemical overload is definitely one of those causes. DD said drugs stimulate or inhibit nerves, altering their tone and therefore conductivity. Has anyone produced research along these lines?
So Steve, how much chemical is necessary to reach the level of “overload.” Does that mean you tell people to stop taking drugs and would that be considered the practice of medicine?
No Joe I don’t tell them to stop taking drugs (that is the practice of medicine) but I point out that ANY foreign substance such as drugs, food additives, sugar, ect. can over tax the system and cause subluxations. I do tell them that limit is different for everybody. I also explain the other two main causes of sub. are physical trauma/habits and mental stress. Then I add, as DD said, knowing precisely which one is impossible because we are always under multiple stresses. Since Dr means teacher I feel it is my duty to inform them of the effects of subluxations as well as the causes, as we know them to be. I try not to tell people what to do but instead give them information they can use to make an informed decision.
Steve,
There is only ONE cause of the vertebral subluxation and it is:
An external invasive force overcoming the internal resistive force of the body. That’s the ONLY cause!
Further more, people have a choice to remove the cause of external invasive force (drugs,food additives, sugar, banana peels on the floor, tight shorts, hard hugs, dancing zumba, lifting a child, sneezing, not sneezing, fist pumping at the eagles, falling asleep on the couch, turning to grab your seat belt, chopping onions, eating fast food, making love, tying your shoes, slipping on black ice, combing your hair, typing at the keyboard, looking at the screen of your computer, the death of a loved one, car crash, wall street market crash, scratching yourself anywhere, playing a musical instrument, sleeping, walking, breathing, living…), just about anything.
Now it is a good thing to decrease the external invasive forces and there are many professions whose job is: to pick up banana peels, make clean water, alternative health care, make ergonomic chairs, pillows, produce organic foods, life coaching, financial consultants, counselors, bereavement groups, detox centers, make safe cars, etc…).
Is it also a good thing to INCREASE THE INTERNAL RESISTIVE FORCE of the body? If so, is it not your job as a chiropractor? After all, the objective of chiropractic is: LACVS for a full expression of the innate intelligence of the body and, in doing so, can we reasonably deduct that the internal resistive force of the body will increase as a result of being free from vs? Should we not give people that choice?
YES, we are TEACHERS OF CHIROPRACTIC with a Major Premise, 32 principles with a philosophy, science and art. It is our course outline and our office is the university which our practice members attend… to learn chiropractic.
Therefore,
WHO should use precious time informing people about external invasive forces and decreasing them.?
WHO should use precious time LACVS which increase the internal resistive of the body?
The answer is obvious is it not?
The answer IS obvious but incomplete. My “JOB” is to LACVS. I do however feel it is my duty to inform them of the benefits of adjustments as well as the hazards of the environment, and how chiropractic plays a role in the greater scheme of it all. Tell me Claude has a patient ever asked you what are the invasive forces, and what did you say?
borrowed this off FB
Keith Wassung
In my opinion, DC’s spend far too much time talking about Chiropractic–and not NEARLY enough time on the Laws on which Chiropractic is based…in other words, is all about the objective model—-not about drugs vs. adjustments, not about Chiropractic vs. Medicine–that is a losing strategy, because you automatically place Chiropractic on an allopathic model…..the debate needs to be the comparison of a Function vs. Feeling…of restoration vs. elimination of symptoms…far more effective that way.
It’s a sad commentary on our profession when lay people like Keith are told that chiropratic is “about drugs vs. adjustments, …….Chiropractic vs. Medicine….”. Sadder still is that he as a lay person knows better and the majority of the profession does not!
Keith is an excellent speaker as well. He spoke at the K R Jones Philosophy Forum several years ago and did an great job. An exceptional mind and a heartfelt presentation.
Steve,
As a matter of fact, often times after I give people orientation #1, they will ask me what causes subluxations and I tell them that it is a force from outside of them that is greater than what their body can handle. Then they sometimes ask me what do you mean by outside force and I tell them that the mere fact of living will cause these forces to interact with our bodies and can create subluxations. Then they say something like falling or lifting or exercising and I say: Yes, you got it.
Some may ask ‘is nutrition important/”. My response is “what do you think?” Then they may ask “should I be vegetarian?” I answer, I do not know. They may ask what kind of exercise is good for them or not good for them. I answer the same way, “what do you think?” and so on for whatever it is they want to know. I recognize there are professions whose job is to do just that (trainers, nutrionists, etc) and that’s fine. My job is to abide by ADIO by telling them that common sense will do as well as many “experts” ‘opinion who contradict themselves anyway.
After they’ve attended orientation #2, #3, class #1,#2,#3,#4 and read my book “Chiropractic, Amazing isn’t it?” some do get the BIG IDEA.
Steve,
Let me tell you a well kept secret. 🙂
Joseph B. Strauss is shy. He doesn’t like to talk and he is introverted. Back in the day ((1980) when we practiced together, we saw an average of 2100 people/week. One day we broke a record, we saw 427 people. Then I remember another day we saw 33 NEW people. At that pace, we did not have time to talk much and answer people’s questions during office hours. Our favorite answer was: “I don’t know” and we move on to check the next person’s spine. That was it!!! The energy in the office was hot. We were on fire and people came to watch us burn.
Now, I like to talk, I’m not shy and I am extroverted. Never mind that, all I could do was breathe and check people’s spine. Joseph understood that and “allowed” me to give the orientations 3 times per week so I could talk. Thanks to that I did not lose my capacity to talk.
I think that’s why I retained a French Canadien accent. Lack of talking. 🙂
If only common sense was common. I have heard Dick Plummer use the same response, (I don’t know) and yes it is true, no one knows what another body needs, ( only ii knows for sure ) but I try to give them a starting point on where to look. And yes I realize it is not the true ADIO way, I guess I’m not fully converted yet. But I’m learning more and more with every post on this blog. I also have your book, will be reading it soon.
OK Joe, Coke adds Life, Pepsi is the new generation and 7UP is the Uncola, etc. What phrase/line/saying could we all agree on to use to promote exactly what it is we do? “Chiropractic: A-D-I-O” says it all and is great but in the marketing world it hasn’t caught on and people who aren’t patients of a principled chiropractor won’t understand it. I would venture to say that the majority of our own profession wouldn’t understand it but that’s another conversation.
We need something that when the average Joe sees it says, “Wow, that makes sense! Where’s the nearest place I can go to turn my power on? Marketers would tell us that if a phrase hasn’t worked for 50 years, that it might be time to come up with something else by now. Any ideas???
Love your stuff!
Hey Rick, I thought it was “Coke is the Real Thing for The Pepsi Generation”?
How about “Come Alive With Chiropractic”? (hmmmm, I think somebody else used a similar thing).
Happy to see you’re still up & online at your advanced age 🙂
DAN
Yep…still got the fire in my belly! Can’t stop now. We’re too close to breaking through! Don’t want to leave anything on the table.
How about these???
Chiropractic Adds Life!
Chiropractic…For Life!
Catch you on FB?
Chiropractic Adds 2 Life;
I like the second, a lot.