Chiropractic Irony #3: Loving People vs. Loving the Principle

The statement has been made that “some people are so heavenly- minded that they are no earthly good.”  I cannot accept that idea.  In a similar way, I cannot accept the idea that those of us who put so much emphasis upon the principle of chiropractic lose sight of the idea of helping people and of meeting the needs of the sick and suffering.  

The more a chiropractor is focused upon the philosophy and the principles of chiropractic, the more understanding he or she will have of chiropractic and the greater their ability to convey those principles to the people who come into their office.  That will enable them to focus their attention on what the practice member truly needs.  Chiropractors who do not know, understand or practice the principles of chiropractic tend to give practice members what they think they want rather than what they truly need.  Every person coming into a chiropractic office wants one thing…health restored to their body.  Unfortunately, too often, in fact most of the time, they are confused as to what health restoration is.  They have been taught to think that it is alleviation or  relief of their symptoms.  So the primary responsibility of the chiropractor is to give the person coming into the office an understanding of what health truly is. It is, among other things, well-being.  Well-being that is dependent upon the full expression of the innate intelligence of the body, which necessitates being free of vertebral subluxations.   Of course, it also requires attention to other aspects of health.  It is important that the chiropractor conveys to the practice member the part that chiropractic plays in restoring and maintaining health. They may have gotten symptomatic relief many times in the past by many means but they may never have received true health care.

 Loving parents do not give their children ice cream when they need carrots and spinach.  A parent who desires the best for the child does not withhold discipline from them when it is called for.  If a chiropractor truly believes that the best thing he or she can do for a person is to correct their vertebral subluxations in order to allow the innate intelligence of their body to be more fully expressed, that should be the one service he or she wants to give to every person.  In doing that, the chiropractor has demonstrated love for that practice member and a desire to serve them to the best of his/her ability and in the best way possible.

 One final point.  I believe the greatest act of love that a chiropractor can demonstrate to his/her practice members in the professional realm is to be as well-informed, knowledgeable in the philosophy of chiropractic as can be and as dedicated and effective as he can be in teaching that philosophy to those  with whom he comes in contact.