When I hear someone make the above comment, my first reaction is, “Oh here it goes, this guy is going to try to justify discussing symptoms with the practice member and asking them how they feel on each visit.” We all know that meeting people where they are in this respect will rarely get them any further than that point. In fact, it will likely fix them at that point permanently. Some people are fixed on their symptoms because they assume that is the right thing to do. They have been taught that their symptoms are something to be addressed and when addressed, they are once again healthy. Their outside-in thinking for a lifetime has brought them to that place. The minute we address their symptoms we reinforce in their mind the importance of those symptoms. We can say that on subsequent visits we will bring them along by telling them that symptoms are really not that important and that correcting their subluxations to remove the interference in their nerve system is what is really important, but frankly, by then its too late. The damage has already been done.
We need to meet people where they are. However, we need to make it clear to them that where they are really has little to do with their health and nothing to do with our professional objective. The great mission in chiropractic is to meet people where they are and immediately move them from that point to a better place.
V23n4