Now that we realize it is a lie to tell patients “You need 80 adjustments over the next year and we will get you to optimal health. You can eat, drink and smoke what you want; you can be totally stressed out, exercise or not. Hell you can skydive without a parachute for all I care, as long as you get adjusted 80 times over the next year we will get you to optimal health.” What do we do now? How can we be congruent and tell the truth?
The way I see it we have options:
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Tell them we will help reduce their subluxations and possibly get them feeling better and get them healthier than they are right now. But don’t dangle the carrot of “optimal health.”
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Tell them we will help them towards optimal health and help them quit recreating subluxations and health problems over and over again by not only addressing their subluxations but also giving them strategies to deal with their three dimensions of stress.
If we are going to do the ladder there are several things we need to look at.
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We must look at our communications. How do we help people recognize they need subluxation care to address their nerve system and they need to make appropriate lifestyle changes to quit recreating the same problems over and over again? That is what my LAASR course is all about. There are very specific things we can do every step of the way to get them to ask you what you recommend. “Doc, I realize I need to eat better, or exercise differently or deal with stress etc. what do you recommend?” If we can get them to recognize that they need to make the change and get them to ask you for help then they are ready to hear your recommendations. Truly this is an easy process and I can help you do this.
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Next we need to look at what we are going to recommend. This gets a bit tricky doesn’t it?
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Are you an expert in all three fields?
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Do you have programs you want to recommend to them?
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Do you want to take the time to do this with each patient?
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Are there ways you can spend little to no time AND give the patients the information and the support they need?
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Clearly the above questions must be answered.
We can help people recognize they need to make change AND we can give them the information and support they need in a very time efficient manner. There are lots of options out there we can talk about.
The most important thing is that you clarify who you are and what you are trying to accomplish with your patients. If you truly want to help them towards “optimal health” I believe it is clear we will need to give them more direction than just “come in and get adjusted 80 times over the next year.”
If you are looking for solutions I have answers.
Russ Rosen, D.C. – Oct 12, 2007
