The old saying in business is that "if one customer says something, then they're all thinking it". I take this wisdom seriously, which is why I wanted to help you understand a VERY common MYTH about Chiropractic. At least once each week, a new patient, business associate, friend or acquaintance will say to me, "I heard that once you go to a chiropractor you have to go for the rest of your life", or some version of that old myth. It really is a pervasive thought and one that probably hurts the lives of so many people. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT - what a commitment!! And because human nature is to reflexively avoid any long term commitment, think about how many people that you know who have never gone to a chiropractor or never would step into our office because of the fear of being "roped in".Look at what's going on in commerce right now - how many cell phone companies, TV companies (cable, Direct TV, etc.), gyms and so on are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to sell you on "NO CONTRACTS". Why? Because in this economy they are doing everything possible to put you at ease, to remove OBSTACLES to you choosing to go with them. So, back to the point - virtually everyone you know has a spine, right? :) And hardly anyone you know takes care of their spine - which is why 80% of Americans will develop problems with their backs. Now the sad story is that most people wait so long that they eventually end up on dangerous Rx medication that have terrible side effects or WORSE - 300,00 people each year have surgery which has a 70 - 90% FAILURE RATE!! Why, because they're afraid to go to a chiropractor. So they suffer, lose months or years of quality of life, or even worse, end up being put on depression medications because pain is so chronic.
Now that you know this - Chiropractic Care (and, in our office, Physical Therapy, too) is NOT A LIFETIME COMMITMENT! It's simply a foolish thought - HOWEVER - you as a consumer must know more than that so that YOU can use Chiropractic the right way. Let me give you an analogy - Millions of people join a gym every year. Everyone knows how valuable fitness is. Now I don't know about you, but when I go to the gym I NEVER have to wait for a treadmill. Is that because my gym has thousands of treadmills to accommodate those millions of people??? No, it's because very few of those people who join COMMIT to working out year round. Most of them have a very small vision of what they want and after a few visits drop out of the gym. Others have a slightly larger vision of losing a few pounds or fitting into a smaller pant/dress size. And finally, there are those that realize that regular exercise has benefits that go FAR BEYOND a few extra pounds. They realize that regular exercise IMPROVES THE WAY THE BODY WORKS - resulting in less stress (emotional health), better sleep, regulates blood sugar (chemical health), increases energy, builds lean muscle mass leading to increased metabolism, lowers blood pressure, cleans the blood....and the list goes on, which leads to a longer, healthier life. So, all of these people are doing the same thing - exercise - but their goals and RESULTS are totally different. Do you see the difference? Chiropractic is exactly the same. What we deal with is the relationship between the spine and the central nervous system. For patients with the smallest vision of care, which is PAIN RELIEF, that can mean just a couple weeks before their symptoms improve and they STOP. For others, they want to correct the CAUSE of their problem, which we specialize in and is called CORRECTIVE CARE. They might be here for a couple of months. Finally, there are those who want to learn about maximizing their body's function to not only get better, but to prevent damage and disease from developing in the future. They continue with regular chiropractic care because they realize that, just like at the gym, when they stop going, the benefits begin to disappear. No one is wrong when they choose what kind of care they want. What we do works every time to get results. The results you get depend upon your goals.
To Conclude - the only person who is wrong is the person who has mistakenly been led to believe that once you go to a chiropractor you HAVE to go for the rest of your life. So "How Would You Handle This One"? Tell them that what we do in our clinic is a TOOL. You can use it any way you want. The next time it comes up - let them know they don't have to be afraid. Tell them that the longer the wait the more damage will develop and the longer it will take them to get better. Chiropractic is not a lifetime commitment - it just works best that way.
