article archive
December 2006
The real story behind children and chiropractic
by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz
The issue of children and chiropractic divides the people in
our profession more than any other. There's no middle ground
with this concept. The lines have been drawn in the sand. The
majority in our profession say "no" to children and
the minority say "yes." Remember that from an historical
perspective the minority always leads the majority.
A concept
can be familiar or unfamiliar, it's that simple. The real issue
here is that most DCs were not trained in chiropractic college
to care for entire families, which makes the idea of chiropractic
and children unfamiliar ‑‑ thus,
foreign. And, anytime something feels foreign, most people
will reject the idea. No matter how great the idea is for
your practice or for humanity, it will be rejected. There's
no right or wrong, just familiar or unfamiliar.
We are the only
profession that discriminates according to age and symptoms.
Unless patients are adults with low back pain, neck pain or
have been injured in an accident, most DCs don't want anything
to do with them. THIS IS CRAZY! No other profession does this.
Since
legitimate concepts must look toward the next generation or
they'll fail to stand the test of time, let's imagine a teacher
not teaching children and only teaching adults. Let's imagine
a dentist not seeing children. How about a religious leader
asking children not to attend services until they grow up?
We
gave up our philosophy in order to be accepted by the masses.
This philosophy, this concept is the very crux that allows
us to claim legitimacy or to forever be relegated to being
well‑paid back therapists.
Why don't some DCs see children?
You may find your own justification within these points:
I don't yet see it as life or death. Sure, I know that kids
need to get adjusted to maximize their full potential. Yes,
I check and adjust my own daughters regularly, but I don't
have the urgency to strongly pursue having parents bring in
their children.
I hate to say this, but sometimes adjusting
kids gets frustrating.
Parents, I feel,
don't see the importance the way they should, which makes me
feel like a salesperson.
At times, I don't want to expend the
energy to educate parents as to the importance of getting their
kid checked, especially when I can already see that it won't
go anywhere anyway.
I also feel that if I do more than have
a small "Chiro Kids" corner with toys and games,
my office will look less professional.
In addition, I find myself
discontinuing visits or giving the parents a two for one deal,
further devaluing my service.
These obstacles are from a DC
who actually wants to see more children.
Most DCs, at one point,
have had similar reasons for not seeing children. Parents are
crying out for leaders in family health, not adult only health.
What if you could learn a completely new dimension to your
practice and your life? You can. It's called family health.
Look no further for new patients ever again. Not only do families
come in multiples, but they will do whatever it takes to bring
better health to everyone in the family. They will refer families
just like themselves. Instead of always replacing departing
patients, wouldn't you like to make great emotional connections
with parents, educate them and then keep them?
The key to seeing
children is the burning passion to help children achieve better
health on a physical, social and developmental plane. Do you
have the courage to stand up for what's right, or will you
comply with the majority of society that says you are a back
therapist? Doing what's right is always more difficult that
doing what others expect you to do. Just because you weren't
trained in chiropractic college to care for kids doesn't get
you off the hook. The kids still need our help. You must upgrade
your skills and stop living in the past.
When you awaken to
your responsibilities as a family DC, you'll stop seeing age
and symptoms and start to realize that all of your practice
members are kids... some are just older than others.
(The New
Renaissance is a movement of passionate chiropractors dedicated
to changing the world. The leader in patient education since
1977, the Mentor IV Coaching Program is a step‑by‑step
navigational guide that embodies the very essence of The
New Renaissance vision of healthier people creating a healthier
world. Without patient education, your patients won't "get
it." To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact
world headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)