article archive
November 2005
Why are we so rejected?
by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz
Everyone says they want health, as long as they don't have
to commit to anything. Does insurance cover it? Does it come
in tablet or liquid form? The concept of health is universally
embraced until it's announced who's behind the vision ‑‑ chiropractors.
Then this universally embraced concept is universally rejected.
Welcome to the paradox.
Society will determine your identity
if you refuse to educate. Their belief in medicine came first
and billions are spent every year to make sure there are
no challengers to this belief. Our identity in society is
overwhelmingly that of a reliever of aches and pains, a small
sub‑specialty
of medicine grouped loosely together with other "alternative" providers.
Birth‑to‑death chiropractic on a family basis
is not even on the radar of the American consciousness. Healthier
people, healthier planet? People don't even know what you're
talking about. When you as a chiropractor embrace the vision
of birth‑to‑death family chiropractic, you're
going against the most powerful belief in the world: science
and allopathy.
You'd better be prepared as a warrior if you
want to go against a dominant belief in our society. DCs
who undertake this path without the necessary coaching, preparation,
and heart will find their lives filled with failure and frustration,
and their spirits eventually broken. You must be strong enough
to stand up against an unknowing and sometimes uncaring American
public.
Unknowing, of course. Our medical brothers and sisters
have seen to it that most people are afraid enough to accept
sickness as a health paradigm, rather than embrace the unfamiliar "wellness." Uncaring,
of necessity, as in "we don't need another system of
health care... we already have the finest in the world." And
you wonder why we are so rejected.
Think of the hundreds of
thousands of hours of commercials communicating the tenets
of medicine. Plop, plop, fizz fizz. Take this for this, and
take this for that. Look at today's TV shows. The most popular
shows are "Nip/Tuck" and "Inconceivable." They
glamorize sickness and show you how medicine is going to
save you. How are you going to compete with this?
You must understand
that without education as to what chiropractic is, people
will automatically put you in the group of fringe medical
providers, the kind that aren't real doctors and consequently
you only go to them as a last resort ‑‑ and
you don't go unless someone else (insurance) pays for it.
Some
DCs choose to bash medicine and attempt to influence people.
It simply doesn't work. You don't have to make fun of something
or someone to make yourself appear better. People are aware
of the risks of medicine, but it's still the only behavior
they know. People choose what's familiar even if it leaves
much to be desired.
Since sparks will fly when you challenge
a dominant belief system like medicine, why challenge the belief
at all? Bottled water doesn't challenge the concept of exercise.
Organic food doesn't make fun of bottled water. They each have
their own identity, and their own niche. Educate people to
what chiropractic is and allow them the freedom and opportunity
to decide for themselves if chiropractic fits their family's
health care needs.
Underneath this seemingly hopeless scenario
is the solution. People are not satisfied with medical care!
The expense, the loss of dignity, and the arrogance of MDs
is enough to make them start searching for something that works
with patients as people, rather than working with disease in
people. They look to their parents and see skeletons of their
former selves. Their children are learning disabled and emotionally
and socially crippled. They know there has to be a better way.
Yet, nobody's stepping up. This is where we come in as educators.
Think
of computer service. It's abysmal! You sit on a phone line
for hours only to learn your computer can't be fixed and you're
now going to have to spend more of your time to bring it to
a repair center. If a computer company, any company, would
step up and make emotional connections with people, they would
be like rock stars! Why not chiropractors?
Today's chiropractor
knows the importance of making an emotional connection with
every patient. The "trust factor" is
the most important element in any human interaction. Without
the trust factor, a DC must resort to sales and marketing
instead of education and communication. When you have a complete
system of education and an office environment that reflects
your identity, it's easy for your patients to see that you're
unique. You become the leader of family wellness in your
community. The choice is yours, doctors, educate or be rejected.
(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.)