On Friday I was helping someone schedule an appointment to get her spine checked and we settled on October 31st. She said “Oh, well that’s Halloween.” I wasn’t sure if she was planning on going out for trick or treat; or was she simply making an observation. So I
answered “No costumes required to get your spine checked. And what better time to make sure that you’re expressing all your life’s potentials?” I must admit that she looked at me like I was a little daft, then we both laughed. This was someone who has been under care in our practice for a long time and she knows all about what we do and why we do it. But it made me think about just how far what we do is from most person’s reality.
Later that day I was asked to give someone a quick explanation of what I do in my work. Being limited to a short amount of time to explain something important can be challenging, so I decided to start by telling him what I didn’t do. That may sound strange, but I’ve found that most people seem to have misconceptions about what chiropractic is for. They often think that persons with headaches or back pain need to see a chiropractor. But chiropractic really isn’t about pain, nor is it about a person’s back, it’s about their life.
We begin our relationship with all new practice members by discussing what to expect from chiropractic care since they usually arrive here with pain oriented goals. They need to know that getting out of pain is the least important part of what we do.
Improving a person’s life is what we really do. A precise chiropractic adjustment reduces interference in the nerve system, thus restoring communication between the brain and the rest of the body. The benefit is better function. A body that is able to function better performs better on all levels. Children receiving this care have the opportunity grow up with a good nerve supply, and that makes all the difference.