The great misconception within the chiropractic profession lies in the gap between what we believe and what we say. We have allowed our dialog regarding our “spinal talk” to define Chiropractic as a physical application, and with this the public now sees our role in health in a very limited perspective.

The very basic fundamental principle of chiropractic is centered on the power of the nervous system to control body function and therefore the state of health.  The gap between our “spine talk” and this basic principle has created a major dilemma for the profession both from outside (limitation of scope of practice) and inside (complete lack of connection between the adjustment and neurological response) the profession.

Could it be that we have abandoned the fight to verify chiropractic? I know that this question will generate letters stating that Chiropractic does not need verification but that is simply not true! Resting on the laurels of “results” as verification does nothing to support “why” it gets them. Understanding the “WHY” will allow us to improve the quality of care. It seems that we have simply decided that there is no acceptable scientific proof of “WHY” the Chiropractic adjustment can generate changes in the neurophysiology. The science of today has become our friend. Today we can show and connect the adjustment to neurophysiological responses. Objective neurological outcomes are available for the first time in 114 years. Our truth has been revealed! The catch is that it isn’t quite the way we thought it worked.

So this truth will require a shift in our understanding and most importantly, our explanation talk! The “spinal talk” needs to change, which will include our view of the use of old analysis systems which applied to the spinal presentation, such as x-rays and static sEMG instruments. These are technologies of the 20^th century and today new 21^st Century technology offers much more valuable information when it comes to Neurologically Based Chiropractic™. (NBC)

So the first application of this new world of Chiropractic starts with the question, “Do you really believe what you say?” If you say that the primary focus of Chiropractic is the nervous system, then every step you take and everything you say must start and end with that concept. Your intake information, your history form, your examination and most importantly of all, your care program must be centered on a neurological foundation.

It is time for us to step up to the plate here. Every other health profession has adapted as new information has dictated the need to grow. Every other health care profession has become more focused on their specific application. Not so with Chiropractic and we have to ask why? We have attached nutrition, decompression, acupuncture, laser therapy, spinal biomechanics, herbal therapy, and a host of others not so well defined. It seems like anything but the neurological connection! 

So let’s look at some of the changes required for implementation of Neurologically Based Chiropractic.

We recommend that all of the essential information including basics such as name, phone number, address etc be done by the CA over the phone. No real change here - next that the CA be trained to also record information such as: chief area of complaint, onset, duration, complications, previous incidents, etc on that first contact calls as well. This will save the DC hours of time during the consultation, and is a tried and true set of Chiropractic Equity Offices Inc procedures. CAs will tend to balk at this at first but once they learn how, it will take no more time than having them explain the forms once the patient is in the office.

The intent of this procedure is to keep the DC’s energies in the adjusting room and not expended listening to some story about the Second World War injury during the consultation. The new Intake form and procedures (including dialog) are part of the NeuroInfiniti Workbooks. Time saving for the DC is HUGE!

Establishing the role of the Nervous system in the patient physical complaint

This is the link we have been missing for the last 50 years. It is about dealing with the “Cause” rather than symptoms. While we have been well taught in the medical system of “symptom recording” at college, we need to redirect the patients to “why” they are having these problems. The vast majority (over 90%) of patients have had their complaint on previous occasions so it is easy to talk about a new approach, seeing that the problem continues to return. The simple question of, “Do you think there would be benefit for us to look at the cause of your problems rather than just keep working on the symptoms?” is worth its weight in gold.

Once the patient states that they would like to address the cause, you can now talk about NBC™ and it makes sense. The Gap is gone! IT IS THAT EASY!!

We also have a wonderful chart called the “BioChart™ in which the patient establishes the link between their presenting problem challenges and nervous system function. It is also a great neurologically based new patient referral tool.

This is where most DCs have a challenge. It is about the amount of time it takes to do an examination. My question is what are you doing (or not) in your current examination and what information do you gather that applies to your care program? Time for truth!

Are you ready for one of my secrets to building my 180 PVA practice?  Perhaps not yet! I’ll give you a hint, it has a lot to do with my examination.

If you are still doing orthopedic exams or medical neurological exams or postural exams or static sEMG/thermal exams and calling that a foundation for Chiropractic care, you better be prepared to support these actions. Good luck!!! Science and “compliance” in practice billing have left these procedures behind.

We teach CAs how to do the NeuroInfiniti “Stress Response Evaluation” (SRE), a true neurological function analysis which directly applies to chiropractic practice. This means that the time it takes for the DC to do the exam is zero! We have the full office procedures including: forms, scripts and timing for this type of practice. It is that easy!

Next I will write about interpretation of neurological findings for Chiropractic practices and outlining Chiropractic care programs based on Duration, Frequency, and Intensity.

 Stay tuned

Posted on: 7/6/2009 at 3:48 PM
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