| As a practicing doctor of chiropractic in San | | | | from my patients for the names of doctors of |
| Antonio, Texas for 17 years, I have seen and | | | | chiropractic who "do what I do" to refer their out |
| tried many different approaches to practice. Over | | | | of town friends and family to. Most of the time, I |
| the course of my time in chiropractic, I have used | | | | cannot. |
| several practice management consultants. While all | | | | There are of course other chiropractors who |
| of these consultants had their own unique style | | | | take a similar approach to mine, but they are few |
| and recommendations, they all strongly advised a | | | | and far between. If you are trying to find such a |
| "high volume" model of practice. | | | | chiropractor, I recommend starting by asking |
| A high volume model of practice means that the | | | | friends, family, co-workers, etc. if they know of a |
| doctor of chiropractic strictly rations his or her | | | | good chiropractor - and then ask them to |
| time with each patient. For a typical treatment in | | | | describe what the treatments are like. An |
| a high volume practice, the doctor spends two to | | | | effective chiropractor does more than a two |
| five minutes (sometimes even less) personally | | | | minute treatment most of the time. He or she will |
| treating each patient and then may have an | | | | have time to answer questions or give advice |
| assistant and/or some type of machine provide | | | | about diet, exercise, and other ways to improve |
| additional therapy. Most often, the additional | | | | your health. He or she will typically provide |
| therapy is in the form of electrical stimulation or | | | | soft-tissue treatments such as stretching, |
| some other unattended treatment. | | | | massage, and other soft-tissue release methods, |
| In my experience and opinion (I'm sure many | | | | or will have a massage therapist on staff who can |
| doctors of chiropractic will disagree), many of | | | | provide these services. |
| these unattended therapies are of minimal benefit | | | | If you can't get a referral to such a chiropractor, |
| and seem to be used more frequently as a | | | | then you are stuck with the task of searching the |
| means of increasing the doctor's reimbursement | | | | yellow pages or using online searches. If you use |
| from the patient's insurance than they are as a | | | | the yellow pages, I recommend that you skip all |
| means of helping the patient recover. I base my | | | | of the display ads and go straight to the regular |
| opinion on my on personal experience with using | | | | listings. The reason why is that the vast majority |
| these treatments and on my observations and | | | | of the lager display advertisers are going to be |
| discussions with other chiropractors that many | | | | high volume practitioners. They need the high |
| doctors forgo these treatments on most | | | | volume to pay for those big ads (a full-page ad in |
| uninsured patients, yet always use them on | | | | the San Antonio Yellow Pages is thousands of |
| insured patients. | | | | dollars per month!). Call around to the most |
| These days the majority of chiropractors | | | | conveniently located offices and ask questions |
| intentionally run "high volume" practices. While this | | | | about the availability of massage, how much time |
| can be a good system for those patients with | | | | the doctor spends with each patient, whether the |
| relatively minor problems who don't really need | | | | doctor is available to answer questions, etc.. |
| any intensive treatment, many people these days | | | | Whenever possible, try to speak with the doctor |
| simply need more than a cursory chiropractic | | | | on the phone to get a better idea of his or her |
| adjustment and some electrical stimulation. | | | | approach to practice before you schedule an |
| We are all under considerable amounts of stress. | | | | appointment. |
| Most of us don't eat optimal diets. Most people | | | | Online searching is sometimes a bit easier than |
| don't get appropriate amounts of exercise. Many | | | | using the yellow pages, since the doctor's website |
| do not get adequate sleep. These lifestyle factors | | | | will usually give you a decent idea of what he or |
| place an incredible load on the body and often | | | | she is all about. If you search on Google or |
| manifest physically as pain, tight and sore muscles, | | | | another search engine that has a locator map at |
| restricted mobility, irritability, and other symptoms. | | | | the top of the search listings, this will give you an |
| That "standard treatment" used by many doctors | | | | idea of the chiropractic offices near you, but be |
| of chiropractic might have worked for most | | | | aware that there are often many other |
| people at one time, but times have changed and, | | | | chiropractors near you that may not appear on |
| based on my experience in my San Antonio | | | | the search engine's map. Be sure to check out at |
| practice, most people need more in-depth | | | | least the first 3 or 4 pages of search engine |
| treatment these days to get better in a | | | | results to try to find a chiropractor whose |
| reasonable amount of time. | | | | website talks about more than just what |
| In my practice, I not only do a very thorough | | | | insurance plans they accept. Even with finding a |
| chiropractic adjustment that includes the whole | | | | doctor of chiropractic on the internet, it's still a |
| spine, but I also perform muscle and soft tissue | | | | good idea to call the office and ask questions, |
| release techniques, evaluate the extremities | | | | preferably speaking directly to the doctor, before |
| (joints and muscles of the arms and legs) when | | | | you schedule your appointment. |
| needed, discuss nutrition and exercise, and work | | | | The time and effort to find a chiropractor who is |
| with you on stress management and reduction. | | | | going to be attentive to your needs can be well |
| While there are some who do not need such a | | | | worth it and can save you considerable time, |
| thorough approach, as time goes on it seems that | | | | money and frustration. Getting better quickly and |
| I see more and more people who do require a | | | | being able to get back to your normal activities |
| least a short period of intensive treatment to get | | | | and prevent future problems is far more |
| them better. Unfortunately, very few | | | | important in the long run than whether the |
| chiropractors take the time to do what patients | | | | chiropractic office accepts your insurance. |
| need to have done. I frequently get requests | | | | |