There are more than 70,000 chiropractors in the United States, according to the ACA, and over 100,000 chiropractors in the world, according to the World Federation for Chiropractic. Anywhere that chiropractic is being brought to the people is a beautiful thing; however, if you want to truly stand out from the chiropractor down the street, it often requires going above and beyond.
One of the ways to go above and beyond is to bring something else to the table beside our bread and butter, the chiropractic adjustment. I always tell my patients that first and foremost, I am a chiropractor. The base of my practice is chiropractic manipulation, and in this, there is an incredible capacity for healing. I also, however, bring a lot else to the table. I practice Applied Kinesiology muscle testing, reflex point work, acupressure, Graston, muscle activation techniques, and more. I have found time and time again that what sets me apart is that I incorporate other healing modalities into my chiropractic treatments.
Combining chiropractic treatments with another modality, or modalities is one of the ways to really elevate your practice and the care you give your patients. Not every chiropractor does this. Many are content to simply practice chiropractic, perhaps incorporating some physical therapy modalities or rehabilitation exercises as taught in school. And there is nothing wrong with this. For much of the population, this is a successful way of practicing and helps many people, so I am definitely not knocking it. (We as chiropractors cannot knock each other. We have to remain a team, but this is a topic for another blog post!) I, however, have found it true that in order to take your practice a step further and help even more people, many of whom are more difficult cases to crack, learning additional healing modalities is a must, and a massive benefit.
I practice the additional modalities I listed above, but in my opinion, it doesn’t matter what you choose to spend some extra time and money learning, as long as it helps people! There are a plethora of synergistic healing modalities being taught out there and more being added all of the time. Search, discover, attend different club meetings and seminars in chiropractic school, talk to docs about what other techniques they may use, try it all out, and then decide what you would like to commit to learning! I don’t care what it is, just choose something. Whether it’s acupuncture, muscle activation techniques, cold laser therapy, nutrition, functional medicine, and the list goes on, it will elevate your patient care. Our patients benefit from our learning and our ability to pull a variety of tools from our toolbelt. Even if it’s just one extra tool in addition to your adjusting, it will enhance your core and extend your reach. Bonus, this often translates into more profitability. It may even mean you become able to and/or decide to have a cash practice, like me.
Many of my patients ask me why chiropractors don’t typically study other methods that can be combined with chiropractic. I have pondered this myself. I personally believe it is the time and money aspect. I get it, the chiropractic curriculum is overwhelming enough, but I can promise you that you will never regret spending your spare time and money learning other helpful techniques that result in happier patients with a better quality of life. You can also always begin learning a new technique after you have graduated. Whenever it is, I encourage you to just do it, for a more talented you, and for a highly successful practice!
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