Workers Compensation, Your Company & Unlimited Chiropractic Care

I have NEVER liked Workers Compensation as a chiropractor or a business owner.  However, I do realize that workplace injuries do happen and there should be some form of compensation for medical bills and income lost due to injuries caused simply by the nature of the job.  Anything that sets up an adversarial relationship between employee and employer can never be a good thing.

As a chiropractor, the concept of being a Workers Compensation provider has become extremely repugnant.  Granted, lots of folks do hurt their backs while at work and chiropractic care CAN help them recover and get back to work.  However, as has become the case with most forms of third party reimbursement, Workers Compensation has become a source of easy money for many in my profession.  It’s also created an environment that has brought some ill-repute to chiropractic.  Even though the cost of chiropractic care is well below the cost of back surgery and extensive physical therapy and rehab, it has gotten to the point where many states are making it difficult for chiropractors to even participate in Workers Compensation programs.

While chiropractors on one end of the spectrum have milked the third party cow just about dry, there is another group of chiropractors that companies ought to consider as part of its benefits and risk management team.  These chiropractors offer what has become known as chiropractic membership practices.  A chiropractic membership practice provides unlimited chiropractic care at a fixed fee usually over a specific period of time, typically for a year.  The program is designed for lifetime wellness care, though.

The membership practitioner works from a performance perspective.  Their objective is simply to take stress off the nervous system so folks can move toward their greatest potential at work, at home and at life in general.  When this happens, people are more rested, alert and less stressed.  What this means at work less time missed from work due to illness, injury or family trips to the medical doctor.  What this means to the employer is fewer Workers Com claims, fewer health insurance claims, improved morale and more productivity.  And, we all know that fewer Workers Comp and health insurance claims means lower premiums and eventually a better bottom line.

In my next blog, I’ll show you ways your company can use a chiropractic membership practice for your company and employees.

Why $69 a month for Unlimited Chiropractic Care?

I’m asked quite often why I don’t take insurance and why my monthly fee is so low at just $69 a month.Here is as brief an answer to both questions as I can offer.

The Membership Practice is based on the understanding that EVERYONE can benefit from regular chiropractic care and that every man, woman and child should be able to find and afford quality chiropractic care and use it for the rest of their lives to improve and maintain their health and their life.

Why $69 a month?   It’s a simple fee that anyone can understand It’s low enough that virtually anyone can afford The greatest benefits  of chiropractic care come from time and repetition Flat fee lets YOU know immediately and always what your chiropractic budget is No surprises Prevents conflicts of interest inherent with per visit fees My recommendations are based on YOUR needs not MY fees It lowers the financial risk of trying chiropractic care The Family Membership cost of $129 lets the WHOLE family enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care It’s more like a long-term investment than a  short term expense

Why don’t I take Insurance?   If you don’t have to file insurance claims for your chiropractic care, it helps keep your premiums lower If you don’t file claims, there’s no entry in the insurance database that could affect your insurance rates or job status in the future Avoid hassles Lower my overhead so I can keep my fees low Reduce paperwork and procedures built around justifying demands of insurance “bean counters” Insurance is designed for catastrophic occurrences that might require hospitalization Chiropractic is designed for health and to keep you OUT of the hospital Insurance is betting against yourself.  Chiropractic is betting ON yourself.

Holy Crap! So that’s what $69 a month can do!

I’m a chiropractor.  I’m “cheap”.  I charge $69 a month for “unlimited care”.  Some of my chiropractor friends think I’m crazy.  And, some of my chiropractic non-friends accuse me of cheapening my profession and even breaking the law.  Consumers sometime wonder “what’s the catch?”  But, the folks that like how they feel from getting adjusted on a regular basis LOVE me.  Some think I’m a “marketing genius”.  I like to think they’re pretty bright, too.

Let’s take a look and see who is right, me or my detractors.  I know I’m right.  I just feel the need to give my detractors a crack at being right.

When I first started getting adjusted 22 years ago, I had health insurance and gladly used it to pay for my care.  But, it wasn’t long after that that I became self-employed and no longer had a third party paying for my adjustments.  So, I did what any intelligent, red-blooded American man would do, I married my chiropractor and have not had to pay for my adjustments since!

After seeing and experiencing the wondrous benefits of getting checked by a chiropractor on a regular basis (and seeing it work on my own kids) I decided to become a chiropractor.  The joy and miracles I’ve experienced as a result of that decision are sometimes difficult for me to express in words.  My kids are healthy, happy and strong and have never worried about sickness or disease.  Neither have had a single vaccination (well, until my son entered the Army) nor dealt with chronic or infectious disease as a result.  And, I’ve not even taken an aspirin for the problem that led me to get adjusted in the first place.

Early in my own chiropractic career, I decided that I wanted to make this thing afforded and accessible to virtually everyone.  You see, I’m what’s called a DE chiropractor.  We understand that the world would be a better place if EVERY family could realize the benefits from chiropractic that my family has.  Some of my early mentors, including Drs Bob Sottile, Jim Sigafoose, Sid Williams and Richard Santo always posed the challenge “Make your care affordable and see lots of people”.  That was a formula that I could understand and embrace.

So, that’s what I did.  Like I said earlier, we charge a low monthly membership fee of $69.  It’s a little more for a couple and a family.  My thinking was not necessarily to make it “cheap” but to have a fee that someone would be willing to pay every month for the rest of their life.  In my case, if I had been paying just $69 a month, I would have paid over $18,ooo!  EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!  What if I had a hundred clients doing that or two hundred, three or five?  Do the math!

I wonder how we could transform the chiropractic profession from a bunch of insurance chasing back crackers to an army of folks helping families live fuller, happier drug-free lives?  What a wonderful place America (and the World) would be if we could help get millions fo families off drugs and on life!  I’m thinking $69 a month just might change the World!

What’s better than trusting yourself again?

One of the great things about having had clients stick with me for over ten years is that you have the benefit of lots of feedback in little bits over a long time.  Instead of trying to fill out some form with objective data at the end of a care plan, you get to hear how chiropractic has affected people’s lives in real time and in real ways.

One of the things I hear all the time from folks that have been with me for a long time is “You know, since I’ve been getting adjusted, I seem to know when things aren’t right.”  Another thing I love to hear is “I feel better about asking my doctor questions these days.  I wouldn’t have done that before.”

I wish that more people knew what chiropractic really is.  Obviously, lots of folks (maybe most) think it’s a drug-free, non-surgical approach to correcting chronic back pain.  Sure, it works for that.  But really, chiropractic is first a philosophy.  A philosophy whose premise is that all things are organized, whether living or inorganic.  In living things that organization is responsible for keeping you healthy and performing at your maximum potential.  Watching that principle play out in my life and the lives of those who use my service is one of the most awe inspiring experiences in my life.  The philosophy of chiropractic is “Why” we do what we do.

Chiropractic is also a science.  As such, we understands how it works.  We know that that organization I just mentioned flows over the nervous system and that any interference or disruption in how the body and brain communicate will affect how your body functions.  We call that a state of dis-ease.  If that communication is allowed to persist, eventually dysfunction can become disease that eventually leads to symptoms and death.  The science of chiropractic is “What” we do.

Chiropractic is also an art.  Every practitioner has their own way of expressing the art of chiropractic.  It’s our technique and mental approach to what we do.  It’s the “How” of what we do.

My kind of chiropractor is most concerned that you understand your body.  I want you to KNOW that you were designed perfectly and capable of adapting to most of life’s challenges.  And mostly, I want you to trust your instincts.  After all, “What’s better than trusting yourself again?”

Chiropractic and the Apple iPad

My friend, Pete Kane, is a social media consultant helping businesses grow and prosper by expanding their presence through social media.  Pete is a great guy.  He’s been a career salesman and has been quite successful.  But like me, Pete has a short attention span (some people call it ADD) that sometimes limits his productivity.  He’s tried the planners, lists and almost every organizing scheme you can think of.  And yes, despite my objections, he’s used some of the popular medications.

But, Pete seems to have stumbled onto a miracle cure for his “ADD” while improving his productivity “at least a hundred fold” as he says.  Pete recently got an Apple iPad.  Not being an Apple user (yet) I’m not sure exactly how this new computing device has helped him so much so fast.  Pete will tell you that the training package he bought with his iPad (from PeachMac in Marietta, GA) has opened new vistas that he had never considered before.  He says that now, he no longer has to close a sale because it just happens.

As Pete is raving about his newfound productivity, I’m reminded of what chiropractic really does for people.  I know.  I know.  You think it’s for back pain.  But, what chiropractic really does is take stress off your nervous system so that you and your body are more aware of better ways to live, work and function.  And as you learn how to listen to all the new feedback you get from your body as a result of de-stressing your nervous system, your productivity and health begin to compound to the point that it takes on a whole new meaning.

Every now and then a new invention or discovery comes along that enables tremendous leaps for Mankind.  For me, chiropractic is one of those discoveries.  For Pete, it’s the iPad.

What the Heck is a “Family Chiropractor”?

Isn’t a chiropractor a chiropractor?  Yes, of course.  but then again, maybe not so much.

Essentially, a chiropractor locates stress on the nervous system caused by a bone in the spine being out of alignment with the one above or below it.   Unfortunately, there are some chiropractors that don’t even do that.  And, many practicing chiropractors these days only do so for folks who complain of back pain or other kinds of joint problems.

But, there is a special breed of chiropractors that understand that those misalignments affect every member of the family whether they have symptoms or not.  “Family chiropractors” are those chiropractors who dedicate themselves to maximizing your family’s potential for health and performance.  Their fee systems are sometimes different to accommodate a family’s budget and based more on having a long-term relationship with you instead of short-term care plans based on what your insurance company might pay.

“Family chiropractors” will show you why everyone in your family needs chiropractic and why the approach is similar for everyone to the day old infant to the 90-year-old great grandparent.  they will also help you understand your body’s innate intelligence  and how and why you were made to be healthy.  A long-term relationship with a “Family chiropractor” will help you stay off drugs, avoid surgery and live a fuller, more active life.

If you don’t have a “Family chiropractor”, I’ll be glad to help you find one in your area.  Send me an e-mail or find me on Facebook.  You’ll be glad you did.

You’re NOT a Piece of Hamburger!

I grew up in the 60s and 70s when the thinking was to always question authority.  So, I learned to do just that.  Over these many decades, I’ve learned to ask questions.  Lots of questions.

When you ask questions and develop the skill of listening and thinking for yourself, you also become better at knowing when someone is shooting straight with you or giving you a line of BS.  Unfortunately, many folks have not developed their gift of discernment and merely accept what their told as truth.  There’s an old saying about assuming that most folks have heard.  It’s still true.  Generalized assumptions can get you into lots of trouble.

One of those areas that assuming you’ve been told the truth is your health.  There is so much “information” about your body and your health being shoved down our throats that it is sometimes hard to decide what’s true and what’s not.  But, it has been that way for so long that most folks get overwhelmed by the piles of information that it’s just easier for them to assume they’ve been told the truth about drugs, vaccinations, conditions and “diseases”, surgery, etc.  Things like “cholesterol causes heart disease”, “meat is bad for you”, “prescription drugs are safe”, “shots prevent the flu” and so on and so on.

The problem with all these assumptions is that they leave us with the impression that we are our bodies and an assortment of pills, potions, lotions and/or procedures are all we need to be healthy.  NOTHING could be further from the truth.  A friend of mine often says “We are NOT our bodies”.  Still others have said that we’re not physical beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a physical experience.

By assuming that we are merely machines crafted from flesh and bones directed electricity and chemical reactions, we steal from ourselves the true essence of life itself.  We are, in fact, MORE than our bodies.  Think about it.  There is NO difference between a living person and someone who has just died of a heart attack.  All the chemicals are still the same, the structure is still the same.  They have all the same parts.  But, what is different?  The difference is that intangible thing we call life!

Mechanistic practitioners of the healing arts scoff at the concept of “life force” or “Innate Intelligence”, yet they can never quite put their finger on what causes homeostasis, your body’s vital balancing act.  Sure, they know when that force is present and when it leaves.  But, they can never quite define it.  Many so-called “scientific” practitioners even deny its very existence.

But, you KNOW there’s something in you that wants to be “healthy”, happy and “whole”.  You know that feeling good is more than just not having symptoms.  You also know that somewhere inside you is a desire to be part of something bigger than yourself.  At a time when technology and “knowledge” have reduced humans to little more than lab rats and the culture forced us into machine-like tools of production, the human spirit clamors for freedom.

I believe that is why chiropractic was discovered only 115 years ago.  It took a few generations of production lines and deadlines to become a major source of death, disease and societal mayhem.  Since that time, the pace has only quickened.  We’ve finally reached the point where palliative care and reactions to medical treatments have become as dangerous as the ailments they are designed to treat.  In fact, the whole treatment mentality has become devoid of common sense.

Americans (ALL peoples, in fact) are seeking something, actually anything, that will help them live better, feel better and enjoy their life more.  People are realizing that there is more to life than just getting by.  The search for “meaning” is greater than ever because the separation from “meaning” is greater than it has probably ever been.  Because the simple chiropractic adjustment takes stress off the nervous system, it helps you relate better to your own body as well as your immediate environment.  The longer you keep that stress from piling up on your nervous system, the quicker and deeper you will realize that greater “meaning” that everyone is seeking.

No.  I’m not talking about God.  But, what I am saying is that there are millions of people who say they believe in God yet lean on Medicine for their comfort and hope.  Real comfort, real hope comes from KNOWING who you are, what you are and how powerfully you were truly made.  Chiropractic simply helps you more fully realize your potential for health and happiness.

Grow Tree!

Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the changing of the leaves, the cooler temperatures and trips to the mountains.  Just today, I noticed that the leaves have started dropping, leaving the landscape a drab grayish brown.  If you didn’t know better, you might think the trees were sick and dying.

In our thoroughly modern culture we might be tempted to think “Gosh, these trees are sick and dying.  I had better do something if they’re to be saved!”  We then proceed to diagnose the problem and then to treat the problem.  OK.  “So, the leaves have lost their color and fallen off.  They must need to be fed.”  So, we feed them.  When that doesn’t work, we figure they must need water.  Still, no growth and no green leaves!  “Oh my.  They must be dying.  I better cut off the dead growth before it takes over the whole tree.”  So, we cut off limbs or otherwise “treat” the tree with everything we have.  When nothing works, we give upon the tree.  If we don’t cut it down and use it for firewood, we simply walk away from it and leave it to Mother Nature to run its course.

Oddly, in late Winter we see buds on the trees.  Come Spring, those buds sprout beautiful green leaves.  It’s alive again!  “Why, we must have done something to make it healthy and grow again!”

Of course, we know it was NOTHING we did to the tree to make it grow. We know that it wasn’t even sick.  It was simply going through its seasons.  It happens every year and has forever!  And. guess what?  It will continue to do so, forever.

We’ve allowed ourselves to become so mechanized in our thinking that we’ve forgotten that WE go through seasons, too.  Yet, when things don’t look perfect on the outside, we revert to “treatments” to make it feel like it is or look to others like it is.  Whether it’s to give stimulative narcotics like Ritalin or Adderall to a bored, active little boy in school or antidepressants to someone dealing with a stressful life or simply an aspirin a day to prevent stroke, we’re doing the same thing.  Sadly, when the first remedy doesn’t work, the “treatment” gets more aggressive.  And as all the drug commercials tell us, treatments can carry the risk of killing the patient.

What if we recognized that there’s a great wisdom at play that knows what it’s doing with our bodies and our minds and that we don’t as much need our health to be “managed” as much as it simply needs no interference and to let us go through our seasons?  What if we would simply nourish our life and our health and simply created a fertile environment in which we could grow and prosper?  As our own personal Winter passes, we would have become a better stronger person for having gone through it awake and aware.  The adversity that we allowed ourselves to experience would have made us better and better able to handle worse adversity later in life.

As a Principled chiropractor, my job is to help you develop a fertile environment within you that your own greater inner wisdom can prosper and thrive.  Yes, of course I’m talking about taking fewer drugs and feeling more pain.  I want to get you off straightline and on to the thrilling ride of your life.

Seven Times Seven: How Will Your Health Be at 49?

Did you know that every red blood cell in your body is replaced every 120 days?  Did you know that your entire body is replaced on average every 7 years?  Wow!  Personally, I find that amazing.  I’m thinking, “If I clean up my act and start living according to some sound principles, I could have a whole new body…and life in just a few years!”

Since getting in the health business, I’ve noticed things I’d never even considered in the past.  I remember being in 6th grade and the teacher telling us how old we’d be when the millennium turned over and thinking “Dang.  I don’t want to be around if I’m gonna be like folks I know that age.”  Sadly, that’s even more true now than then.  Of course I’m 10 years older than that now and younger than most folks my age.

Enough nostalgia.  Let’s talk about regeneration.  Let’s assume that everything in your body and life goes according to God’s design.  By the time you’re 50 years old, you should be in pretty good health.  But, we all know folks that age that simply are not in good health, at all.  What happened?

Here’s one premise.  We know that the first system to form in our bodies is the Central Nervous System and that every aspect of our lives are either controlled by or filtered through our nervous system.  If someone had had any kind of difficult birth process, there could be damage (or at least stress) on the neck and brainstem.  Since the brainstem affects ALL of your body’s vital function, pressure there could affect your development and health.

Let’s just say that happened to you or someone you know and your nervous system (and body) was functioning at say 90%.  Since you’re growing so fast in your early years you might not notice any problems whatsoever.  Well, maybe some colic or seizures or ADD/ADHD.  But nothing “serious”.  OK.  Maybe you grew up with chronic colds and seemed to catch whatever bug was going around when none of your friends or family did.  But, nothing serious.

But, as newborn becomes seven, then 14 then 21, you start to notice a pattern.  Then about the time you turn 30, life begins to wear you down.   You might have developed chronic health problems like fibromyalgia,  migraines, high blood pressure, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, arthritis or some other kind or arthritic condition.  Then, by the time you turn 40, you’re wondering how you’re going to live as long as your parents and what the heck is your life going to be like.

Let’s do the math on that.  If you start out with your nervous system and body functioning at 90%, your blood cells and tissues and organs and systems don’t develop and function quite as well as they should.  At 14, it’s 90% times 90%.  At 21, it’s 90% times 81%.  By the time your 49 (the halfway point)  you’re functioning at 36% of the potential God sent you here with.  Your body is falling apart and your life sucks.   You begin to wonder if you’ll even live long enough to enjoy your retirement and IF you do, will you be able to afford to!  You purchase long-term care insurance so your family won’t be saddled with the cost of warehousing you in your waning years. Bleak picture, huh?

What if we could correct that problem that started at birth or during childhood?  Could we reverse all that was done or not done?  Maybe so.  What if you could help your body start functioning at 100% of what your potential is right now?  Would that help?  Of course it would!  Because your body ALWAYS strives to do ALL that it can with what it’s got to work with, you begin IMMEDIATELY toward better function and better health.  It’s like investing in a retirement account.  You can get a late start and still be way ahead of where you’d be if you had never invested in the first place.

Simple chiropractic care focused on the original stress on your nervous system (NOT on back pain or symptoms) can help you move toward your potential immediately.  Sure, you can improve your health with diet and supplementation, exercise and a good spiritual life.  However, since EVERYTHING is filtered through or controlled by your nervous system, more of all (or any) of these is fruitless if there’s nerve interference.  So, the key is to locate and reduce interference to the proper function of your nerve system.  That usually happens at one place, the top of the neck.  So, it’s important to find the right chiropractor.

You were Designed to do great things and be productive your whole life.  If that’s not happening for you and with you, find yourself a good Principled chiropractor.  If you need help finding one, let me know.  I’m always glad to help.

Herpes and Chiropractic

Wait!   Herpes and chiropractic?  You thought chiropractic was for BACK PAIN, didn’t you?  Well, it’s NOT!  While reviewing statistics on my blog, I noticed that someone used “herpes and chiropractic” as their search criteria.

Sadly, some folks (including lots of chiropractors) think it is.  Over the decades lots of lazy chiropractors have taken the easy road and succumbed to back pain because lots of folks DO seek a drugless, nonsurgical way of dealing with their back pain.  Oh yeah, that’s where the easy insurance money is, too.

But, chiropractic is about much more than mere back pain.  It’s about helping you have MORE LIFE!  It’s about helping your body (hence YOU) functioning at a higher level and with much more ease.

OK, back to herpes.  If you’ve ever known someone with herpes (genital herpes or shingles) you know that it is made worse with stress.  In fact, stress is usually the reason it expresses itself.  We don’t need to get into the epidemiology of herpes. Everyone agrees that once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

However, you CAN keep it from ruining your life.  You CAN control it somewhat by controlling how you and your body deals with the stress in your life.  That’s where chiropractic comes into play.  Conservative chiropractic care that deals with your autonomic nervous system, specifically your parasympathetic nervous system, helps keep your body calm under stress and helps you manage the effects of stress on your health.

BUT, don’t wait until you have an outbreak of herpes to go see your chiropractor. Find a chiropractor you can see weekly.  You might not get adjusted every week.  But, you should get checked.  It may be your best insurance for avoiding untimely bouts with herpes.