About Blog

For optimal healthcare to exist there must be a partnership between doctor and patient. Healthcare should not begin and end alongside each scheduled appointment, but rather a patient should be empowered to continue the process between visits. This empowerment can come in many forms, but generally speaking a patient should leave their doctor's office understanding what (if anything) is the problem, exactly what needs to be done to fix it, why it needs to be done, and what the patient can contribute on their own time to facilitate the process.

A particularly troubling statistic is that only one in three people follow instructions precisely as given to them by their healthcare provider. People take time out of their schedule to visit a healthcare provider, and in the case of chiropractic care usually pay out of pocket to do so. Still, two thirds of people brush aside the advice given. While there are certainly other factors in play, I believe a large part of this statistic to be a result of poor doctor-patient communication. People undoubtedly want to get well; I refuse to entertain the idea that two-thirds of people are making the decision to remain ill. I personally believe if a patient truly understands their ailment and the suggested remedy, many more then one in three people would become actively involved in their recovery.

"Monitor for a problem, then fix it". In chiropractic circles this tends to be labelled the medical model. I am very hesitant to call it this because, in truth, many chiropractic practices get caught in this very same model. And there is certainly nothing wrong with fixing a problem that has arisen unexpectedly. Please find me a doctor who can treat (prevent) every sprain-strain, broken collarbone, and ruptured lumbar disc by preventative means alone, I would very much like to meet them! And a patient would certainly never be turned aside had they not done all they could to prevent the ailment in question. It should, meanwhile, be equally important to prevent the easily preventable. Heart disease, type II diabetes, lung cancer, mechanical lower back pain, obesity, and tension headaches are examples of ailments that run rampant in today's society. They also have in common that, to some degree, we know how to fix, improve, or prevent the problem. The biggest hurdle here is having people buy into their own well being. Your doctor can't physically force you to eat well, and he certainly isn't going to show up at your door every other day to make sure you are doing your prescribed core exercises. The truth is that we are our own worst enemy when it comes to allowing problems to gradually set in. Searching within ourselves for the the motivation to actively participate in our own well being can be a big challenge. Healthy eating and regular exercise are such a huge part of health, and are two of the few things in life of which we actually have great control. The fact that they are both poorly practised has always baffled me.

I suppose in the end, the objective of this blogging venture is two-fold. First, as a healthcare provider I feel a responsibility to promote preventative healthcare through active living. Second, I aim to break down information barriers and encourage a better understanding of chiropractic care and healthcare in general. Ultimately I hope to educate, motivate, and lead people to a healthier lifestyle. Welcome to my blog!