Many of my new patients report to our clinic with some type of condition. Back pain, neck pain, radiating pain down the arms or legs, headaches, etc.
Now, there ARE some people that wait until they have a toothache before they visit the dentist. But in those cases, what does the dentist usually find on the xrays? Decay, Degeneration, cavities, etc. And these findings are usually present and building up months or even years BEFORE the patient felt an ounce of pain.
There are also some people that wait until they have chest pain to see a cardiologist. When they have chest pains, and pain down the arm, chances are they are having either a HEART ATTACK OR precursors to a heart attack. Either way, the cardiologist will tell them that they have had heart condition or heart disease for a LONG time, before they had any chest pain.
In addition, there are people who wait to go to their primary care doctor, or more commonly, FIND a primary care doctor, once they have some sort of symptom or problem that they want “fixed”.
Finally, there are many people who wait until the symptoms are so terrible, that they cannot live with them any longer, BEFORE they seek out medical attention! I call these patients the “tough guy syndrome”. Although, it applies to female patients as well. They seem to have an attitude that “THEY CAN TAKE IT”. And they put off seeking help until they are almost dead, making the care provider’s job that much more difficult.
What’s funny to me is SOME of these people are the type that buy extended warranties for their cars, are meticulous about their routine oil changes, and are the first on their block to replace their roofs, and pay extra for air duct cleanings. In fact, the average American spends 3000$ a year on their CAR, but how much do they spend on their bodies??? FAR LESS.
And you can always buy another CAR!!!
Everyone in health care is SCREAMING “EARLY DETECTION” is the Key, or “PREVENTATIVE CARE” saves lives and stops problems before they get to be HUGE ISSUES. But the American public has become REACTIVE to healthcare instead of PROACTIVE.
And THIS is why our health care system is 39th in the world. We have a “sick care” system, not a health care system.
So, likewise, when people WAIT until their neck or back hurts to come see us, usually, upon x-ray and examination, we find that they have damage already existing in their body, and now we are working backwards.
HMO, IN-NETWORK Chiropractors sign agreements with insurance companies that says that the Doctor agrees only to treat symptoms, but not to correct the cause of the problem, simply because it takes longer than one month of care, typically, to do so.
That is why I don’t sign provider contracts, and don’t participate with any HMOs. I will never let an insurance company dicatate how much care a patient needs to correct their condition, instead of just masking their symptoms.
There are some Chiropractors out their that only treat a patient’s pain and symptoms. This creates a revolving-door patient, who always has symptoms, off and on, and never truly heals. That is why in our office, we recommend corrective care vs. pain relief care.
My motto is “fix it once, fix it right”. That’s why we utilize state-of-the art technology not available in most chiropractic clinics to help you correct everything from disc degeneration to postural distortions, using machines like spinal decompression, and class IV laser technologies, among others.
Corrective care is braces for your spine, that changes the position and structure of the spine, that can be seen post-xray and in the mirror.
Pain relief care is a band-aid. You might as well take aspirin or advil instead of pain relief care. Its the same thing, except you would save the co-pays with the bottle of aspirin.
We do Corrective care, and then we reccomend “maintence care”, which are regular “tune-ups” to keep you at optimal functioning BEFORE you get sick. An ounce of prevention…..
Dr. Steve Lininger