Schedule of care, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Friday, June 19th 2009

Warm hellos to everyone!

I need to mention an issue which I wrote about in the past, some 1-2
years ago, and one that keeps resurfacing. The issue is one of schedules
of care for patients.

We seem to have two trains of thought when it comes to adjusting
patients: One which is real and one which is politically convenient.

Let's look at the politically convenient reason first: Many doctors, and
you may be one of them, have great difficulty with the fact that Chiropractic
actually works.

Oh, my......a little blaspheme to start your week.....it's good for the adrenalin.
Listen...I talk with doctors all over the world and not many have seen that
an adjustment can help Asthma, or Colitis, or Ear Infections, or
......Don't get me wrong, all of them want to see these stellar results and have
all these amazing and wonderful stories become real for them. But....it is not
happening. Is it because you are just not good enough with your hands? Absolutely
not! BJ once said: "Hit them over the head with a shovel and they'll get better."
So that is not it. What is then? Why is it that the other guy always has all these
amazing results and you are left sucking your thumb?

Here is what I found:
Most doctors do not place their patients on appropriate schedules of care.
They adjust their patients until symptoms begin to subside, the patient feels
better, and then place them on some sort of a "maintenance schedule" -
whatever that means. This is a typical schedule: 3x/week for 3-4 weeks, then
2x/ week for 5-6 weeks, then 1x/wk for 10 weeks and then "Maintenance" -
somewhere around 40 adjustments or so. In my experience, most of these
schedules simply maintain what the patient has - the only difference is that
the patients has no symptoms. The problem with this approach is that a few
years into care, the patient will confront you with the fact that their x-rays
are worse and ask you to explain why. Why has their condition advanced
after they have paid you all their hard-earned dollars for you to prevent it
and "maintain" them? ...... Now, you are babbling defensively. Not a good
place to be......

The other reason is real, but rarely used when approaching an actual live
patient: Most of us adjust our own children and spouse.(girlfriend, boyfriend,
lover, etc.). And most of these people who are incredibly close to us are adjusted
at least 1x/wk to 3x/wk on a regular basis. That translates into somewhere
between 52-156 adjustments in any given year. And this is for people we love
and who have no problems. WOW!!! That is a lot of care. I mean, really.
So why don't we translate this into a live paying patient?

Here is what I want you to understand: A Vertebral subluxation is a habit -
something which has been formed years ago, probably as a child, and has
directed the programming of the nervous system and a patient's physiology.
Do you realistically think that your schedule of care for some 40 visits will break
that habit? Should you perhaps explain to your patient what I am explaining
to you and place them on a schedule of care to wipe this out? To blow it out
of their universe.

To annihilate it. To end it. Do you think that is what your patients may want to
hear? I can tell you with absolute certainty that it is.

So....no more Mr. Niceguy. Do your job. Tell the patient what they need, not what
you think they'll accept. Harsh words, but true.

.......all part of my Program.

My warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel