Fred DiDomenico, DC
Practice Coach and Mentor
INTRODUCTION
As spinal corrective doctors we become so focused on correcting spinal structure and restoring curves we can forget what matters most to the patient, the progressive, even rapid degeneration of their health from a weakened posture. Our responsibility is NOT to correct their spine. Our responsibility is to teach them how a strong spinal structure and optimal curves leads to an optimally functioning body with the system to attain health for life! This purpose is NOT related to pain or how they “feel,” which is very temporary. Correcting their spinal structure is merely the first step in this process. Many patients quit during their program or when they complete corrective care because you may have not created a long term vision for them past spinal correction. We can transform their perception of spinal function as the foundation of the core strength and health of their body along with the desire to have optimal health for life immediately on Day #1, PREDICTIBLY!
The 4 Step Consultation originating in Elite Coaching IS that immediate shift from pain into posture and organs. DO this and you will see amazing transformations in your patients.
- Step #1: Finding Organ Problems.
After you address their pain area, you also say, “Postural distortions also weaken the nerves to organs in that area causing…..” Give 3 health problems for each organ related to that area of the body. Repeat this statement with each organ as you move through the body. If they ask why you are asking about organ problems when they may believe they are there for pain, you respond from the scripts in the Pre-Consultation (not covered in this article), “Remember, when one area of the spine shifts from its normal position it weakens the rest of the structure of your spine and distorts your overall posture. Did you know many causes of back pain DIDN’T originate in your low back? If your problem began in another area of your spine would that be important for me to know where it began for me to get directly to the cause of your problem?” This will bring them into agreement. You may add, “Did you know that many postural distortions don’t cause any pain, so we are using organ problems to discover where your posture and nervous system may be weak.” This will transform their perspective toward the cause of their problem. These facts are truth when you learn postural coupling patterns in CBP.
Reframe the organ symptoms
Reframing is changing the meaning of each health condition, especially since ALL patients minimize their conditions. For example, if they say, “I had allergies as a kid and now they are gone.” Your reframe may be, “It may be your cervical spine never developed normally as a child weakening your immune system, if you had allergies. Many back problems are a result of long standing neck problems regardless if you had neck pain. Now your whole spine may be weakening since you are now having low back pain.” This is also an opportunity to get a referral. You can say, “I see on your forms you have a child. Do they have allergies? It may be they are developing the same spinal problems as you. We can check them on your next visit.” You can build your practice with your systems getting many referrals.
Another example of reframing is when you discover a patient complains of fatigue for the last 3 years. You also discover they were in a car accident 4 years ago. You say, “You injured your spine in the accident and your metabolism and energy has been progressively weakening since that time.” When they agree they are admitting more problems than they expected. With every organ problem you can reframe to show the correlation between posture and their overall health. When you have completed this step their focus will shift toward their health rather than their pain.
- Step #2: Review symptoms
In this step, connect the health problems to the spine and speak in a tone that sounds like an extensive grocery list of health problems using the language of the reframes from Step #1. For example, “You came in with back pain and we discovered the nerves in your low back are weakening your bladder because you’re having recurrent bladder infections. You damaged your spine and posture in your neck in that accident 4 years ago because you’re experiencing fatigue and a weakened immune system with recurrent colds and flus.” Listing the health problems and clarifying the effect of their spine on their health will create an immediate shift in their thinking. Do this for ALL the health conditions.
- Step #3: Impression
The list of health problems in Steps #1 & 2 are like pieces to a puzzle. When you put all the pieces of the puzzle together they make a picture, your overall impression of their health. You must give a FULL spine/OVERALL health impression and they MUST agree with your impression. You may say something like, “You injured your neck in that accident 4 years ago and you now have organ problems related to ALL areas of your spine. It looks like you’ve weakened your WHOLE spine and now your overall health is breaking down.” You can say, “You originally came in with back pain and we discovered you have pain in every area of your spine and 15 different health problems at 35 years of age. That’s the health profile of someone at least 10 years older than you. How do you feel about that?” They will say something like, “I know, I feel like an old woman sometimes.”
When they agree with your impression you have just shifted their perspective from pain into posture and organs. They now become more concerned with their health rather than their pain.
- Step #4: Get them to a “Yes.”
You want to bring them into agreement for the next step, the exam. You may have offered them a complimentary consultation and they now have to pay for the exam and x-rays. Either way, getting them to say “yes” to the next step begins to release their barriers and objections. When they give you permission they will become more willing and open to listening. This step consists of one sentence, “Do you want to find out what’s causing this?” This is a crucial “yes.”
Master this 4 Step Consultation and you will see incredible changes in the perspectives, commitment and follow through with your patients who will pay you for something MUCH bigger than back pain, their overall health. This is the principle Chiropractic was founded on. The general public just hasn’t been taught. Now there is a system that can teach your patients the truth of spinal correction and health.
You can receive training on the Day #1 procedures and this 4 Step Consultation to master these perspective shifts in your communication systems at Elite Coaching boot camps, www.chiropracticunited.com, Quarterly seminars and more. Please visit www.elitecoachingllc.com or call Dr. Fred DiDomenico personally at 253-851-8353 to answer any questions. Your patients’ health is waiting.