Holistic Medicine? No Competition!

As soon as you decide to “go holistic,” you will be astounded at the reaction; there is virtually no competition in the holistic medical community

Many chiropractors are consumed with the preconceived idea that their patients will not take kindly to the introduction of medically supervised holistic, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In actuality, the contrary is what almost always occurs­­that is, patients will be excited by the concept of using such services. People want these services and have had to seek them elsewhere because chiropractic practices have not offered such services.

Chiropractors have varying opinions regarding philosophy and practice methodology. Regardless of your particular bent, chiropractic needs to be at the forefront of the holistic movement in health care. We, as a profession, have always prided ourselves as the most effective alternative to drug therapy for many health issues. Our limitation has been that we are restricted from treating many conditions. Subluxation is at the crux of many physiological problems, but not all. For instance, we cannot balance body chemistry or remove athero-sclerotic coronary artery disease with an adjustment. There are however, holistic procedures that can help reverse such pathology without drugs. We need to know about these techniques and protocols if we want to be considered holistic.

Dorlands Medical Dictionary (27th Edition) defines holistic health as “a system of preventive medicine that takes into account the whole individual, his own responsibility for his well-being and the total influences­­ social, psychological, environmental ­­that affect health, including nutrition, exercise, and mental relaxation.”

Now is the time chiropractic needs to rise to the occasion and “act as if.” Medical integration does not in any way compromise what chiropractic is, or who you are as a practitioner; rather, it affords you the opportunity to introduce those services that are known to help sick people get well and keep healthy people from getting diseased (dis-eased)­­just as chiropractic does. You can have the opportunity to do all that is available in this regard.

To convert your chiropractic practice into a holistic medical practice you will need to legally create a new corporate entity. This new entity will hire a medical or osteopathic physician to work as medical director of the facility. You, as a chiropractor, become an employee of the corporation (either professional or business corporation depending upon your state).

This does not imply that you can no longer maintain your chiropractic identity­­quite the contrary! As soon as you affirmatively decide to “go holistic” you will be astounded at the reaction! Statements from your patients and community residents will be remarkably positive and exciting; there is essentially no competition in the holistic medical community. Most expendable health care dollars in the United States are being spent by the baby boomer generation and their children­­ Generation X. They do not want the type of drug therapy that their parents had; they want natural foods, strong, lean bodies, good nutritional supplementation, and holistic medical treatment, which includes chiropractic, chelation, I-V and injectable vitamins and minerals, etc…..

Let me suggest a scenario: a 45-year-old female without history of physical trauma or recent surgery presents with chronic fatigue, poor appetite, diffuse joint pain, afternoon drowsiness and difficulty with concentration. This patient should be thoroughly examined, given blood and urine testing with perhaps one or more homeostatic blood profiles. An essential fatty acid test and/or amino acid profile may also be helpful.

This patient is a typical example of the person who presents to a holistic medical practice. She will probably respond exceptionally well to the protocols typically utilized in a holistic office. Holistic protocols may consist of I-V and injectable nutrients, spinal adjusting, oral supplementation with various nutrients and changes in daily diet. Therapeutics of course, will be predicated upon physical examination, lab testing, structural analysis and specialty lab profiles.

As chiropractors we are intimately familiar with balancing structural integrity; wouldn’t it be helpful to also balance body chemistry? The ultimate state of one’s health consists of balancing structural integrity with internal body chemistry:

Structural integrity + balanced body chemistry = ultimate health

I encourage every chiropractor who wants to offer more services to his/her patients to explore a holistic practice­­it is naturally right! s

Dr. Martin Green manages two holistic, medically integrated health practices, and is a consultant to thirty multi-discipline holistic practices throughout the United States. Dr. Green can be reached by phone at 914-666-9293 or by fax at 914-666-9266. His address is 16 Caren Ct, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549.