Incorporating instrument adjusting into a collaborative practice

Collaboration among chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and many other professionals is quite common.

After all, when patient care is provided by a team, the results tend to be better—more points of view can lead to a wider range of treatment options and ideas.

A collaborative environment

This type of collaboration is exceedingly common in conventional healthcare settings where teams often work together within the same practices. Increasingly, DCs are becoming part of such teams,¹ and those who incorporate instrument adjusting when appropriate have a wider range of skills to bring to the team’s table.

Such arrangements can be beneficial to everyone involved:

• The patient receives more thorough care.
• The DC can easily make referrals to trusted colleagues and has a steady stream of referrals coming in.
• The MD has another opinion and set of options for providing treatment.

Where does instrument adjusting fit in?

Including instrument adjusting as part of a patient’s overall treatment plan can be a way to efficiently care for the patient in a collaborative setting. For example, the treatment may be the most appropriate method of care for patients who are older or those who are experiencing back pain. Many DCs prefer to provide adjustments to older adults with instruments because the adjustments are less jarring and because elderly bones are more fragile. Additionally, one study showed that older patients often prefer collaborative care.²

DCs who work in sports medicine centers may also find that incorporating instrument adjusting when appropriate brings more value to the team and to the patient. People suffering from sports injuries may well benefit from soft tissue manipulation involving instruments. Conditions commonly treated in sports medicine centers, such as plantar fasciitis, can often be treated successfully through the use of instruments, as well.

References

¹ Riva J, et al. Chiropractors and collaborative care: An overview illustrated with a case report. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2010:54(3);147–154.

² Lyons K, et al. Perspectives of older adults on co-management of low back pain by doctors of chiropractic and family medicine physicians: a focus group study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013:13(225);1–11.