The most common complaint that we hear from chiropractors seeking our services is that people don’t stay for care beyond relief and in many cases not even that.
There is a major contributor to this issue and when it is addressed there is a dramatic turnaround in the retention issue. The factor is – the PAST.
George Santayana is credited with the statement, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In people’s frantic rush to keep up with daily living there is a tendency to want to react to whatever is presenting right now and then get on with life. This viewpoint assumes that life and what’s happening now are two different entities.
This notion then brings people into your practice chanting the “I want quick relief” mantra due to the fact that what is happening to them right now only came on a week or two ago and therefore it should only take a week or two to resolve.
If the chiropractor only addresses the presenting complaint by taking the person back to the appearance of ‘the problem’ the practice member may not repeat the journey they have taken since that time ie they may seek care sooner when a similar problem occurs in the future. But, their expectations of benefits from care will be limited to the current condition resolving and they will consider the job is done when that resolution point is reached.
It was Churchill who said that “the longer we can look back, the farther we can look forward” and this applies so strongly to your new practice member. The further back into their history you take the person the more relevant the future actions and types of care you have for them will be.
When people get that issues have taken time to develop they will understand the logic of taking time to resolve.
Avoid the first big mistake that most chiropractors make. As well as focusing on the current ‘issue’ take the person way, way back into their past and help them to join the dots on their journey of life to this point. This will radically change their viewpoint on their chiropractic future.
