I think that a number of new dedicated doctors .. especially those 
that wish to hold the philosophical line and never compromise 
principal do so because others have influenced them and therefore 
their income and community may suffer. Keeping your purpose and 
goals alive .. whether straight or mixer .. has one thing in common 
and that is getting the chiropractic message out to others and 
providing a service unduplicated in Healthcare. Below is an e-mail 
from a young DC after my 5-17-01 e-mail concerning a Personal 
Injury Practice.

Dr. M



I respect your position however I disagree.  I think PI work puts 
the

chiropractor in a position of diagnosing and making assumptions he 
or she

has no way of knowing without taking care of the person before and 
really

has no way of knowing anyhow.  Any clinical decision is medical.  I 
prefer

to adjust for subluxation only, let them pay me and they can try to 
submit

the claim.  If asked I will explain what I did as a chiropractor and 
can not

make judgement as to the extent of injury or if it preexisted other 
than

that the patient told me he was injured in an accident and sought 
care.  I

will no longer play God and suggest I know permancey of injury or 
if it even

existed.  The only aspect I can vouch for is that the member was 
misaligned

at time of service and I adjusted that person to the best of my 
ability.



Enuf said.......




P.S. - If we really want to teach them about chiropractic we need 
to let

them know to be adjusted accident, injury or otherwise.



P.P.S.-  This is only my opinion.  I respect your right to practice as 
you

wish and do enjoy your forum very much.  I guess we can agree to

disagree.....no?

Now my reply:

Thanks for the e-mail. As you may know .. I receive a boat load of e-
mails from DC's worldwide requesting assistance concerning various 
aspects of practice management .. personal concerns .. and just 
trying to make a living with this great gift we inherited .. 
Chiropractic. It is not my place to bicker and split hairs about 
semantics or philosophy .. after two years at Sherman weaned on 
Reggie .. Easy .. Joe .. Irene and others .. I left there a warrior and 
planted the best seeds I can within the next year and a half at the 
infant called Life College. I paid my philosophical dues and can 
debate with the best of them.

Therefore .. in the theme of my e-mail newsletter forum .. I plan 
always to be apolitical so that my message can reach all. 

For sure .. I am not here to lecture new recruits who are not even 
wet behind the ears .. as their enthusiasm is the motor they drive 
with .. so just let it keep humming.

Just to reply to your e-mail .. there is no justice in business failure 
and no award given for foolish business mistakes. Philosophy and 
cherished words have nothing to do with making a decent living by 
providing an ethical and responsible service for an equitable fee. No 
one asked the other to carry on tradition from weakness and every 
battle require funds to carry on .. therefore what I read within the 
words and phrases you write is a badge of respect for your elders 
and the battles they fought .. just keep up the spirit but realize that 
even they adjusted and determined where and when to do so .. call it 
what you will but unless they used a crystal ball they surely used 
their educated mind to apply the educated force because their 
educated decision to do so would assist the innate of others to 
correct whatever needed to be. 

ICA .. WCA .. ACA are just letters but the depth behind these 
organizations are just educated people applying group energy for a 
goal and purpose. But never let them or others have you lose sight of 
the purpose of chiropractic .. it is not meant to be held behind 
shackles and bars of shortsightedness .. it was not meant to be 
denied to those that need an adjustment .. it was not given to any one 
or group of guardians or overly enthusiastic promoters .. as a 
protected product .. no .. it is a learned and skilled art where science 
and philosophy meet for the fulfillment of others. We may bicker on 
many issues including using adjunctive therapy and terminology .. 
but the adjustment is sacred and is the only thing that separates us 
from others. Some use instruments while others prefer light force .. 
some blocks and others depth charges of force to get the job done. 

Oh .. you never diagnose .. okay .. let's see .. you analyze .. whatever .. 
if you decided which side to adjust .. which force to apply .. what 
angle to approach and had the audacity to have the patient (for lack 
of a better word) return for similar care .. you went far beyond 
letting innate guide you .. you made an educated decision and 
therefore helped the person you tended to become further whole .. 
that's what it's all about.

Never stop this flow .. if insurance helps people be seen by you .. use 
it. If they come in after a collision and need care the most .. adjust 
them .. If they cannot afford to pay per visit because you make them 
pay full fee per service (hopefully not a free or nearly free fee) and 
therefore are denied their adjustments .. who will be guilty for this 
.. the philosophy or the doctor. Oh .. you should not place a fee on such 
a valuable commodity as an adjustment .. is it any less a commodity 
than a house to shelter you .. food to nourish you or vehicles that get 
you around .. last I saw only the homeless and destitute were 
wanting .. others try to pay for their services proudly. If charity is 
necessary by all means open a FREE clinic a few days a week .. 
especially in the impoverished areas .. too bad the best of the 
promoters of reduced and no insurance clinics stay in the decent 
areas of town and leave those having little to fend for themselves.

Be a warrior .. stay the course .. but try to be above the battles of 
words .. let your specific and special deeds help as many as you can. 
Assume nothing .. your education was the bridge between the 
educated and the innate you .. just use it wisely

Writing a few words on an insurance form may make you cringe but 
just think of the patient(s) who have spinal cringcitis because you 
are too proud to assist them in this game called "helping them out." 
You are not being medical to use insurance .. what do you care .. if 
you adjust you are a chiropractor .. placing letters together to play 
the game is an honor when you have the ability afterwards to adjust 
as purely as you must and educate them to continue on their own 
later. Do you think a subluxation is a mystical word invented from 
thin air or did some DC's of yesteryear invent this concept to explain 
what we are searching for .. to manage and eliminate. As far as I 
remember there were a number of components within the complex .. 
let's see do I decide that as well or just concept it. Diagnosis or not 
.. who cares amongst the folks that must apply the adjustment. Let 
us discuss the nuances of words and semantics but never lose sight 
of those we must serve. Just be smart .. whether for a fee or free .. 
tell the story .. make a living doing so and agree to disagree for the 
betterment of humanity.

Have a Great Day

Dr. M