There is an old saying, success is a two-edged sword. It is especially true in the entertainment industry. Many an actor has lamented over being “type cast.” As much as he or she might want to play more serious roles, if the public sees the person as a comedian, a serious part might be pretty hard to get. Some actors are okay with that. They resign themselves to play the part that the public expects of them and if they do it well, they will probably make a good living. Yet, I cannot help but think that deep down inside, they suffer some feeling of frustration or unfulfillment. When it comes down to it, there are probably millions of people in all walks of life in the same situation. There are many stories of people who gave up successful careers because all their life they wanted to be an artist, a musician, or a farmer or to drive an 18-wheeler across the country.
There is no doubt that chiropractic has achieved a level of success. There are over 50,000 chiropractors in the United States alone. It has been estimated that as many as 68% of the public have been to a chiropractor. The medical profession has begun to acknowledge the value of chiropractic. We have “arrived” as part of mainstream health care. But you know what? Many chiropractors feel unfulfilled. You see chiropractic has been “type cast” as a treatment for bad backs and stiff necks. The public, for the most part, thinks chiropractors are doctors who take care of musculoskeletal problems and there is good reason for that perception. Millions of people with those types of problems have been helped by chiropractic, many of whom were unable to receive relief anywhere else. Chiropractic can help musculoskeletal conditions. Consequently, the medical community and even some in our own profession want us to fill that niche. They figure the public knows us in that role and we have achieved success in that role. Why disturb the status quo?
Many in our profession, however, are not satisfied with that role. It is not that we think we can do more and it is not that there is anything demeaning about helping people with bad backs. It is just that chiropractic is so much more. Chiropractic is not about your back, it’s about your life. The correction of vertebral subluxation to restore the integrity of the nerve system is a service vital to every man woman and child on the planet. Every function, every activity, every aspect of one’s life is improved and enhanced by having regular chiropractic adjustments, keeping the nerve channels open to all parts of the body. A chiropractor who understands that and the importance of that service, would feel unfulfilled even as the most successful back doctor in the world.
Chiropractic, like the “type cast” comedian, is a victim of its success. But more important, the public is a victim of that success. The only way to change that is to change people’s perception. That will take effort by the profession and by people who know chiropractic is not about your bad back, it is about getting more out of life and expressing more of life. Help your chiropractor by telling someone the truth about chiropractic
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