Its All About Results!

It seems like everywhere you look on TV, all you can find is another reality show.  I must confess that I am not really a fan of reality television.  If I wanted reality, I would just live my life seeing as it is full of reality.  The reason I watch TV, and movies for that matter, is to escape from reality.

That being said, there is one genre of reality television that I find both entertaining and educational.  I have discovered that I really enjoy watching any of the shows that involve Chef Gordon Ramsey.  Perhaps my fascination is due to the fact that I am incompetent in the kitchen.  I have considered that possibility, but I think my fascination is borne of something more than that.  While 9 out of 10 restaurants ultimately fail, he has managed to build multiple restaurants around the world.  Not only are his restaurants successful, but they are also very expensive.

I was thinking about that one day, and it occurred to me that there is only one reason why he is able to attract customers from all over the world to his restaurants for the privilege of paying for one of his meals . . . it’s the results!  Nobody ever says to themselves, “We can either go to Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant or we can do McDonalds.  They both sell food.”
 
It is true that both restaurants sell food.  It is even true that both restaurants involve someone going into a kitchen and preparing you a meal.  The difference is the result of their effort.  Chef Ramsey truly is a master in his field.  Not just because of what he knows, but because of what he can do.

When I relate this to what I do, I realize that most people think that all Chiropractors are the same.  You just go in and get “cracked.”  There is nothing to it.  I just have to tell you about something that happened to me just last week.  This girl was telling me how her dad had injured himself lifting a refrigerator without any help.  He went to the Chiropractor, and the Chiropractor crossed her dad’s arms in front of his chest.  I thought I knew where she was going with this, but I never could have anticipated what she said next.  The Chiropractor then slapped him across the chest in a move that she had dubbed “the Ric Flair.”  I did not know what to say, so I responded with a simple “WOOO!”  (You have to know who Ric Flair is to get that joke).  Unfortunately, that version of Chiropractic is what many people have in mind when they think of Chiropractic, and it is similar to the “one size fits all” mentality that we would associate with fast food.  What if there was an opportunity to experience Chiropractic in a way that is more like the Gordon Ramsey experience?

That is what I was looking for when I was a student in Chiropractic school.  Fortunately, I found it early on in my career.  I know that Gordon Ramsey worked in several different restaurants on his way to becoming a master chef, but I also know that none of those restaurants were fast food joints.  As a student, I faced the dilemma of choosing between the fast food, one size fits all route and the master chef, individually prepared route.

I want to point out the difference because most people that I meet are unaware that Chiropractic has anything to offer beyond the simple “one adjustment fits all” approach.  You know the routine.  They already know what they are going to do before you even walk in.  They expect to see you in two days, with no end in sight.  Sometimes you leave feeling better, and sometimes you don’t.  If you do feel better, it usually only lasts for a few hours.  The doctor hooks you up to all kinds of fancy machines, but somehow there just never seems to be any lasting benefit.
 
Chiropractic does not have to be like that.  Just like Chef Ramsey in his kitchen, every Chiropractor should be measured by their ability to get results.  You know, McDonalds have playgrounds to attract more customers; Gordon Ramsey uses good food to attract customers.  No playgrounds needed.  There are a lot of Chiropractors using their own version of a playground in the form of whatever therapy they can convince you will make you feel better.  Feeling good is a wonderful thing, I get massages too; but the real question is whether or not it is making you function better.  I believe that the food (or in this case the adjustment) should speak for itself.  There are a lot of big talking chefs out there, but the real chefs make themselves known by their results.  Chiropractic is much the same.  Don’t be fooled by big talkers who can’t back it up with results.  Look for the results because that is what separates the masters from everybody else.

Just Something To Think About . . .