SWOT analysis is a method of planning and strategizing utilized by most businesses. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. These subjects are used to identify internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) that may or may not be favorable to a business.
So how does this apply to Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
This post is not about how to start up a successful Upper Cervical Chiropractic clinic using SWOT analysis, because I am still a student and I have yet to open an Upper Cervical Clinic. I’ll leave that subject to guys like Dr. Darren White or Dr. Ray Drury.
What I am going to do is apply SWOT analysis to Upper Cervical Chiropractic. There is a lot of excitement in Upper Cervical Chiropractic right now, as there should be. But, as always, there are some things looming in the distance that we, as Upper Cervical doctors and students, need to be aware of. B.J. Palmer told us to “Guard it well,” but to do that, we have to know what to guard against.
Strengths of Upper Cervical Chiropractic
-It is Specific.
-It is gentle.
-It is easier to explain the Above-Down-Inside-Out philosophy regarding Upper Cervical Chiropractic than it is full-spine/mixing chiropractic.
-It is safe.
-It is a specialty that requires added training to do correctly.
-Most people do not need to be adjusted that often. Because of the specificity of the Upper Cervical adjustment, it will hold longer than when going to a general chiropractor that uses a diversified technique.
-More and more research is being done to prove Upper Cervical Chiropractic’s effectiveness. The blood pressure study is just the beginning. More is currently being done.
Weaknesses of Upper Cervical Chiropractic
-It is relatively unknown.
-It’s effectiveness is misunderstood within the chiropractic profession, thus it is not taught in many of the chiropractic colleges.
-It takes extra training to do correctly
-When done properly, people do not need to be adjusted very often. If Upper Cervical Chiropractic is not communicated effectively, people can drop out of care because they feel better and not understand the value of routine maintenance checkups.
Opportunities for Upper Cervical Chiropractic
-With more research coming out regarding the effectiveness of Upper Cervical Chiropractic, it becomes easier to communicate that effectiveness to the general public.
-Because it is still relatively unknown, it gives Upper Cervical Chiropractors the chance to spread the word.
-With the creation of the ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care, and the upcoming diplomate program currently in the works, it legitimizes Upper Cervical Chiropractic as a specialized profession above and beyond what a chiropractic degree conveys.
Threats to Upper Cervical Chiropractic
-Because it is misunderstood within the profession, some chiropractic radiologists (DACBRs) claim that analytical x-rays are unnecessary. Without analytical x-rays, Upper Cervical Chiropractic loses its claim to specificity.
-More and more MDs are learning spinal manipulations. Physical therapists already do spinal manipulations. As awareness of Upper Cervical Chiropractic increases, what is to stop MDs or PTs from wanting to learn, and actually learning, how to do specific atlas corrections themselves? The chiropractic profession as a whole has adopted physio- and physical therapy into the practice of chiropractic. Do we then have the right to get upset if MDs and PTs indoctrinate adjustments into their protocols?
-With the dark cloud of nationalized medicine looming as a possiblity, Upper Cervical Chiropractic faces the threat of being regulated to dealing with only neck pain or neck conditions. If the government can say how many visits someone medically needs for a particular condition, will they also regulate whether an Upper Cervical Chiropractor can even adjust someone if they don’t come in for a neck problem?
For the doctors and students reading this, what are your thoughts? Did I leave something out?
Let me know in the comments below.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Very interesting and though provoking, yet simple and to the point! I think you are doing your part in ‘guarding it well’!
Thanks, babe!
Great website great job