Chiropractic school teaches us the “tool in the toolbox” approach, meaning we should learn and utilize as many techniques as possible. This way if we do something that doesn’t work, we can do something else until we find the right technique that does work.
I’d rather just be really good at affecting the nervous sytem via specificity in the spine. Personally, I think the “tool in the toolbox” approach fosters a sense of mediocrity in the students’ willingness to be great at a technique. It’s a way out of working hard and refining your craft.
I can’t tell you how many times I heard ”It doesn’t matter if you adjust them on the wrong side because 80% of the time, the patient gets better anyway” while in school.
I understand why the schools promote that line of thinking. Not every student is into being good at only one thing. Everyone has different interests. But if all our interests are on what gets the patient better, shouldn’t we learn more about specificity, be it upper cervical or full spine?
Still, it gives people the sense that they can be so-so at chiropractic and still get great results.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Chiropractic is simple, we humans make it complicated. More tools don’t make a person a better chiroractor, they confuse the chiropractor and the patient. Chiropractic college confuses people. When I have had new chiropractors just out of school come and work in my office, they are unable to take a simple x-ray. They spend $100,000.00 and come out a jumbled mess of confusion. Less is better.
The 20% left, or those who don’t respond as expected are what drives practice and technique innovation.
It is important to practice a specialty which allows growth and innovation within the tools used if you want to continue improving.
Otherwise, following a strict formula leads to boredom and no where to turn when those special (learning opportunity) cases show up.
Everyone practices their art as they see fit. Some will do a “flying 7″ others UC. I do a variety of techniques myself and adjust innately as well.
But we do not need to be hooking people up to emg machines and doing ultrasound on them (therapy) since thats not Chiropractic.
Amen to that Dr. La Starza!