Hello again! I hope everyone has had a successful and learning filled trimester thus far. Last week was my heaviest week yet, with eight total exams, in addition to my clinic schedule. It was a hard week, but with this past weekend marking the one-third mark of the trimester, I thought we’d spend this week’s blog post discussing what I single handedly view as the most important aspect of chiropractic care: patient education and empowerment.
Conventional Medical Care vs. Chiropractic Care
One large separation between conventional medical care and chiropractic care is that most medical doctors only see patients when they are already sick or suffering from an injury. While people commonly seek chiropractic care for musculoskeletal injuries, many also view chiropractic treatments as wellness care, and an essential component of living a healthy lifestyle. There are certainly some aspects of chiropractic care that can only be delivered by the physician, but there are also many aspects we must educate patients on to ensure they take the most active role in maintaining their own health. These aspects include simple things such as diet, hydration and exercise, or more complex topics like the pathophysiology of their disease. We as a part of their health care team play a crucial role in supporting our patients but cannot succeed without their intrinsic motivation and willingness to take charge and responsibility for what we as doctors cannot.
Patient Education is Key
At its core, patient education provides the knowledge and tools to not only understand the patient’s individual conditions or ailments, but also the necessary protocols, both in the office and at home, that they must follow in order to fully recover. I believe we have a duty to encourage patients to be proactive in their lifestyle modifications and active care. There is a clear disconnect between health care’s current approach being doctor focused, and a more holistic one, which should be patient centered. I am proud to be a part of this shift in perspective in the way we can change a patient’s life through empathy and education.
Learn more about NUHS’ Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine program.
