Miracle Worker?
Often, a patient will call me a “miracle worker.” I usually reply with the standard “I’m so glad that I’ve been able to help . . .” and so on.
Here’s the thing, though. I’m not a magician. I’m not a “faith-healer.” I don’t stick pins in a doll. There is really nothing I do that could be considered a “miracle cure.”
Here’s what I do. Like any other doctor, I examine the patient — an exam in my office consists mostly of orthopedic, neurologic, and palpation testing (using my hands to detect abnormal joint motion, swelling, misalignment, etc). Sometimes I send patients for an X-ray or MRI study.
If the patient has a condition I think I can help, I present a treatment plan. Every treatment modality in my office has a standard code that is recognized by other practitioners (MDs, DOs, PTs, etc) as well as insurance companies (insurance companies would never pay for a “miracle cure” — they scrutinize every type of procedure to the nth degree before they will ever agree to cover it).
If the patient accepts my treatment plan, they usually get really good results (usually very quickly). This is where I am often accused of being a miracle worker. They are just so amazed that I can help them without drugs or surgery.
Most people think that the only “real” solutions to medical problems are drugs and surgery (pharmaceutical companies do a great job of keeping this myth alive with their marketing). Sometimes drugs or surgery are required. For most back pain, headaches, neck pain, and other spine and joint conditions, drug-free, scalpel-free chiropractic will do just fine.
I don’t perform miracles. I just do what I was trained to do, and I have some experience under my belt. Don’t be overly surprised if I can help you too!
We Write The Content
Just so you know, we (meaning me and a couple of other trusted people) write everything on this website. Everything on this website is either written by me or very closely edited by me.
So why would I feel the need to write such a statement? I get TONS of advertisements from website designers every day that claim to “custom-build” a website just for me. What that means is that they have already built a website that is utterly stuffed with information (most of it is junk, or worse!!) and they want me to pay them lots of cash so that my practice will be the ONLY practice (in my zip code) to have such a top-notch, professional website, “guaranteed to drive patients to [my] door.”
I think that’s pretty bogus, and I challenge all of the other D.C.s out there to write their own content as well! In latin, “doctor” means “teacher,” so LIVE UP to your degree!!
It’s important that I say this because my website will change within the next couple of months. I am working with two wonderful LOCAL companies to create a fresh, updated, and great-looking website for East End Chiropractic. Those companies are Harkins Creative, and Blue Kite Marketing. I just want to say before this new website goes live, that I will still write, or at least edit (they are better with words than I, so mostly edit), all of the content of this site! Even though it will look great, and have lots of great features, it will be unique! It will still be a CUSTOM website in every sense of the term. It will neither be canned, nor will it be for sale!
John P. Olsen, D.C.
My Back Hurts Because I’m Getting Older (Excuse Busters, part 2)
This is one I hear all of the time . . . “My lower back stays sore most of the time, but it’s just age. I’m getting old.” Here’s the funny part: I hear this from people in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s!! In my opinion, the only people who have the RIGHT to use this excuse are the ones in their 80’s and 90’s! If you’re 40, your neck isn’t tight because you’re OLD! So STOP IT!! That is not a viable excuse! Or my favorite: “My left hip is sore, and it doesn’t let me take big steps anymore . . . there’s nothing you can do about it, though, doc. I’m just getting old.” I love it when people say this, because I get to be a smart-alec and say “So what you’re telling me is that you left hip is older than your right hip?” If it was because of age, shouldn’t BOTH hips hurt?
In most cases, joints are stiff and painful because of mechanical problems in the musculo-skeletal system!* As a chiropractor, I re-condition the mechanics of the spine and joints, thus reducing the pain and improving function. If you want to go around thinking that you’re just old, that’s your choice. It probably doesn’t have to be that way, though.
* Not all cases of joint pain and stiffness are a result of mechanical problems. I perform a thorough physical examination on each new complaint to rule out other causes such as problems with the heart, kidneys, or gallbladder, aneurysms, and tumors, just to name a few.
We Had Fun at the 2010 Tomato Art Fest
We really enjoyed meeting everyone at the Tomato Art Fest this year. Thanks for coming to see us.
Most Entire Treatment Plans Cost Less Than an MRI!!!!
A new patient came in to the office today after reading my blog. Not having insurance, he was a bit concerned about how much it would cost to be treated in our clinic. This is always a difficult question to answer because it depends on many factors, including the overall health of the patient, the severity of the condition, and so on.
As with every new patient, the first thing I did is a consultation, where I talk with the patient and get an initial idea of what’s going on. (We never charge for this, by the way, even if you have the best insurance plan available) During this consultation, the patient related to me that he had been to a medical clinic where they did x-rays. The x-rays showed “nothing,” (there’s a reason why nothing is in quotations — that discussion is destined to be the next blog) and the doctor wanted to do an MRI. If you don’t have insurance, an MRI of the lumbar spine is at least $1,000!
Obviously, my patient was concerned that I might want to send him for an MRI also.
After examining the patient, I found that his condition was significant, but definitely not so advanced that I would need an MRI scan to figure out what the problem was! I see cases just like his and much worse, as a matter of fact, and I can usually help them with out the aid of an EXPENSIVE MRI scan!!
Then I got to thinking . . . for the average patient in my office, the ENTIRE cost of their treatment plan is less expensive than one MRI scan!! A few plans are more, but most are even LESS!! And also, you must bear in mind that AN MRI DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING as far as getting you better. It’s just a picture which, more times than not, doesn’t show what’s going on any better than my bare hands or a plain, old fashioned, cheap x-ray! I know that’s hard to believe, but recent studies show that MRI findings correlate directly with pain findings only 5 – 10% of the time!
Ok, occasionally I send someone for an MRI. But truthfully, it’s very, very rare. When I send a patient for an MRI, it means that 1) After the patient’s initial examination, I think they may have a condition that may require surgery or other medical intervention that is not provided in our clinic, or 2) they are not responding to our treatment, and I’m truly worried that there is something potentially dangerous going on. For those cases, I’m very thankful for MRI technology.
So, here’s the take-home message: Most primary care providers aren’t that great at diagnosing and treating most spine and joint problems. Don’t get me wrong, I love primary care providers. I even married one!! If you are a diabetic with a new burning sensation in your foot, or you have severe hypertension, PLEASE don’t call my office! That’s not my area of expertise! But, if your back or neck keeps bothering you, or you keep having headaches (most of those are related to the neck — I’ll tell you if they’re not) . . . CALL ME!! Or, if you prefer, you can go to your PCP, PAY FOR AN MRI, try some pharmaceutical treatment which rarely works, and THEN call my office!!
