The steady increase in the anti-aging market has lead to the development of a wide variety of products and services to meet the market’s demand.(1)

The baby boomer population (age 40 to age 59) represented 22 percent of the population in 1990, and is poised to grow by 62 percent by 2015.(2) This percent of the population is focused on looking and staying healthy.

Although there is increased competition from many professionals, chiropractors are in a prime position to offer anti-aging services as part of their practice.

Katrina Kulhay, BSc, BEd, DC, NC, LAc, director/founder of the Kulhay Wellness Clinic & Education Centre in Ontario says, “Providing anti-aging services that complement chiropractic care is increasing because the patient population demands it. However, the best way to get into this market is not to go out and start buying products, but doing your research and taking seminars.”

James Meschino, DC, MS, a practicing chiropractor and Fellow of the Academy of Anti-Aging Research adds, “Anti-aging is a natural extension of the chiropractic practice. Regardless of the fact we perform spinal manipulation therapy or recommend proper nutrition, we try to give our patients the most highly functional mind and body and appearance for the long term. As a profession, I believe we are in the best position to integrate all components.”

Setting up an anti-aging practice

When setting up an anti-aging practice, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed with the wide variety of products and services out there. According to Kulhay, “It’s very easy to fall into the trap of buying all kinds of products first, and then trying to figure out how to set up an anti-aging practice.”

Kulhay recommends first going to seminars to educate yourself in the anti-aging field. Is your practice primarily subluxation-based or do you focus on rehabilitation? What type of clientele do you see? Are baby boomers a large part of your practice?

By sitting down and reflecting on your current practice, you will be better fit to lay down the foundation for integrating an anti-aging component into your practice.

For example: You’ll see if your current practice will be able to easily integrate anti-aging services, or whether you will need to expand your practice to attract the type of patients and clients you will require.

Getting into anti-aging does not mean you have to do all the work. Kulhay has  built a large practice with up to 30 other professionals — including medical doctors, naturopaths, and acupuncturists — and more than 23,000 patients on file by offering daily room rates.  “Providing room rentals is probably the best way to build up a very busy anti-aging wellness practice. The other professionals are not only receiving patients from you, but are out there marketing themselves. This way, you can focus on your own practice and not have to constantly worry about ‘feeding’ the other professionals,” she says.

Similarly, Meschino often uses a registered nutritional consulting practitioner (RNCP) to provide the initial work up for a patient so he can concentrate on the chiropractic practice.

The 3 areas of anti-aging

1. Wellness and health.According to Meschino, “Providing a nutritional and wellness component requires an individualized assessment, rather than simply prescribing nutritional products. This high degree of individualization generates greater satisfaction and provides you with a value proposition for the patients that they may not get anywhere else.”

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