As we look back across the past decade or so, we see more than a few studies which point to the fact that chiropractic, as a form of health care, is superior to and less expensive than many alternatives. Two recently published studies underscore that point:

The Chiropractic Hospital-based Interventions Research Outcomes (CHIRO) study. This study compared care provided by family-physician medical doctors with care that included "chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy." Researchers found that "compared to family physician-directed usual care, full clinical practice guideline-based treatment including chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy is associated with significantly greater improvement in condition-specific functioning."¹

Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? This prospective randomized clinical study that compared surgery to "chiropractic spinal manipulation" found that "sixty percent of patients with sciatica who had failed other medical management benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."²

In addition to the above, there are other studies in process that will further demonstrate the benefits of chiropractic for both acute and maintenance care. All of this is the scientific support for what chiropractic has accomplished in millions of lives for more than 100 years. The effectiveness of chiropractic care is probably the primary reason our profession has survived.

The Great Conundrum

Something as effective as chiropractic should result in a successful practice for every doctor who incorporates it. This is why physical therapists, some massage therapists, osteopaths and other providers seek to include something resembling chiropractic in their care arsenal. Yet when you talk with other DCs, you quickly discover that many chiropractors are not nearly as successful as the care they provide.

The topic of this article comes from a recent discussion I had with a few of our chiropractic leaders. At the end of the discussion, we realized we weren't certain we really knew reasons for this conundrum. Is it the economy? Is it the state of the health care environment? Are some DCs just bad businesspeople? Are we taking ownership for our own success, or just complaining? And then there is biggest question of all: Are you as successful in your practice as you think you should be?

To be sure, there are many successful DCs. They see a large number of patients each day and make a good living. The ones I have had the pleasure to talk to are excited about their practice and eager to see the profession grow further.

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