The term “wellness” is difficult to define because so many people are using the term to characterize the nature of their healthcare facilities. You often see spas, medical physicians, massage therapists, health food stores, and even hospitals referring to themselves as a “wellness center.”

Because of this general confusion prevailing over “wellness,” if you are using the term, you should have a clear definition, in your own mind, of what you are trying to promote.

A standard definition of wellness is: “An approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.”

Traditionally, from a chiropractor’s point of view, those patients who come to you for general maintenance care, your “once-a-monthers,” are wellness patients. More recently, however, chiropractors are starting to expand their definition of wellness to include providing nutritional advice, exercise programs, and lifestyle changes for these patients, in addition to their regular adjustments.

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Practice Analysis of Chiropractic 2010 reports that more than 90 percent of practices offer some form of nutritional advice.1 Indeed, most offices recommending supplements also offer them for sale in the office for their patients’ convenience. It also appears that most practitioners offer supplements for general health needs, while a smaller percentage provide in- depth examinations and nutritional support for complicated health issues.

As you plan for your clinic’s future growth, you may want to consider that your wellness clinic in the future will need to provide more comprehensive nutritional care because of public demand and obvious need.