To get the true picture, think of yourself not as a chiropractor, but as an individual who has some type of neck pain. You have severe headaches that are affecting your job, your relationship with friends/family, and greatly diminishing your quality of life. You need quality professional help. You've taken large amounts of pain killers with very little result. You can't get any satisfaction from your MD through your HMO. Fortunately, a friend has told you about chiropractic care; a drugless, non-surgical procedure that your friend guarantees will help you. Though skeptical of chiropractors, you decide to give it a try on the strength of your friend's recommendation.
Unfortunately, your friend lives in another city. So you pick up the phone book to find the DC nearest you. Take a minute and open your own yellow pages. Do you like what you see? Is this the kind of image you want?
Can you think of any better reason why chiropractors are only able to serve 10% - 15% of the population?
Is it any wonder why yellow page advertising can be so ineffective?
What would you do if you were this person?
Now consider the same scenario, but this time think of yourself as a state or national legislator who has been lobbied by the chiropractic association to begin supporting the efforts of the chiropractic profession with a new law. Look again at the advertisements in your local yellow pages. Is this the kind of profession you would stake your political reputation on?
How much longer are we going to allow this kind of "self slander" to occur?
The chiropractic profession has worked very hard in recent times to consistently improve our reputation worldwide. Is advertising of this kind effective enough to destroy or damage the respect that has been gained only recently?
There are many advertising and marketing practices that are not illegal, but are certainly either unethical or undesirable. And while they don't necessarily reflect every practitioner in the profession, they do demonstrate what the chiropractic profession will tolerate.
Only the court of chiropractic opinion can change the way your colleagues present this profession to the public. If you want it changed, you must take the time to call Dr. Jones and express your displeasure with his advertising. This is not confrontation to force your will on another, it is an appeal to the conscience of a member of your profession.
Each and every DC is judged to some extent by the actions of others. The reputation you save is really your own.
DMP Jr., BS, HCD(hc)
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