The Excellent Patient.
Imagine two separate interviews with two new patients.
During the first interview, the patient clearly expresses an informed choice to continue conduct that places his or her own health and/or life at risk.
In the second interview, the second patient tells of having made the choice to set a goal for health and longevity using a well-informed self-management program.
Personal choice, may separate opposite outcomes of premature death or longevity. Illness-death oriented people who chose to kill themselves commonly disown control, projecting responsibility to external circumstances.
Health and longevity oriented patients accept that gaining and maintaining good health is; “My responsibility — not my chiropractors, not my GP’s, not my mothers. . .just mine.”
Generally speaking, patients who are confident in their ability to manage seem to have the best health outcomes. The changes that are feasible and realistic may seem to be minor but taken in small increments over time they can be very large. “Just take one baby step at a time”.
Some people who aim to live a full, active and a healthy life develop their own self- management skills, goal setting and action plans. They may share their goals with a “coach” with whom they give and receive feedback on their accomplishments.
A chiropractor’s coaching role includes helping patients become familiar with the difference felt when they are “out of adjustment” and what they feel like when they are “in adjustment”. That alerts patients to avoid conduct that causes them to go “out of adjustment”.
The Orwellian distortion of the term health care predominantly incorporates illness treatment. In the context of this article, I am using “health care” in its genuine meaning. It makes sense to use chiropractic as an integral part of an overall health care program.
Excellent chiropractic patients avoid the conduct that fosters subluxations. If subluxated, they have their subluxation/s adjusted rather than drug away subluxation related symptoms.
It would be a chiropractor’s daydream to have a practice composed of excellent patients.