On Being Worthy, By Dr. Ogi Ressel
June 07 2009, 9:38 pm
Warm hellos to everyone!
Ok.....we started on a really vital train of thought last week, with some ruminations from Dr. Rick.
I would like to suggest you re-read last week's THOT before plunging into this week's.
The reality is that many doctors do not recommend care schedules that are necessary in order to
correct a Vertebral Subluxation. Most of us tend to cop out. There are many reasons for this:
1. A number of doctors subscribe to the pain management style of practice and cannot see
recommending care beyond pain relief. And they take great pride in being able to
"heal 'em quick"!
I do not recommend that style of practice for a number of reasons:
i). It is not very rewarding.
ii). It puts the practice of Chiropractic on the same level as the physios and
the medics and these doctors are then in constant competition with those
professions.
iii). That approach does not really change and/or correct Vertebral Subluxations
And although I do not recommend this approach to Chiropractic, I, nevertheless, do understand
those doctors who want to practice in that manner and feel that they do serve the public.
2. There are doctors who do not want to recommend any care beyond what their Board
and/or association suggests. These doctors do not want to "stand out" from the
pack - they are much more comfortable being lost in the crowd. It is a protective
mechanism.
3. Many doctors simply do not have the experience. They really have not seen the
miracles that Chiropractic expounds and have little basis for an appropriate care
recommendation.
4. Some are not comfortable recommending an appropriate schedule of care to their
patients as they really never have seen any changes take place. I totally get that!
and for those doctors I am sending you a letter I just received from a Dr. Shawna
Hord, one of my amazing PEP doctors. Please take her words to heart:
We were taught in school that degenerative joint and disc disease is not really
correctable, we can only slow down the progression. Or, if you were really lucky and had
a pretty optimistic teacher, they may have said that Phase 1 is correctable but not the
other phases.
What they were really teaching us is that we can only help people "degenerate
comfortably".
I have been in family practice since 2000, and we have seen some pretty amazing
corrections. That being said, I have had the fortunate blessing to visit the office of a very
dear colleague who is practicing with so much purpose it puts most of us to shame.
He is also a PEP Program grad.
When I sat in his Doctor's report and saw the X-rays of a woman who had dramatic
changes from a Phase 3-4 degeneration, I was floored. This woman was in a nursing
home, where we all know people go to die.
Right?
I have seen 2 of her post X-rays and each time, there is a huge improvement. There is
increased disc space, resorption of bone spurs, and restoration of c-spine lordosis.
The most important part is that this lady has gone from 7 meds daily to 1 medication
each day and she no longer lives in the nursing home.
She is the first person I've ever heard of who left! She's in great health and I'm pretty
sure she lives on her own and is still under regular care. This woman and her case really
rocked me to the core.
The point of this story is to tell you how much this reinforced my belief in appropriate,
undiluted, corrective care programs. When I think back to the patients who didn't get the
results they should have gotten, I most likely under-adjusted each one of them. Oh my!
When I think of the patient I referred to above, there is just no way she would have gotten
the results she got with a small
program of care. In her case, she almost certainly would have died.
I know that from now on, when I'm recommending care for patients, I will always think of
this patient and her X-rays and go big or go home.
Dr. Shawna Hord - ON
Many of you do not understand that a subluxation is a neurological pattern. A habit the Body
has had to adapt to. It is an error in programming. It is for this reason that it is insane to
think that you can correct such a 30-40 year habit with some 30-60 or whatever visits.
Listen.....I've written a number of papers on this subject and many consider me an expert.
5. And then there is a whole segment of doctors who simply do not feel worthy.
They do not feel worthy to receive payment from a patient. They are embarrassed
at the slightest mention of money. They fee awkward receiving payment for their
services. This is a self-worth issue.
So, let's chat about self-worth for a moment. It is difficult for us to graduate and all of a
sudden you are a doctor! WOW! This is what you've always wanted! But you feel really
squeamish accepting the fact that people really pay you for doing what you do! Because it
seems so bloody easy! I mean, you've done it to your friends at parties and bars when no
one was looking and you were trying to impress some girl or some guy, and it just seems
so simple. You almost feel you are ripping off the public by charging for it!
I get this!
So now you are in practice and you are supposed to be "a professional." And you should
get paid, right?
Absobloodylutely!
Or, you've been in practice for some time and nothing seems to be going right. You are
spinning your wheels.
24 years have gone by and you do not have much to show for it except a constant daily
struggle for new patients and an unrelenting battle for your livelihood.
In both scenarios, the issue is one of self-worth.
Listen....you need to understand that you do not have a product to sell. Some doctors
supplement their income by selling snake oil, orthotics, etc., but the truth of the matter is
that you do not have a product to sell.
No.
You have a service.
And what you get paid for is your time and your talent - words of Patrick Gentempo.
And all of you have tons of talent and time.
Think about this for moment:
Imagine being in bed - it is 1:30 pm and one of your patients calls you at home in a
panic. Their eight year old girl is having an Asthma attack! You tell mom to meet you at the
office with the little girl, NOW.You check her, adjust her and ask mom to call you at 3:00 am
to let you know how her daughter is doing. Now you are back in bed trying to fall asleep but
you can't because you are thinking of the little girl. Finally fatigue wins and just as you start
to fall asleep, your patient calls. It is 3:00 am. She is in tears on the phone and tells you
that her daughter is sleeping peacefully - the Asthma is gone. She thanks you profusely
and you blush. You ask her to meet you at the office in the morning at 8:00 am.
Now you are really trying to fall asleep but it is no use. You are just so excited!
You look down at your hands, those amazing instruments of healing and feel the power
emanating from them!
You decide not to touch your hands together for fear of electrocuting yourself!
Finally, morning comes and you rip out of bed and can't wait to get to the office.
You adjust the little girl again, she brought you some flowers and a picture she drew just for
you in thanks.
You see her again at 5:00 pm and in the meantime you've adjusted 150 patients.
You phone home and tell your spouse not to make dinner, you're taking her/him out!
And then you'll play a short round of golf. You've been up for 48 hours and you are not tired!
That's what practice is all about!
Let me ask you this:
How much do you think that adjustment is worth?
I agree, and you did it!
And you were worth every penny!
So please, let's not play that unworthy game any longer. You are a Chiropractor.
You are amazing! You do magic with your hands!
Now, get out there and heal some more!
My warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel
Here is your affirmation for this week:
I trust the Process of Life.
There is a rhythm and flow to Life and I am part of it.
Life supports me and brings to me only good and positive experiences.
I trust the Process of life to bring me my highest good.
