By Doug Caporrino

Wellness” has been a term used in sort of a generic way for many years. What exactly is wellness? Is it a good, sound nutritional plan? Is it working out every day? Is it keeping your body well-adjusted and in tune through chiropractic? The answer is “Yes!” (it’s all of the above).

Wellness is not just simply reaching and maintaining a healthy lifestyle; it is striving for more. It’s the mind, body, and emotional/spiritual well-being that we can always be working on improving.

The three primary components of wellness care are: fitness, nutrition (including nutritional supplementation), and chiropractic. If you are not advocating and educating your patients about all these components, then in essence you’re selling them what I refer to as “Pizza Without the Cheese.”
It is chiropractic’s responsibility as leaders in the wellness arena to educate patients about all aspects of wellness care. Nutrition and fitness aren’t just adjuncts to effective chiropractic, they are central factors in helping patients progress in their care.

Patient Education
Educating your patients about wellness is key. The initial office visit is a great place to start. When you present your report of findings (ROF) and explain all the aspects of chiropractic care, you can also explain why chiropractic, fitness, and nutrition are the three components of wellness and why they are so important.

New patient orientations are an ideal time to let patients know what you expect of them from a chiropractic standpoint, fitness standpoint, and nutritional standpoint. You must hold the patient accountable.

Subluxations will return unless all issues related to the causes are addressed. Remember the causes of subluxation: chemical, physical, and mental stress. All of these issues can be addressed through the three components of wellness.

Chemical stress is addressed through sound nutrition and supplement advice. All of us are different biochemically, so individual needs will vary from patient to patient. Physical stress is addressed through the chiropractic adjustment and through exercise. If certain muscles are weak and unable to perform, then subluxations will continue. You can help your patients help themselves. For example, you can teach patients core exercises using therapeutic exercise balls. Many chiropractors are also introducing small weight-training studios to their offices. You can even hire a staff personal trainer to take your patients through step-by-step programs. This is a value-added service for your patients - “one-stop shopping” at its best.

Mental stress is addressed in the same manner. Statistics show that people involved in some kind of exercise program will improve their lifestyle and cut down on their stress by at least 65%.

Integrating fitness and nutrition into your practice can improve your patients’ response to chiropractic care, and it may also help improve your patients’ overall health. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 65% of the American public is considered overweight. Last year alone, more than $30 billion was spent on illnesses related to being overweight/obese.

Structuring Your Services
You can structure your fitness and nutritional programs however you see fit. Four- and six-month programs can serve as excellent patient retention tools. It’s a lot less costly to keep patients in your practice by providing them with more services and products, than it is to constantly be recruiting new patients.

Pricing your fitness and nutritional services is something to which you should give some serious thought. Charging monthly will generally keep your retention rate higher then charging per individual session. Fees can range anywhere from $99 per month to $179 per month. It all depends on how detailed you get with the programs.

The most economically successful weight loss system in the United States is Weight Watchers. One of the reasons for the company’s success is that it gives people a place to go to compare their stories with others. They have a built-in support system.

Your entire team must be on board when you integrate fitness and nutrition into your practice. They can help provide moral support to your patients, and if you choose to offer group meetings, patients can also support each other.

When they follow a proper nutrition and exercise program, your patients could see results in as soon as six to eight weeks. This, combined with chiropractic adjustments, is a win-win for your patients. When you implement solid fitness and nutritional programs into your practice, you are not merely following the masses, but breaking new ground as a “wellness visionary.”

Mr. Caporrino has a bachelor’s of science degree in biochemistry. He has served as a health and fitness consultant for the “Joan Rivers Show,” “America’s Talking” show, and the “Regis” show. He now works with the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance and Parker Chiropractic College. Mr. Caporrino helped develop the Parker “Get Fit” Program, and he presents on the Parker platform. His company, RTR (Results thru Research) recently introduced a monthly audio series to the chiropractic profession. He can be reached at 866-GETT-FIT (866-438-8348).