Chiropractic Economics Blog

All businesses have behind-the-scenes people who are indispensable to their operations. The public never sees these individuals, but without them, companies would fail to function. Our business is no different. One of our key “hidden” staff members is our controller and office manager, Ginny.

Today we say good-bye to her. This morning Ginny lost a three-year battle to cancer.

Ginny was the pulse of the office. It wasn’t unusual for her to order a surprise breakfast to pick up our spirits if she sensed morale was low. Or to put surprises gifts — a patriotic lei for Fourth of July or sparkling bunny pencil for Easter — on each of our desks, just to put a smile on our faces.

Ginny was everyone’s mother-sister-aunt-friend. I don’t think there was a person in the office who didn’t occasionally sit down across her desk, close the door, and talk when they were feeling down. She listened and cared, even when her troubles were literally killing her.

You may have met Ginny at a Las Vegas Parker Seminars or a Florida Chiropractic Association National Convention. She was the bubbly woman who greeted you when you stopped by to say hello, made sure our booth had an adequate supply of magazines, and answered your questions about subscriptions.

“They” say no one is indispensable. I suppose that is true, in one sense. We will hire another person to do the work Ginny did, so accounts will be billed, and payroll will be processed. But the office where that work is done will always be Ginny’s office.

Good-bye, good friend. We miss you.

Until next time,

Sometimes I am ashamed of my fellow journalists. Case in point: A cover headline in the November issue of The Reader’s Digest that reads, “The Vitamin Hoax: 10 Not to Take.”

Scare tactics. The article is written to sell magazines, not to inform the public about vitamins.

The Readers Digest is the most widely read publication in the United States. Most assuredly, a good number of your patients will have read that article — and some of them might ask you about it.

I can “hear” some of their questions based on this single article:

“Doctor, is it true that antioxidants such as vitamins A, beta carotene, E, and C can increase the risk of dying? Should I not take them?”

“Should I take a multivitamin, or am I throwing my money away? Will it increase my chance of getting prostate cancer?”

“Does vitamin C help ward off colds? The Readers Digest article said it offered little protection.”

“How much is too much? What happens if I take more than the RDA of some vitamins? Can too many vitamins hurt me?”

“How can I be sure that the vitamins I am taking have pure ingredients?”

“Which vitamins should I take? Are there some I should stay away from?”

A few years ago, I sat in on a teleconference on understanding research studies, conducted by Anthony Rosner, PhD, who was then director of research and education with the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER). I no longer have the notes I took, but I remember Dr. Rosner cautioning participants to not accept all research findings blindly, but to look at how the research was done. Some research, unfortunately, is biased, just as some writers (and their writing) are biased.

In the case of this article, I would recommend you read it yourself to decide if it is biased against vitamins. Then, I would suggest you brush up on the facts about supplements, including reviewing the latest research (including the studies cited by the Readers Digest). Keep in mind, though, Dr. Rosner’s advice on looking at the construction of the research studies.

It is unfortunate that the Readers Digest would revert to scare tactics to draw readers in. On the other hand, perhaps this is an opportunity to turn a “sow’s ear into a silk purse,” as the saying goes. Arm yourself with the facts and be prepared to answer questions — or even to bring up the subject of the Readers Digest article yourself, especially if you carry nutritional products and recommend them to your patients.

Until next time.

Blogging is not an activity that comes naturally to me. In fact, a year ago, I only had a faint idea of what blogging was. Today, however, I see blogging as a way to share with you some thoughts and observations that I would not be able to share in the magazine.

I love magazine publishing. There is something very satisfying about working with contributors, helping them polish their ideas so that readers can quickly grasp new ideas and information, and then finally seeing the finished product printed on paper. Every time an issue is published I get the same rush I did when I published my first article almost 30 years ago.

Although I get the opportunity to write for the magazine — including an editorial message in each issue — I find that the magazine can sometimes be limiting. There just aren’t enough pages to say what needs to be said.

That’s why this blog is important. I hope to share with you ideas and observations about chiropractic, business, or just life, regularly. Sometimes what I write might border on profound or at least serious; other times, it will be light.

A blog is similar to a column in a magazine, but it has one huge difference: The format and delivery of the magazine does not allow for instant feedback and interaction from readers. A blog does. If you want to reply to something I have written, or to an issue, you can do so, instantaneously. No waiting.

I hope you will comment — frequently. I am always interested in knowing what is on your mind.

Until next time,