I’m sitting at the computer searching for a new chiropractor. It’s tedious work to sift through all the information that’s out there. Most of the info is more like no info, you get that? There’s the doctor’s name and contact information on a listing and when I click through to a website there’s very little there. Or, there’s too much there.
The guy I made an appointment with last week was into building up his business more than the health side, although he seemed excited about the health benefits of it. I sat through the initial consultation and thermal spinal scan, which took forever, after waiting in that awful waiting area with a million people for an hour, only to find out that I had to return the next day. They do an informal 2 hour info/lecture on this guy’s chiropractic method, among other things they do, and after that’s over you get to see the results of the consultation. Well, after the first visit, when the secretary told me I had to return for this lecture and bring a family member because it was “very, very important”, I stopped dead in my tracks. She told me this while I was putting on my jakcet and I froze, arm in mid-sleeve with a look on my face that said, “What?” Hey, I’ve been to chiropractors before and never had to sit through an info-mercial about it! Give me a freaking break, here! I just want an adjustment and go home, thank you!
I know about of the benefits of chiropractic since I’ve had a couple of really good ones help me with my herniated disc and related pain. My first doctor passed away, the other really good one is in Manhattan, too much trouble to visit a couple times a week. Besides spinal manipulation, I use something called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT for short, which releases negative energy by tapping on acupunture pressure points and saying affirmations. Works really well. The NYC doctor used Applied Kineseology which is a muscle testing technique to find weaknesses in the body. Why have surgery if all this information is out there, and it works?
Well, this guy must think he’s a rock star or something, the way he lectured the 8 people at this meeting, for almost 2 hours! I’ve got things to do, mister! My eyes were rolling around in my head. I thought this was totally disrespectful of my own time. It was such a heavy sales pitch, like Rah Rah Chiropractic! Yayyyyy! Everyone in the room was clapping when he was done, but me.
Afterwards I waited in the hallway. Too noisy, hot, and whatever in that waiting room. The guy was ready and I saw him in one of the many treatment rooms. He started going over my chart. Well, I had to tell him what I thought of his waiting room, #1, and then his sale pitch, #2. I explained I am well aware of the various techniques and how they can help keep us in good health. I told him I do EFT, guided imagery, etc. Anyway, bottom line, he says I need 65 visits, twice a week, paid up front! Yikes! Um, I don’t think so. Why dump such a huge chunk of change in this guy’s hands? What if he goes under for some reason? What if I can’t continue? There were so many things wrong about this. I told him I had to sleep on it. He was shocked! He didn’t know what to do to keep me coming back to his practice. Ok, so the adjustment I finally had was really good and lasted until the next day, but to pay over $4000 to him then and there? Uh-uh.
So, here I am Googling through info. Do I have to make appointments with every chiropractor in my area to see who is normal and not a rock star? This is going to take time.
