Dear Doctor:

Labor Day heralds the onset of the new school year, and the opportunities for helping people with chiropractic care abound. In many states, it is mandatory that children be screened for scoliosis, and if you are in one of these states, inform your patients who are parents about this law, and suggest that instead of having the school nurse or gym teacher do it in school, that they bring their children to you for a more expert opinion. Reassure them that most school age children go through growth spurts which involve spinal changes, and that your quick and painless screening will rule out serious problems and help educate them and the child on health and wellness information.

If your state does not require such an examination, you can still encourage the parents in your practice to arrange for a screening – just let them know that in many places, it’s the law, but that in your state, parents must take matters into their own hands, to look out for their kids. It’s all the more important, if no one in school is going to explain the value of a healthy spine, that the parents allow you to address that need.

But don’t stop at your office’s boundaries – every school has many kids whose families are not under regular chiropractic care, which provides not only a chance to help a lot of families, but to recruit new patients for your office. It is imperative that you be subtle and classy – don’t make the school sorry they let you in to do a screening. Rather, distribute information, and be very selective and professional about the children who you schedule for follow-up care.

Develop a relationship – most kids are pretty sturdy, it isn’t devastating in most cases to proceed with dignity and let the process unfold over weeks and months, even years. Don’t run the risk of ruining your chances of having these kids in your practice by being too aggressive and being perceived as too hungry.

Be patient, loving, and thorough – create relationships with key school officials, administrators, teachers, coaches, and even the leaders of the student body if it’s appropriate. Be visible in the schools, as a speaker, screener, advisor and friend. Earn their trust and confidence, and when the time comes, make your case, and you’ll see, you’ll have a great return on your investment of time and energy. It’s a phenomenal way to build your practice and make a big difference in your community – try it and see.

Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle

PS The Masters Circle SuperConference is the can’t miss seminar of the year – John DeMartini, Patrick Gentempo, Bruce Lipton, Larry Markson, Bob Hoffman, not to mention world renowned authors Paul Zane Pilzer and Brian Tracy – this is THE event of 2004! To register, or for more information, please call 800-451-4514, or visit themasterscircle.com.

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