Why I Refuse to Bully Patients into Care Plans: A Chiropractor’s Confession

Would you buy a used car from this chiropractor?

I have been a chiropractor for approximately 30 years. I love what I do. I love that I get to do something I enjoy. I know that’s a privilege because not everyone has that luxury.

I have a lot of opinions on a variety of subjects, but I usually keep quiet about stuff relating to my profession.

Here’s the problem: what other chiropractors do in their offices affects me.

I’ve worked my ass off in my little corner of the world to establish my reputation, and I’d be willing to bet that if you asked someone in my town about me, they’d usually say they’ve at least heard of me and that I’m pretty good at what I do.

When I first arrived in the town I’m currently at, I noticed that when I adjusted women, their husbands or boyfriends would always watch and give me the death stare. I didn’t think much of it until I brought it up to someone, and they told me that a chiropractor in town was well-known for sleeping with married women and was very brazen in how he solicited them. They were his patients! So, people came in assuming all chiropractors were this way.

Nowadays, it’s these docs who’ve been to a few marketing seminars and are scaring people into buying care plans for thousands of dollars. Listen, I couldn’t care less what other chiropractors charge—more power to them if they can get paid well for their services. The problem is, they aren’t delivering.

More and more, I’m seeing new clients come to me with stories of being seen 20-30 times with no relief. 20-30 times? Are you freaking kidding me? And going into debt pre-paying for the visits.

I “catch” some of these people because I generally have a good reputation, and when one of these clients tells their story, someone will usually mention they should come see me. But what about the ones I don’t catch? Are they going to walk around thinking all chiropractors are shysters and rip-off artists?

I think the profession needs to do something.

I used to work (briefly) for a group that taught how to “close.” We had to:

• Not discuss anything related to money until the report of findings (2nd visit).

• Tell them to come to the report of findings with their spouse and checkbook.

• “Ruin” the patient—go over the X-ray findings with a somber face, give them the bad news (pat their hand, say “I’m sorry”) to make them think these are really, really bad results.

• Learn how to handle objections, and if they stood up to leave—get up and physically block the exit (but in a covert way).

Basically, we were taught how to bully a patient into signing up for a care plan.

That left a bad taste in my mouth, and I vowed that when I had my own office, I’d do things differently. I spoke to friends about it, and they said that’s just how it was—if you wanted to make a living, you had to do things that way. That’s where the profession was going, and you might as well get on the bandwagon.

I didn’t want to leave chiropractic, but I also didn’t want to feel like a sales guy. I’ve sold vacuum cleaners, real estate, Amway, MLMs of all kinds, and goddamn it, I didn’t go to school that long to have to do that shit again!

When I set up my own office, everything had to be transparent. We have all our rates posted online, all our plans are up front. If someone doesn’t want to purchase a pre-paid plan, no worries—just pay when you come in. No need to stress over it.

I’ve stuck to that promise for years now, and it’s worked. My patients trust me because they know I’m not here to fleece them. They come in, get the care they need, and leave feeling better—not broke. But I can’t help feeling like I’m fighting an uphill battle. The stories keep coming—people manipulated into care they don’t need, scared into thinking their spines are falling apart, or just plain ignored when they don’t get results. It’s not just bad for them; it’s bad for all of us who actually care about this work.

I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: the chiropractic profession needs a reckoning. We need to call out the grifters and the high-pressure sales tactics. We need to set a standard that says if you’re going to take someone’s money, you damn well better deliver results—or at least be honest when you can’t. I’m not saying every chiropractor has to run their practice like mine, but we’ve got to stop pretending it’s okay to treat patients like marks in a con game.

For me, I’ll keep doing what I do—adjusting spines, helping people, and sleeping at night knowing I’m not part of the problem. Maybe if enough of us stand up, the profession can get back to what it’s supposed to be about: actually making a difference, not just making a buck.

What did you think? Agree? Did I make you mad? Let me know!

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