Chiropractors
Diagnose, manage and prevent mechanical disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system, and the effects these disorders have on the function of the nervous system and general health.
A full day at the clinic
You are a chiropractor at a small clinic you share with a part-time receptionist, with a day of booked patients and a few that were fitted in. It is 9am. Patients are lined up through the morning, the phone keeps ringing and a few of today's appointments are going to need more than the standard time.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
Just do the usual, mate. The click really helps and I feel great afterwards. I don't need the questions every time, I come in monthly. Can we get on with it?
Do the usual treatment without the questions, since he knows his own body and comes in monthly
You miss that he mentioned a new pain on the way in. Skipping the check-in is how a change goes unnoticed for months.
Keep the questions short and friendly, check what has changed, and then treat
Brett grumbles, then mentions a pain that is new. You adjust your approach accordingly. He leaves a little irritated but better looked after than he asked to be.
Explain that the check keeps him safe and ask what has changed first
He rolls his eyes but answers, and you find he has started a new job lifting boxes. You adjust the plan, and he sees the questions have a purpose.
My baby keeps getting ear infections and the doctor just wants to give antibiotics. A friend told me chiropractors can treat this without drugs. Can you treat my baby instead?
Explain you are not the right person for this and encourage her to see the doctor
She is disappointed, but she listens. You suggest questions to ask the doctor about repeated infections. She thanks you for being honest about what you can and can't help with.
Book her in for an assessment of the baby, because you can at least take a look
Delaying proper medical care for a baby with repeated infections could cause harm, and you have implied that you can help. Knowing your scope is part of safe practice.
Say you can't help and leave it there, because you don't want to give medical advice about a baby
You stay in your scope, but she is left with the original problem and a friend's advice. She may follow a worse suggestion because you did not point to a better one.
A woman just arrived with her teenage son, who injured his shoulder at football yesterday. They have no booking. The next patient is a regular who is running early. Can we fit the boy in?
Take a quick look at the shoulder now and fit the regular in afterwards
You see the boy briefly. The regular is kept waiting, and you rush a little. The shoulder looks like it needs more than a quick look.
Send them away and tell them to book for another day, because the schedule is full
They leave without help, and the shoulder gets worse overnight. A quick assessment, even without treatment, might have told them whether to see a doctor.
Ask Lena to take brief details, assess whether he needs urgent care, and offer a proper time slot
You decide he needs an x-ray at a doctor, and tell his mother clearly why. They leave with a plan, and the regular patient is only a few minutes behind.
How it went
By evening you are tired, but things were handled. Being a chiropractor is hands-on and also about asking good questions, being honest about your limits and knowing when to refer someone to another professional. Does that mix of caring and judgement appeal to you?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The sore back that was not just a sore back
A fictional case set in a small chiropractic clinic with a reception area and two treatment rooms.
The situation
Arjun ran a small chiropractic clinic. Gloria, a regular patient in her fifties, came in for her usual back pain. She mentioned in passing that she had also been feeling unusually tired and had lost some weight without trying. She waved it away and said she just wanted her back sorted out as normal. Arjun had a full day, Gloria was a friendly patient who trusted him, and her usual treatment would have been the easy and expected thing to do.
What they did
Arjun stopped and asked more questions about the tiredness and weight change, and how long it had been going on. He explained to Gloria that her back pain might be only part of what was going on and that these other things were outside what he could assess. He was kind and calm and did not alarm her. He wrote a letter for her doctor, saying what he had found and why he suggested a check, and booked her in for a follow-up in a week.
How it turned out
Gloria saw her doctor, who ordered tests, and she was treated for a separate condition. Her back pain was eased too. She told Arjun she'd been about to ignore it. He said he'd learned that listening to a throwaway comment is worth the time.
What would you do?
- Why was it important that Arjun asked about the extra symptoms?
- How would you tell a friendly patient that something is outside your scope?
- What might make it tempting to just do the usual treatment?