The value of conservative care

Conservative care can mean different things to different people. For some, it is trying pharmacy before surgery. For others, it is lifestyle modifications or avoiding the doctor’s office altogether. Point being, conservative care exists on a spectrum. I confidently say that all doctors, including the best orthopedic surgeons in the world, advocate for conservative care. I say this because once a medical intervention is introduced, it is impossible to go back. This includes both pharmacy, surgery, and other elements on the aggressive side of the conservative care spectrum.

It all starts with lifestyle modifications

In the event you find yourself in a doctor’s office, chances are you have tried to self administer some form or self-guided healthcare prior to ending up there. While good intentioned, you didn’t achieve the results for which you were looking. You end up scheduling a doctor’s appointment in an effort to seek guidance and get answers. Your goal is to take control of your own health, but you leave the doctor’s office without answers. The experience varies for most, but your visit may have looked like this:

Filling out paperwork in the lobby

Getting your vitals taken and history reviewed by a nurse’s aid or assistant of sorts

Waiting for the doctor to finally make it to your room

Only getting a few minutes of the doctor’s time to have symptoms glossed over and a recommendation made for PT or a medication that feels short-sighted in nature

You are left with no answers for the questions you had and are arguably another step behind from where you were to begin with.

The difference in medical training

The reality is that doctors of all professions are trained differently. We all gravitate towards our own interests based on our experiences, our understanding, our mentors, and our professors throughout our education. When looking at healthcare experiences through this lens, it is more practical to understand how no two doctor visits are the same experience for anyone. If you see a surgeon, you’ll get a plan that includes surgery as an end result. If you see a PT, you’ll get a plan the ends with physical therapy. If you see a dietitian, you’ll be placed on a dietary plan. If you see a chiropractor, this is when things get interesting.

The training of chiropractors

Chiropractors provide a wide range of services. There are those that only adjust the spine, others that include rehab based movement/exercise plans, others that only do supplementation and wellness, and those that focus on conditions like brain injuries. This is all comes back to the point made above when it comes to training. Each and every chiropractic student pursues a chiropractic degree for their own reason or their own experience. Ultimately, a doctor of chiropractic degree allows for a scope of practice that can cover a range of philosophies. Doctors of chiropractic receive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, endocrinology, bacteriology, biomechanics, physiologic therapeutics and come from all sorts of backgrounds. Add on top the specialty post-graduate training programs that exist after graduation and the range becomes even greater. However, at its root, chiropractic care lends itself to conversative care. I don’t claim to speak for all chiropractors, but I do speak from my own experience and my own philosophy. This philosophy is rooted in the science of our nervous system. See our nervous system controls every cell, gland, tissue, and organ in the body. My training specifically is in functional neurology. This training is rigorous clinical neuroscience training that includes anatomy and physiology of the entirety of the nervous system, both the central and peripheral nervous system and the components that make up each. This understanding lends itself to being able to analyze posture, movement patterns, sensory input and other neurological findings to create a specific neurological treatment plan. This doesn’t only apply to brain injuries, but conditions like chronic pain, muscle weakness, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many others.

What does all of this mean?

At the end of the day, I am a fighter of medical autonomy. I wish all patients to have access to the care of their preference through the practitioners of their preference, chiropractor or not. When medical autonomy is abolished there is less room for healing. There is less room for opposing views. There is less avenues to explore. What may work for one patient, may not work for the other. Human biology is complex, healing is complex, and the ability to pursue care in alignment with one’s goals and preferences is ultimately what will lead to the best outcome. So all of this to say, if you find yourself in a doctor’s office that isn’t the right fit for you, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a doctor out there that is a match for the care you desire. One core value I will always stand up for and believe in, is that of conservative care first. What conservative care means to me, may not be what it means to you, or others. I encourage those of you seeking medical help to do your research, to explore different experiences, and try to best understand what approach it is that will lead to the best outcome for your health.