OpENING MINDS TO THE BIGGER pICTURE By Dr. Steven J. Silk The past 30 years have seen a distinct attempt to leverage our significant success in helping people with spinal pain into a raison d’être for the en- tire profession. From educational pro- grams focused on the limited scope of care of spinal therapeutics, to profes- sional ad campaigns centred around sore backs, the push to position our- selves as “spinal specialists” has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet failed to move the profession forward on any meaningful level. The mantra of “bring ‘em in for back pain and educate them on the big picture once they’re in” has been repeated ad nauseam. But has it worked? It could be easily argued that today’s chiropractor is working harder but generating less income than he/ she could have in the ‘70s. As well, the fight for the back pain market has become much more congested. If we wish to move beyond our current circumstance, then, it is obvious that something has to change. The Chiropractic Awareness Council of Ontario (CAC) is determined to be a positive force in helping to create that change. CAC has recently entered into an agreement with Open magazine for a series of progressive co-op ads in that publication. Open was chosen because of its growing circulation as well as its broad-based appeal to our target audience of “decision-makers” between the ages of 25 and 50. The campaign is designed to help reposi- tion the public’s awareness of chiro- practic to a more broad-based per- spective than it currently has. While not aimed at diminishing the effect we have on all types of spinal-centred suf- fering, the goal is to create an aware- ness that chiropractic care has much more to offer than relief of acute pain syndromes. When the first CAC advertorial – titled “10 Myths About Chiroprac- tic” – created an increase in traffic to the CAC public information website, www.CAC4Life.com, we realized we were on to something. The concept of this piece was simple: address the most common misunderstandings regarding chiropractic, and share the truth. The second ad, “Help for a Sick Society,” will be introduced in the spring issue of Open. At the heart of this piece is a straightforward discussion that the status quo in health care is failing mis- erably, while positioning the logic that chiropractic is a viable alternative. Over the next year, CAC-Ontario will present various health topics, in adver- torial format, that will set the stage for the long-overdue and much-required task of repositioning chiropractic in a manner that goes far beyond spinal “conditions,” that is to say, the type of practice that the majority of the profession has an affiity for. If we wish to truly meet our potential of giving our highest level of service to our communities, we need to ensure those communities truly understand what that potential is. The CAC-Ontario co-op ad campaign is a step in the right direction to making this wish a reality. e xperience Matrix repatterning for practitioners Join us at the Matrix Repatterning Center for a free evening talk and demonstration by Dr. George Roth, BSc, DC, ND. 7:00 – 9:00 pm Wednesday, March 4, 2009 See and experience why Matrix Repatterning can help you: n Get amazing results fast n Minimize the physical demands of clinical practice n Complement your knowledge base Matrix Repatterning Center 33 Victoria Street, Aurora Ontario, Canada L4G 1R1 30 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2009 n Increase your referral base n Make your practice more fun— and profitable! n Treat the whole body Reserve your seat today @ www.matrixrepatterning.com or call 1-877-905-7684. ® ECU 2009 CONVENTION – ‘CHIROpRACTIC, A VITAL SCIENCE’ The Association of Italian Chiropractors (AIC) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the European Chiropractors’ Union (ECU) 2009 Convention in Algh- ero Sardinia, from May 21-23. Themed “Chiropractic, A Vital Science”, the event will be held at the Hotel Carlos V, a gorgeous albergo right on the sea in Sardinia. Early bird registration is avail- able until March 1, 2009 by visiting www. associazionechiropratici.it. The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Division of Continuing Educa- tion will provide Continuing Education Credits for all Canadian participants attending the ECU 2009 Convention upon presentation of an official certifi- cate of attendance from the European Academy of Chiropractic. Unforgettable boat tours, show- casing bluer-than-blue Sardinian wa- ters along the lovely shoreline, will be made available through conven- tion organizers.” www.canadianchiropractor.ca news
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor Febuary 2009: Page 30
