After reading Gladwell’s book, I thought what better way to understand the needs of our athletes than to ask them, directly, what they want. So, I did just that. I consulted some of my con-tacts to create a panel of nine professional and amateur athletes. My purpose was to ask them the questions that chiropractors are trying to answer. MEET MY EXPERT PANEL: • Garrett McIntyre (GM), linebacker, NFL’s New York Jets • Stevie Baggs Jr (SB), linebacker CFL Calgary Stampeders • Belton Johnson (BJ), lineman, CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos • Brian Simmons (BS), lineman, CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats • Terry Grant (TG), running back, CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats • Pat Woodcock (PW), receiver, retired eight-year veteran of the NFL and CFL, Grey Cup Champion, and owner of Elite Performance Academy • Evan McEneny (EM), defenseman, member of NHL’s Van-couver Canucks • Chelsey Nash (CN), world champion professional kick-boxer under 65 kg • Lucas Ferritto (LF), striker, NCAA’s Men’s Soccer, Simon Fraser University I put four questions to my panel – the responses are meant to influence the way chiropractors and future patient-athletes interact. 1 What does a high-performance athlete look for when choosing a clinic or practitioner? BJ: The greatest factors in selecting a sports clinic or a practi-tioner for my sport related health-care needs are word of mouth and that they are able to provide solid manual treatment. CN: When looking to sports clinics, I generally go based on opinions and recommendations from other athletes I know and trust. I assume that if they are happy with their doctor and are seeing results, then I should too. A referral will get me in the door; high-quality results are what keeps me there! PW: Over the course of a season, an athlete might require ART, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and more. The more skills a practitioner has, the better it is for the athlete. SB: I choose my doctors based on reputation. If other re-spected athletes recommend them, and if they do acupuncture and muscle work, I am there. TG: Most athletes look for sports clinics and practitioners that are well known among their teammates. In my opinion, a sports clinic or practitioner’s reputation among other athletes is the greatest factor. GM: The biggest thing I look for is someone who under-stands the kind of treatment I need. I prefer more muscle treat-ment rather than someone who cracks you. I want someone who understands what I am looking for and will base their treatments on that. As you know I am pretty in tune with my body, so I also like a therapist who can explain to me why they are doing what they do. BS: Is the clinician familiar with many forms of treatments like acupuncture and muscle work? Are they familiar with the concerns specifically related to my profession and position? Do Practice OpportUnity‘13 Your window of opportunity is here. Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. CMCC — CCPA Hall Recruiting...selling...seeking employment? Are you a chiropractor looking for an associate or a buyer for your practice? Are you a company looking to sell or promote your product or service to students who will soon be in practice? Join us for Practice OpportUnity ‘13 and network with over 300 chiropractic students, interns, recent graduates, and faculty. The profession is invited to visit the tradeshow from 2:30 -4:00 p.m. A great opportunity to see your suppliers and meet new ones. Attend in person or send in your practice opportunity for display. Space is limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis, so book today! Gold Sponsor: Ontario Chiropractic Association Media Sponsor: Canadian Chiropractor Magazine www.canadianchiropractor.ca Silver Sponsor: The Orthotic Group CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | DECEMBER 2012 • 37 For exhibitor information, sponsorship, or to register: Web: www.cmcc.ca/ PracticeOpportUnity Phone: 416 482 2340 or 1 800 669 2959 ext. 200 Email: [email protected]
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor December 2012: Page 37
