Redirecting Your Practice The best time may be now “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy he fi rst years in practice are often fi lled with challenge, always filled with learning, and usually quite exhilarating. It is a time of tremendous growth as you build your practice from patient zero toward a steady stream of dedicated patients. It may be likened to a new marriage – all new and exciting with a strong commitment to making it work. Now fl ash forward fi ve or 10 years in time. You have an established clinic, a good reputation, and a consistent routine. Are you still satisfi ed or are you missing T Laser treatment on a patient in clinic. Dr. Rhonda Mostyn, a chiropractor and certified laser technician, is the clinic director at Theralase, a lead- ing Canadian manufacturer and distributor of cold lasers. As director, she oversees all aspects of patient laser treatment programs, clinical trials, training,and practitioner edu- cation. She has lectured extensively and published numerous articles on the topic of laser therapy. Prior to joining Theralase,Dr.Mostyn was the director of a multidisciplinary wellness clinic in Toronto from 1996-2006. that old spark of excitement you experienced in the early days? Of course there is comfort in the consistency of an established practice, but there is challenge and energy in effecting change. If you are ready to make a change, there are many choices available. You can learn a new technique, renovate, relocate, add a new service or a new practitioner. The challenge is in selecting a good fi t for you and your practice. Take your time and choose wisely if you are looking for a new direction for your practice. Ask yourself: will this change give me a renewed enthusiasm for practice? Will it be of interest to my patients? Will it help grow my practice? Does it have long- lasting appeal to both myself and my patients? In this article, I would like to talk about making transitions in practice by sharing with you the changes that I have made in my own practice, why I chose these innova- tions and how they have worked for me and my patients. CHOOSING CHANGE – FROM WELLNESS CLINIC TO LASER CLINIC The path I chose took me through a signifi cant shift in philosophy and patient care model. After 10 years as a wellness practitioner treating mostly spinal conditions and using hands-on techniques, I was ready for my change. I decided to advance in the area of tech- nology by bringing cold laser therapy into my practice. Incorporating laser as a primary modality in practice helped me grow as a practitioner, and has moved my practice in new directions. I’ve studied the technology and learned the art of treating with laser. I’ve increased my knowledge in extremity and sports injury treatments, including orthopedic tests and presenting symptoms, as having the laser has attracted this demographic of patients into my clinic. I have increased my base of seniors, a booming population, since I have a new tool that works so effectively for those suffering from painful, chronic arthritis. I have attracted patients seeking “needle-less acupuncture” since my laser is equipped with a laser acupuncture probe. Making this change has not only attracted new laser patients to my clinic, it has also increased the number of chiropractic patients whom I have been able to treat. Once com- fortable in the clinic, and with me as their health practitioner, these new patients often 26 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | OCTOBER 2009 www.canadianchiropractor.ca Rhonda Mostyn, BSc, DC, Cert. LT feature
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