Refering to a chiropractor and chiropractors refering to you

[Alek]

If you refer to a chiropractor, what conditions do your clients exibit that makes you do so?

And, if chiropractors refer to you, what conditions do they refer to you for?

 

[Devin]

I refer to a chiro when something is obviously out of whack. The first thing that comes to mind is when they lie on the table crooked, feeling straight. If they have to distort their bodies to feel straight, something is out of alignment! Also, if a treatment won't "hold", I suggest they see a chiro to find out if there is a spinal misalignment causing that.

The chiros refer to me for the same but opposite reason - if an adjustment just won't hold, there may be hypertonic muscles causing that. They also refer to me when a client wants to continue chiropractic care and they feel that they should release them, whether because insurance won't cover anymore, or they just feel they have done all they can do at that time. They send clients to me who just need the attention, etc.

I found a great chiropractic clinic in town that deals with a lot of the elderly who were pretty well neglected - the same clients I love to work with.

 

[Holly M]

I refer to a chiro when something is obviously out of whack. The first thing that comes to mind is when they lie on the table crooked, feeling straight. If they have to distort their bodies to feel straight, something is out of alignment! Also, if a treatment won't "hold", I suggest they see a chiro to find out if there is a spinal misalignment causing that.

In school, we were taught bones go where muscles go. If a muscle is tight and it happens to be pulling on the spinal cord, work that muscle and it will release. How do you know massage cant fix the problem? A rolfer could do the same thing.

You know, anyone you send to a chiropractor, the chiropractor is going to tell them they need chiropractic, and a lot of it at that.

 

[KACKbIP]

I refer to a chiro when something is obviously out of whack. The first thing that comes to mind is when they lie on the table crooked, feeling straight. If they have to distort their bodies to feel straight, something is out of alignment! Also, if a treatment won't "hold", I suggest they see a chiro to find out if there is a spinal misalignment causing that.

In school, we were taught bones go where muscles go. If a muscle is tight and it happens to be pulling on the spinal cord, work that muscle and it will release. How do you know massage cant fix the problem? A rolfer could do the same thing.

You know, anyone you send to a chiropractor, the chiropractor is going to tell them they need chiropractic, and a lot of it at that.

Working that muscle won't *always* release it. We don't negate chiropractic any more than they negate us. And not ALL chiros try to keep patients returning forever. There are good people in chiropractic medicine!

I don't see them as competition, but as partners.

 

[Badajoz]

I've had chiropractors refer clients to me for rotator cuff injuries, whiplash, general back pain, etc.

I will generally refer a client to a chiropractor if I think that massage alone will not alleviate the symptoms. If a client displayed symptoms of CTS, Sciatic pain, or if I believe there may be some spinal misalignment.

I however endeavor to broach the subject delicately about whether the client is open to chiropractic care or not. If they are open to it, I will sometimes suggest they see a chiropractor and give them a card for the one I happen to have a good referral relationship with ATM. Currently I don't have a particular DC that I refer to.

I believe Chiropractic and MT can be a good part of a client's health care team.

 

[Pompal 09.]

GL, given your second post, I wonder what you're really asking on this thread. Do you have a problem with chiropractic, or are you having a problem with a referral relationship?

As far as "bones go where muscles go" and "a rolfer could do the same thing" -- well, sure, often a client has a problem that might respond to several different healthcare approaches. Do I hear you saying that if soft-tissue work will affect change then that's preferable to chiropractic? I'm just not sure what I'm hearing.

To answer your original question, I guess I don't formally refer clients anywhere right now. Sometimes I recommend (or insist!) that they see their regular doc about something, but for everything else it's just a matter of occasionally giving info about other healthcare approaches (including chiropractic), agreeing with their *own* suggestion that they see their "regular person," at most offering a card.

For one thing, "referral" is such a specific term in healthcare any more that it almost always means sending a client/patient to a named practitioner and even helping arrange the appointment.

For another, the longer I am care for people, the more I realize that I often don't know what healthcare approach is going to work best for a client, and I don't want to try to sell them on any practice but massage. I don't want my clients thinking of me as a person who endorses certain types of healthcare practitioners and issues warnings about others. I have personal opinions about the various modalities, but right now I don't want those to influence my clients -- partly because I just don't know enough about many modalities to give accurate info, partly because I don't want clients forming their opinion of me based on my endorsement of techniques outside massage, and partly because I just don't know what their experiences w/other modalities are. (There are clients who have had very bad experiences w/every type of healthcare out there, and right now I don't feel like pushing those buttons.)

All current opinions subject to change!

 

[Gin]

I refer my clients to the chiro next door to me, not out of convenience, but I truly believe he can help. I refer for the obvious reasons (visibly out of whack, chronic pain that massage does not seem to help). I do NOT refer to the one I work for, becaues he IS out to make them patients for life. While the one I refer people to wants the most results from the fewest visits. He has told a couple of my clients that he could not help them, and refered them to their physician, so not all chiros are out to get $. He referes his PI patients to me regulary as well.

 

[Pompal 09.]

You know, anyone you send to a chiropractor, the chiropractor is going to tell them they need chiropractic, and a lot of it at that.

If you have this attitude about chiropractic, I can't imagine any reason you would refer to one. You don't seem to be open to chiropractic, so, your answer reads as closed off, no matter what someone would tell you.

You asked the question, but was it because you are interested in referring, or just to add threads to the forum.

Of course, ths thread will help someone, but I'm not getting the idea it is something you are really wanting to do.

I hope I have just mis-interpreted your response. If I have:

I suggest chiropractic when a client has ongoing complaints (could be "a crick" here or there or something such as digestive problems) that they feel the massage is not helping. Sometimes they just need a little extra help from a different type of care. I believe most of the time the client has a pretty good feel for their body and will give verbal clues when the massage is not working.

I love rolfing, but it is not for everyone. I love chiropractic, but again it is not for everyone. I try to get a feel for what my client needs, wants or likes and refer/recommend accordingly and as necessary. I also refer/recommend for acupuncture, denstistry and allopathic medicine. I even have a nutritionist I refer to. I like to keep the options open and have a bag of other tricks for other problems the client may be presenting with.

I also refer/recommend to other massage therapists. Just this week I referred 3 people to an MT who works completely different than I do.

 

[Melody]

That's funny. I remembered there being another thread on this forum that was similar to this a while ago. I did a quick search and discovered that thread was started by GrateLakes, too. There were great responses then, as well as now. Rather than repeat myself, here's a link to the thread:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8018

 

[Dodger Town]

I've been getting chiropractic since I was 7 years old, so I know when I am out of alignment and when I need to make an appointment. Chiropractic has helped me and many of my family members over the years.

That being said, I agree that not all DCs are created equal... just as all MTs are not created equal. And it has as much to do with personality and attitude as it does with a particular school of training. My advice is to take a poll in your next newsletter from among your clients, do they see a chiropractor, why, and who do they see? Ask around about town, who the best chiropractor is. Have a chiropractic adjustment from one of the chiros you are interested in referring to... so you can tell your clients what he's like from the patient's perspective. Meet with him in his office to talk... or "do lunch"... so you can determine whether you would have a good working relationship.

If you are really uncomfortable with the idea of referring out to a chiropractor, you may want to consider a DO instead. I don't know if your town has an Osteopath ... but I'm sure there would be several within 50-60 miles. Just something to consider... :roll:

 

[Pompal 09.]

That newsletter poll is a BRILLIANT idea! Mind if I steal it?

 

[Heidelzbth]

: Be my guest. Just let us know how it worked!

 

[Bubblerawk]

There are only 4 chiropractors I actively refer clients too. Have had work done by 2 of them, know the other 2 by reputation. Trust them all to treat my clients with loving compassion and sincerity. None of them tell clients that they "have to come back" for more sessions of chiropractic to solve the problem, unless it is the truth....

Just last week I referred an older gentleman to a chiropractor for treatment with deep heat ultrasound and electrostim - modalities I am excluding from using - because NONE of the techniques I know and love would keep his legs from being in total hypertonic fits for more than a day at most. Rather than have him keep suffering leg cramps that gave him fits, I referred out to someone who could do things for him I cannot. Both the chiropractor and the client phoned and thanked me for having the good sense to refer out because there was an underlying, undiscovered disc problem in the lumbosacral region that was aggravating severe sprain/strain to both legs from lifting a 28" snow plow into and out of a pickup truck 4 times in one day. The chiropractor's "Damned fine magical machines", as the client put it, have decreased the messy spasms in the legs, and the other work the chiropractor can do with the client to assist in alleviating the disc difficulties is also not in my scope of practice. The client will be back to see me when it is appropriate, and the chiropractor has referred many clients back to me for massage and/or energy work to aid him in his endeavors on behalf of his patients.

It works the same way with the other 3 fine practitioners as well. Yes, there are chiropractors out there that leave you feeling like you've been run over by a Buick Roadmaster at 80 mph, and, they are the ones, in my personal experience, who insist on multiples of appointments "just because".......... they aren't the ones I work with, nor would I.

Chiropractors, physicians, etc are my colleagues, not my competition, nor my enemies.

 

[lvgeno]

I have a chiropractor that I refer to and in fact I see him myself. I don't go often (although I need to get in to see him soon) but I do go when I feel like my head is screwed on wrong and massage just doesn't help.

I like him for many reasons. He doesn't push the chiropractic "cures" all BS (sorry but this is one of my pet peeves) but obviously he believes that it helps many people and he believes in his work. The minimum amount of time he spends with a patient is 15 minutes and that is only for well established patients who need only minor "tune-ups." The 1st visit is a one hour visit, he is very thorough and does a lot of muscle testing. He does not tell people to come in for 3 times a week until their insurance runs out. In fact, most of his patients are cash rather than insurance. He is gentle and yet effective so I'm not afraid to send him "fragile" clients. He is not afraid to refer out, in fact one of my clients that I referred to him, he sent to a neurologist after his initial consultation.

He has his own massage therapist (who is an excellent therapist) While this means that he doesn't refer clients back to me he is very careful to make sure that any clients I refer to him stay with me.

I always "feel" the client out first before I suggest chiropractic to make sure they are open to it. Same with accupuncture, homeopathy, yoga etc..... I feel that most complimentary medicine is just that, they compliment each other not compete with each other.

Angie