Real-Life Communication
Every doctor, no matter what the field, has to deal with difficult
patients. It's one of the few drawbacks of the profession. As a chiropractor,
you have many satisfied patients who trust your judgment. But you also have
some that expect miracles. Take Mr. Browning, for example.
You've been
seeing Mr. Browning for six months. Every time he returns to your office he
claims to be in worse pain than the time before. You know why. Even though
you've told him to cut down to one or two games of golf a week, he plays at
least five a week! You know because you see him on the course on your drive
to work!
But Mr. Browning doesn't believe that golfing is the problem.
So you have to convince him once and for all -- before he does himself even
more harm. He suffers from a slightly ruptured disk in his lower (lumbar)
spine. During his office visits, you realign his spine ever-so-slightly to
relieve the pressure on the disk (part of the spine) that causes the pain
and discomfort.
But each time he plays golf, the swings put the disk
back out of alignment. The first few swings probably undo all your good work.
The next few dozen put him into increasing pain.
How do you explain
this to Mr. Browning? Remember to be clear and concise. You want him to understand
the medical problem and how serious it is. If he continues, he'll hurt himself
so badly golf will be out of the question. For background information, you
might want to check out:
How to Become a Chiropractor
Internet:https://www.coursera.org/articles/how-to-become-a-chiropractor