I spend a fair amount of time referring people to chiropractors.
When I do a spinal screening and find that an individual is interested in care, but is not willing to drive the distance to my office, I work to find them a good chiropractor in their area. In addition to screenings, on any given weekend I am likely to be off in a field doing medieval re-creation with the Society for Creative Anachronism, riding my motorcycle, or hiking somewhere in the beautiful areas around the upstate. As such, I meet lots of people and I always end up talking chiropractic with them. I support Sherman's mission of bringing straight chiropractic to the world by talking with everyone I can about "The Big Idea". Just because they aren't going to come to my office doesn't mean I don't care about them. Let me give you a few examples.
A spinal screening in Anderson, SC that resulted in a grand total of two visits in my office, but over 20 referrals to other chiropractors.
At least a dozen people I know from motorcycle activities referred to DCs throughout the southeast.
Another handful of folks from the medieval stuff, from Maryland to Georgia.
The friend of a patient who lives in Massachusetts.
A friend from Charleston, more on that here.
And my favorite one: I was on the phone with a customer service rep from AT&T who noticed "Chiropractic" in the billing account information. She said "I wish you were in my area, I need a good chiropractor." Within 24 hours she was referred to Dr. Grostic in Kennesaw, GA. It is unlikely that I will ever meet Tina, but I know to have a slight footnote in her memoirs as the guy who helped her find a chiropractor that changed her life.
I have a process I go through to find a good referral. First, If I don't already know someone in the area, I check the Sherman College Alumni Directory. I also search chirodirectory.com, which is nice because it is info uploaded by the office itself about technique and schooling. Once I have that list, I call around and talk to them. I ask about philosophy and if they use therapeutic modalities and such. Often I find chiropractors that are friendly and dedicated to providing real chiropractic. Occasionally I run into graduates from other "Health Sciences" schools that barely know what chiropractic is. That is why the school you choose and the opportunities you explore while there matter the most. I don't just refer to Sherman grads or just to upper cervical DCs, but I only refer to those that share our focus and passion.
It is almost over-quoted but I think it fits. B.J. Palmer often said "You never know how far reaching something you think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow."
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