Different but the same
It is 1999, I am in my fourth year of training as a Chiropractic and we are being taught by a full-time practising Chiropractor for the first time
He is teaching us Sacro-occipital technique (SOT) and he is saying things that I have never heard of but it is really piquing my interest.
He is telling us the cranium and jaw are linked to the pelvis and affect the whole spine/body (sounds a bit far fetched but he is doing some interesting tests).
He speaks differently to the tutors, he has an air of confidence and authenticity when talking about actual patient results, there is something believable about it all, you can feel it.
He is telling us you shouldn’t eat hydrogenated fats (no idea what they are) like margarine because they increase inflammation, turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory (we agree to go for curry that night) and shop bought multivitamins like centrum a-z are crap.
This is all news to me (at this point I am stuffing my slightly puffy face with gluten and hydrogenated fats almost hourly, washed down with lager).
Those lessons gave me something I still use to this day and it makes me different to quite a few Chiropractic colleagues.
If you understand the stomatognathic system and its effects through the neuromechanical system, you have a level of understanding that (IMO) takes you to beyond the average.
So I am different in some ways to my Chiropractic colleagues, but also of course the same.
This was very obvious on Tuesday night I had the pleasure of chatting the Steve Bruce and the lovely people at the Academy of physical medicine about vitamin D.
https://www.
Steve is an Osteopath and thus we are different.
But he also uses cranial work, so we are also the same.
The label I use to describe my profession does not dictate the way I practice.
Not all Chiropractors are the same, why would they be?
Some of my colleagues are amazing results-oriented practitioners and some are all about theory and fluff – we are the same but different.
This is the same in all areas of life and it is especially important to re-learn what you previously knew, in the context of today’s highly charged society.
The colour of your skin, gender, sexuality, accent, hair colour, income, profession, and any other variable do not dictate your opinions or behaviour.
To suggest that one variable can allow you to ascertain the character of a human being is illogical, discriminatory and (IMO) probably racist.
Priti Patel, for example, is a BAME, straight female, currently a Conservative MP and current secretary of state. She opposed same-sex marriage and argued for the restoration of the death penalty.
Shami Chakrabarti is a BAME straight female, who is a barrister and human right lawyer, currently the shadow attorney general for England and Wales.
They are the same (in ethnicity, sexuality and gender) and yet have completely different views.
We should live in a meritocracy where the people irrespective of any personal traits has an equal opportunity to get what they want in life (I think that makes me an egalitarian?)
In my experience, all the really talented, results-orientated practitioners often preach the same thing.
Test something meaningful (like ROM, pain or muscle strength), apply a treatment, then re-test.
If what you did was meaningful, you should see a difference and the next visit you should have some retention of the difference.
We should all be aiming for clinically meaningful and sustainable results.
Three masterful practitioners have all taught me that using completely different techniques, using different language, each from a different profession, but in essence, they are all the same.
Simon King DC taught me muscle testing and how to make a true neurological input to the patient, primarily (though not exclusively) through manipulation. He gets incredible results where others have failed. www.afferentinput.org
William Brady DC taught me about muscle and fascial adhesions and how to find and fix them. He is 99% soft tissue based and gets incredible results where others have failed. www.integrativediagnosis.com
Brian Mulligan PT, the same thing all via mobilisation. He gets incredible results where others have failed.
They are all different but the same.
My goal is to create a group of results oriented neuromechanical practitioners.
I couldn’t care less what you call yourself (or how much melanin is in your skin, who you love, or if you are an XY or XX), as long as you are all about results.
We will be the same but all different (like society).
ACTION TO TAKE
- Check out the Academy of Physical Medicine for CPD https://www.
academyofphysicalmedicine.co. uk - The Chiropractor that taught me in 1999 was Steve Williams, check out his awesome paediatrics courses here https://www.
academyoffunctionalpediatrics. com - Fun fact: Steve is not only a world class Paediatric Chiropractor but also a world class David Hasselhoff impersonator (available for weddings, birthdays and bar mitzvahs)
