Systems Chiropractic
Precise and Holistic
Where clinical excellence meets systems thinking
Insights
Through years in healthcare, I’ve gained perspectives that shape both my practice and my understanding of healing as an art and a science. These reflections—born from personal experiences, professional encounters, and countless patient interactions—highlight the balance of expertise, continuous learning, and human connection at the core of meaningful care. Each insight shared here tells a story, challenges convention, or reinforces timeless wisdom that guides our healing mission. Whether you're a chiropractor, healthcare practitioner, student, or someone curious about healthcare’s evolving landscape, I hope these perspectives spark thought and illuminate new paths in your journey.
Knowledge, Compassion, and Harmony: Breaking Healthcare Boundaries
My cousin, an orthopedic surgeon much older than me, graduated from a Japanese medical school and practiced in a Canadian border city. He was the first to introduce me to chiropractic care. With a greater orthopedic demand than he could personally handle, he was deeply concerned about addressing the "pain" cases that were typically treated by a chiropractor. In this small city, professional connections intertwined—his clinical nurse happened to be close friends with the local chiropractor. Through her, he heard glowing reviews about the chiropractor’s work, and from his own patients, he learned that many were directed to the chiropractor while simultaneously seeking medication from him.
Despite his conservative approach, my cousin had a deep commitment to open-minded learning. He possessed a powerful treatment tool—a hydrocortisone-procaine injection—but reserved it for cases of absolute necessity. In pursuit of alternative pain management strategies, he attended seminars on Dr. Travell's spray-and-stretch trigger point techniques. Later, he expanded his knowledge further, learning articular manipulation, muscle energy techniques, and cranial osteopathy from osteopathic doctors in the United States.
His encouragement played a crucial role in my decision to pursue chiropractic. In 1977, I visited him on a holiday break. Through this visit, I met the cardiologist who had introduced him to osteopathy. The cardiologist was an outlier among his colleagues—many avoided discussing his work because he incorporated manipulation into his treatments, similar to an osteopath. He demonstrated a technique he regularly used, a bilateral occipital lift in the supine position, and explained how he had observed tangible improvements in his patients.
This visit also became an opportunity for my cousin to personally meet the chiropractor. What I witnessed between them was a mutual respect rooted in their shared dedication to patient care.
To me, harmony among healthcare professionals arises naturally from a genuine commitment to humanity. Our pursuit of knowledge must never cease. While our profession naturally attracts patients with musculoskeletal concerns and pain-related conditions, we must never overlook the broader effects of our treatment—its benefits may extend beyond the conditions we directly address. My conclusion remains simple: we treat the patient, not merely the condition they present with.
A Body in Decline: Understanding Pain Beyond Injury
A few years before my retirement, a government department asked me to assess whether a chiropractor had been negligent in treating a patient. I received relevant case details and a thick stack of hospital records for review.
The patient sustained a work-related injury in her mid-forties, leaving her with persistent discomfort. For seven years, she managed her spinal issues with medication and limited rehabilitation. By the time she sought chiropractic care in her early fifties, her health had deteriorated beyond the original injury—her muscles had weakened, her endurance had faded, and even routine movements had become exhausting. This significant deconditioning had taken hold during what should have been her peak productive years.
She hoped to find relief where conventional medicine had fallen short, so she turned to chiropractic care. Over several weeks, she underwent multiple treatments, expecting improvement. Yet, instead of relief, she experienced only greater pain. Her knees continued to ache, her mobility remained restricted, and frustration set in.
Eventually, she discontinued chiropractic treatment, convinced it had failed her, or perhaps even worsened her condition. She returned to the hospital, consulting various specialists not only for her persistent pain but also for other general health concerns. However, despite her worsening symptoms, medical tests revealed no signs of new injury. An MRI showed only chronic wear-and-tear, with no indication that chiropractic adjustments had caused structural harm.
Two pages from a pain specialist stood out among sixteen medical doctors' notes. From his observations, I reconstructed the following scenario:
The specialist first examined the patient three years after her spinal injury, noting signs of a pain disorder with symptom exaggeration. Five years later, during their second consultation, he adopted a different approach—rather than conducting a physical examination, he focused on understanding her daily activities and observing her lower limbs. He noted that her condition had deteriorated further, her muscles exhibiting increased signs of deconditioning.
From these two interactions, spanning half a decade, the specialist concluded that her condition was unlikely to improve through rehabilitation. Instead of prescribing additional treatments or referring her to other specialists, he took a direct approach, encouraging her to exercise at home despite her pain.
Though he did not elaborate on his reasoning, his recommendation aligned with clinical science. Years of inactivity had left her body weakened, making recovery through passive treatments improbable.
To the patient, the timeline appeared straightforward—her condition had not improved following chiropractic care, and in her mind, that meant the treatment had failed or even worsened her symptoms. However, the reality was far more complex. Her experience was shaped by prolonged deconditioning, heightened pain sensitivity, and a nervous system wired to misinterpret normal sensations as suffering.
After thoroughly reviewing all records, I concluded that the chiropractor had acted within the standard of care expected from any competent practitioner in similar circumstances.
Yet, in retirement, I see this case as more than just a question of negligence—it is an opportunity for professional growth. While the chiropractor met the legal standard, should we not strive for better? Should we not refine our clinical judgment to recognize when a patient’s condition calls for a different approach? Deepening our understanding of pain disorders, deconditioning, and abnormal illness behavior could help us serve patients more effectively. Sometimes, the most professional decision is knowing when not to treat—or when to adjust our approach to align with current pain science.
Ultimately, patient welfare must remain our highest priority.
Science & Humanism: The Foundation of Professional Success in Chiropractic
Professional success in chiropractic care requires more than technical skill—it demands precision, sustainability, and a deep commitment to patient care. In a field where practitioners must balance clinical effectiveness with long-term career viability, the ability to refine technique while fostering meaningful patient connections is essential.
Chiropractors today face growing pressure to provide evidence-based, effective treatments while managing the physical toll of manual adjustments. Many struggle to achieve consistent results while preserving their own well-being, leading to challenges in maintaining both precision and sustainability—while also ensuring genuine, patient-focused interactions that support healing beyond physical adjustments.
A systematic, precision-driven approach offers a solution. By integrating biomechanical, neurological, and functional analysis, practitioners can enhance the accuracy of their interventions while minimizing physical strain. Smaller-stature chiropractors gain efficiency in technique, reducing exertion without compromising effectiveness, while those accustomed to force-driven adjustments refine their approach for controlled, targeted corrections.
At the core of professional success is the relationship between chiropractor and patient. Humanistic care ensures that chiropractic interventions are not only precise but also compassionate, communicative, and aligned with individual patient needs.
As chiropractors pursue professional success, some expand beyond traditional chiropractic to secure their future. While promising, this shift may distance them from core principles. A strong treatment framework and professional ethics help refine expertise, uphold credibility, and ensure lasting success.
In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, success depends on precision, adaptability, and lasting patient trust. Systems Chiropractic equips practitioners with the tools and methodology to achieve all three—delivering high-quality, patient-centered care while positioning themselves as leaders in their field.
Professional Wisdom: Bridging Generations in Chiropractic
Among seasoned chiropractors, conversations often reveal an unspoken wisdom—reflections on years of practice that have shaped not just technique, but healing principles. Much of this knowledge was passed through mentorship, tactile skill, and instinctual decision-making rather than formal instruction. These insights are not always written down, but they remain foundational to healing.
Today's evidence-based education provides remarkable tools, structure, and clinical precision. But it risks overshadowing the deep knowledge and experiential intelligence older chiropractors spent decades developing. These practitioners polished the ability to detect subtle tissue changes through refined palpation, observe healing progress through clinical indicators, and adjust treatment based on systematic patient response. This technical mastery wasn't just knowledge—it was one form of wisdom.
These senior practitioners embodied another equally vital form of wisdom—one centered on the human dimension of healing. Through thousands of patient encounters, they developed profound insights into the personal aspects of care. Their wisdom taught them to read not just physical patterns, but the subtle interplay of hope, fear, and healing in their patients' journeys. They learned when to encourage, when to adjust their approach, and how to maintain therapeutic optimism even in challenging cases. This wisdom—as essential as their technical mastery—became integral to their professional identity and their success in patient care.
Systems Chiropractic honors this balance—bridging observational depth with modern scientific rigor. Rather than choosing between evidence and experience, it brings them together in a cohesive framework that welcomes both mentorship and research.
As the profession continues to evolve, preserving this collective wisdom ensures that the future isn’t disconnected from the past. In honoring intergenerational exchange, we build a more complete understanding of chiropractic—one rooted in science, shaped by insight, and guided by humanity.
