By Michael Dorausch, D.C.
The New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tri-state area has been a hot-bed of principled chiropractic for many years. Sure, there are some principled DC hot spots in Michigan, Florida, Ontario, and several other places scattered across the globe, but the core, the city of Zion, has been the Northern east coast of the US.
Why is that? Is it the DCs that practice there? Is it that the folks in the Tri-State area are more receptive to life-time wellness chiropractic care then those across the rest of the planet? I believe there are several factors involved that we should study if we are to reproduce those results. If we go back some thirty years, we can visit on a few factors that I believe provided the catalyst for what was to come today.
The State of New York – Reggie Gold, D.C.
What was the understanding of chiropractic like in upstate New York before Reggie Gold began practicing there? From what I understand, there were no chiropractors in the area and the practice of chiropractic was still illegal in the state.
New Jersey – Bob Sottile, D.C.
Although I had never met Bob Sottile, he had planted seeds many years ago that to this day bring forth a passion and desire in me to bring the message of chiropractic to more people. While there are others in the state that played pivotal roles (such as Richard Santo), he is one that stands out in the minds of many today. What did people know about chiropractic before Bob Sottile told the story?
Pennsylvania – James Sigafoose, D.C.
Out on Lincoln Highway in the middle of nowhere is the birth ground of one of chiropractic’s most memorable chiropractic practices. Cars would line up down the long driveway (they still do today) of the twenty acre property. What was once an indoor shuffleboard court became the office portion of a home office practice which served as many as (and sometimes more) five hundred folks per day.
I choose these individuals so that we can study a period of time. The chiropractors that came before them were instrumental and planting the seeds that brought us these DCs. Just as these DCs have been instrumental in planting seeds which have nourished us, so shall you. What kinds of seeds are you planting today?
If you notice, there are two important factors here, strong individuals and fellowship. They shared the message with others, many others. And many others, particularly in the same areas, today still do the same. The list of principled DCs in these states has now grown like majestic oaks, each spreading seeds as far as the coastal beaches of California and beyond. I am not saying that it is a result of the three mentioned above but if we were to study the fabric of the area, we would find one, or all three interwoven into the regions chiropractic state of consciousness.
The pattern is something we should be studying if we want to create greater change in chiropractic today. Take Michigan for example. John Hofmann, Ian Grassam, Jimmy Gregg. Each strong individually. Add fellowship to the equation and we have duplicated the model we witnessed in the Tri-State area. Now let’s head out west.
California
9000 DCs, 4 chiropractic colleges, media capitol of the world (that includes chiropractic media) and we can’t even keep the power on. What’s missing? For that we need to go back some thirty years and follow the formula. Principled DCs? I am sure there were many. Fellowship? Not at the level that we have seen in the regions mentioned earlier. Can we change that? Together we can.
So we know what works and what does not work. What do we plan on doing about it? Where are you practicing today? Are you merely thinking about your current state of practice or are you visually projecting generations ahead? What will chiropractic be like in your area ten, twenty, and thirty years from now? Do you have a fellowship with your chiropractic brothers and sisters or is it all about you?
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