Prescription Bottle Blues Blog

Pair-a-Dimes

            Today I’m writing about paradigms – pronounced, pair-a-dimes. “What is a paradigm?” you ask. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind.” Blah, blah, blah. The Merriam-Webster kid’s version of the definition is a lot easier to understand. It says, “an example showing how something is to be done (aka:  model).” In short, it’s a model around which we build our belief systems.

            I’m writing about this because of the different paradigms in our healthcare system today. There’s a big difference between the chiropractic paradigm we implement here at the office (and in our everyday lives) and the one most commonly seen in other physicians’ offices (medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, pediatricians, and the list goes on). I want to share what is at the very center of our belief system so you can better understand where we’re coming from.

            The two main healthcare paradigms are Vitalistic and Mechanistic. Let me first explain what mechanistic care looks like. Simply put:  it looks like intervention. It is another test to run, another diagnosis to make, another drug or surgical procedure to prescribe. Doctors spend every day looking for problems and a way THEY can solve them. They are working against the body.

            Chiropractors fall under the vitalistic paradigm. As vitalists we believe that humans (and animals for that matter) are born to be healthy and if the body is given the right support, we can continue to be healthy. We believe that the body has an innate ability to heal itself and needs no outside intervention (drugs or surgery). Of course there are exceptions to that, such as a life-threatening trauma where drugs and surgery are needed for crisis care. For everyday illness (colds or flu) and cuts or scrapes, we take a “watch and wait” approach. The body knows what to do. As chiropractors, we are here to remove any interference in the body’s innate healing ability. Chiropractors don’t “treat” anything. We recognize that a patient may have low back pain or trouble sleeping or a sprained ankle, but we are not here to treat it. We can adjust subluxations of the spine so the nervous system can function better and communicate to the body and initiate healing from within. We can also influence the bones of the extremities or the surrounding soft tissue in an effort to assist the body in healing, but it is always your body that does the healing, not the doctor. 

            To us, it is vitally important to live a vitalistic lifestyle.

What have you done to be vitalistic today?

-         Dr. Emily :-)

Is it just a JOB?

At our office meeting last week, we were asked to write an essay to answer the following question:  Do I see my job as merely a paycheck or do I see my job as an opportunity to change lives? Why?


I'm sure your first thought is, "They had to write ESSAYS?!" I promise, this isn't something we do often, or ever, for that matter. A writing we went, and the answers were nothing short of amazing. With permission from the staff, I am posting their responses. They are heart-felt and moving. Enjoy.


From Diana:

     When I was in a car accident in 2005, I went to a doctor with complaints of neck, back, and extremity pain. He gave me pain meds. I went back a week later with the same complaints, plus I wasn’t eating or sleeping and everything hurt. He told me it would take longer for me to recover because I was “older”. I was 49 years old.

     When it became obvious that an M.D. wasn’t going to help me, I went to a chiropractor for the first time. Dr. Drengler and her staff listened to what I said. They took notes. They gave me therapy. But most importantly, they believed what I was telling them. And it made me cry.

After that, I became a firm believer in chiropractic and what it can do for the body. My spirits were lifted from below sea level to heavenly heights because the pain was beginning to resolve. I was eating and sleeping again. Even after I was doing so much better, I continued receiving chiropractic care and became a regular patient.

     What Dr. Drengler and her staff did for me was more than treat my pain with adjustments and therapies. They treated my heart and mind and soul with kindness and compassion. I wanted to be one of them.

When I applied for this job, I felt like I had walked into a sanctuary. The room was warm and inviting, and so was Kris. I wanted to be here. After my interview, I knew more than ever that I wanted to be a part of this group of people who cared so much.

     This job has never been just a paycheck to me. It’s been a place where I have seen people of all ages respond to the wonder of chiropractic. I’ve sat with people who have cried, like I did, when they realized we understood and believed and knew we could help. I am proud to be an integral part of this office, and I look forward to coming to work every day. I’m just lucky (and blessed) that I get to be paid for it.

From Traci:

            I have always taken every job as an opportunity to help others and to help them change their lives. I believe my "personal" job in this world is to help others. My job here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic is definitely an opportunity to help others get healthier, stay healthy, keep them improving in all aspects of life (eating, moving, thinking well, positive attitude, etc.).

            Every day I believe we all help change lives. Whether we help a patient get on the adjusting table, help them with their coat, do a therapy on them or whatever it is we help them with. We are always there helping someone. Even telling someone "Good morning, Bob," we are being respectful and are genuinely giving them some attention that they may not get otherwise. When giving that one person your genuine attention for two minutes they are so grateful and that perks them up, which gives them a boost of positive energy.

            I am a positive person and like to think of all the positive opportunities there are in life. My job here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic is one of the many opportunities I have gotten. I appreciate the many opportunities I get here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic to help others on a daily basis. I try to always walk in the door ready for a full, fun, exciting day, with many opportunities awaiting me. There is always going to be ways to improve myself and I am always ready to learn more each and every day. Every day I walk in the back door with a positive attitude and think, "Today there are going to be so many opportunities, I best get started now!" As I walk out the door at the end of the working day, I think, "Wow, I helped change so many lives today!"

From Hannah:

         I view my position at Smoky Valley Chiropractic as a way to change lives. My job gives me the opportunity for so many things. To educate, assist, and lead by example for a healthier lifestyle.

         My job is so satisfying, that it is easy to keep a positive attitude which will help inspire patients to have a positive attitude as well. By having that positive attitude, people can encourage the production of “happy hormones” and chemicals that will overall improve their lives and function.

         Working with patients who are actively seeking help to improve their lives makes it easier for me to educate them with my knowledge so they can better understand our purpose and to find out other things that will benefit their lives by coming to our office.

         I use my opportunity outside the office as well. By knowing and believing in all the benefits of chiropractic, I can educate those that are close to me or take an opportunity to educate people who are unfamiliar or looking for another option to medical care.

         With the continued information I receive from my peers, I am always learning something new that I can pass on to someone else, and vice versa. I am not only taking the opportunity to change lives, but my peers are as well. 

As you can see - this office is much more than just a job. It's a way of living. It's an opportunity. We want to thank each and every one of our patients for giving us the opportunity to be in their lives. Thank you - Smoky Valley Chiropractic Staff.