What To Look For When Choosing a Chiropractor in Lansing

Finding the right chiropractor in East Lansing isn’t about who is
“the best.”

It’s about finding the best one for YOU.

Much like choosing the right marathon coach or yoga class.. the perfect chiropractor for your friends may not be right for  you.

Many people don’t give chiropractic a lot of thought, thinking that it’s only purpose is for back or neck pain. 

Or that the only way chiropractic works is by someone “cracking” your back.

Others are aware that chiropractic is a gentle, painless, and non-invasive way to treat or manage any health condition.

Let’s say that you fall into the latter category.  You already know that chiropractic works, and that you aren’t interested in drugs, surgery, or simply treating symptoms. 

You want to find a gentle chiropractic clinic in Lansing that really, truly, GETS you. You want to solve a problem by getting to the bottom of the issue, starting today, but you are overwhelmed by all the choices.

How do you narrow it down? Let me quickly walk you through some options.

Making a decision based on price

You could choose a chiropractor based only on price or whether or not they take insurance. While there is nothing inherently wrong about choosing a discount service, it helps to be informed about what you are getting for the price you pay. 

Many who are less informed about chiropractic or alternatives to conventional medicine are trained to perceive healthcare as a commodity. 

And many chiropractic clinics are happy to serve based on this model.

The most common scenario: Someone has back pain and Googles a chiropractor in their area who can “fix” their back.

Much like one would call a plumber if their toilet was overflowing. 

When you need a good plumber, chances are you are just looking for someone nearby who is qualified to fix the problem for the best price. 

That’s how some people shop for a chiropractor. “I need someone qualified to “fix” my back pain, who can do it for cheap, and takes insurance.

That’s all fine and good,  but if you don’t treat the root cause instead of treating the most obvious of symptoms, you’ll be back for more “patching” than actual healing. 

I prefer to start by treating the root cause.

Let’s take the classic example of back pain. 

Your back pain can can have multiple root causes:

• Direct physical trauma
• Poor posture or movement patterns
• Previous psychological trauma
• Buried emotions

These are SOME of the root causes I explore with patients when they come to see me.

Making a decision based on results and someone who actually listens

When there are a lot of people in the same area that offer the same service, many people take more time in making a decision about seeking care. And they should. 

If this is you, I would like to help you make your decision, whether you decide to see me or not.

My practice isn’t for everyone, but for others, it’s a perfect match.

How to choose the right chiropractor in Lansing for YOU

I’m imagining that you are reading this blog because you are currently experiencing some sort of pain. You may be tired of being treated like a number, hustled through a system, and not listened to.

Mostly, you are tired of being dismissed and not really, truly heard.

You are looking for something different.

There are many chiropractors that will say that what differentiates them from the rest of the pack is one or more of the following:

• Gentle technique
• Listening to the patient and treating them like an individual
• Treating the root cause of the problem instead of just the symptoms
• Using cutting edge technology for diagnosis and treatment

The first three should be, by now, in 2020, the standard of care for ALL doctors, practitioners, and healers. not just for chiropractors.

You may be surprised to discover that the fourth, technology, is merely a tool, but isn’t necessarily a requirement if the goal is healing on a deep level. I’m not the first to notice that sometimes all the fancy diagnostic testing in the world can’t always take the place of either a physical exam by a skilled doctor or health care provider, or a thorough intake. Read more about this here.

Let’s take a look at each way to find the right chiropractor in Lansing:

1. Gentle technique

Gentle and effective treatments are a given. This combination is no longer something that sets  a chiropractor apart in this day and age. It can be counterproductive to use force to get to the root of a problem and deliver lasting and sustainable results. 

Gentle, non-invasive techniques, such as the Heart Technique, are the tools I use in my practice.

2. Listening to the patient

Chiropractors  love to talk about this. I would assume that most chiropractors in general really do listen to their patients to a degree. Treating each patient as an individual should be considered at this point to be more about delivering the “basic standard of care” rather than something exceptional.

I believe that really, truly listening isn’t just something you say you will do, because it sounds good on paper (or on a website) but something that we as practitioners need to practice and commit to on a daily basis.

At Kardia, each patient is unique and I simply will do no less than treat you as a unique individual. I will base your treatment on the meaning that YOU assign to  the symptoms you are currently experiencing as well as the underlying dis-ease that is creating these symptoms.

I won’t just treat you like a textbook case study or a statistic, because I’m not running a patient mill.

3. Healing the root cause of disease rather than just treating the symptoms

I believe that this is the basic premise that all “alternative” practitioners should operate from. It’s not a new trend or even an “alternative” perspective. The concept has come of age and has matured to the point where it’s just plain common sense.

Of COURSE if you have a pebble in your shoe that is causing you pain, you will want to take the pebble out of your shoe before taking an aspirin.

I have an acupuncturist friend who practiced functional sports medicine who would say: “Sometimes a knife or a pill can help with knee pain or shoulder pain or even hip or back pain. Sometimes it’s what’s indicated. And very often it can’t or isn’t.  So then what?”

The question is not about whether or not this principle is practiced. It’s about how skilled we are at applying this principle. 

We are not perfect, however. Sometimes while arriving at a diagnosis,  it can seem like one issue may be the “root cause” but may actually be just another symptom.

This is why practicing medicine is considered as much of an art as a science, whether you are practicing traditional or “alternative” medicine.

Headaches are a classic example.  That’s why we need to have excellent “detective” skills instead of just relying on a $40,000 piece of equipment.

The Heart Technique is my favorite tool for finding the ACTUAL root cause. 

Find out what patients are saying about The Heart Technique to give you an idea of how effective it is.

If you are looking for a Lansing chiropractor who can help you with adrenal fatigue, anxiety, depression, PTSD, past traumas, or pain that is related to these conditions, you are in the right place!

Beyond the Basics

Like I’ve said before, I’m a little different than most chiropractors. Here’s how I take it even a step further:

1. I specialize in “what lies beneath” the obvious. This includes treating past traumas (both physical and emotional) which tend to lead to the classic contributors to chronic pain and disease in our culture: adrenal fatigue, inflammation, and hormone imbalances.   I also take a closer look at other factors that can contribute to pain. My patients get great results from this unique approach.

2. I want to treat you as I would a guest in my home.. Because, well, my clinic also happens to be my home. I also have a garden which is almost an extension of my practice. It’s here that I grow REAL food that helps us heal from a cellular and even quantum level.

3. I believe that when it comes to healing, everything is possible.

4. I can help you even if you can’t make it to my clinic. Telehealth and remote healing sessions are now available for not ONLY Lansing, but ALL MI residents. This is exciting news and I love being able to serve more people this way.

This means you don’t have to drive to experience the healing benefits of the Heart Technique.

In conclusion, the best way to find out if we are a good fit is for you to do the following:

1. Explore my blog(s) and see if it resonates with you.

2. I also invite you to check out what others are saying about Kardia, and encourage you to leave your own reviews.

3. Book an appointment or consultation so we can either talk, or meet online for a Zoom meeting.

See you soon..

Dr. Joel