Chiropractic rate high in survey
Ski Binding Test
A recent study in a leading national health care magazine reports that three out of four patients are satisfied with the care they received from their chiropractor and would probably go to a chiropractor again.
The survey, reported in the October, 1989, issue of Prevention magazine asked Americans who sought chiropractic care to rate the care they received.
Respondents were questioned if they found chiropractors attentive to their needs; their reasons for visiting a chiropractor; and whether they consider chiropractic care effective.
Results from the nationwide survey found that three out of four people polled said chiropractors brought them the relief they needed. Forty-one percent said they were quite satisfied with the chiropractic care they received and thirty-four percent said they were reasonably satisfied.
Respondents rated doctors of chiropractic as more friendly and more concerned for their patients than medical doctors. Forty-two percent said DCs are friendlier and more concerned about their patients than MDs. Right behind this were forty-one percent of the respondents who found no difference in personal attentiveness between chiropractic doctors and medical doctors. Only fourteen percent polled believed their chiropractors showed less concern than their physicians.
If you have questions or concerns about any of your health care needs, your doctor of chiropractic is an excellent source of information- Your chiropractor can help you with specific injuries and conditions, but is also highly trained in preventative care and can offer expert advice on exercise, fitness, and nutritional counseling (see article on front page).
The U.S. National Ski Team recommends the method detailed below for testing ski binding releases at home. Since about 40 percent of ski injuries to the lower extremities are caused by faulty release of bindings, the time it takes to check them out would seem well spent.
For the toe release: With the ski boot on and inserted into the binding, you should bond your knee forward and inward, thus trapping the inner edge of your ski. You should then be able to cause your toe to release with further internal rotation of the lower leg-that is, continuing to turn your knee inward.
For the heel release: With the ski flat on the floor and someone standing on the tail of the ski, you should be able to step for-ward with the other leg (no ski on) and pull the heel being tested upward enough with your own muscle strength to effect a heel release.
Of those respondents who were dissatisfied with their care, sixteen percent said they were not too satisfied and only eight percent said they were not satisfied at all.
In response to the question, "Would you go to a chiropractor again?", forty-four percent said they would definitely go again and thirty-two percent said they would probably go again. Only thirteen percent of the respondents said they would probably not go again to a chiropractor and a small number of people, seven percent, said they would definitely not go again.
Even with these precautions, falling is a fact of skiing. If you injure yourself while skiing, take immediate steps to reduce the swelling, since swelling and inflammation cause damage to the injured area. Apply ice packs to the area immediately after the fall and over the next day or two. If the injury is still painful, swollen, or you experience a lossof motion, see your doctor of chiropractic. He/she can help restore joint integrity to the injured area and recommend exercises to rehabilitate the injury.