July 2002
Heart Moment: Power in Practice

by Thomas O. Morgan, D.C., B.S., FICA, FPAC

Dr. Tom Morgan and his wife, Mary Ann, are founders of Volume Practice Seminars. Their goal is to help doctors and staff achieve volume practices, become debt free, and live spiritually disciplined lives that glorify God.

Dr. Tom Morgan graduated from the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa. He holds a B.S. degree from Upper Iowa University in practice management. Also, he holds two honorary Fellow degrees. Dr. Morgan was in active chiropractic practice for over 30 years.  He retired in 1996 at the age of 54. Since that time he has been teaching the Volume Practice Seminar and doing chiropractic consulting full time. During his time in practice, he had one of the largest high volume, cash practices in the world.  He has written a book about these years entitled “VOLUME PRACTICE” and three more books about chiropractic.  He is famous for his “Touch and Tell” system. Dr. Morgan is a member of the continuing education faculty at Palmer, he was also an instructor in Activator technique for over ten years. He also was president of a state Association and served on the state board of examiners for twelve years.

             There comes a time while you are in the process with a new patient, when what  you are saying, thinking, or wanting to share comes through to that person.

            This is like a spiritual experience - an awakening!  You and the patient are

suddenly on the same wave length. Then you must stop talking and live the “heart moment.” You are fulfilling that person’s immediate need at that

moment in time. This happens to me most when I am doing the Touch and Tell procedure, or when I ask the patient to walk around after I bring them up on the table following the first adjustment. I look into the patient’s eyes and see a change — an awakening — as if, somehow that patient has experienced a  shift from fear of disease to hope of health from within.

            It is this mystery of the adjustment that is always exciting to me and that keeps the patient coming in for lifetime care. It is an “innate bond” so to speak, as it sparks new interest in “health” instead of another treatment for the human condition. The patient refers, they bring in all their family and friends.

            You become a healer at these moments in time. You are somehow being “worked through” if you are not cluttered up with “goat feathers” (read BJ’s essay on Goatfeathers- and other things in life that take your focus).

You get to that moment by TAKING CHARGE of the contact — by being the doctor at all costs.  You are not arrogant, nor short with the patients, - not disgusted with their inability to come away from their medical brainwashing.

            Rather, your heart senses that the patient is a VICTIM of medical fear and drug dependency. You represent the alternative and  THE TRUTH about health.

            You ARE chiropractic to them. It starts during your first contact with the

patient, and lasts a lifetime if you are FAITHFUL to your mission — faithful

to the truth, faithful to the needs of the patient first, faithful to your mission to give the truth, to increase faith in innate and the adjustment.

            That is why, above all, you must be faithful and be persistent in disseminating chiropracTIC knowledge.

            This heart moment comes sometimes, when I show the wedge lines or reverse curve on X-ray and when I put their finger in the IVF of my spinal model, and explain how innate intelligence is shut off by the subluxation. It comes when I adjust and turn that power on! I am always watching for it.          Usually I am very calm and silent around the patient on the first contact - UNTIL that moment starts swelling in my heart. Then I never shut up talking about the “TIC.” Sometimes it is after I have performed the history and Touch & Tell exam. Sometimes it comes after the X-rays have been taken, when I am face to face with the patient and the issue is CAUSE. I feel it from the depths of my being — that I was destined for that moment, for that patient. You too, must be waiting for the MOMENT!

            Sometimes visits drag on, even when there are great results, until that

special moment comes. I have often seen the “look” at my “New Patient Class,” when the light of understanding finally comes on. Then patients  become  excited inside. It is what God gave DD Palmer. It is the truth of health and where it originates.

            I believe we are chosen healers. The mystery of life is fulfilling itself every tissue cell that is regenerated, every neuron that is firing, every breath we take.

            This was the difference when Palmer was thinking and writing about his first adjustment. He was different from the bone setters of his day. Palmer stressed the innate healing process after the adjustment. Bone setters stressed the condition they were “treating” with their manipulation.

            The innate healing philosophy is the “power” behind chiropracTIC. This is where the excitement is when you are successful in getting a patient to understand that the body is a self healing organism — that there is hope within, and that there is something to offer that is natural, better, they feel the truth, they sense like us, that this world does not need another pill. Then the patient gets the “big idea” of TIC; that there are “changes” going on inside the body every second, and that  subluxations cause the body to “change” toward the abnormal.

            The patient then begins to realize that he/she can factor TIC into his/her lifestyle over the long term and that this long term care is the greatest service TIC has to offer. I  get patients to become excited about the adjustment, and excited to see  definitive spinal changes on x-ray.  I want each one to be able to have a  chiropractic “conversation” with me on each visit. A patient can do this with  the Touch & Tell System, when he/she “feels,” and can identify the power of the  adjustment.

            I coach doctors who want to look at all the needs of their patients. I do not

discourage them from studying nutrition, PT, even mind control.  BUT, I

insist they take the patient through the beginning series of adjustments

FIRST. It is vital to understanding chiropracTIC, that the patient feel and

understand the power of only the adjustment.  It is also important that each  one learn that it takes time and repetition for innate to change a “sick”

condition into a wellness situation. To reach this understanding, the patient

must get all he can get from the adjustment, FIRST. That is what makes TIC

what it is.

            After the first progress exam, the doctor can take the patient into

nutrition, exercise, etc. I was always intent on becoming the best adjustor

in my class. I was always proud of the fact that I ran off the salespersons,

trying to sell me a gadget, to get me to add on services, diagnostics, or

equipment. I worked so hard on “clearing” out the subluxation, and

encouraging my patients - that my practice grew and grew to unusual

proportions.

            To do this, you must protect your chiropractic heart. At our

seminar, my number one job is to help the doctor rid himself or herself of

DOUBT, you must have complete acceptance and belief in your adjustment. You must know that chiropractic is working on your patient, or you must refer this case somewhere else.                       Somehow, I came into the chiropractic world with a one tract, total commitment and belief in the special place chiropractic must have in this world. The stronger I became in my belief in this fact, the greater my volume practice. It was the seminars and classes that I attended that helped me  to have complete faith in the chiropractic philosophy and my adjustment. I held this faith deep within my heart.  I wanted to represent this constant knowledge, and that I am a competent adjustor. It is this “art” in chiropracTIC that still helps keep me excited about our work. Protect this with all your being. Do not keep bemoaning the patient that did not respond.

            It may be that your adjustment was not clearing them out. Spend your positive “self talk” on the positive results you see. If you feel it is time to refer,

refer to another DC first.

            Getting my heart right each day for practice is a discipline I want to pass

on to you. Do not take for granted that all will be smooth every second.

            Become “stoic” to the point that your mind is made up what you are and what mission you have to accomplish in your practice. Avoid all people, and  reading material that would cause you to doubt yourself on this. People are  drawn to a person with a made up mind. Keep looking for the heart moment. I wonder why some patients do not take the time to learn and “care” about innate and TIC. Do not give these patients’ attitudes much energy.  I simply go to the next patient whose heart is growing in knowledge and faith in chiropractic.

            Keep your daily disciplines going and never quit. They will be their own reward. They will help you keep your chiropractic HEART right, they will bring you in position to experience the moment.

            You must have your procedure right for the moment to come.                 You have to be aiming at the moment.

            You have to be in charge of the patient and have your office team and systems  up to max.

            Lastly, guard your chiropracTIC heart with all your professional

being, never doubt, and be thankful for all you have been given.