by Nolan Halverson
You have the opportunity to be a chiropractor because chiropractic is a profession. Chiropractic is a profession because Chiropractic saves lives.
In the fall of 2016, a 17-year-old high school football captain got concussed after a nasty tackle. Like most families, he went to a medical doctor (MD) who sent him to a neurologist who gave him drugs for migraine relief and told him he could never play sports again and would live his whole life disabled and dependent on drugs. The drugs and lack of hope lead the kid to a deep depression and thoughts of suicide crept into his mind. Chasing after life, he would try to stop taking the drugs, but the stabbing migraines lead right back to the pills. Multiple times he would bring this up to his unscrupulous neurologist and the answer was always the same, more drugs. After a month of this vicious cycle, a family friend told him about how a local chiropractor rid her of migraines. This was brought up to the neurologist and his response was that chiropractic was fake and dangerous and, instead, prescribed the kid tinted glasses. The former charismatic high school football captain was now drugged, depressed, and lifeless… wearing sunglasses inside. He felt no connection to anyone, including himself.
By the grace of God, something lead the kid’s parents to take him to that chiropractor. Maybe it was in spite of the neurologist or maybe it was innate guiding the family in the right direction, but whatever it was it saved the kid’s life. As the 18-year-old received his first ever chiropractic adjustment, like a dam bursting open to end a drought, he felt months of build up fluid escape from his head and life rush back into every cell of his body. He noticed the colors in the room becoming more vivid and he felt happiness for the first time in months. It didn’t take long for the kid to get off the life- sucking drugs and through consistent chiropractic care he was healthier, happier and had more energy then before his head injury.
“The former charismatic high school football captain was now drugged, depressed and lifeless… He felt no connection to anyone, including himself.”
That high school football player was me and I wouldn’t be here today without chiropractic. I am beyond blessed I made it to the chiropractor, but not everyone does. There are over three million concussions a year in the US alone, and how many do you think end up on unnecessary neuro-inhibitory drugs? How many people are out there living with a subluxation that is causing of all their suffering, but they, or anyone they’re close too, don’t know about it? What’s happening to those people? Are they taking their lives because monopolized medicine offers no hope besides the suppression of symptoms?
I recently finished my preceptor requirements faster than anyone in the history of Life West and I hear everyday, “Nolan, you have to tell me how to finish clinic so quickly. What’s the secret?” The secret is there are sick and dying people out there. There are people taking their lives because there is a bone putting pressure on their brainstem causing havoc in their body and no one can tell them what’s wrong with them because everyone thinks chiropractic is about back pain. They have no clue about the real power of chiropractic. The secret is, it’s not about finishing clinic quickly, it’s about spreading the chiropractic message to everyone you can.
“Chiropractic saves lives, and your certainty in that is equal to your success in clinic and in practice. If you imprint on your soul what chiropractic can do for humanity, then all else will follow.”
BJ used to say, “you never know how far reaching something you think say or do will affect the lives of millions tomorrow”. My story is living proof of this. Every adjustment has the potential to change the world and if I never received that first atlas adjustment, I would not be alive today to spread the chiropractic message; who knows how many lives will be saved because of my first adjustment and what those lives will do for humanity.
Chiropractic saves lives and your certainty in that is equal to your success in clinic and in practice. If you imprint on our soul what chiropractic can do for humanity, then all else will follow. You will have more success and happiness in life than you can even imagine. If you’re thinking you don’t know how to embody that big idea, I feel you. Even after chiropractic saved my life, my passion for being a chiropractor was not much more than average. What put the fire in my heart for chiropractic was attending Dynamic Essentials, so if you’re struggling to truly love chiropractic, get to DE.. you and all your future patients won’t regret it.