It's easy to convince chiropractors that health is among 400 human values. It's more difficult to accept my claim that, "there isn't anything you can say or do to get patients to re-prioritize their health."

Not their X-rays. Or even patient education with Vulcan mind-meld effectiveness. Because many patients are seeking you for pain relief, not better health.

Big difference.

However, there are things that may prompt patients to place a higher priority on their health and well-being. Such as:

Death – The passing of a loved one is a blunt reminder of our own mortality.

Serious Illness – A brush with cancer or a serious accident can prompt change.

Divorce – It can be an incentive to lose the weight and attend to one's well-being.

Birthday – Those ending with a zero seem to miraculously stimulate re-prioritization.

Obviously, these aren't within your control.

So, should you even bother educating patients? Yes!

That's next week.

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Bill Esteb has been a chiropractic patient and advocate since 1981. He is the creative director of Patient Media and the co-founder of Perfect Patients. He’s been a regular speaker at chiropractic gatherings since 1985. His 12 books explore the doctor/patient relationship from a patient's point of view. His chiropractic blog, coaching program, patient focus groups and consulting calls have helped hundreds of chiropractors around the world. Since 1999 Monday Morning Motivation has been emailed to over 10,000 subscribers each week.