To say what you mean, and mean what you say, be mindful of these distinctions:

Patient – The word derives from the Latin meaning “to suffer.” And most patients who seek chiropractic care are usually suffering with some type of health issue with obvious symptoms.

Moreover, patients see themselves as patients. So, referring to them as “clients,” “guests,” “students,” “participants,” or some other unusual term, runs the risk of simply being needlessly weird.

Practice member – If all goes well, at some point patients will no longer be suffering. In a medical model, the care ends.

However, if you have interest in attracting a tribe of nonsymptomatic regulars, you’ll want to use a different term as you transition them to post-symptomatic care. Use the progress exam report to introduce this distinction and invite patients to continue their care to avoid a relapse, support their progress, and help prevent new problems from emerging.

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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.