Understanding chiropractic care through the lens of pain
Date: June 12, 2019
When you see the word chiropractor, what images come to mind? Do you know what a chiropractor does? What types of conditions they treat? Do you know how they can help you as part of your healthcare team? If the answer is “No,” Dr. Luigi Nalli, DC, might be able to give you some answers.
Dr. Nalli currently runs five multidisciplinary clinics in the GTA and a medical assessment business with divisions in Toronto, Vancouver and Nova Scotia. His clinics are staffed with health professionals such as chiropractors, physiotherapists, physicians and massage therapists. He also has a popular radio show on Global News Radio AM640 Toronto (which attracts tens of thousands of listeners each week) and teaches at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. For him, growth and success in the field have been a direct result of building social networks and approaching his care from the standpoint of patient education.
“When I first started practicing,” he shares, “Most of my patients would say, ‘I am so happy with you because I love the way you explain things.’ This built a foundation of trust.”
Dr. Nalli believes that a shift in focus could help bridge the gap between evidence-based care and public understanding. If you understand what pain is, you understand chiropractic care.
What do chiropractors do?
Chiropractors are extensively educated in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis and management of spine, muscle, and nervous system conditions. Using their unique knowledge and diagnostic skills, chiropractors recommend a course of treatment to help relieve pain and improve function without surgery or pharmaceuticals. Examples of treatment include manipulation (commonly referred to as an adjustment), mobilization, soft tissue therapy, exercise, education, modalities (i.e. ultrasound or laser) and rehabilitation.
The PinPoint Health show
This type of education is what inspired Dr. Nalli to create The PinPoint Health show on Global News AM640 Toronto.
“My goal is to educate and empower a population who knows very little about pain,” he explains. “Pain is one of the most poorly misunderstood things in healthcare. The radio show is primarily focused around properly promoting pain management rather than promoting the chiropractic profession.”
His method seems to be striking a chord. Often, after the show goes off the air, there are several callers lined up to ask questions. Dr. Nalli commits to answering every single one of them. He says that chiropractic care is an untapped resource and that is what he is trying to communicate on air. He isn’t treating anyone on the radio, but he is providing knowledge. And that knowledge is what attracts about 20 new patients for his assessment per week, which he then refers to his team of professionals for the best treatment.
When asked about his biggest motivator, Dr. Nalli says that he really wants to make a difference for the profession. His ultimate goal? To see a day in the future where someone who wakes up with pain goes to their family chiropractor.
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