We stopped offering pay-per-session almost over a year ago. On the surface, it does seem like we have gone into the “chiropractic package” model. However, we can assure you we have not.
Why did you stop taking pay-per-session clients?
Honestly, because the outcomes are just poor.
When it comes to arranging your own recovery, pain patients consistently misjudge when they should be coming in for a follow up.
We understand and appreciate that you do not have the subject matter expertise to know when you are supposed to come back. This is why we always make recommendations. However, most patients simply don’t follow them.
They only come back when it hurts and this leads to a yoyo type recovery, which is extremely frustrating for both the clients and the clinician alike.
Poor outcomes is something we proactively avoid at Square One Active Recovery.
If you are selling recovery programmes now, aren’t they just packages?
To some extent, yes. But largely, no.
Why?
Because we our programmes aren’t at all cheaper than our previous pay-per-session option. We don’t bundle sessions into a discounted package to get you to commit to us.
We ask that our clients commit to us because they are actually committed to recovery. Beyond wanting good results, there is no financial incentives or the likes for you to commit to working with us.
To some extent, what we are doing is terrible for revenue. Because we do have this group of prospective clients who would only want to work with us on a pay-per-session basis. We could just take their money, and accept their poor recovery outcomes. However, it’s really not within our business ethos. So, we do turn them away.
What are the programmes you offer?
We offer a 12-week supervised exercise programme. This is the higher intensity programme that suits clients who are sedentary and experiencing chronic pain. During the programme, you will work one-on-one with a trainer for 22 sessions, and also with our chiropractor for two sessions.
The idea is that through the 12-week programme, we can lift their fitness level significantly and also address the physical factors that could contribute to a successful recovery. During that 12 weeks, we will also provide lifestyle advice, and educate you on how to self-manage.
The second programme we offer is a 6-month mentorship. Being a mentorship programme, there’s a lot more self-directed recovery. This option suits chronic pain sufferers who are already physically active, or patients with conditions that are generally slower to respond to care.
The end goal for both programmes is self-management. With the exemption of a handful (i.e., less than five) genuinely complex cases, we do not offer extensions after you have completed our programmes.
Our intent is clear. We want to make our own services redundant to you.
To allow you to continue working with us indefinitely will go against our ethos.
You should be able to observe that are recovery programmes are structured entirely differently from a more traditional chiropractic package. Often their goal is to increase sales while for us . . . we want to maximise recovery outcomes.
What does research say about what you do?
A paper published earlier this year debated the state of musculoskeletal care (e.g., back pain, neck pain), and if we should be reframing our recovery process.
One suggestion, that has been put out there for years, is that we should move away from the “we can fix and cure you” approach. This is something that we totally embody at Square One Active Recovery.
For us, freedom from pain is not about having no pain for life. This is almost an impossible ask given that all healthy people would experience some kind pain at some point in their lives!
Freedom from pain is about having control of your pain and your recovery. It is about being empowered to manage your own recovery and, in that event that your pain returns, you have the tools and skill sets to help yourself!
According to the latest research and clinical guidelines, the best approach is to focus on self-management. This means looking at lifestyle behaviour change, physical activity modification (could be more or could be less), and medication as required.
ACES model to recovery
The proposed ACES model provides a framework in which chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and even orthopaedic surgeons, can work within to give our clients the best results.
The model advocates that clinicians should:
- Aim to build self-efficacy to take control and ultimately be responsible and self manage their health.
- Coach individuals to engage in exercise and a healthy lifestyle (physical activity, sleep, smoking cessation, appropriate nutrition choices, weight and stress management, importance of social interaction, etc).
- Educate regarding the biopsychosocial contributors to musculoskeletal conditions.
- Strong clinical alliance.
This is super technical, and can be really difficult to wrap our heads around.
To put it in simpler, more reasonable terms, it’s about taking a whole-person approach to recovery!
How do I know if the chiropractor or physiotherapist of choice is a good option for me?
A lot of practitioners in Singapore work within a reactive, outdated model in which they believe you need to “fix your problems”. You should know from your own experiences that that doesn’t work.
Sure, it does sound like it makes sense — if you can fix the problem you have, your pain should go away.
However, research consistently tells us that all of these perceived problems — from bad posture to tight muscles and muscle knots — do not actually contribute to your recovery OR pain experience!
So, “fixing” these perceived problems, will actually get you nowhere.
An evidence-based chiropractor moves away from treating symptoms towards targeting underlying factors within a biopsychosocial model. This means a whole person approach!
They don’t just focus on your pain sites but also look into your general physical activity, stress management, workplace happiness, family and social support, your attitudes and beliefs about pain, and many, many, many more.
Most, if not all, evidence-based practitioners will not provide passive treatments such as adjustments, massages, dry needling, shockwave therapy because they simply do not empower you to self-manage your own condition.
What do I do now?
You have definitely done a good job by taking time to do some research. The next step will probably be to reflect on what you want to achieve from your recovery, and set some tangible goals for yourself.
Once you have clarity of what you want to achieve and how your life will look upon a successful recovery process, you can start looking for a clinician of your choosing!
For more information on how we work, reach out to us via the form below. We’ll be happy to discuss more about your case and if it’s something we can work with.
BOOK A CHIROPRACTOR IN SINGAPORE
Based in Singapore, Square One Active Recovery offers treatments with a very big difference. With our evidence-based exercise approach, you can achieve your recovery goals in just 12 weeks. Not getting results from your chiropractor, TCM doctor or physiotherapist? Talk to us and find out how we can take your recovery to the next level.
Our goal? To make our own services redundant to you.
*We do not offer temporary pain relief such as chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, or any form of soft tissue therapy.
