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Are you a healthcare professional seeking to enhance your medical practice with an innovative and patient-friendly therapeutic approach? Do you find yourself weary of the burdensome costs and invasiveness often associated with conventional medical treatments, along with the extensive list of accompanying side effects?
Imagine incorporating a breakthrough therapy that not only proves remarkably cost-effective, but also stands as a non-invasive and painless alternative to pharmaceuticals and surgical interventions, as well as other common forms of treatment that we will discuss throughout this article.
Welcome to the world of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). This revolutionary treatment holds the potential to transform your medical practice and redefine patient care standards.
By utilizing the capabilities of low-intensity lasers, LLLT taps into the body’s innate healing mechanisms, activating tissue regeneration and fostering holistic wellness.
LLLT harnesses the power of low-intensity lasers to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. It has potential to promote tissue regeneration and enhance overall well-being. The remarkable potential of LLLT lies in its ability to provide safe and effective relief from pain and discomfort. A great benefit is it is also without the risks and inconveniences commonly associated with other treatments.
As medical professionals, it is important to shape a future of medicine that is not only more effective, but also cost-effective. By embracing LLLT, we can unlock the significant advantages it offers in terms of both patient outcomes and financial considerations. This therapy has the potential to revolutionize our approach to healing and improve the well-being of our patients.
In today’s healthcare landscape, cost-effective treatment options hold significant importance. Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has emerged as a promising and economically viable alternative for medical practices in some cases.
Related: Cold Laser Therapy for Neck & Shoulder Pain
By comparing LLLT to various treatment options such as pharmaceutical treatments, surgical procedures, physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and cryotherapy, we can gain insights into its cost-effectiveness and how it outperforms or complements existing approaches.
Low-level laser therapy offers doctors a more cost-effective approach compared to pharmaceuticals, firstly, because it reduces medication expenses. It can serve as an alternative to expensive pharmaceutical drugs. This can lead to significant cost savings in terms of medication procurement and inventory management. Additionally, LLLT requires lower administration costs, as trained staff can perform the therapy under the supervision of doctors, allowing physicians to allocate their time to other essential medical tasks.
LLLT is a cost-effective alternative to pharmaceuticals for doctors as it reduces medication expenses and administration costs, allowing physicians to allocate time to other tasks.
LLLT offers doctors a cost-effective treatment option with a lower risk of adverse events compared to pharmaceuticals. By incorporating LLLT into their practice, doctors can increase patient throughput through shorter sessions and potentially reduce the need for prolonged pharmaceutical treatments or surgeries. This is the path to long-term cost savings. The approach enhances patient outcomes while optimizing resource allocation.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) provides doctors with a cost-effective alternative to surgical treatments. By opting for LLLT, doctors can avoid the high expenses associated with surgical interventions, including operating rooms, anesthesia, and post-operative care. LLLT also carries a lower risk of complications, reducing expenses related to managing complications and providing follow-up care.
Related: Why You Should Use Low-Level Lasers for Chronic Pain at Your Practice
With shorter sessions and fewer resources required, LLLT enables doctors to efficiently treat more patients.
Additionally, LLLT eliminates the costs associated with hospital stays and post-operative rehabilitation, leading to long-term cost savings. By incorporating LLLT into their practice, doctors can deliver cost-effective care while minimizing the financial burdens associated with surgical treatments.
LLLT eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming manual therapy and reduces the costs associated with manual therapy equipment. With shorter treatment sessions and fewer resources required, LLLT enables doctors to efficiently treat more patients within a given timeframe.
Physiotherapists can efficiently treat more patients with the shorter treatment times LLLT provides.
By incorporating LLLT into their practice, doctors can provide cost-effective care while optimizing resource allocation and enhancing patient outcomes.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can be a more cost-effective option for doctors compared to acupuncture for several reasons. By eliminating the need for needle insertion, LLLT reduces the expenses associated with acupuncture needles and related supplies. LLLT also requires less time and resources than lengthy acupuncture treatments. Doctors can treat more patients within a given timeframe (a common advantage LLLT presents over other forms of treatment).
Related: How Laser Therapy Helps Athletes Physically and Mentally
Additionally, LLLT offers a standardized treatment approach, ensuring consistency and potentially reducing variability in treatment costs. It can also be performed by trained staff under the supervision of doctors. This allows physicians to allocate their time to other essential medical tasks reducing labor costs.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) offers doctors a more targeted and efficient treatment approach compared to cryotherapy. By providing specific relief to targeted areas of the body, LLLT reduces the need for extensive treatments for widespread pain management. This targeted approach not only accelerates recovery time but also allows for shorter patient treatment durations, creating more bandwidth for medical practitioners to attend to other important tasks.
LLLT is a popular option for individuals seeking an effective way to manage excess fat storage without invasive procedures. By understanding the complex processes of how the body stores and metabolizes fat, individuals can make informed decisions about their health and consider LLLT as a viable option for managing unwanted body composition changes. With the help of healthcare professionals, patients can achieve their desired body composition and improve their overall health and well-being.
LLLT’s targeted relief to specific areas of the body reduces the need for extensive treatments, accelerates recovery, and frees up medical practitioners for other important tasks.
LLLT’s speed and precision in targeted recovery are indeed significant factors, but its benefits extend further to encompass flexibility and seamless integration into medical practices. Incorporating LLLT does not require significant investment or overhead costs. Doctors can easily merge this therapy into their existing practice without major disruptions or financial costs.
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is recognized as an effective therapy for a wide range of symptoms, including back pain and plantar fasciitis. The cost-effectiveness of LLLT compared to other treatments has been well-documented. However, it is important to note that medical professionals do not discourage the use of multiple therapies simultaneously. The primary goal is to provide optimal care for patients. If that involves incorporating various treatments, it is encouraged.
Each patient is unique, and their treatment plan should be tailored to their individual needs and responses. By integrating LLLT alongside other therapies, healthcare providers can maximize the potential benefits and deliver comprehensive care.
Discover the benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy (3LT®) by Erchonia, a world leader in the field of 3LT® technology. Learn how 3LT® can help reduce the need for prescription opioids for chronic low back pain, the science behind 3LT® and the difference between visible lasers and infrared lasers.
Related: Red Light Therapy: Dispelling Laser Myths with Basic Photochemistry
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20393809/
Dr. Chad Woolner: Welcome to Miracle Mondays, a brand new segment of the laser light show focused exclusively on practitioners’ and patients’ amazing, and sometimes even unbelievable stories that are occurring each and every day all across the country. We hope that you really enjoy these. And hopefully, you can see that miracles are occurring all around us each and every day. These are the amazing things we get to hear, and now you get to hear as well. So we hope you enjoy Miracle Mondays. What’s happening, everybody, Dr. Chad Woolner here with Dr. Andrew Wells. And on today’s episode of the laser light show, we have with us special guest Dr. Brady Wirick. And we’re super excited to be able to chat with him and be able to find out some cool things that he’s doing out in eastern Idaho. So let’s get to it.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I used to love going to laser light shows at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; they would put on these amazing light shows with incredible designs synced up to some of my favorite music from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica. They were awesome. Little did I know then that lasers would have such a profound effect on my life decades later. As a chiropractic physician, I have seen firsthand just how powerful laser therapy is at helping patients struggling with a wide range of health problems. As the leader in laser therapy, Erchonia has pioneered the field in obtaining 20 of the 23 total FDA clearances for therapeutic application of lasers. On this podcast, we’ll explore the science and technology and physiology behind what makes these tools so powerful. Join me as we explore low-level laser therapy. I’m Dr. Chad Woolner, along with my good friend, Dr. Andrew Wells, and welcome to the laser light show. Welcome to the show, everybody. We are so excited. And welcome to the show, Dr. Wirick, Thanks for being here.
Dr. Brady Wirick: It is an absolute honor. And I have to say that I’m not a movie star. I’m not a racecar driver. But I’ve been in practice for 17 years, I own a laser and I know how to use it. So there you go.
Dr. Chad Woolner: There you go. So yeah, we’re super excited to have you. For everybody listening, this is going to be just a slightly different modified format of the show in that what we’re doing is we are introducing our first installment of what we are calling Miracle Mondays. And the whole point behind Miracle Mondays is, in addition to kind of all the fun stuff that we get to talk about on the show normally, in addition to that, what we’re doing is we’re gonna dive into some of the personal stories that practitioners and patients have experienced in terms of the miracles that they’ve seen. And the reason why we want to be very deliberate and very intentional, why we’re doing this is because if we purely stick to what has been FDA cleared, and or what the research says, there’s still a significant amount of experiences that would be neglected, you know, and we want to make sure that people really hear the full spectrum, so to speak, of experiences that practitioners and patients are having. And we want to be very clear too and saying, you know that we’re not making any sort of claims, you know, that, hey, what we’re saying is, this laser is going to cure your XYZ or whatever, but rather, still share some of these really profound and cool and probably, in some cases, even unexplainable experiences that people have had with lasers. And we know that Dr. Wirick has been using lasers for quite some time in his practice. And so he was, he was a really good fit in terms of kicking off our first miracle Monday because we know that he’s got tons of these stories and experiences to share. So again, thanks for being here with us, Dr. Wirick. We’re super excited to have you.
Dr. Brady Wirick: I’m excited. Thanks for having me, this is really cool. And it’s actually an honor for me. You know when you’re talking about, you know, we’re not making claims, I’m going to tell you exactly what I tell every single one of my patients before we do anything is and especially with laser, like, look, we have this modality available to us that can greatly improve the ability for your cells to produce energy. Now, for some people, it’s going to be an absolute miracle. Like you’ll notice things that you’ve that are going to surprise you. But there’s also people they don’t notice anything at all. So you’re gonna fit somewhere in that spectrum. And I think it’s that way across the board. I mean, I’ve been doing this a long time, and we’ve all seen those people that just don’t respond, and frankly, they don’t respond to anything. But then we’ve seen those people that are just like holy crap, what did we just do and but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. Yeah.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah, and you mentioned that you’re not a celebrity but you are a little bit of a celebrity. You’re an advocate, says note Were the for our listeners as you were the the first board-certified chiropractic neurologist in your area. And so that’s, that’s in the Wyoming, Idaho, Utah area. And so that’s significant. And so when we’re talking about these stories, you know, a lot of the docs that listen to this and even patients and that listeners want to know like, what kind of doctor are you? How do you practice? What types of patients are you seeing? And I think that, you know, it’s helpful in providing some context for the types of results you’re seeing and the types of patients you’re working with. So you are in our, in our world, you’re a celebrity that matters.
Dr. Brady Wirick: For a second there, I thought you’re gonna reference the fact that Dr. Garry uses one of my videos in his lectures now.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Oh, that’s cool.
Dr. Andrew Wells: So you’re getting all the royalty checks from that? I’m assuming. So not only are you famous, but you’re also massively wealthy.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Rich and famous.
Dr. Brady Wirick: It’s piling up as far as sticky notes on my desk.
Dr. Chad Woolner: He’s lasering his wrist because it’s so sore from signing checks. Exactly.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Isn’t that what it’s all about here? That’s not about miracle stories. It’s about you.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. So you’re in Idaho Falls. Is that right?
Dr. Brady Wirick: I am. I am.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay. And we, you had said prior to us getting on the show that if we’re going to talk for four or five hours, just bring up fishing. But I do know that you’re an avid fly fisherman, is that correct?
Dr. Brady Wirick: Yes, that is. That is true.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So yeah, I love fishing myself. I wouldn’t claim to be a great fisherman. I said prior to the show, starting the key to fishing is going with people that know how to fish. That’s my secret to fishing. But I absolutely do love it. And it’s in fact, who was it that I was just talking to, which is one of those like when you hear this, the quote-unquote studies that are produced or whatever. And it’s like such a no doubt punch line, they were saying something about how one of the fastest ways to help reset hormone imbalances is getting more out in nature. And there’s like a new study shows and we’re like, kind of like, that’s cool, but
Dr. Andrew Wells: It was kind of the study says at the end if you don’t know what nature is, that’s when you go outside.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Anyway, so yeah, fishing.
Dr. Brady Wirick: That’s funny because what I usually tell people is the key, the root to all hormone issues is actually fixing their blood sugar, which is a big part of what our practices here. We have a metabolic reset program that I advertised as a weight loss program because that’s what people will pick up the phone and call for. Yeah, but that’s a line that I use often. And now I’m going to start using the if you want to fix it get out in nature because you know, circadian rhythms, everything else. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah. So it’s actually fishing that brought me to Idaho Falls. Don’t tell anybody this, but I was born and raised in Utah. But I’ve been here for 17 years now. So I claim Idaho. When I was doing my undergrad before chiropractic school, I was actually a fishing guide. Oh, wow. So I did that for a few years. And then when I went to chiropractic school, my drift boat went into my grandma’s garage. And then when it came time to pick where I wanted to practice, I’m like, Hmm, if I can go back to Ogden, then my boat’s gonna be about four hours from getting it in the water. If we go to Idaho Falls, then we’ve worked 20, 40 minutes depending on where we go. Yeah, you’re not gonna be back for dinner. So to me, it was a no-brainer. So I just came out of school, opened my own practice and off we go.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, Andrew was prior to us talking with you. He’s like, where is Idaho Falls in relation to Yellowstone? And I was like, it’s a really relatively short drive between Idaho Falls and Yellowstone and Jackson Hole and all that whole area, and it’s truly a beautiful place.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Andrew, my half my driveway is 108 miles from the West Gate Yellowstone.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Wow, that’s amazing. I’m jealous.
Dr. Brady Wirick: If you count the southeast corner, we’re about 60. But there’s not a main entrance there. Everything from there, you have to hike or ski and,
Dr. Andrew Wells: Man. Yeah, that’s awesome.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So how did you get in contact? When did you first start learning about Erchonia Lasers? When did you start using them in practice? Tell us a little bit about that story.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Well, we got to turn the wayback time machine on this one. Okay. It was actually in chiropractic school. So I went to Cairo. I went to Texas chiropractic college. I graduated in ’06. And if you remember what was happening in ’06. That’s when Lance Armstrong was on his tyrant of victories. And I don’t care what you say. If everybody’s cheating, right. Everybody’s cheating. Go Astros. So, you hear about this guy called Jeff Spencer. Erchonia’s got people coming to my school? Like I don’t know if they were like, sanctioned by Erchonia or not, but they’re doing all these cool things with laser. I’m like, hey, yeah, that’s kind of cool. Then I get out and I come out here open my practice. And yeah, some sales rep for another laser company gets his hooks into me and I bought another laser. So, knowing what I know now about the possible photothermal effects of lasers that are above class to this story kind of concerns me. That’s all right. But I’m gonna tell it anyway. I had a patient that was coming in for chronic migraines, and I looked up her, you know, some imaging that she had. And lo and behold, she’s missing a whole branch of her circle of Willis. Wow. So she’s got a very distinct blood flow issue going into her brain so she’s not going to get and I don’t remember the specifics, or I don’t remember where it was at or whatever. I know, I lasered over her parietal lobe. And we saw dramatic results.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Wow.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Like, she stopped passing out. She stopped having migraines, just from doing laser over now, again, me telling that story today, knowing what I now know. scares the crap out of me. I can’t believe I did that. It worked out great for her. Do not try that at home. Right. Right. So that was kind of my first like, holy cow moment. You know, I’ve had other lasers in my career that I was using for neuropathy and other things. And then I actually had a chance to, to go help with a multidisciplinary clinic that was a startup clinic. And they had what I called a Tim the tool, man laser. Those are the more people Yeah, well, they had this monstrosity of this thing that was
Dr. Andrew Wells: Borrowed from the Darth Vader’s Deathstar.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Right. They had a handheld version of a blah, blah, blah. And I like I actually burnt a lady’s hair off with a handheld laser. Oh my Wow, sir. lasering her neck and then that smell of burnt hair.
Dr. Andrew Wells: That’s how you know it’s working. That’s when you tell them, Hey, what’s that smell? Don’t worry. Don’t look at that.
Dr. Brady Wirick: I’m not gonna bore you with the details. Unless, you know, you’re in the front of my drift boat. But that was a hint chat.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I’m ready. I’m ready.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Things started kind of going. I don’t know if they’re gonna weird at that clinic. I don’t even know what other other way to explain it. And last March. It was March. So five years previous to that I’d gone to an IFNR seminar in Arizona. And Kirk. Kirk was the instructor. So Dr. Garrett was the instructor and was one of the instructors for this. So I went to his seminar. You know, lasers are cool. I see what they do. Blah, blah, blah. Again, not really resonating with me, right? I’m just like, Yeah, whatever. That’s cool. They do good work. Okay. It wasn’t until last year, about March, that they had a seminar. And it was Kurt Garr. And it was Dan Murph, Dr. Dan Murphy, putting on this seminar in Salt Lake. So I’m like, Okay, I need hours. This seminar is not expensive, and it’s not far away. And lo and behold, I’m coming back from a mountain bike trip that weekend, I’ll just stay in Salt Lake and I’ll go to the seminar. And I literally said to myself, it’s if it sucks, then I can just sign myself and I’m leaving Sunday night, it took a bat. Well, the seminar hadn’t even started yet. And Dr. Murphy gets up there and starts doing what Dr. Murphy does, which is like just shuffling through mountains of research in a way that’s understandable and passionate. And I’m like, Okay, I’m in the right place. And then 10 minutes after the official start time, I’m just sitting there thinking to myself, holy crap, if I would have known Dan Murphy was a guy. I would have totally changed where I went to chiropractic school, just so I can have classes with him.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. Yeah, he’s a pretty remarkable instructor. Pretty, pretty gifted individual.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah, yeah, he was. He was one of the first guys when I was in chiropractic school. I had heard of him through John Donne off Rio. And he was saying, and Dr. Dinajpur was like if you ever have a chance to just study with Dr. Murphy, like do that because he’s amazing. And then I looked him up and I started listening to some of his recordings. And that was like one of the first times as a student I’m like, being a chiropractor is awesome. Like, like look at all the cool things we can do like he was one of the guys that kind of lit that flame for me early on in my chiropractic career.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Yeah, that’s, and he’s still at it. He’s huge and a doctor to offer another like amazing individual but that was it was life changing painful in that morning, and then Kurt gets up there now. Now meanwhile, all this is going on, right, and I’ve got this. I’ve got a son that 17 now so he’s 16 At the time, and he’s a tracks done. Right his very first meet, he’d never run a 400 before he gets up there and takes like third. Well, like two weeks into the season, his knees start to ache. A and then he gets about the fourth week of the season. He’s literally in tears before he’s crossing the finish line. His knees hurt so bad. So all this is happening before the seminar, I did not go to the seminar thinking I’m going to find the answers for this kid. Hey, well, I found answers for this kid. And what I ended up doing well, he goes through and he does everything else, right? Does the imaging goes and sees the orthopedic I’m thinking, you know, I’ve got a regenerative medicine clinic. We could put stem cells in his knees. We could do PRP for him. There’s no freaking inflammation in the knee. Something else is going on. I didn’t understand it. Well, long story short, I go to the seminar. I buy a IVERL, which one is this EVRL, I buy this guy and book tickets to go see Kirk in California. And we go down. And Kirk helps me quickly realize that this is like a neuromuscular reeducation thing. And we’ve got aberrant firing going to sometimes it’s the medial muscles. Sometimes it’s the lateral muscles. So sometimes it’s all these different answers from different PTS they were all right because this thing keeps shifting around. Anyway, we solve the problem. We use the laser to reincorporate some of those muscles, getting back into training and track season starts. Next week, and we are hopefully the opposite. optimistic. What’s the word? I’m looking for one there? Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we’re very optimistic. It’s gonna be great for this kid because he’s been training like an animal. And, you know, he looks like the Hulk.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I feel for him. So I want to highlight something you just shared that I think is really cool for the audience to kind of clue into. And that is, the way in which the lasers helped to fix the problem is probably different than a lot of what people would oftentimes assume. Because so often, we assume that the mechanism, because it’s probably the most common mechanism, we assume is inflammation is what’s driving the pain, right. And so we know that these lasers help reduce inflammation. That’s a pretty, you know, one other FDA clearance. Right, right. Yeah, exactly. And yet, that wasn’t in your son’s case, what was driving the problem? And so what you’re saying there is you were able to use the lasers to really change neurological firing patterns or neurological pathways, in essence, which is really kind of cool to think about that. Because what it does is it at least opens the door to the conversation. Will how many other ways can these lasers be used? Right, because Trevor berry jokingly refers to the lasers as jet and lightsabers, I would say that you could call them like, Swiss Army lasers, right? Where it’s like, literally, it’s like so many cars, I guarantee you there’s way a ton of other different mechanisms and ways in which these lasers are operating and can be utilized that we probably just don’t even fully readily realize or recognize yet. Right,
Dr. Andrew Wells: right. Yeah, that’s a great point. Because the beauty of lasers, as you know, Erchonia lasers, particularly as you can, you’re not going to harm somebody. And so you can turn them on, you can wave, you know, put them on the setting, wave them over the area, and it’ll do its thing. And sometimes I hear providers saying like, hey, you know, and you mentioned this at the beginning of the podcast, like on some patients that work some patients, maybe it doesn’t work, or you don’t get the benefit that you’re looking for, or the outcome you’re looking for. But the argument to that is, well, maybe there are ways to use a laser that you haven’t thought of. Right. And that’s to your point. I think that’s what you’re saying is exactly, you know, this is why it’s important to plug into events that Erchonia’s putting on plug into their speakers because there’s an immense amount of information you can learn from your Dan Murphy’s and your Kurt Garrison, you’re Trevor berries and your Brandon Brock’s, like those are the people who will teach you how to use your lightsaber and then become the Jedi. Right? It’s not the lightsaber. It’s the you know, science part of it is the lightsaber. But also part of its
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s how it’s exactly not just the lasers, but how the practitioner or the user of it, how it’s being used. Yeah, that the the approach for sure. Yeah, great point. So
Dr. Brady Wirick: I’m glad I’m glad you mentioned Brandon Brock. Because when I was taking the neuro courses in chiropractic school, he was our primary teacher that would come down to Houston and teach the courses. That dude is on a different planet, different wavelength all together when it comes to just pure, absolute unadulterated genius to get Brandon Brock on one side of the spectrum, and then you got guys like me on the other side of the spectrum and we’re kind of Some, like, you know, rednecks, hey, hold my beer kind of thing. And that’s, you know, that Kurt calls it an art form to this. And I absolutely agree with him like, yeah, you’re not going to know unless you try and you’re not going to hurt anything. Now, the caveat to that is iShares crap wouldn’t be aiming this directly into somebody’s retina. But like my son, another one of my sons came to me yesterday, he’s like, Hey, with laser help with the culture. I’m like, Yes, it will. So he sat there and was sore for him.
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s awesome. My, what were you gonna say? Sorry?
Dr. Brady Wirick: No, go ahead.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I was just gonna say I can totally relate to your son, my son is really big into track as well. And that’s something he took to him. He’s 17, he just turned 17 as well. So he’s, this year, he’s finishing up well, this will be his junior year running. So his third year doing track edits High School. So we’re, we’re really excited. We’ve been using lasers with him quite a bit as well. But it’s exciting to see him excel at this sport. And he’s, he’s, we signed him up for one of those online. College Prep, recruiting, it’s I don’t even remember what it was called. But we signed him up for it. We paid a bunch of money so that he could basically be better positioned with coaches and stuff. So it’s really cool to see some of the interactions that he’s having with coaches that are seeing him kind of going through the ranks.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Send me a link for that. Check it out.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, yeah, I don’t remember the name, but I’ll get it to you for sure. Yeah. It’s one of those online programs. But
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah, and also, how many stories have you heard from Doc’s who bought a laser for personal use? Oh, total for themselves for their kids? A lot of time for the kids? Yeah,
Dr. Brady Wirick: That’s a perfect segue to go back to the story because now here I am. Okay. Nick Collins knee is improving. Now, there’s several, there’s a lot of money gone out of my savings account. What do I do with this? Right. So I very much bought this for personal use. But there’s the business side of me that says, All right, now we got to figure this thing out. Because there’s a lot of money sitting here. Yeah. Right. So and I’ve heard people say, over the years that you know, these products sell themselves, well guess what they literally do? Yeah, just find little ways to incorporate it. And you find little ways to, hey, let’s try this with you. And then you start having those aha moments of those aha moments, start referring to other aha moments, Which takes me to the next miracle story I wanted to tell you about. I get I get a call from my accountant of all people. And he’s got a 30 year old daughter that goes in to have a vein stripped in her leg. Has a flammig stroke. Oh, man. Oh, geez. Right. So this girl is literally a CPA. She’s taking care of three young children all under the age of 10. One of them being down syndrome, a run in a household and working to take care of his kids all of sudden she can’t function. And she’s being told that oh, you you might recover. You might not. That’s it a some I got both. Okay. The caveat of this, the hitch to the story is she lives south of Salt Lake City, so she does not live here. She can’t drive herself. So long story short, mom goes gets her brings her up here. And we literally just start treating what we find, right? That’s the carrot. Dr. Gary talks about all that all the time. She’s got some smell deficiencies. So we start using smell while I Blaze her right over the filament. Like I can see it on the imaging that clears day there’s where the stroke was. So we start just lasering over that is we start layering and different smells different, you know, complex movements on the opposite side. And she was up here for like three days. And I saw her six times over that three days. So she had come to the office during the day and she came to my house at night. Just so we could get more treatment and it did not take long at all for a normal function to return. Wow.
Dr. Andrew Wells: When you say normal function, what do you mean by that?
Dr. Brady Wirick: Like for her to start feeling human again. Wow. And being able to have clear thoughts at work and not snapping and losing and our kids and she’s been for her it was one of those absolute miraculous stories. Yeah, she’d still just be sitting there going. I wonder if I’m going to recover. Wow,
Dr. Andrew Wells: That’s after six visits six that Yeah. That’s crazy. Well,
Dr. Brady Wirick: So then she comes. She’s been up here one other time like that over the Christmas break. I wasn’t I usually don’t work between Christmas and New Year’s, but I just have her come to my house to visit a friend of mine. And the same type of the same type of stuff and just gets better and better. And she’s dang near back to normal now. Wow.
Dr. Chad Woolner: How long ago was this?
Dr. Brady Wirick: This is back to the started. So the stroke was last April. Okay. I started with the first time in November 2 time in December.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, well, and the thing, that’s incredible too, you know, as they talk about stroke, being all about the timing, right, you know, in terms of like your, your prognosis dramatically, either goes up or goes down, depending upon how long post stroke, you’re able to receive treatment. And I completely acknowledge and I’m so grateful for emergency medicine, that is able to help them, you know, immediately following. The thing that I would say, though, that most people aren’t aware of is most people, conventional medicine and conventional approaches, tend to look at post stroke rehab, through a fairly narrow limited lens, it’s like, you know, we’re gonna get you with some type of rehabilitative specialists who’s going to do some different exercises with you. And hopefully, things improve. It’s kind of like almost like, at least the way I perceive it as a roll of the dice. We’ll see what happens and hope things go Okay.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Here’s the problem, that lens is a box like this. Right? And that lens is framed, aimed by what Medicare what insurance will pay for. Right, right, exactly. And that that frame is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Yeah, based off of, quote, unquote, research when there’s all this stuff outside the box that you can do for these people. Yeah, throw traumatic brain injury. If you want a story about that I had a lady that was on the weight loss program. She did my weight loss program. She had gone all the way through and she lost a tremendous amount of weight. It was doing great on an E bike in California. And doesn’t remember not at all, like she at some point fell off the bike hitter had spent two something weeks in a rehab center in California comes back up. But she’s like, Well, can I go back on your drops? Because I’m gaining a little bit of the weight back on my Whoa, whoa, whoa, timeout. The drops your weight is not the issue right now. Yeah. And we’re after one laser treatment with her. We had her sleeping through the night. Wow. And you know, and then we just subsequent ones after that. She’s kept improving, improving, improving. So when it comes to neuro when it comes to stroke, when it comes to traumatic brain injury, we are onto something huge here. Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, the thing that I keep thinking and all of this having interviewed so many different practitioners, and patients alike, the common denominator, the common theme that seems to be coming up every time we talk about these is people have these experiences that you can’t unsee you know that like once you’ve once you’ve kind of seen what you’ve seen it more often than not leave such a profound impression. You know, I’ve at our clinic, we have a whole host of and I’m sure you’re probably the same. We have a whole host of different gadgets and tools and gizmos that we’ve used. We’re not at any. We’re not lacking in terms of tools and things like that. We’ve got so many of them. And some have been more useful and more valuable than others. But we can clearly say hands down, we have yet to see a tool that has had the same level of impact, as the lasers have had just there’s no comparison, no comparison. Other than I would say the only thing that compares is the chiropractic adjustment itself. That’s the only thing in my experience clinically, that would be in the same realm in terms of dramatic improvement that you see. And that doesn’t surprise me personally. So
Dr. Brady Wirick: I totally agree. And you know, you say that and then again, you’re providing me with another perfect segue into the two stories. I want to tell you last Yeah. It’s almost like we scripted this but I promise you we did not. One of the tools that I’ve got in my quiver, as I talked about before, is stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. They so I’ve been at this since 2018 You know, multidisciplinary clinic. We’ve got nurse practitioners that do these injections for us. And we have seen some absolute miracles when it comes to arthritis and joint pain. Yeah. Now what I’m about to tell you, if some of my colleagues Hear what I’m about to tell you it’s gonna piss piss them off. But it is the honest truth. A when people come in to me for stem cells and low back pain, the conversation used to be well yeah, we can inject stem cells. into the muscles above where the spine where the issue is, like, where the stenosis or where the arthritis is. And then we hope and pray because if this was a knee, if this is arthritis in your knee, we have an encapsulated joint that we’ve got about an 80% chance of helping you fix that, but into the back, we’re gonna get more 50/50. That used to be the conversation. Hey, now the conversation is. And I hate admitting this, because it’s, I’m not gonna say I’ve lost money because of it. But now the conversation is I’ve seen better results with the laser for low back pain. And before we jump into injections, I would much rather than run you through a series of 10 to 12 treatments with this laser, to see if we can get results without using the injections, because I’ve seen better results with the laser. And I stand behind that. A case in point, I’ve got a guy his name was John, he lost. I think he started a weight loss program. Weight Loss guy with us. He’s like 78 years old. And that’s 45 pounds. Wow, holy cow. Well, when you lose that amount of weight, it’s gonna mess with how your cerebellum talks to your back. And it’s gonna mess with joint biomechanics. All of a sudden, he’s like, I my back pains back like my back’s killing me. What can you do? I, you know, we look at imaging, blah, blah, blah. I run him through a course with just the laser based off of what the FDA clearance says. And lo and behold, I see him walking in the mall like, Hey, John, how’s your back? And my back hasn’t felt as good as my 20s. Wow. And that was just from laser.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Wow. And that’s at age 78, right? A 70-year-old saying that their back feels as good as when they were in their 20s. That’s amazing. That’s incredible. Awesome.
Dr. Brady Wirick: Yeah, you can meet him. And then the last one, the other thing that’s happened as well, which is kind of funny is I had this gentleman approach me. He become a friend of mine. And he comes, he’s, he comes up to me after a meeting. He’s like, ‘What can we do about my shoulder?’ And I said, ‘Well, I got a few minutes, let’s go pull your imaging up.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I mean, you’re a perfect candidate to have a stem cell injection. But you can tell he wasn’t, he wasn’t what sort of before. He wasn’t totally on board. Sure. So before we jump to that, let’s just try this laser, right? Because people who respond well to the laser will oftentimes respond well to a stem cell injection, because you’re ramping up your own body’s natural healing mechanisms. I hit him with one laser treatment that I didn’t charge him for. And all of a sudden, he’s got full range of motion back in zero pain.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, the thing that I would say to this, that we’ve experienced in our clinic too, because we have an integrated clinic as well. We’ve done regenerative medicine, and my experience, and you tell me, Brady, if this has been your experience as well, the concern that a lot of patients have when it comes to regenerative medicine is, like many interventions is, ‘Okay, we’re going to kind of cross our fingers, go through this procedure and hope that it works out.’ Because it’s not a guarantee versus the proposition of the laser is let’s do one treatment. And, you know, even if they’re paying for that treatment, you know, depending upon what you’re charging, you know, worst-case scenario, let’s say you’re really charging a lot $200, $250 for a session or whatever versus, you know, potentially a couple $1,000 for a regenerative medicine procedure program. Many, if not most, can see some sort of objective improvement, right, with just one session of the laser. And again, this was, this was told to me by Penny. If you’ve met Pat, I’m assuming you know, Penny Sneed, she’s, she’s amazing. She said to me, and at first I kind of like mentally rolled my eyes a little bit. I wasn’t bought. She said, ‘90% of your patients will see some type of improvement with just one one treatment.’ ‘90%’ And I’m like, in my mind, I’m like, really? 90%? That has held true. The vast majority will notice, now again, what does that mean in terms of some type of improvement? That doesn’t mean 100% resolution. That doesn’t mean, you know, but I would say more often than not it’s significant. It’s it’s so much enough. So again, and so my whole point in sharing this is that the thing that’s so cool that I found about the lady sors versus so many other different modalities and or interventions is that so so often, many of these other approaches require the patient to invest a significant amount of faith into a potential future outcome. Versus with the lasers. They don’t have to really do that. Sometimes they do. But more often than not, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s just do,’ and similar to you what we do more often than not, especially if it’s an established patient, is we’ll do the first laser treatment for free. I’m not confident like I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s just because then that way, it’s 100%, risk-free for them. It’s like, worst thing that can happen is, you don’t really notice much at all. That’s the worst-case scenario. And they’re like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense. That’s cool.’ And they do it. But again, more often than not our experiences, they’re like, ‘Okay, yeah, sign me up, whatever the package is. I know this thing works, that’s cool. So therefore, their confidence goes up, rather than them again, it’s because again, if I were the consumer, if the roles were reversed, I would feel the same way. It’s like, ‘I don’t want to slap down $5,000 for the possibility,’ you know, or whatever it is, you know, it’s like, ‘Okay, I hope that this goes, okay. You know, yeah,’
Dr. Andrew Wells: That’s when he started talking about this, we did a lot of regenerative medicine as well, and we do our, we do injections for patients, and the patients would come back for a re exam and, you know, progress evaluation. And I always, like, I always got really nervous on those visits because I was like, crossing my fingers, like, you know, it’s been a month, like, I really, really, really hope they get have had a good experience because they just spent a lot of money. And if they don’t, I’m gonna feel really bad. And I don’t want to have that conversation. And more often than not, we had really good results, and patients were happy. But we did have patients who like, ‘Hey, I spent a bunch of money, I don’t feel any different.’ And then it’s like, like, well, you know, we tried, but like that was, that’s all we had, like, I don’t I don’t really know what to do at that point. And so, and we, I wasn’t aware of laser therapy back then. And I really kicking myself that I hadn’t figured that out. Because that’s, you know, to the point here, if, if the patient, let’s say, has spent 250 bucks, and they come back and they’re not feeling any better, well, it’s like, well, crap, we tried, but they’re not going to, you know, they don’t have to remortgage their house. And that’s a much easier conversation. And then you also have other alternatives and things you can do if it didn’t work. But yeah, that’s good, good on you for taking that approach.
Dr. Brady Wirick: And as a positive note, you know, I did We did two injections yesterday. A, and those people will be coming back for follow-up care with the laser. Because we know lasers initiate a stem cell response, we know they improve blood flow. Why? Why the hell would you not do that for someone? Yeah, make sure that you did your absolute best. So six months from now, if they come to you and said I spent a bunch of money, and I didn’t see results? You can sleep at night? Because you did your absolute best. Yeah, we’re very forthright with them. And I tell people all the time, like this might be the end, I say this with a laser to this might be the best money you’ve ever spent. Or this might not. This might have do nothing at all. And at least you tried. Yeah. Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, that’s the, that we used to teach. We still teach practitioners, you know, in terms of proper communication, especially as it pertains to handling finances with patients. And one of the things that I tried to help articulate and explain to practitioners is, it’s not just the loss of the money when if a patient pays you and doesn’t get a result, what it what it often is more so than the money, but it’s never fun to lose money. No one ever wants to lose money. But what’s equally, if not more, so the problem is, is the loss of face so to speak. No one, no one ever wants to feel like they were taken. Right. And that’s the conversation that these patients have to have with spouses, friends, family members, is, you know, because they’re there, everybody’s sitting on the sidelines waiting to see, you know, it’s like the drum roll, you know, they, they, they go, they know they’re seeing Brady over his clinic chat at his clinic, Andrew and his clinic, you know, and everybody’s waiting on the sidelines. And then, you know, a month goes by and they’re like, ‘Okay, you know, you spent that you dropped that investment on that, quote, unquote, thing that you did, how did it go?’ And, you know, if it is, heaven forbid, one of those instances where the patient just doesn’t get a result, they did. They’re not just out the money. They’re also out the status that comes with it to that loss of status in terms of like, ‘Yep, well, Janet, she got taken, she got taken out when I tell you, I tell or I did. I did. I told you I told you not to you know, and that’s like just throwing salt in the wound, you know, for a lot of these people. And so that’s the, the thing that I’m very sensitive of is not just the loss of, of money, it but it’s also everything else socially that comes along with bit as well. And again, that’s just such a cool thing about these lasers is giving people the opportunity to kind of, quote unquote, try before you buy, you know, give them that chance. And again, more often than not they get to experience some really, really cool stuff very quickly, which is just so exciting. To me. That’s just so exciting about these lasers. So incredible. So.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Have you figured out a way to incorporate fly fishing and lasers? Because we know lasers are good for everything.
Dr. Brady Wirick: I have laser people, I’ve lasered guides on a boat ramp, having really, that’s amazing.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I’m curious as to how cool would that be to have lasering them while they’re they’re doing their fly fishing motion and stuff like that. Really, really cool.
Dr. Brady Wirick: So this guy, I guided him, you know, back in the early 2000s. And when I was leaving to go to chiropractic school, he was razzing me saying, ‘Hey, why are you going to school? Why are you going to college?’ I just looked at him. I said, ‘Ed, because someday you will be my guide.’ And that kind of like, ended the conversation, right? Well, fast forward to probably 16 I’ve ran into him at a boat ramp up here on the Snake River. And we reconnected and he’s been like, my fishing guy ever since. Like, we fish all the time together. And I can send you most of the big fish. All of the big fish pictures that I have on Facebook are somehow related to add he was there in some form or fashion. That’s amazing. So this guy’s been at it for 30 something years. He’s a self-proclaimed person who’s flooded the canyon here in the south for the most trips down that river. Yeah, human history. And he could probably back that up. Wow. He’s He’s hated because of how good he is. But he’s also been rolling a drift boat for 30 years, which means stenosis in his next analysis in his shoulders. Yeah, he’ll tell you that he’s down to seven years left on the battery of his pacemaker. And I’m a pretty strong dude, like I avidly do CrossFit four or five times a week. And this cat can roll me under the table. Wow. It’s not even like there’s no contest. He just destroys me. And well, subsequently, like he responds very, very well to the laser. So there’ll be days that are mid-season, like he’ll go from late May until mid-August and not have a day off. And he starts to lock up and he can’t, it’s killing him. So he’ll call me or text me and be like, ‘How can we need the laser.’ So I’ve met him. I’ve met him getting off the river with clients right there on the boat ramp. I’ve met him at the dinner at the Southfork Lodge and lasered in for dinner, brings the cookout relays with I just, yes, I have figured it out is what I’m getting. I love that. That’s incredible. And then he’ll have clients that, you know, at the end of like three days in a row with him. They’re having issues with their elbow or their shoulder and he’ll give him my cell phone number, and they’ll come in before they go home and we let him and send him home.
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s amazing. Absolutely incredible. Well, Brady, we really appreciate you taking time to share this with us. You know, this miracle Monday turned out to be miracles Monday, which is good. That’s what we like. We like to hear a lot of these stories. And so we really appreciate it. We appreciate the work that you’re doing out there to help a lot of people. And any final thoughts, Andrew,
Dr. Andrew Wells: If you need a fly fishing place that also offers laser therapy, Idaho Falls. Dr. Wircik is the guy to see. Yeah, yeah, you know, we really do appreciate this because I think Docs need to hear these stories. If they are laser owners, if they’re not laser owners, this is such a Yeah, such a multipurpose tool that you can use in your practice for so many different things. And I like to actually say one of my favorite stories is the last story you shared, like you’re using this at the boat ramp and like just helping your friends and helping people in your community. That’s what as healthcare providers, that’s what you want to do is to help the people we love not just our patients, but the people around us. And I think that’s an amazing way to kind of end this podcast and we really thank you so much for sharing your experiences with a laser and and being also our first celebrity guest who’s also the first miracle Monday you were there first and lots of ways. There you go. Now that you’re the first miracle Monday,
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s right, cast episode. So, all right, everybody. Well, thank you for tuning into this episode. We appreciate you being here with us and look forward to share more with you on the next episode. Again, thanks for being here with us. Dr. Wirick. We’ll talk to you guys later.
Dr. Brady Wirick: It’s been a blast.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Thanks for listening to the laser light show. Be sure to subscribe and give us a review. If you’re interested in learning more about Erchonia lasers just head on over to Erchonia.com. There you’ll find a ton of useful resources including research news and links to upcoming live events, as well as our Erchonia E community where you can access for free additional resources including advanced training and business tools. Again, thanks for listening and we will catch you on the next episode.
Dr. Brady Wirick has been a chiropractor since 2006, and is the first board-certified chiropractic neurologist in the Wyoming, Idaho, Utah area. With a keen interest in the effectiveness of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, Dr. Wirick dives into the nuances of incorporating Low-Level Laser therapy in his practice.
Dr. Brady Wirick discusses their experience with stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine in a multidisciplinary clinic since 2018. He emphasizes the success seen in treating arthritis and joint pain but confesses a shift in perspective when seeing a 50/50 pass through rate. Dr. Wirick admits to now favoring laser treatments over stem cell injections for low back pain, expressing confidence in the laser’s efficacy.
Find out how a chiropractic neurologist loses faith in traditional medicinal practices and turns towards laser treatments in treating arthritis and joint pain.
“…If this is arthritis in your knee, we have an encapsulated joint that we’ve got about an 80% chance of helping you fix that, but into the back, we’re gonna get more 50/50. That used to be the conversation. Hey, now the conversation is…I’ve seen better results with the laser for low back pain.” -Dr. Brady Wirick
“Does the imaging goes and sees the orthopedic I’m thinking, you know, I’ve got a regenerative medicine clinic. We could put stem cells in his knees. We could do PRP for him. There’s no freaking inflammation in the knee. Something else is going on….I buy a IVERL…And Kirk helps me quickly realize that this is like a neuromuscular reeducation thing….we use the laser to reincorporate some of those muscles, getting back into training and track season starts.” -Dr. Brady Wirick
“She stopped having migraines, just from doing laser over now, again, me telling that story today, knowing what I now know. scares the crap out of me. I can’t believe I did that.” -Dr. Brady Wirick
Dr. Chad Woolner: Welcome to Miracle Mondays, a brand new segment of the laser light show focused exclusively on practitioners and patients’ amazing and sometimes even unbelievable stories that are occurring each and every day all across the country. We hope that you really enjoy these. And hopefully, you can see that miracles are occurring all around us each and every day. These are the amazing things we get to hear. And now you get to hear as well. So we hope you enjoy Miracle Mondays. All right, welcome to the show, everybody. On today’s episode of the laser light show, we have with us, Dr. Torry Hinson. We’re super excited to chat with him and find out about a story that he has to share with us. It’s pretty incredible.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So let’s get to it. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I used to love going to laser light shows at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; they would put on these amazing light shows with incredible designs synced up to some of my favorite music from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica. They were awesome. Little did I know then that lasers would have such a profound effect on my life decades later. As a chiropractic physician, I have seen firsthand just how powerful laser therapy is at helping patients struggling with a wide range of health problems. As the leader in laser therapy, Erchonia has pioneered the field in obtaining 20 of the 23 total FDA clearances for therapeutic application of lasers. On this podcast, we’ll explore the science and technology and physiology behind what makes these tools so powerful. Join me as we explore low-level laser therapy. I’m Dr. Chad Woolner, along with my good friend, Dr. Andrew Wells, and welcome to the laser light show. All right, welcome to the show, everybody. And a special welcome to Dr. Torry Hinson. Glad to have you here.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Pleasure to be here.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So Dr. Tory, you’re originally from Texas, or you just moved from Texas?
Dr. Torry Hinson: We moved here about eight years ago.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Oh, have you been here that long?
Dr. Torry Hinson: Yeah, I’ve been here a while.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay. I thought you were relatively new here to the area.
Dr. Torry Hinson: No, no, I’ve just been kind of tucked away in my little office just hammering away with patients. Okay.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So when I say here, literally, for those listening, Dr. Torry Hinson has a practice stone’s throw literally, I could probably throw a rock and hit your practice from where our practices are. So he’s literally just down the street, we met and connected at a Cell Core conference, the ICO event. Was that back in May, I think, time flies. But yeah, and so. So yeah, you’re practicing over there. And you’ve been using Erchonia lasers now for how long in your practice?
Dr. Torry Hinson: I bought my first laser, I want to say about 20 years ago, was their original one, that little line beam was just one little beam. And, of course, back then I had absolutely no idea how to use it, right? He just got it and went at it. And then just started, you know, pointing and shooting and. And then as time went on, I started to apply different ideas and stuff that I was picking up from other practitioners. And yeah, it’s just evolved from there. They’re just great tools. And devices.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And I always love hearing from practitioners who’ve been using them for as long as you have just because it’s gotta be such a cool thing for you to see the evolution in terms of the technology and how things and how they continue to evolve and improve.
Dr. Torry Hinson: You know, that’s like, you know, I think I saw something on social media not too long ago with I think one of the original iPhones was being auctioned off for like, $100,000, really. And so I was like, I wonder how much an original Erchonia laser might be worth something, you know, someday.
Dr. Chad Woolner: You know, it’s funny, we’ve talked about it on this app on this podcast, we had made some mention about Erchonia should have like a museum and they do that they’re their headquarters. In fact, they’re in the process of building, you know, their new headquarters. There’ll be there’ll be relocating, I think, last we heard kind of near the end of the year after Atlanta. Yeah. And so anyways, but I am dying to see the like, the meat, I want to say the library, the Museum of these lasers to see kind of that evolution in terms of that timeframe. How cool and at the same token, at the same time that I say that what’s so cool, too, is the practitioners that I talked to, it’s not as though the original lasers got poor results. You know what I mean? They got awesome results back then, too. It’s just that it’s gotten even better, you know, which is so cool to hear. Yeah. So, so tell us, for those who are listening, kind of introduce yourself, maybe talk a little bit about your practice because you practice a little different than I would say most chiropractors and you’ve got kind of a unique background. Tell us a little bit about that.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Well, I graduated school in 2000 from Texas chiropractic college. And I have to say that I remember going to school and hearing about Kinesiology. And of course, a lot of my professors kind of like, you know badmouth that because they felt like it was, you know, subjective, not the objective thing. But I guess the thing I noticed was that these guys that did it and did it we’ll always get amazing results, right? Oh, right. And I thought I had, I want to be like that. And, you know, I didn’t really want to get into the insurance game. And I felt like, hey, if I could somehow differentiate myself and do some different things, and maybe get the kind of results these guys were getting, then I should look into it. And so it was like you use the word evolution, it truly has been an evolution for me. In fact, I have some patients coming in from Texas later on this month that I haven’t seen, probably 10-12 years. Wow. And I think I saw them when I was only like, a year and a half in and I’m like, How do these people even come? So I was terrible.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s why they call it practice man.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s why they call it practice, man.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Right, I was so awful. And the guy goes, boy, it’s just been fun to watch, you get better and better. And anyway, so then started to start my first practice outside of Austin, Texas, and a little town called Marble Falls. Okay. And then practice there about 10 years and then relocated to Houston, right around that economic crash of oh, 8k. Okay, to the big city and where I was from, started to see patients there. And then one thing led to another and I, you know, I had family here and I just thought, Man, I want to, I want to live in Idaho. So about 2015 and made the move and started practice all over again. And,
Dr. Chad Woolner: And that’s been here the whole time in the kind of Boise area.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Yeah, I was here in Meridian. I originally started down the road at the village. Oh, that’s right. Yeah. And I was in a little, my wife calls it a broom closet. I was in this tiny little executive suite. And I was there for several years and then outgrew it. Oh, yeah. No, it was it was I was way overdue. But so yeah, I started to combine a lot of Kinesiology with the use of the laser. Yeah. And it was just phenomenal to see the kind of results that you can get with patients. And it’s kind of neat, right? Because with these lasers, patients can’t feel it. Right. So this is another way to show them that a change occurred. Sure, right. We can do range of motion tests and befores and afters and things like that. Right. So kinesiology was a great fit. And then initially, I started in applied kinesiology and then eventually moved into clinical kinesiology, which is where you’re breaking down like 500 different muscles in the body. And, but, but I always wanted to figure out how do I merge the two, you know? And so over the years, I’ve tinkered with it, like you call it practice, and download with it and try to figure out like, you know, how does it work? How can we make these mesh together? And so now, I always think I’ve got it figured out, and then someone comes into the office, and I’m like, Okay, well, that didn’t work. So now you got to figure it out, you know, what we need to do different for this person. But it’s been, it’s been ups and downs, like, you know, practices. Yeah. But it’s been so fun. Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And so, recently, you had kind of a crazy story that we’re kind of kind of focus our attention on.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Sure.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Tell us a little bit about that.
Dr. Torry Hinson: So this was June 16. So it hasn’t been quite a month yet. I had a patient come in. His name’s David. And he came into the office, having had a traumatic brain injury from a car accident that he had had about a little over a year prior to. So I think they said it was a 14 months now. Yeah. And when he came in, he was on one of these forearm walkers, you know, where they have their arms up on the rest of the reforms on those walkers. Yeah. And I think he kind of, you know, he comes into the office. And at first, I hadn’t, you know, my front desk person had scheduled them and all that. And so I didn’t really quite know the extent Yeah, what I was up against here. So I come out to the reception area and see this guy, and I’m like, Oh, wow, a lot more. A lot more. Exactly. Yeah. And so. But he and his wife are they’re seriously one of the greatest and nicest couples you’d ever meet. Yeah. And so I didn’t want to make any promises. But I said, Hey, let’s see how you respond to what we’re doing. And so we brought him back and just to kind of give you a little history about him. He was T-boned in a T-bone car accident. Someone had run a stop sign right out here in some of these back country, side roads. And T-boned him and he ended up in ICU with like, I think, a 45% chance to live.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Wow.
Dr. Torry Hinson: They said a 22% chance of a good outcome on this. And anyway, so he had ended up with hydrocephalus, all kinds of complications ended up having seven brain operations. Wow. And they’re telling me all this stuff, and my eyes just keep getting bigger and bigger. And I’m leaving hope I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew here. But right, but I was willing to try. And I think that’s sometimes where some of the greatest stories occur. You just try. And, you know, he saw was taking more of their history, and he had to learn how to sit and swallow again. And then he actually lost 10 years of his memory. So wow, he did not know who this woman was, that was always in his, you know, hospital room with him and stuff. They had friends that kind of helped convince him that he was married. And you know, being a Christian, he joked the other day when he was in the office, he said, being a Christian guy just thought this woman was trying to commit adultery with me or something. And he had no idea and But gradually, bit by bit, his memory started coming back. And actually, if I’m not mistaken. He’s said the memories have only started coming back since just a few months, a few months ago. Yeah. And so when they came into my office, he was on this Walker, just kind of shuffling his feet down the hall. And we got him on the table. He couldn’t stand up off the table. It couldn’t stand up off the chairs in the reception area. Yeah. And so I thought, well, I’m going to start videoing this because you never know. Right. And I wanted to be able to show him his progress. Because sometimes when you’re dealing and I’ve worked with stroke patients in the past, what I’ve learned is sometimes when you’re dealing with these people, because they’re so disconnected from their bodies, they can’t they can’t tell that improvements being like, you’ll sit there and say, wow, like their family will they’ll do something after we’ve done some treatment? The family members are wowed. But they are like, well, I can’t feel any. I don’t feel any different. Right, right. I don’t know if you’ve ever had that. It’s 100%.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, well, and what you’re talking about there is interesting, I was thinking about this, as you’re talking about that because little things are still big things, you know what I mean, in terms of like, improving, and I think sometimes when we think of like, let’s just say, a traumatic brain injury, you know, we automatically go to Okay, let’s get this guy back to running marathons and waterskiing the way that he liked to. And it’s like that, that’s great. No, but let’s, let’s focus our efforts one step at a time. And don’t lose sight of the fact that just getting this guy to walk unassisted is a huge win, even though that’s a small thing. That’s a big thing, you know.
Dr. Torry Hinson: And that’s what they were looking for. They were just like, anything you can do. Yeah. I mean, this guy was in bad shape. And, you know, the fact that he was still breathing was a win, right after an injury like that. And, anyway, so he had, so we just, we started working with him. Um, I started to see you know, sometimes with people like this muscle testing isn’t easy, because I kind of we test individual muscles right throughout the body. So in essence, what I did with this guy was I was trying to say, Hey, can you even put your foot in the position to, for me to test it? Right? Well, he failed. And so then I said, Well, I didn’t want to start getting too aggressive, of course with them. And in the past, what I had done was I would work with just with laser. Yeah. And I’ve learned so much from guys like, you know, Dr. Berry and Dr. Brock, and you know, people in the Erchonia arena, and I’ve just kind of compiled notes over the years. Sure. So finally, what I started to do is he kind of presented with a stroke pattern, like all that weakness on one side of the body, right. And he has the, you know, the arm that his right arm is curled up, and you can’t really extend that. And so I just said, Hey, I just want to see if we get some sort of a change here. And so since it was on his right side of his body, like the weaknesses, I started stimulating the with lasers started stimulating the left cortex part of his brain. And then I just tried to have him move his foot. And when you say stimulate, let’s get real specific here. What laser were you using? Yeah, initially, I was just using accelerate.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Just a simple like the introductory unit.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And what frequencies were you using?
Dr. Torry Hinson: So I use the frequencies that Dr. Barry recommended. So I used to use the one 140 60 Yeah, yeah. And I just started stimulating that and I was trying to say, hey, let’s see what kind of change we made and and then obviously, you want to be careful because you don’t know how much someone can tolerate Sure. But I’m also the opinion that we usually under treat. Yeah, and so but everyone’s tolerance is different, of course, and wow. I mean, all the sides then this foot just shoots out there. And wow, okay, that’s a pretty cool, yeah, that’s pretty neat. And then I went to the cerebellum, the back back behind the ear, you know, on the right side, sort of stimulating that, and then I knew that the, we were trying to test the peroneus tertius, that’s a muscle on the outside of the ankle, right, that runs. It’s the s one nerve root. So I just started having a move that foot like that. And then next thing, you know, I go down to this nerve root. So just, you know, you kind of go through the abdomen, approximately where the s one nerve root would be. So I stimulated all these areas, well, then he could put resistance against my test. And I told his wife, that’s what I want to see, you know, hey, I think I think we can do some things with him. And so we kept progressing. And they were just excited. Right? Yeah. And they were just excited to see something. And they had been seeing a cranial sacral therapist, who I had treated a couple of years ago, who said, Hey, I think you should go see this guy I’ve seen before he uses lasers, and it does some really cool stuff for the brain. Well, they were thrilled. And I said, Let’s have you come back later this week. So we did more work. But when he came back Now, granted, I’d only fix that one area of his foot. When he came back. I think it was two or three days later, the Walker was gone. Wow. And he’s just got this cane. I said, Hey, where’s your walker? He’s like, Well, I really haven’t needed it. And I thought get out of here. Right? And yeah, his wife. And so then I, we treated them again, did a little bit more, I said, Hey, I just want to see how much you can tolerate. started treating more nerves kept treating the brain. This time I brought in my FX 635. And we started stimulating his left cerebral cortex, his right cerebellum, while I was working on, you know, the nerve roots with the with the accelerate. And anyway, then after that second treatment, he gets up and starts walking, he still needed assistance getting up. Yeah. And then he just starts going down the hall. And he goes, You know, I just want to see if I can do this without the support of my cane. Sure. And he lifts his cane up and just starts kind of shuffling down the hall and I’m and his wife to start sobbing.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And this is this is the video that I saw. Right?
Dr. Torry Hinson: Right, right.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So for those who are listening, and they want to see that video, you have it on Facebook, do you know?
Dr. Torry Hinson: I’m actually going to upload them all I wanted to see like how the progression was gonna go. And so, I’ve actually sent them to Erchonia. Oh, they’re gonna put together a cool video. Okay. But what’s so nuts? Is that, like it gets. It gets pretty emotional when you get to help people. And these down to earth, salt of the earth people. And I asked him, I said, What’s your goal? And I almost broke down. He said, I just want to take care of my wife. And he didn’t like it. I want to be able to walk, I just wanted to be able to take care of my wife, because she was having to do everything for him. Right. So then we just, we just went to work. I mean, I started and then once I started getting some of these basic nerve muscle connections working, and he said it started in June. Is that what you said? I started June 16. With him. So it’s July.
Dr. Chad Woolner: This is really recent. Yes.
Dr. Torry Hinson: I’ve only seen him eight times. It’s only been a month. Almost a month, two days from now. Yeah. So. But what’s so bizarre is that he comes in on the third visit, and he’s stands up on his own. Wow. And I’m videoing this thing. So I’ve got all these videos and progressions so you can kind of see how he’s just evolving. And I think after the fourth or fifth visit, he came in and he said, Hey, he goes, I had an erection. Right? I jokingly said, why charge extra for those. And he said, his wife goes, we don’t care, whatever the cost is. But he also said, you know, my brain is coming alive. And he said, I just can think and his speech was improving. I hadn’t even worked on any of the cranial nerves that deal with that, right?
Dr. Chad Woolner: You’re just starting to see some systemic effects.
Dr. Torry Hinson: My whole goal initially was to say, I want him to be able to walk and not fall. Yeah, it was the first thoughts so I was kind of starting from the bottom up. And I was working my way up to week and start working on his arm and all that and so he had had not only that, but he had like four bowel movements in a day he had never had that happen. injury. And but you know, he’s standing up his you know, I’m trying not to cry my eyes out every time he comes in because you’re seeing this guy does come back to life. Yeah, no doubt. And you know, what a privilege to be a part of something like that. Yeah. And so he just keeps getting better and better and I Keep thinking to myself, Okay, eventually we’re going to plateau here. But every time he comes in, I said, I think it was after the fourth visit, he goes, and I walked 100 yards with no cane. He goes in my life kind of started to get a little tired. And he said, No, no, that’s great. So I encourage patients like him. To stress it a little bit. We got to kind of see, okay, hey, did our correction hold despite the stress you put on the body?
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. And, you know, it’s interesting that you give that advice to stress it. I’m in the middle of reading a book right now called the Talent Code. Yeah. Have you read that book? No, I’ve heard of it. Let me for those who are listening here. Let me see if I can remember, I can’t remember the name of the author. So I’m gonna pull it up real quick. But it’s really interesting, by Daniel Coyle, the Talent Code, if you just look it up on Amazon, and what they’re basically saying, among many things, is the secret to learning anything, any skill and developing it faster and with a stronger degree of mastery, is that you have to stress the system, meaning you have to go further than the beat than the bounds of your comfort zone. This should make perfect sense to all of us. Sure. But the interesting thing is, in doing that process of taking things to, you know, just past that comfort zone, that boundary, it’s, and again, we understand this to a certain degree, I think more than most, but he’s talking about this whole idea. He’s really emphasizing this whole idea of myelin and myelination, yes, that when you’re doing that you’re improving the myelination, or the installation of the nerves, which improves the conductivity, which improves the connectivity, which improves the just overall function of anything. And so, in essence, what you’re saying, and what you’re doing is in harmony, complete harmony with Well, that’s cool, saying, Yeah.
Dr. Torry Hinson: It’s really kind of cool. Yeah. And I and I keep telling, I tell all my patients, I was like, muscles have to, in order for muscles to work, they have to receive input from the central nervous system, right and spinal cord. So now, as time has gone on, I’ve, you know, I’m starting to integrate all of this together, even with my individual muscle corrections I do with patients. What blew my mind is when he came in yesterday, and he said, That was number eight. This was visit number eight. So just prior to visit number eight, he said, I walked two laps around the track, that’s a half mile. Wow. And I said, come on now. Are you being serious? Are you just and I said, and he goes, No, I’m telling you, I walked to half a mile. I said, Well, I want to see how this held up. Right. So we put him on the table and started evaluating these nerve nerve roots and via the muscle test. You know, because for those of you I’m sure people have remember in school, where they talked about my atoms and specific muscles related the different levels of the spinal cord, and so I was checking those and two of them I had to reset. Okay, but that was the first time I’d had to reset them. So he may have stressed that a little bit sharking. Sure. And then, you know, his wife goes, you know, I just, this is a really big deal. Yeah, man. I think one of the coolest things was after about two weeks of treatment, so I think I’d seen him probably four times, maybe five times, his folks had been out of town. Before I started treating, said, I had no idea I had no clue. And they come back into town and see him and his mother just starts crying and goes up and gives him a hug. And she goes now so his wife’s telling me this story. And she goes, You didn’t know what kind of a big deal this is? Yeah. They’re not a super affectionate family. Yeah. And to see him doing what he was doing just brought them to tears. And, like, this is almost become like a spiritual experience in many ways. And, but then just to watch his progression, I had a patient come in and he said, Hey, I think you’re working on one of my friends. And I said, Oh, really, who and he tells me he’s like, dude, he climbed the stairs to my apartment. And he goes, I kept telling him you got to hold on to the railing You’re freaking me out like because he was just trying to climb stairs and Yeah, and so you know, once I got all those myotomes working and all that stuff, we started kind of, you know, working on individual muscles. So we started working on the muscles that would stabilize his pelvis and keep him straight up, right? So we worked on his glute muscles and again, I’m working on muscle attachments and maybe using like a adjusting device to just do very gentle adjustments, you know, kind of like an Arthur stammer, yeah, something like that. And so but again, he’s getting laser every visit for every single correction. So like say If I find a glute, I know that okay, l five s one nerve roots are a couple. So we laser that laser check to see and then work those muscle attachments. And they’ve even found that as you start to activate muscles, it makes changes in brainwaves, which is really cool.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. And well, we were taught we were talking, that doesn’t surprise me at all. We were talking to we were interviewing Dr. Adam Harcourt. And he was saying that if I recall correctly, so I’ll have to go back now and listen to that episode again. But he was saying that’s one of the things that they’re finding now with Botox is that Botox is negatively impeding the input to the brain because you’re missing that those muscles firing and those muscles firing since input up to the brain and proprioceptive input. And so what it’s doing is it’s starting to change in a negative way, not in a positive way. And, and the problem is most people think of Botox as kind of this harmless kind of thing. Yeah, you just do that. And you don’t think about the long term and, and the thing that he’s saying is, it’s it’s, I don’t think people are starting to see the real long term consequences until quite a ways later,
Dr. Torry Hinson: Yeah, for sure. And you can go in and evaluate people’s, you know, cranial nerves five and seven, the facial expression ones, and eventually, I can always tell who the Botox people are. I bet because they can’t. Well, like you’ve probably seen what they can’t raise their eyebrows. Yeah. And so and I think at that soul core conference we were at right they had someone get up there and talk about that, just how awful that stuff is, like black box label stuff. Yeah. But this guy continues to improve and it doesn’t blows my mind. I mean, I sent my most recent video draconian yesterday, and they were just blown away as amazing. You know, he stands up now and his gait. I’ve almost got all of this. Like, initially, as you start to get these guys to walk, you know, they’ll have that flip flopping, right, you can hear them tapping their feet, or people who can’t lift their foot. If those muscles don’t fire, right, they can’t lift their foot so they’ll flop or you’ll hear him shuffle. And, it’s been such a cool experience to watch. This guy literally evolved before my eyes.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, no doubt.
Dr. Torry Hinson: I just think we’re so fortunate to have devices like this. And, you know, it still blows my mind, you know, what might have happened had this guy had a laser on his brain, like, you know, soon after the accident, right? I mean, I keep thinking, why don’t they have these in ers? You know, and ICUs and stuff, but
Dr. Chad Woolner: And that really, without sounding overly dramatic. But what you’re saying is exactly right on par with that’s why we’re having number one, this podcast number two, these, these episodes, right? So for listeners, this is your cue here will challenge you. Share this with your doctor, share this with, you know, and along with that, look at have them, look at the literature, have them take a sincere look at the literature and what they will find when they start hearing these stories. When they start seeing literature, they’ll start to see a very clear pattern emerging. Absolutely, that this is not coincidence. This is certainly not placebo. This is this is the real deal. You know, and so, and that’s the thing is the entire from the get go when we started this podcast with Erchonia. That was the entire mission and vision and purpose behind it. them and us was we need this, we need lasers to be a mainstream strategy and tool, not this kind of thing that’s relegated to the fringes of all I’ve heard of that this obscure kind of, well, that sounds weird. Why would you put a laser on someone’s brain? That’s weird, you know, when in reality, this should be absolutely. Like you said this should be mainstream. This should be a standard of care.
Dr. Torry Hinson: Oh, absolutely. You know, I mean, it wasn’t Russia. Right. And the Russians were made to the standard of care a long time. Absolutely. And unfortunately, we have, you know, so much red tape here in the States, right. Yeah. And so I think there’s so much misunderstanding about users, right? And especially the difference between the hot lasers and but yeah, it wakes people out when you can just put a laser on part of their brain in some distant part of their body, like a foot or a toe. All of a sudden starts moving. And it’s just, I think, you know, I’m in a Facebook group with Dr. Kurt Garr. Yeah. Right. And so it’s really cool to see all these new people buying lasers and yeah, and dipping their toes in that world and in that pool, and I just I hope that more practitioners start to open their minds to these devices because I’m still blown away. I’ve been using them for a long time. And I’m still blown away with some of the stuff it does. I’m like, I didn’t know I could do that.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I told ya a good friend of mine who’s also a local doc here, just down the road from us. Dr. Matt Ogle. Yeah, he just added an E VRL. And now he’s gonna be getting I think because Arona and like, I told him, man, and it’s so funny because he’s been talking to Penny pennies, his rep. And he said, she’s been so assumptive the entire time in terms of like, when you add this next laser, and when you this is gonna be your first of many. And at first, he was like, taken aback by that, like, Man, she’s really hard selling. Yeah, you know, and then all of a sudden, he realizes after I’m talking to him, and he’s starting to hear like, I’m like, no, just just wait, you’ll see, you know, just wait, you’ll see. Because you’ll, you’ll realize, like, and I’m like, I don’t mean I really don’t mean to sound like this, like, you know, zealot weirdo, but it’s like you do you see these things? And you’re like, how can you not practice without this tool? Now?
Dr. Torry Hinson: I’m jonesing for a GVL lazy right now. I mean, I’m thinking if I’m getting results like this, you know, you know, stimulating that part of the mitochondrial recipe that chain the complex for I’m like, good gracious, what should I do with a right with a green violet? Where you can stimulate complex one, two and three. Yeah. So I’m like, geeking out. Yeah, I listened to all these different, like, Y’all know, this podcast and other interviews, and, you know, listening to the shanks talk about, you know, the stuff that’s coming down the pipeline and all this stuff. And so it’s, it’s so fun. And yeah, it’s a lot of fun to help people get their life back to change their lives and give them hope. Yeah, so I just hope that doctors get an opportunity to, you know, see how these devices work. And, and I, it’s so cool, because it’s really hard to hurt someone with it. You can’t, I mean, you really have to do some dumb to hurt him in the head with the laces. That’s about what you would have to do to hurt him. And so, but you know, and it’s not even with David’s great story. The things you can do with all kinds of musculoskeletal issues, like you know, and I love it. I love listening to this podcast, because I get ideas from some of the other Doc’s right and how they’re using how they’re implementing them in their office. Yeah. And so it gives me ideas and but yeah, this guy’s David is doing so well. And every time he leaves, I’m like, surely he’ll plateau. He comes back. And he can do something else. And barriers.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. Well, what we’ll do is, we’ll have to do like a year follow up or something like that six month or your follow up? We’ll do like a part two to this. And we’ll just see, continue because no doubt, I’m sure we’ll see. continued improvement there for sure. So amazing.
Dr. Torry Hinson: So yeah, his voice is improved. His speech has improved. Like he’s talking. She’s his wife says, you know, he sounds more like himself now than he ever has. And so again, it’s, you know, you will, if you listen to any of the dogs listening, if you don’t have one of these devices, you will change people’s lives. Chad, I know you’ve seen this. Yeah, practice. And, you know, even if every doctor in this area had lasers, we still couldn’t see everybody that that would benefit from Absolutely. And so it makes sure does make getting up in the morning going to work a lot more fun. Absolutely.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Absolutely. Well, we certainly appreciate you taking time with us to share the story. It’s really been incredible to hear and very, very rewarding to see and experience these types of miracles.
Dr. Torry Hinson: So we shall post this on Facebook and Instagram. And we’ll put together some so people can see this because you know, the videos are worth 1000 words. Absolutely.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Absolutely. So awesome. Well, listeners, if this was inspiring to you, share this with others. And that’s how we help more people at the end of the day. That’s how this gets out there. So share this with others and have an amazing day. We’ll talk to you guys on the next episode. Thanks for listening to the laser light show, be sure to subscribe and give us a review. If you’re interested in learning more about Erchonia lasers just head on over to Erchonia.com. There you’ll find a ton of useful resources including research news and links to upcoming live events, as well as Erchonia E community where you can access for free additional resources including advanced training and business tools. Again, thanks for listening and we will catch you on the next episode.
Dr.Tony Hinson graduated from Texas Chiropractic College in 2000 and recalls being introduced to Kinesiology during school, though some professors criticized it as subjective. Wanting to differentiate from the insurance-driven approach, Dr. Hinson decided to explore Kinesiology and low level laser therapy, considering it an evolutionary process. The decision has proven successful, with patients returning after 10-12 years, reflecting the speaker’s growth and improved effectiveness in practice.
Dr.Hinson initially practiced in Meridian, starting in a small space and eventually expanding due to growth. Combining Kinesiology with laser therapy, the speaker observed remarkable results that patients couldn’t physically feel. This approach allowed for effective demonstrations of positive changes through a range of motion tests. Diving into both applied and clinical kinesiology, Dr.Hinson aimed to integrate the two seamlessly. Despite continuous experimentation and occasional challenges, Dr.Hinson finds the journey enjoyable and rewarding in the ups and downs of the practice.
Dr.Hinson combines Kinesiology with laser therapy, emphasizing that sometimes the best results come from taking a risk.
“I started to combine a lot of Kinesiology with the use of the laser…it was just phenomenal to see the kind of results that you can get with patients….with these lasers, patients can’t feel it.…I started in applied kinesiology and then eventually moved into clinical kinesiology, which is where you’re breaking down like 500 different muscles in the body.” -Dr.Hinson
“So I stimulated all these areas…so we kept progressing. …so we did more work. But when he came back Now, granted, I’d only fix that one area of his foot. When he came back. I think it was two or three days later, the walker was gone.” -Dr.Hinson
“his voice has improved. His speech has improved.” -Dr. hinson
Dr. Chad Woolner: What’s going on everybody? Dr. Chad Woolner here with Dr. Andrew Wells and on today’s episode of the laser light show we have with us our special guest. Phyllis Frase-Charrette, who is the Director of Corporate relationships and continuing education at Parker University. We’re so excited to get to sit down with her and chat with her. So let’s get to it.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I used to love going to laser light shows at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; they would put on these amazing light shows with incredible designs synced up to some of my favorite music from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica. They were awesome. Little did I know then that lasers would have such a profound effect on my life decades later. As a chiropractic physician, I have seen firsthand just how powerful laser therapy is in helping patients struggling with a wide range of health problems. As the leader in laser therapy, Erchonia has pioneered the field, obtaining 20 of the 23 total FDA clearances for therapeutic application of lasers. On this podcast, we’ll explore the science, technology, and physiology behind what makes these tools so powerful. Join me as we explore low-level laser therapy. I’m Dr. Chad Walder along with my good friend, Dr. Andrew Wells, and welcome to the laser light show. All right, welcome to the show, everybody. We are so excited to have Phyllis with us. Welcome, Phyllis.
Dive into Erchonia’s story, discover groundbreaking innovations, and join us on the forefront of revolutionizing patient care. Visit https://www.erchonia.com/about/ now to embark on a journey towards a healthier and brighter future.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Thank you so much. It’s great to be here.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So Phyllis, you don’t know this. But you are a huge person to thank for this podcast’s existence. Most people may not realize this, but you’re a big part of this show actually being here today. And now we’re like, what some? By the time this release is like some 50 episodes into it at least. And you didn’t even realize that so not fail. This is part of a massive part of the Parker seminars. In fact, we just had a doc, a good friend of ours. He’s like I’ve been to the Parker Dallas seminars. He’s like, this is next level though. Parker Vegas. He’s like he was not prepared. He was like, his eyes were wide open. He’s like, this is incredible how huge this event is. But had it not been for you putting on and helping put on these events. We wouldn’t have collaborated with Erchonia because it was literally 12 months ago, last Parker seminar we connected with Erchonia and started developing a relationship with them that ultimately culminated in the laser light show. So here we are today. So thank you for waiting for all this.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Small world in it. You know, I really believe that part of the profession, that beautiful part of the Connect profession is it’s like a spiderweb for sure because it touches so many people. Oh, for sure, you know, not personally, but professionally as well. And, and the Parker seminars have always been known for great networking. Oh, for sure. Unions. And yeah, you know, doctors who haven’t seen their classmates for years. So, you know, it’s just not about the speakers. And it’s just not about attending. It’s about the experience.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Oh, for sure. You’ve heard of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, we call it like the two degrees of Parker. That’s what we’ll call it because it’s exactly it’s such an epicenter in terms of relationship building and collaboration and networking. You know, I spoke yesterday. And that was one of the biggest things that I tried to get across to all the attendees is like strategic partnerships happen at events like this, that you can reach out to people you can meet. Really, you know, I think sometimes at least me, sometimes people can think of things very kind of limited perspective, meaning vendors are here, they’re here to sell me something. Yeah, maybe that’s one way of looking at it. Right. And that’s true vendors are all here to sell something. Or you can look at it from a means of again, truly building valuable value-based relationships, which is a far more holistic, broad-based collaborative way of looking at things which again is what’s brought us here today.
Dr. Andrew Wells: it’s a really good point I think a lot of Doc’s who they come to events like this because they have to check off the box of getting continuing continuing education which is great we all have to do that. And but when you come to an event like this, you’re checking off that box but if you walk into an event like this with curiosity and an open mind and also with what what else can I learn to become a better provider to become aware of some of the changes that are happening in healthcare in general you’re gonna get a massive return for your time and effort and for your time and effort coming here because it’s you know, it’s so easy to be especially in Las Vegas and be distracted by stuff you know, it’s like how can you not as your as your as we’re doing this right right behind our little podcasting booth is an acrobat doing something incredible things with her body and voice she’s like contorting herself says there’s distractions everywhere but there’s so much here just in the in the seminar room to be distracted by already boring engaged with and I’m I’m always really impressed, you know, walking through the vendor booths, like how many really cool ways that providers can become could advance themselves as healthcare providers and just deliver better outcomes for their patients to get better outcomes with their business. And it’s all just kind of happening synergistically with other providers here. You can, you can tell the look on the docks faces who are like, one of two things like I’m just here for CES, and I’m gonna go gamble. But there’s also a huge majority of people who are here, honestly, to move the profession forward. And you guys have cultivated that environment, which is, I’ve never seen anything, even close to the Parker seminar. It’s pretty, it’s pretty humbling.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: You’re right on with those comments, because this is just not a CPE event. Yes. You know, because we put a lot of effort into making the experience for our attendees and our exhibitors, for an experience that they’re not going to forget, you know, because you can go to seminars, and you can get motivation. You can get CPE, but we have something for everyone. Yeah, for sure. You know, and so we want people to leave going, Wow, I’m rejuvenated. Yeah, I got some education. And then I can bring back to my community. I got some marketing tips that I can market my practice better. Yeah. And I got, you know, I, I got some good inner soul feeling for me. Now. I want to go back and see more patients do more in my community that that’s our ultimate goal.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, recharged, for sure. So how did you get into this whole world? How long have you been with Parker, tell us a little bit about your journey of what brought you here today.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: I really have to age.
Dr. Chad Woolner: You don’t need to, you don’t need to give an exact timeline in terms of yours. Just tell us he started one day.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: So my first husband was a chiropractor. And I was working in the corporate world. And we got married and had a chiropractic office and he was struggling. And we were like, We got to do something. Yeah. Because great chiropractor, great location, but didn’t know the office procedures. And had you
Dr. Chad Woolner: had you had experience with chiropractic prior to that? No, no. Okay, so met your husband. And now all of a sudden, here’s chiropractic.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: And, and so we found the Parker seminars. And, and our goal was if his office manager ever quit, I would come in and take that spot. I didn’t know what I was doing. I remember introducing myself to the patient that walked in the door and I called her by her first name. And she yelled at me and she says, You never to call me my first name is Mrs. Marble. Okay, that really scared me. I don’t think I wanted to do this.
Dr. Andrew Wells: The first one.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Because I didn’t have any training. I mean, generally, I was told here’s the appointment book. Here’s the phone. Have fun. Yeah. She said we found the Parker seminars. And we started going to the, to the seminars, and back then they were every two months.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Had your, at that time had your husband, where did he go to Parker? No, no.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Okay. He was a life graduate. Okay. In 1983. Wow. Right. So, so we started going to the seminars, and our practice just grew and grew and grew and exploded. Wow. And then we started getting staff and, you know, it was part of the requirement when they were hired that they had to go to the Parker seminars. Yeah. Because we learned procedures, we learned, you know, learn clinical aspects, and it just really made the office so synergistic. Yeah, right. And so 1990-1999, I became a team teacher, for the Parker seminars, holy cow. And in 1999, I was the chiropractic assistant of the year,
Dr. Chad Woolner: How incredible you know
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Know, decades ago, right, so cool. So. So it just continued that journey. And you’re and I officially retired as a speaker for Parker two or three years ago because when I started working for Parker University, eight years ago, I was the Director of Recruitment. And so I was recruiting prospective students in this set. The seminars are phenomenal for that because protective students can come and check out everything and see, you know, what the professions like and so that’s what I started doing. And then I was asked to come over to the operational side of the university. And so I just retired as a speaker because as you can see, there’s a lot of moving parts. Yeah, I couldn’t have present time consciousness on the stage, no doubt wondering what else was going on trying
Dr. Chad Woolner: to do air? Yeah, yeah, you’re wearing way too many hats at that point in time. So
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: I was the speaker for the Parker seminars for 25 years. Wow. Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: What was What a cool, full circle story. This is for you, you know what I mean? Like it started there you guys attending and now you’re here in this position, kind of like completely the opposite perspective, having seen what this has done for you and your personal life with your practice. And then now all of a sudden being in this position, what a and the thing that’s interesting, you kind of briefly touched on just a little bit of it. But this was the first time I had heard this question posed to me. It was, I think it was your brother, sister and brother-in-law, they said, you know, they’ve seen that we’ve been really busy here at this seminar. And they said, what’s kind of the end game for Parker with these seminars? Like, what is it? What do they get out of it? And we kind of I stepped back and I kind of like thought about it. I said, Well, I’m assuming that it’s a great recruitment tool for prospective students. I’m assuming that it’s also just a collective great boost for the profession. And so I think, and obviously, I know there’s a financial component to it, that’s fine. We can talk about that. But, but I think too, so much of it is those kind of more, we can call it philanthropic and or altruistic endeavors, of trying to just help educate the public help educate prospective students help educate chiropractors, you know, so much of that. So I would, I don’t again, you can answer that question better than I can. But I don’t think there’s one simple answer of what’s the endgame for parkour, it’s just this one thing. I’m assuming it’s there’s a lot of different factors. What are some of the other things that we’re maybe not seeing?
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Well, it’s just like the spiderweb.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Right.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: You know, we just, you just touch people’s lives. Sure, you know, because when I went to my first seminar, I look back. I mean, it’s, it’s such a fun memory. Yeah. And I remember sitting in the back row with my arms crossed going, this is just stupid. And I’m being totally transparent here. But yeah, I was listening to his name was Ed Forman. And y’all are probably too young to even know that, but he was like, the grandfather of motivational he trained ever he trained under Napoleon Hill, holy cow. And so his thing was, how to make a good how to make a good day, a great day, every day, that changed his perspective, changed my life. And I feel chiropractic changes your life. So it doesn’t change you just professionally, but it changes you personally, like setting goals and being better than you were the day before. You know, so I was so excited when I heard him. I was chasing after somebody and I wasn’t paying attention. I went into the men’s bathroom because I was so excited about his presentation. You know, and so, like you said, you know, the recruitment of students, but just like our WC WC luncheon, which is our women chiropractic luncheon, which has been going on for years and years and years, they have a raffle to have money to give scholarships, you know, and so that the giving back, you know, giving back to the profession. Yeah. You know, and just like, Do you have a Parker student as your moderator? Right. Yes. So they’re starstruck? Yeah. You know, and that’s an opportunity that they get to come to experience this for sure. And they get to meet chiropractors, like you and other doctors that are except Cisco, as well. So they actually get to see when I graduate, I can watch this. And I can do this. Yeah, right. Yeah. And so those students are so honored to be, you know, introducing our speaker.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And they’re great, by the way, just so you know, they’ve really, they’re, they’re fantastic. I, I dare to say this, because I do not do not want this to be taken in the wrong context. Because I this is not a brag it really isn’t. But I have to share it because it was so meaningful to me. At the end of my presentation yesterday, I got paid, perhaps one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever been paid in my entire life. It was that serious. Just just hearing what you said about that experience you had with that. This chiropractor came up to me after I got done and he just real briefly came up, shook my hand and he says, that was the best hour of CPE that I’ve ever experienced in my entire life is what he said to me and then he just turned to walk away and I was just like, like, holy cat like I was so touching to me so meaningful. Like I couldn’t believe it.
Dr. Andrew Wells: And part of that until what Phyllis mentioned part of that is I think it’s because Parker offers everything to every something to every one
Dr. Chad Woolner: Right?
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah. And so it’s like array of right possibilities, right? Yeah.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: You know, and to Ed Foreman’s point, he said, You don’t have to be everything to everyone. But if you touch one person in your audience, right, you are the best speaker ever. Yeah. And it’s always not about you. Yes. Right. And so I don’t believe that the Parker seminars are about us. Yeah. You know, about the people who work for Parker. Yeah, it’s about everybody else that we meet. And we touch like, for instance, I had an elderly chiropractor that couldn’t register online. So he calls me because I answered the Parker seminars phone line to Yeah. And he called me, I helped him get registered, he sought me out at this seminar, to give me a hug, to say I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. So thank you for helping me get registered to be here.
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s amazing.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: I was just doing what I was supposed to do, helping someone who needed some help. Yeah, right. Yeah. So that was meaningful to me. He just came up and gave me a real big hug. And I’m like, Well, that’s what I’m supposed to do.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s it really is so neat to see you at the seminars. Because if you with the caveat, if you can see her because typically, it’s a flash. She’s literally just going from one area to the I mean, just constantly. Do you wear a pedometer during these events? You really should, because I’m curious to see how many steps you’ve taken. Because it really is so cool to see you though.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Because that’s just the pace.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Velocity.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Because she’s going at an incredible pace everywhere. And that’s the thing, as you can tell, that you would only do that if you’ve really felt a sense of mission and purpose because it probably, I’m guessing, by the time Sunday rolls around Monday, your pride drained, you’re probably exhausted, but not in a bad way.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Not in a bad way. It’s more like it takes too long to plan this. Yes. I make sure that all the moving parts are where they’re supposed to be. Yeah. So at the end, you’re like, we actually did this right, you know, so it’s such, it’s, it’s such a beautiful feeling. You know, we’ve been here since Monday preparing for everybody to be here. Sure. But it’s like you’re tired, but it’s more like a good tired. It’s like when you see 100 patients a day. It’s like, it’s like you’re energized. At the end of the day.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s the scene from ELF when Santa goes to the workers. And he’s like, we had a great Christmas and we’re just like, celebrating now only 364 Days Until next Christmas. Cheering again. Yeah, no, that’s what we get. Because that’s the thing as soon as this is done, it’s not until next year. You’ve got the next one is in Orlando right in June. Yeah. So you’ve got Orlando and then probably there’s a neuro one,
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: neuro con in July
Dr. Chad Woolner: In July.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: And then we have Dallas in October, which is our homecoming, but we attract other doctors. Yeah. Other schools, other, you know, state countries. So yeah, people have asked me, So are you going to take like a week off? Are you going to Bermuda? I said, I have a half a day. And then we got to start on?
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, yeah.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah. As you’re as you’re looking forward to future seminars, I think it’s probably safe to assume that Parker seminars have evolved and changed over time. But what is what are you wanting this to be 10 years from now? Is it gonna look different or feel different? Or where is it headed?
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Well, I really believe that you can’t get comfortable. You know, that you always have to look at what’s popular. You know, what, what are the trends? What do people want to learn about how do they want to improve their practice? And so, just because you’re being told that, wow, this is a great seminar, you’re like, what’s next? Right, you know, how can we take it to the next level? And each seminar is like, wow, we really did great here, but okay, what’s gonna be the next, you know, the next time? You know, our goal is to not help chiropractors survive, but to help them thrive? Yeah. So the more that our seminars can be engaging and informative and new information, but true and try the information, I think that that’s would be the goal. All for the next 10 years is always evolving. Sure, because you know, if you stop learning, you stop growing. We’re always continually looking at our surveys and you know, getting feedback. And, you know, so Oh, our attendees want to hear this. Well, let’s find the experts so they can talk on this. Sure. Or we need to have a certain amount of exhibitors in a hall because neurology is popular or pediatrics is popular or lasers, popular, you know, so it’s, it’s finding that right mix that can bring something to everyone.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me that that Parker has attracted and brought on board, Floyd. Because that was so much of what he talked about was a similar, like constantly pushing the envelope in terms of personal development. And then here, we’re talking more collective, you know, in terms of constantly improving the mission. And that’s interesting. And it’s exciting to see Parker as a university, the evolution there, because kind of going back to what Andrew was saying, in terms of all these different potential tracks that were opening practitioners, eyes to, you know, they didn’t realize, oh, you could, and that’s what’s so cool is you guys have so many different facets of the university, opening students eyes to the possibilities and because I think it’s a very outdated mentality for a lot of people thinking that chiropractic is this one thing when in reality, there are so many different possibilities in terms of disciplines and specialties and opportunities that are available. And Parker’s really pioneering a lot of those different fields and things like that.
Dr. Andrew Wells: I think a good way to put this when I was when I won’t say what school I graduated from it wasn’t Parker, but there was no hold that against. There was a sense of this is what chiropractors do, should do and are supposed to do versus when you come here. It’s this is what chiropractors could do, what the potential
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Yeah, I mean, there’s just like chiropractic because it’s your body’s potential, no doubt, right? And so same thing with the chiropractor, you have this potential, but what are you going to do to tap into it?
Dr. Andrew Wells: It’s this this event feels, for lack of better words, very agnostic, where you can kind of find your path. If you’re not sure what the path is, or find, you know, a different path that you’re on one and can change. What your what
Dr. Chad Woolner: was what was surprising to me, that tells you a little bit about Parker’s approaches. I’ve seen previous and I’m not sure I haven’t had it. We’ve been we’ve been here doing podcasting. But in previous I’ve seen other schools as vendors here. How cool is that Parker’s ik more the merrier. Yeah, you you’re another school, come, come be a vendor here, come promote. That’s cool. You know, there’s more than enough opportunity for everybody. And so it’s just it’s cool to see that you know, that there’s a very obviously a collaborative. That’s the spirit that you’ve you feel here, you know, so I’m curious about your relationship with Erchonia, your colony has been a longtime sponsor, with with Parker, tell me a little bit about how that all started. I mean, that’s because it’s been a long time, right?
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Well, you know, I’ve only been managed in the expo hall, I think this will be my fifth or sixth year. Sure. And so they were already established. Okay, take 100% credit for sure. But once again, is the collaborative miss, of really finding partners that embrace our mission? And our vision is well, yeah, and Erchonia is a phenomenal company that does that. Yeah. You know, they’re sponsoring part of our, you know, the Chateau party rooftop tonight, you know, and, you know, they were promoting the Florida seminar in Orlando, and, you know, getting their customers and potential customers. So they want to see the profession do well, yes, as well as we do. Yeah. And so when you find partners like that, it’s, it’s easy to work with somebody versus pushing in the other direction, or being a magnet where you repel each other. You know,
Dr. Chad Woolner: That was, that was one of the biggest. And it might sound way too simple. But it’s just the truth. As I had shared in my presentation, I said, if you want the secret to, to good, solid, long lasting strategic partnerships, is starting with the question of who can you serve, rather than who can serve you? Right? It’s real. It’s real easy to be like, Okay, who can give me money? Or who can give me customers? Or who can you know, me, me, me, me, me. That’s one way of doing it. That is, but a far better way long term is to start with that because all the use stuff will come that that’ll all come that’s that’s just kind of call it karma. Call it the law of the harvest universe, whatever you want to call it. That stuff tends to, at least from my personal experience, in terms of my life that has all tended to work itself out so long as I keep priorities straight first, and start by just who can you who can you help? And who can you serve? And who can you provide? The quote that I ended on was the quote from Einstein, it said, he said, Seek not to become a person of value, but rather seek to be a person of seek not to be a person of success, seek to be a person of value, you know, and that’s trying to be valuable by helping people solve problems, right? Be a problem solver for people and everything else will work itself out.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: You know, and we have wonderful partners.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yes, you do.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: You know, and we’ve been very blessed for those relationships. And they just get better and better because we do what we say, you know, and our partners do what they say.
Dr. Chad Woolner: You, I can say from firsthand experience, you guys have done such a phenomenal job taking care of your speakers. I started with you guys through and well known it’s we went through the COVID Time Warp, so it was pre-COVID. It was riser. last seminar, right? For COVID. I spoke at Dallas homecoming, and then here and just both experiences were just wonderful. And and then this time around again, just just absolutely wonderful. And I can 100% attest to that. And so much so that next year, we had kind of talked off the podcast, you’re going to be at a different location predominantly because of the fact that you said you had like some What 55 vendors that were on a waitlist.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: And we love working with the Caesars. It’s a Caesars property. We’ve been here six years; it would have been five have COVID not hit. Yeah. But they’re amazing people to work with. And, again, the partnership, yes. You know, and so when you trust the partners that you’re working with, yeah, it just, it just works. Right? And so this is another Caesars property. It’s the season. Caesars forum. Yes. It’s not the Caesars Palace, which is the hotel.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So how do you know approximately how much square footage there is in this expo hall here compared to the next one? A lot. A lot. It’s a, it’s like a much bigger. Expo Hall. The next one.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: It’s a convention center. Okay. And so basically, there are three hotels that are attached to that. Okay. And which is harrowing,
Dr. Chad Woolner: it’s not just so what you’re saying is it’s not just the vendor space, it’s also the hotel spaces. You guys are getting maxed out on that, too.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Yeah, we’ve outgrown this entire place. If there’s not another event going on during this time. That’s fine.
Dr. Chad Woolner: How many registered? Was it like 3000 chiropractors was, I haven’t gotten the final count 1000s though with 1000s of copyrights. It’s wild.
Dr. Andrew Wells: How long does a Paris Hotel hold?
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Do you know? You’re asking me all these questions. But I just managed the expo and the speakers you would have to interview you like our investment is
Dr. Andrew Wells: It is cool, though, to see people walking around with Parker lanyards everywhere, everywhere. We were
Dr. Chad Woolner: at a restaurant last night off off the off the strip. And I would say no joke. I would say a good 50% of the restaurant had to have been chiropractors attendees. I mean, it was crazy. It was just he overheard somebody at the other table saying Davenport, Iowa any
Dr. Andrew Wells: practice? Yeah, you’re Parker? Yep, we’re
Dr. Chad Woolner: here. Yeah. Too funny, but,
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: you know, we’ve outgrown the entire space. Because, you know, as you were talking about what is our 10 year goal? We want to bring other health care professions here too, you know, because that’s part of the collaborative. That’s part of the integrated, you guys.
Dr. Chad Woolner: You guys brought in? And he’s it’s his second or third year here. Kelly Surrett? Yeah, like what a what a cool inroad. I mean, talk about a massive influencer in the PT space. I mean, he’s, he’s been very in that arena, very, very well known. And how cool of him, you know, because I mean, I think there’s, in some respects, some people could assume there’s some kind of animosity between pts and Kairos. I think that’s safe to say, and in some in some respects. But what a cool and what a profoundly powerful inroad, just from that relationship there that Kelly stirrat, I’m sure has a massive audience of pts and for PTS to hear, wait a minute, he’s speaking at a chiropractic convention, and that’s
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Our goal is to switch that mindset that we all get along yet. We’re all trying to help a patient Yes. However, that might be whether it’s nutrition, whether it’s, you know, modalities, laser, whatever, and so, that’s always been Dr. Morgan’s mission. Yeah, is to bring that collaborative, you know, multi disciplinary, yes. You know, and, and our universities like that too because our other programs you know, we have the occupational therapy assistant and, you know, we have a massage school, our massage therapists are over there taking care of our attendees. Yeah. So we have so many programs that it is integrated, so we have to be consistent. So if we have integrated programs at our, at our university, then we need to have, you know, other health care professionals speaking at the seminars, you know, so you have to be you have to be congruent 100%. You know, you can’t be too Using one thing and doing another thing. Yeah. You know. And so, you know, I have to say that Dr. Morgan is an incredible visionary, you know, and he’s a phenomenal leader. And I think, and my boss is a phenomenal leader. So I personally think what also makes us successful, is that when you trust your leaders, you’re going to do anything for them. Yes. You know, yeah. And so it’s hard to believe I’m Coming up on eight years working for Parker. But what the coolest thing for me is, is when I was a director of recruitment, I brought my recruits here to experience this summer, I now see them walking around, as a chiropractor, married kids, successful practices. And I’ve probably seen about five or six here that I brought back eight years ago, your life perspective, students,
Dr. Chad Woolner: your life is just one perpetual full circle that I keep hearing this, like theme of like starting at this one place, and then all of a sudden seeing it from a completely different kind of finished well, and I shouldn’t even say Finish perspective, but the next kind of phase perspective, you know, so what a cool experience that is for you, you know, to be able to have that kind of an impact on someone’s life. And to see that, you know, it sounds very similar to like, a chiropractor who sees a patient. Patient has a kid, chiropractor sees kid kid grows up kid has, you know what I mean? That just that cycle of going through what a what a cool experience, you know,
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: And the cool thing is we forget to mention our chiropractic assistants. Yeah, you know, I commend all the doctors that invest in their staff, and they bring them here, whether it’s collect more money, and I’ll take you to Vegas, or I’m just going to take you to Vegas, because I want you to experience this magnificent thing that you’re a part of, right. And so we always have a CA breakfast where they can come and network and meet each other and be together and know how important they are to their doctors. So when doctors bring their CAS here, they truly are investing in them personally, and professionally. For sure. You know, and so yeah, I would say maybe, I don’t know. Maybe 100 of our attendees are chiropractic assistants. Yeah, you know, and that
Dr. Andrew Wells: Kind of a cool story about that before I ever decided to become a chiropractor. My my best friend growing up, I went to high school with him. He used to go to a chiropractor. And I always thought it was like he was just wasting his time and money going to a chiropractor. I just grew up in a family like that. And his mom who is a nurse ended up working for this chiropractor that my my best buddy went to, and and now and she’s been and this was over 12 No, this was over 15 years ago. And she has been coming to the Parker seminars for probably 20 years with our Docker Doc is was smart enough to take his car to these events. And she’s like, No, she’s been a rockstar ca and she’s had and she told me on the we shared an Uber over here. She told me like if it weren’t for the Parker seminars, a really she wouldn’t really know what that role looked like. And so now she’s training other CIA’s to do what she learned at the Parker seminars. And so it’s been a really impactful part of their practice. It’s been a cornerstone of their practice. I think looking from the outside in it’s very influential in their practice.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Well, see, I can make or break your office. Yeah, you know, absolutely. In a heartbeat. Yes. Here’s another funny story like that. So you’ve seen our professional photographer run around, Yes, Zack. Well, his mother was a CA and him going to Parker seminars for years. And she goes, you know, Zack, you need to contact them and see if they need a photographer. So he did an inquiry through our as Parker seminars email about five years ago and said, you know, send his message. And I forwarded on to our AV team, and he entered the marketing team, and he is now our professional photographers and travels to the events. But I didn’t know that story until he told me that a couple of seminars later yeah, you know, now he’s part of our family. That’s amazing. You know, just like our speakers are part of our family because if it wasn’t for you, couldn’t make this happen. You know, if it wasn’t for photographer, our attendees couldn’t see the amazing times that they were having, you know, so it’s all that spiderweb again,
Dr. Chad Woolner: The old saying teamwork makes the dream work. So absolutely. It is really, really cool to hear your story, you know, I didn’t know all the detail in terms of and I didn’t know I really didn’t know what a profoundly personal impact and effect Parker seminars has had on you. And that makes all the difference I think in the world in terms of the role that you now play having had that experience and so thank you for sharing that with us. That’s really, really incredible. And so we appreciate we very, very much appreciate your time, because I know that the minute that we in this podcast, you’re gonna like literally jump out of the chair and zoom to the next day. So yes, so we really do appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us.
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Well, we certainly appreciate you. And we appreciate the relationships and it’s just gonna get bigger and better as we do more.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Next year. It’s exciting. I’m super excited to see the new venue and all the new sponsors that will be here and all the cool new things that Parker is going to be doing any final final thoughts, Andrew? Yeah.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Before you go. Can you give us kind of a big picture of this year what events chiropractors can look into that Parker is putting on?
Phyllis Frase-Charrette: Absolutely. So, June, we are at the Gaylord in Orlando, and that is June 6 through the eighth. And then we have our Neuro Con, which that is one of my favorite seminars. It’s held on campus. It’s very specific to neurology, functional neurology. And it’s just two days, just straight speakers one track a small expo hall for people who have products that deal with neurology, neurology. And then we have our Dallas seminar the first weekend in October. And you know, that’s a cool thing, because our students are all welcome to attend that seminar. And so because it’s on our campus, yeah, so it’s gonna be a good year. Well, it has been a good year already.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, it’s exciting. Well, we appreciate it again. And we hope those listening, got a really cool window into behind the scenes of what makes Parker tick, what makes it so special, and I hope it’s been fun for them as well. So we again, appreciate it. Thanks for listening, everybody, and we’ll talk to you guys on the next episode. Have a good one. Thanks for listening to the Laser Light Show. Be sure to subscribe and give us a review. If you’re interested in learning more about Erchonia lasers, just head on over to Erchonia.com. There you’ll find a ton of useful resources including research news and links to upcoming live events, as well as Erchonia E community where you can access for free additional resources including advanced training and business tools. Again, thanks for listening and we will catch you on the next episode.
Parker University has become known as one of the best chiropractic seminars to attend if you are interested in learning about philosophy, technique, science, business, the latest health tech, or just for some motivation. Join us as Phyllis Frase-Charrette, gives us a look into what it takes to run a successful event with some of the most recognized names in the profession.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-frase-charrette-2b6896100/
Phyllis Frase-Charrette is unknowingly a significant contributor to the existence of this podcast. Despite her unawareness, she played a crucial role in the show’s creation. The podcast, now with over 50 episodes, owes its genesis to her involvement in the massive Parker seminars. A recent attendee at Parker Vegas described the event as “next level,” emphasizing its incredible scale. Phyllis’s pivotal role in organizing these seminars facilitated the collaboration with Erchonia, initiated 12 months ago, which led to the development of the laser light show. The gratitude expressed for her involvement is immense.
Parker university integrates various programs, including occupational therapy and massage school. Consistency is vital, aligning integrated university programs with diverse speakers at seminars. The success is attributed to visionary leadership, particularly Dr. Morgan and Phyllis’s boss, instilling trust and commitment among the team. Phyllis shares the rewarding experience of witnessing recruits, introduced during her tenure as a director of recruitment, now thriving as chiropractors with families and successful practices after eight years.
“Well, I really believe that you can’t get comfortable. You know, that you always have to look at what’s popular. You know, what, what are the trends? What do people want to learn about how they want to improve their practice?” -Phyllis Frase-Charrette
“Yeah, I mean, there’s just like chiropractic because it’s your body’s potential, no doubt, right? And so same thing with the chiropractor, you have this potential, but what are you going to do to tap into it?” -Phyllis Frase-Charrette
6-Minute Read
Lipid metabolism is a crucial process that supports healthy body weight and blood sugar management and reduces the risk of serious medical issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Related: Why Is Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Important to Laser Light Therapy?
Patients can make better lifestyle choices that benefit their overall health when they understand the basics of lipid metabolism. This article will cover that information and be a helpful resource for your practice in providing techniques to support the metabolism of lipids.
When it comes to body fat composition, there are two primary types: visceral fat, which is more likely to raise your patient’s risk for serious medical issues; and adipose tissue, which plays a critical role in managing systemic energy homeostasis by acting as a caloric reservoir.
Understanding the difference between visceral fat and adipose tissue is crucial for managing your patient’s health risks.
Visceral fat surrounds and permeates internal organs like the heart, liver, intestines and other important structures. Studies show that having too much visceral fat increases a person’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that increase their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke).
Related: How Men and Women Store Fat Differently
Adipose tissue is found under the skin as subcutaneous fat. It is also located around the organs in certain areas of the body. In men, it tends to collect around their abdomen while in women, it accumulates around their hips and thighs. This type of fat helps insulate the body, store energy, and monitor hormones that regulate appetite.
Tip! To summarize for a patient: There are two types of body fat. Visceral fat can increase the risk of medical problems, while adipose tissue helps with energy balance.
In terms of metabolism, visceral fat is more difficult to break down than subcutaneous fat. When we talk about belly fat management, it’s important to note that the location of the fat impacts the metabolic process. Visceral fat is associated with increased insulin resistance, higher levels of triglycerides, and other biomarkers that increase a person’s risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) can help support lipid metabolism and reduce visceral fat, as demonstrated in clinical studies, making it a promising option for managing belly fat.
To support the metabolism of lipids and visceral fat, Erchonia’s low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been clinically proven to help patients gain better control over their body composition. This high-tech approach works by targeting subcutaneous fat cells with a low-level laser that elevates cellular metabolism and encourages the breakdown of lipids.
Tip! Consider Erchonia’s Emerald Laser for an effective, non-invasive full body fat loss treatment with FDA Market Clearance, no downtime, and an average circumference loss of 5.99″, improving your patients’ outcomes.
This is a non-invasive treatment that has become increasingly popular for managing visceral and subcutaneous fat.
It works by using light energy to target localized fatty deposits and stimulating lipolysis, which breaks down triglycerides and other fats into free fatty acids for energy.
This process effectively reduces the amount of fat stored in the body, including common problem areas such as the belly, chest, and abdomen.
Related: [Free eBook Download] Not All Light is the Same in Low-Level Laser Therapy
LLLT can benefit both men and women, despite differences in fat distribution attributed to hormonal differences. By understanding the science behind this treatment, patients can make informed decisions about their health and consider non-invasive options for managing excess fat.
Explaining the science of LLLT and how it activates lipolysis in an engaging way is key to helping patients understand how this treatment works.
LLLT simplifies the complex process of breaking down fat by stimulating subcutaneous fat cells with a low-level laser, helping patients achieve their desired body composition goals.
When describing lipolysis, start by explaining what fats are made of – triglycerides, fatty acids, and glycerol – and how they’re broken down during the process. To simplify, you can emphasize three things for them:
The good news is that both subcutaneous and visceral fat can be reduced through LLLT treatments. The laser energy reduces excess fat deposits and helps improve metabolic health. By understanding the science behind it, patients can make informed decisions about their own health and consider this non-invasive option for managing excess fat.
Erchonia’s low level laser therapy (LLLT) offers a non-invasive solution for reducing body fat and improving metabolic health. This approach breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids, which the body can use for energy, resulting in a reduction of both visceral and subcutaneous fat deposits.
LLLT is a popular option for individuals seeking an effective way to manage excess fat storage without invasive procedures. By understanding the complex processes of how the body stores and metabolizes fat, individuals can make informed decisions about their health and consider LLLT as a viable option for managing unwanted body composition changes. With the help of healthcare professionals, patients can achieve their desired body composition and improve their overall health and well-being.
Discover the benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy (3LT®) by Erchonia, a world leader in the field of 3LT® technology. Learn how 3LT® can help reduce the need for prescription opioids for chronic low back pain, the science behind 3LT® and the difference between visible lasers and infrared lasers.
Related: Red Light Therapy: Dispelling Laser Myths with Basic Photochemistry
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20393809/
Dr. Chad Woolner: Hey, what’s going on everybody? Dr. Chad Woolner here with Dr. Andrew Wells. And on this episode of the laser light show, we have with us our good friend and special guest, Dr. Mark Mouw. And we’re gonna be chatting with him about his new plans to add Erchonia lasers into his practice. So let’s get to it.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I used to love going to laser light shows at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. They would put on these amazing light shows with incredible designs sync up to some of my favorite music from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica. They were awesome. Little did I know then that lasers would have such a profound effect on my life decades later. As a chiropractic physician, I have seen firsthand just how powerful laser therapy is at helping patients struggling with a wide range of health problems. As the leader in laser therapy, Erchonia has pioneered the field in obtaining 20 of the 23 total FDA clearances for therapeutic application of lasers. On this podcast, we’ll explore the science and technology and physiology behind what makes these tools so powerful. Join me as we explore low-level laser therapy. I’m Dr. Chad Woolner, along with my good friend, Dr. Andrew Wells, and welcome to the laser light show. All right, welcome to the show, everybody. We are here on-site yet again at Parker. It’s been a ton of fun. And we have with us our good friend, Dr. Mark Mouw. How are you, my friend?
Dr. Mark Mouw: I am doing awesome, man, day one of the show. Just excited to see and hear all the awesome things coming forward in our awesome profession, man.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. And you’re here not only as an attendee but also as a vendor with Chiro Match Makers.
Dr. Mark Mouw: Yeah. So a second year here with Chiro Match Makers was awesome. Last year, a lot of great doctors coming up, associates coming up, and getting to learn who we are and how we help doctors get great jobs and place great doctors in their practices.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Talk about a really, really useful solution. Talk about an itch that had needed to be scratched for a long, long time. And you guys, you know, prior to Chiro Match Makers, what Craigslist and indeed were your competitors, I guess. Yeah. Classified ads in the school, you know, and all that fun stuff. We have, we have literally referred so many docs over to Chiro Match Makers just because you guys have done such a thoughtful take and such a thoughtful approach to, you know, not just, “Okay, you need a new associate, let’s just find somebody,” you know, with a pulse and a license, throw them in your practice, but instead really being thoughtful about, “Is this going to be a good fit, right?” It doesn’t work, right? Right. Right. Exactly. Exactly. So Mark is here with us. I pulled him aside. I said, Mark, we want to interview you on the show because Mark recently acquired the FX 405 and the base station. How did you get in? Was it literally just me telling you to go to the seminar was what it was?
Dr. Mark Mouw: So funny. We were at a UAC event together, okay, like I’m gonna be in Omaha Nebraska in December, and I’m like I’ll come and meet you there.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And then I no-show.
Dr. Mark Mouw: No-shows on me, great, right? Had nothing going on in a week in which never happens other than a Christmas party at the house. So nice. Like you’re doing what this weekend I might go to a seminar with Chad. You know why that was? I heard about it. You booked the wrong date. I think I let you know you see it Thursday, Friday, and I’m like dude, Friday Saturday.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I booked the wrong flights. And then what wound up happening is I literally got super, super sick on those days, and I was like there’s no, even if I had, assuming I had. I was telling Andrew a long-standing joke in our business is, and I’m not proud to admit I’m ashamed to admit this, but just for the sake of transparency.
Dr. Andrew Wells: You tell the audience what you’ve done.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I have cost this company a lot in misbooked flights and occasions.
Dr. Andrew Wells: There’s occasions where he booked the departing flight should have been the arriving flight and it backward all kinds of yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: This is a sign that I need to use more lasers on my brain. More Erchonia lasers on my brain so anyways, but yeah, so
Dr. Mark Mouw: Sign you need to buy more suppers.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So you went to the seminar, Dr. Trevor Berry spoke. Tell us a little bit about your experience, sir.
Dr. Mark Mouw: I go to seminars usually just to get my continuing education credits. Yeah. It was one of the reasons I went that weekend and to see you and doctors.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Twist that knife.
Dr. Mark Mouw: It was so interesting to see the genius in Dr. Berry. Yeah, I hadn’t said somebody speak like that into me since Dan Murphy. Yeah, so I know they’re really close. I just found that out during that event, but we’ve been doing in our practices. We’ve been a chiropractic slash active care-based practice, high volume, wellness space, multiple associates for 20 years. Yeah. And it’s a lot of work for the associates. It’s a lot of work for a lot of times the owner, adjusting 100 125 people a day for, you know, your average collection visit in the Midwest is 45 to $65. Right? Yeah. And you’re helping your patients. But, you know, there’s more out there. You know, there’s more that people are doing to get patients well. So we launched inside of our office decompression last March. And along with that, I’ve had a class, the last class for laser for about five or six years.
Dr. Chad Woolner: We don’t say that on this podcast.
Dr. Mark Mouw: Berry told me, “Do not use that word in this room.” So I’m sitting there in December, I put my class four laser for sale inside the room, and no one bought it because they were buying here guys and stuff. But I do know that’s a customer now. All right. But here’s the issue is that it may or may not work. I mean, we’ve had some results with it. But it has to be attended. Yeah. And it doesn’t get as good a result as what your lasers do from all the research I’ve seen now. So when Dr. Berry was talking about the FX, 405, and the unattended and all the amazing results it gets, not just with low back issues but with brain gut health. And that was the seminar. It was a brain gut connection seminar. And I was like, you know, that’s just magnificent. And I’m gonna be honest, it’s kind of like Dr. Berry was talking about, why did he go and start working with lasers? Because of his daughters? Yes, right. I know his story now. Yeah. And it’s not every piece of equipment I buy in my practice isn’t about it’s not for my patients initially. It’s for me, yeah, I bought the class for a few years ago. It’s for my shoulder. Yeah, you know, it did what it needed to do at that point about the decompression because I’m a chiropractor because of a low back issue in college. So, you know, I’m purchasing these things for my family and my health for the long term because my goal is to live to be 100. And let’s do it the right way.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, no doubt. You know, the thing that’s interesting is it could come across as sounding very biased. You know, like Erchonia lasers are the best they are, you know, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah believe us believers. The reality of it is those when you go through and you have that what you, you can’t unsee what you see. Absolutely. You know what I mean, when you see that when you see that, and it’s not just a little bit of evidence, it is just a tremendous amount of evidence that has been done the right way to show the profound difference in what Erchonia lasers can actually do compared to any other laser out there. I mean, just profound, really, really powerful.
Dr. Mark Mouw: What impressed me I think the most was the FDA certifications. Yes. That Erchonia laser has no one’s has 1/10 of what you guys have. Yes, that’s what the impressive part to me is, you know, any, as we sit here, there’s multiple lasers rolling around in this room. I always know like, this is the booth doing what it says because the research is behind it. Yeah. And not that I need to have research a lot of people do. But it sure is nice to stand on research 100%.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And it provides you with a certain level of exactly what you were kind of alluding to this whole idea that when you have a certain degree or level of standardization, it makes systematization from a business standpoint, so much easier now, because you don’t have these variables, if you’re not going to have to worry about an assistant interrupting you in the middle of seeing a patient being like, Hey, Dr. Mouw, this this patient here came in with XYZ, what protocols should I do that? It’s like, it’s very clearly delineated, especially with like disk and back issues, you know, it’s literally Okay, yeah, you press the low back protocol. And that’s what you do. And it creates a certain level of standardization, which lends to systemization, which, again, you’re you’re a systems guy, you’re big involved with Stephen, for instance, group TRP. We’ve referred a lot of Doc’s over to tarp, because that’s TRPs real kind of jam is the system is ation of, of the business side of the practice, which just makes things run far more smoothly, efficiently helps you get better results with patients and more profitably. So it’s important.
Dr. Mark Mouw: You know, when you go all the way upstream and running our businesses, and I coach from the stages, we went to school to be chiropractors, and then we come out of school and we have to own these businesses. Yeah, we get beat up a lot of times when we first come out of school, learning how to do it right and what’s right, what’s wrong, all the way from, you know, Unclogging the toilet to doing your marketing, right. Welcome to the chiropractic world, which we deal with in the recruiting business all the time. I can do that myself. Right. Sure. You have held the last few words. Well, it’s been terrible, but I can still do it myself. Because I’m not going I don’t want to spend money on that. And I’m like, right. You know what, when you hire an associate, it’s the biggest investment you’ll ever make. When you add lasers and you add decompression, it’s some of the biggest investments you’ll make. So you have to have a system behind it. So when you hire the right people, put them in the right role, train them the right way to be successful in the processes that you run in your office. That’s where the Four Rights knock it out. out of the park inside your practices. Yeah. Especially when you have the right equipment around you and the protocol to get people. Well, yeah.
Dr. Andrew Wells: So you’re so you run a high volume practice? Are you planning on using the lasers for chiropractic patients when they come in? Are you? Are you do you have this for just for decompression patients? Or how do you how do you met? How do you? How are you going to fit this technology and this therapy into that, that type of practice.
Dr. Mark Mouw: So I’m gonna blow up building, I have built three stories. Because of, you know, being a chiropractor inside of the subluxation based model that we’ve had, you take a look at the nerve system, and I think our focus has been to that spine almost 100% of the time, spine, and everything associated is associated with it for 20 years. Yeah, but now all of a sudden, you start to bring in technology that’s working with the brain in the gut, and all of a sudden, it’s almost it’s almost a sin if I don’t bring that to our patients, and at least offer it Yeah, once again, like I said, it has to be systematized. So we’ve rolled out decompression, and now we’ve started a DBA. In our practice called an urban dissenters of the Midwest, it’s still under our chiropractic clinic, we wanted to separate it because we wanted to see what it was going to happen. And we will, we’ll still have, there’s going to be laser it will be decompression with our chiropractic patients. But there will be this whole subsidiary business inside of our practice that’s going to be coming from marketing that business ad campaigns and doctors in the community that we will really focus on discs and nerves and neuropathy. But what’s going to come out of that on the back end is hopefully more patients because it’s not a chiropractic office only. And not nothing against that, if you have that wonderful chat, I know this in your practice is that your chiropractic office, that’s your foundation. But just because you have other things that are in your practice doesn’t make you some mixture, that’s crazy. It just makes you somebody who’s trying to get the best results for the patients that are coming under your roof. You know, what it’s going to do is it’s going to open patients up to chiropractic care.
Dr. Chad Woolner: 100%, I was gonna say just that same thing. It’s interesting. From a philosophical standpoint, I found myself getting more deeply entrenched in kind of more of the philosophical, straight approach of chiropractic after we integrated our practice, which is you wouldn’t think that necessarily, but when we integrated, because I think what it did was it allowed us to really integrate in a holistic way. That would be the term compartmentalize. But but but again, compartmentalized, but yet still integrated. Let chiropractic do what it’s best at doing. Amen. And then and then also looking at these other services. It’s interesting because the CFO of our company, Dr. Jason green, brilliant, brilliant talk. I mean, he took he was working for a clinic that was at what was an 18 million a year, took them from 80 million to $30 million a year and 37 $37 million. So he knows what he’s doing. And the thing that when you hear it’s almost too simple, but at the same token, it’s like no, this is how you do it is you have to develop a culture within your practice of almost viewing the practice as this place where you have these multiple, I think he uses the term multiple centers of x, or it is a center of excellence. But you have these multiple solution profit centers, that that you’re constantly when a patient is, and this is the distinction, right? Because for patients who are listening to this podcast, if they hear this, I don’t want them to get the wrong impression that when a patient walks through the door, we’re just salivating and seeing money. That’s not That’s not the friend, especially if you hear Jason speak about this. It’s incredible the way he views it. Because when a patient walks through the door, the question or the preeminent framing is, how can we serve that patient to the very, very best way we can possibly serve them? Because you can have a patient who could come through and maybe truly all they need is some chiropractic adjustments. Okay. And I don’t want to relegate that as like, oh, just this thing. You know, that’s not what I’m saying. But maybe again, the patient is like, Look, they’ve also got some gut issues that have been going on for a while, or a disc issue, or any number of different things. And so the question, then that the practice is holistically looking at is okay, what’s that patient’s journey going to look like? And how can we frame a program to really serve that patient at the highest possible level? And then really, what winds up happening is you wind up serving that patient at that higher level, getting them better results than if you were to just simply isolate or regulate their journey into one modality. Is that making sense? Absolutely. You know, and so it’s just an and the way that it’s done. It’s not complicated. It requires a little bit of forethought and effort and planning and systemization, which is what we’re talking about here exactly with you, which is what you guys are really, really good at. But it’s framing that way of looking at things as as again this this looking at the practice holistically as well. Yeah, no,
Dr. Andrew Wells: This just for Docs listening. I think we’ve shared a story on the podcast before but this is this is the one year anniversary I think to the day And maybe it’s tomorrow that Chad and I woke up one morning after interviewing Penny Sneed from Erchonia the day before. And we’re like, how did we miss? How did we miss lasers in our profession? I can say that I started the profession very much. I call myself a right wing extreme, very bathed in the philosophy. And just like yeah, I like to, I went really hard in the philosophy, and then that served me really well. And I’d heard about lasers before, and I just kind of relegated them to like a soft tissue, like, Alright, you’re in pain, reduce inflammation. And that’s good for that. And that’s, that’s cool that has this place. When we interviewed penne a year ago. She’s like, well, it does do that. But it also does all these other things. And here’s how it actually works. And I was thinking, so like, Man, if I had, in my practice, if I had just had this laser beaming down on patients, while I’m adjusting them the same time, that would have been that would have elevated the adjustment or elevated the outcome. And I’m thinking like, Man, if I had a patient on a decompression table, for example, lasering, their lower back, would that also have a benefit to their gut health, or to their hormone imbalances, or their energy production energy levels? And what I’ve come to learn now is that yes, it does all those things. And so it kind of got me thinking about when I was studying like BJ Palmer, and he was looking at, okay, if you could give one adjustment to have the biggest impact on your patients, what would that adjustment be? What would that look like? How would you do it? When would you do it? And it really, that, that was kind of talked about a lot in Upper Cervical, you know, Holan, one techniques and things like that. And, and that’s amazing. And I think there’s a lot of validity, validity to that. But what if you could stack that with another therapy? Like, what if you just shine a laser? What effect? What effect would you have on the body? And what we’re learning is that just putting a collimated focused beam of light on somebody a coherent, light wavelength of light, has a profound impact does a lot of things for there’s a lot of benefit for a lot of different processes physiologically in the body, from energy production, mitochondrial production, ATP production. I’m like, How did I miss that? Yeah, it was the end. That’s That’s why this podcast exists, by the way is to share it. Sometimes
Dr. Chad Woolner: I do this even myself, sometimes where you play these kind of like for lack of grid or putting it asinine hypotheticals, where I go like, Okay, if I can only do one modality, what would it be? And of course, everybody’s answer, that’s a chiropractor is gonna be like, Okay, if push came to shove, all of a sudden, some crazy law came down that said, you could only do one thing, what’s that? One thing it’d be it’s gonna be adjustments, like I get it, you know, you know, if you again, push comes to shove, if that’s the only thing you can do, great. But the point I would say is, that’s an insane hypothetical, because thankfully, we’re not just relegated to one modality. And so we can open the door. And that’s the thing I think that’s so cool to hear from you is here, clearly, you’ve, you’ve operated in a very kind of what people would think of as a fairly straight chiropractic model. And yet you you recognize and open your eyes and paradigm to this, this idea that, like, what if there’s more we can be doing, and there is like, that’s awesome. And it’s and it’s, and it doesn’t relegate or dismiss the chiropractic, I would argue again, it just all it does is enhance it that much more.
Dr. Mark Mouw: You know, what, let’s, let’s go back to the meaning of Doctor, teacher, right, right. And if we’re teaching, we need to be learning. If we’re not constantly learning what the best thing is for our patients, then we aren’t a great doctor. So when I talk to my association, I coach clients, you know, we have to have a foundation who of who we are as chiropractors, but then I asked them is, you know, if every time you give recommendations to the person sitting across from you, as a new patient, I come back to this all the time. And that’s your wife, your father, your child, your grandparent, the recommendations you give the person sitting across from you should align with exactly what you’d give up one, right. And if you’re out of integrity, either way, you’re not gonna give enough because you don’t think they’ll pay for it, or you’re giving them too much, because you think they’ll pay more than you’re out of integrity of being a doctor, teacher, and a person who’s learning to be better. And then take it to the next step further is, if you’re a doctor, that’s a teacher and a learner, and you know, that lasers help patients and you know, nutrition helps patients, you know, decompression those patients, or massage or Graston, or whatever it is, and you believe in the principles of those concepts. And you don’t offer those to your loved ones that are sitting inside of that practice of yours. You’re out of integrity.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. You know, I love that you’re saying that because we always say whenever we’re training dogs, we’ve said this, I think on this podcast is the litmus test that we have, which is unique about this podcast, because this is listened to by just not just practitioners, but also patients that like to is the our litmus test is would you say the things that you say to doctors behind closed doors? Would you be embarrassed if patients were to kind of eavesdrop on these conversations? And that’s what’s unique about this podcast, right is that we’re here we’re talking about finances and business, making money in this healthcare space, knowing full well patients are gonna hear this, they’re gonna hear this conversation. But these are the types of reality this is the reality we live in, you know. And so we can either approach this exactly the way you said it, you know, by being congruent, having integrity, making sure that we’re making. And that’s what’s again, so cool. From so many. So, you know, the parallel that we see with lasers that you heard from Trevor Barry was, you know, what got him into lasers was exactly for his family, right? What is it that gets most chiropractors into chiropractic? It’s their own pursuit to your own personal experience. They have this story, right. And so that’s what’s so cool about arconi lasers is most people have had some type of very profound experience with it, whether that’s seeing the research like you and learning firsthand or being like, Wow, I can’t unsee this, this is incredible, or having the lasers used on them and having some sort of life changing experience from it. But ultimately, again, it makes it easy for those recommendations to be very genuine, because they know like, No, this is truly Mrs. Smith or Mr. Smith or whatever. This is truly what you need. This is the best possible thing I can do we can do for you, as you know, you know, these lasers XYZ plan and program and all that. I’ll
Dr. Mark Mouw: take it to even a next step of that is that as leaders inside of the health profession, which we are right, how do we how do we create value to our patients? Yeah. So that they don’t have to do the other things that all of us know aren’t healthy? For right. And that is a laser instead of pain medication? If that is a laser instead of having antipsychotic drugs that they’re gonna have to use that there’ll be addicted to forever. Yeah, I mean, we are adding a value to a person who’s going to be able to add value in their life more. Yeah. Because we’re looking at an alternative route to what common medicine common people would say, is the practice of them getting well, which we know it’s not. Yeah. So we need to speak loudly from the mountain and let them know that we have awesome businesses. Yeah, because we have to upgrade businesses to have an impact against the businesses that are going up against us. Right aren’t per se not wanting to hurt us, but aren’t actually fixing us as our population of human beings don’t
Dr. Chad Woolner: necessarily have ultimately the best interest of the patient as the at the forefront.
Dr. Mark Mouw: The doctors do. But I think there’s people that run the doctor says higher level articles, I’m not sure that their mission statement is let me help patients know their mission, his mission statement is, let me make profit inside of our stock, right? I mean, plainly putting these one of those. So yeah, when it comes back to us as chiropractors, it really is the value of once again, at 95. Remove interference, so it can function better. Yeah, lasers helped to remove interference to the nervous system. Now plain and simple. It’s just a little bit different than the adjustment is the adjustments using your hands. This is using a laser, but ultimately, what do we want from that person? We want them to get better? Yeah,
Dr. Chad Woolner: No doubt. So we’re gonna say something like, I’m just curious, what do you foresee? In terms of other potential programs, you have your eyes on other programs that you’re wanting to introduce with these lasers?
Dr. Mark Mouw: Well, you’ve been in my ear a little bit with thyroid, work. I love that. I think I probably need somebody in my practice to take that on. What I first see is that once again, I’m a CEO and my practice, I’m not in my practice seeing patients on a regular basis. Sure. So I have a team that does that. I’m visionary, and what that goes, but I think anytime you launch something in your practice, you have to have somebody who has ownership over it. Yeah. And a lot of times doctors take the ownership of everything and then nothing gets done and nothing changes.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, or or on the opposite end. They do that term. We use this abdicate they abdicate it, just case, Sally, go go do all this stuff. You know what she doesn’t have any sort of game plan any sort of systems, procedures, processes, they just but But she’ll somehow get it done out of sight out of mind. It’s off my plate. Yeah. You know, that’s not an answer either.
Dr. Mark Mouw: So
Dr. Andrew Wells: maybe I’m sorry to cut you off, maybe to speak to that. When I when I found out that you got some lasers. I’m like, Oh, cool. So lasers in the hand of Dr. Mark Mao. There’s systems attached to that. And so so so just a redox listening. you’ve purchased lasers, you haven’t implemented them yet. But I think this is a really important topic to talk about. Because I know a lot of Doc’s buy lasers because they want to put them into practice. But then how do you actually do that? What is your Do you have any kind of framework or idea now how to so you’ve got this practice? It’s running beautifully. How do you implement laser therapy without disrupting what’s already working? Well,
Dr. Mark Mouw: you have enough? Yeah, go ahead on my system sampah. So you have so when I found you have to take the time to put the system in place before you can launch it into the system, right. So I have an amazing chiropractic wife. She’s an executor. She just she’s GSD. Right. And when we implement something, she’s like, Hold on visionary me.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I had to I had to mentally ask I was like, well, what’s the god I know what I will let every all the listeners out there, you probably don’t have to put the explicit sign on.
Dr. Mark Mouw: She’s, she’s amazing. And we’ve worked together for 20 years. She’s chiropractor, chiropractic school. And she’s just awesome. But what’s awesome is that when you have a system in place that can be successful, what happens? There has to be people that have to be able to run that system. Yeah. So here’s the iteration is I launched decompression in May. And we launched it softly into our practice with established patients only. We wanted to make sure that works. It worked beautifully. I mean, we were helping so many of our chronic low back patients and you’d say, You know what, they’ve had chiropractic care. Yes, they were better. They had adjustments. They had therapy. They saw massage therapists. But you know what? Their discs weren’t. were much, much healthier, right? Yeah, they were healthier, but they weren’t as healthy as they could be. Yeah. And now we bring them in, you can see like, they gain an inch of height after doing decompression when they go back to their exam their doctors, like how did you gain an insight that 52 years old? Yeah, that’s because the decompression Yeah. So then I knew the next iteration was is like bringing in laser. So what happened is we launched decompression in May. Then we launched decompression to the public, in more or less September, that went really well. And then I went to the seminar in December, to find a alternative to a handheld laser, which was the unattended laser, which you guys have. And then all the research came behind it. So it was even better. Like now we have substantiation of what we’re doing. Yeah. So then what I did is I started a new DBA in my practice called Urban dissenters of the Midwest. And what I’ve been working on is literally in the last six to eight weeks, I’ve been working on rolling out what the decompression with the F x 405 with the sub the station, the handheld station, that I have the stands that are making the they are unattended, right, yeah, you don’t have to hold them. So I bought those. Everything’s in place. And now we’ll launch as of March 15 nerve and dissenters of the Midwest with decompression only and the lasers. Okay. And then August, we’ll launch neuropathy in our practice. Love it. So we’re gonna hit neuropathy. polyneuropathy mean, like changing people’s lives. I know chiropractic is great for a diabetic patient. I’m sorry, I might suck as a chiropractor. I don’t know. But I’ve never had somebody’s probably neuropathy go away from a lumbar adjustment. Yeah, I don’t know. So if we’re going to help those people, and those people need help, because they’re worried about falls, and they live a crappy life. And it’s their last end of yours, right? Usually 1015 years, they can’t feel their feet, we can help these people with this product. Right? Yeah, and with the right supplementation, and then we’ll more or less, I’d say probably at the end of the year, first part of next year will launch the knee component of that. So we’ll start to do some knee work. And then, as Chad wrestles me around and tries to arm wrestle me into a thyroid program, that would probably be the next program. But it’s people get these and they want to watch everything at once. And that’s when it blows up for them. So I’m very systematic in executing number one, how do we implement it without affecting the practice? Number two, what are the systems put in place to do it? Number three, how do we get paid to do what we do in that work? Number four, launch the marketing and I’m sorry, number four, have an employee or two that’s going to run it inside the practice, right? It’s a doctor a CA, and then number five, launch the marketing be successful for three or four months in it? And then launch the next product? What’s the system? How does it not interfere? What’s it look like? Who’s gonna be in charge of it? Who’s on the scorecard? And how can
Dr. Chad Woolner: you quickly again, recap that for Docs? Who should take notes? Hint, hint? What was that five? Was that five steps?
Dr. Mark Mouw: Yeah, I’m really good at talking about it. One, step one, you’ve got to know how to implement this new product, okay, into your practice without blowing up the business.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay, so knowledge. Implementation Number Number
Dr. Mark Mouw: Number two is putting the system together of what you’re going to use to affect that disc. Decompression is that laser what neuropathy you’re going to do nutrition in your practice. So you’re going to have home products, what’s it look like? So you got to have the steps out. Number three, number three, yep, you have to have the employee in place to run it. So
Dr. Chad Woolner: Chiro Match Makers that’s where you guys come in, because because you guys not only help staff Chiro’s but also chiropractic assistants. They’re very consistent. CA’s Yes, office furniture petitioners
Dr. Mark Mouw: and office manager see coos and practices office managers.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So because I see it referred further. I’m guessing for most Doc’s they’re like, Okay, step one, check. I’ve got the knowledge. Step two, I know what tools at least vaguely I know what tools I’m gonna be using lasers among them, you know, cool checkup. Here’s where we start to run into problems, because we don’t, yeah, we don’t have anybody to do it. Right. Right, exactly. It’s like and then that’s the thing is, it’s nice to offload some of that stress, strain anxiety onto a team that can help you with that. And again, I’ll unabashedly plug Chiro Match Makers because I know that you guys do a really, really good job with with helping with that and that’s something that could really be a huge so then step four, so
Dr. Mark Mouw: let me go back to step three real quick just to say something to plug Chiro Match Makers. But it’s not about finding a warm body. It’s finding it’s about matchmaking, right? It’s about it’s about using Science behavioral assessments that we have licensed and REITs. Yes, that we can make sure a person is built to be a tech ca, or they’re built to be a front desk ca built to be a back office, the front desk and back office are very, very different. Yeah, like, well, I can interview for that. Well, that’s where you get it wrong. That’s why the average ca stays in a practice for less than seven months. And the average associate stays in a practice less than 18 months 65% of the time. Why? Because we hire on gut but we fire on behavior.
Dr. Chad Woolner: This would be like to put this in simple terms for people to where they’re like okay, yeah, that makes sense. You wouldn’t hire a quarterback for a football team and put them as a frontline. Right? Like, you wouldn’t want to do that. That doesn’t make any sense at all. And yet, that’s exactly what we do is like we just like bring bring a warm body and and be like, Morgan, I think my gut tells me you’re gonna get
Dr. Andrew Wells: your stash like that’s what you said the last five guys. But this is different. Yeah, guys,
Dr. Mark Mouw: we do. So we take the heavy lift off of them. We do all the vetting, our team tests everything we we have 17 full time recruiters in one location and our loft and inside Albert.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I’m so sorry. I’m gonna derail this real quick here. But you said that and I’m thinking of that scene in Dumb and Dumber, where they’re like, We don’t usually pick up hitchhikers. But I’m gonna have to go with my gut on this. That’s a great analogy. Yeah, there you go. Okay, so that’s number four.
Dr. Mark Mouw: Number four, you you have to do your marketing then. So you find the right employee, get them trained up, then you have to market the product. What’s that marketing look like? What’s your marketing budget, who you’re going to use? Is SEO optimization. Tiktok. Facebook, you are you going to do it in office, because you’re really great at and you have a marketer, because you’ve hired a marketer through Chiro Match Makers, you’re gonna hire a company to actually do it for you.
Dr. Andrew Wells: And I like I like how you said, you also, you also did a soft launch to your active patient base. These are people who already know like, and trust you.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And if it doesn’t convert there that should tell you something. Yeah. But unclear. So true. Yeah, that’s, that’s it.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah. Chance to it’s a chance to to test drive your systems and make sure they’re refined before you have a brand new patient, which demands a white glove service. Right. And so yeah, that’s, that’s a really key point. I think dogs need to know, whenever you launch a new vertical in your practice, test it first test it on people who already have, you know,
Dr. Chad Woolner: And then number five,
Dr. Mark Mouw: Number five, I would say is run it for three to four months. Yeah. So assess. So I’d say easy way, if you’re going to take notes and write it down. Plan, prepare, train, execute, assess, yeah, yeah, that’s a free single thing you launch in your practice and in your business has to go through those five steps. And if you don’t do them, in order, you’re gonna usually crashes or at least they can’t withstand a long run. And it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a stress to your office. So you start to lose pace, you start to lose staff, and it drives you crazy. And you’re bald, by the time you’re bored. Yeah,
Dr. Chad Woolner: The thing I would say to that Doc should clue into here is that you could identify yourself as any number of different things. Obviously, you’re a chiropractor, you’ve said that we get that. But your primary role is that of a CEO. Yeah. And I think that’s a huge, it’s not semantics, because you can hear when he’s talking here, you can hear this is what a CEO would this is the lens through which a CEO would look at is he stepping back? And he’s assessing holistically like this whole, this whole enterprise, right? And how do you do that. And so for Doc’s who are like maybe stuck, and feeling like they’re kind of on that entrepreneurial hamster wheel, you’ve kind of shed some light, and maybe given some really powerful insights and clues. And this episode, I’m super grateful that you jumped on with us, because I think this episode is a kind of a little bit of a different departure, we’re talking a little bit more business than we typically do, which is fantastic for those practitioners. And even for patients to hear this too. It’s good for them to hear kind of the method or methodology that the term that I would use in hearing you talk is this is very methodical, very methodical, it’s not accidental. It’s not just like you’re flying by the seat of your pants, this is a very thought out approach. And you can tell that you’ve done this a time or two. And so this is a tried and true kind of path for practitioners who want to help impact patients at a higher level. So solid, fine, like as you’re, as you’re saying this, I’m like, I think this is kind of like what we’ve done as well, in terms of our processes. Thankfully, I worked with Jason and Andrew, they help with a lot of the operational side of my clinic, which has been and this is exactly what you’ve been saying is more or less what we’ve been doing, which is accounts for a lot of the success that we’ve had, which is good.
Dr. Mark Mouw: And I think you would agree with me. You love to adjust patients. Oh, totally. I mean, I can see four or 500 patients a week in my practice on my own if I wanted to. And I have. Yeah, the thing is, is that I can only see four or 500 patients a week in my practice. So when we started to bring associates in, and our practice continued to grow, we got to amplify my impact on others, and then what you start to see is when you start to step out, and we call it in the remarkable practice, we say there’s four seasons in a chiropractor’s life: launch, build, scale, and exit. The problem is that our profession is stuck kind of behind everything else in the medical profession. The reason why is we launch, we build, we build, we build, we build, we build, we build, and then someday we hope to exit, and a lot of times we don’t get anything out of it. Yeah. So the difference between going from build to scale is that build to scale is I’m a solo practitioner, I have the best job in the world. I’m a chiropractor. Yeah, it’s the best job, though you still are the only one that having profitability inside your practice. You’re the only one that’s working to produce, and everybody else around you is helping support that, right? Yeah. As soon as you go to scale, that means you’re scalable, durable, and transferable. Yeah. So scaling means you can have more impact you can have in your community, you can see more patients. You have durability. I was just talking to you, Chad, I had my appendix out four weeks ago, guess what, I didn’t have to worry about shutting my office down. It went along, just like they didn’t even have to worry about me, even though I was stuck in a hospital bed getting my appendix out.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I’m here in Vegas right now. My team is handling things really. Yeah, so amazing. Such an incredible team.
Dr. Mark Mouw: When you have a great team, there’s transferability, there are some of us will do it till we’re 50, some of us will do it until we’re 90. But what better than to have the legacy inside, and I have a legacy, my son’s a chiropractor. He’s in my practice, I get to see him adjusting across from me when I’m in there. And he’ll be taking over that practice. So what better way than to give him the right systems, procedures, processes, and people to help him continue to have an impact? Because he’s never going to experience a practice that has zero patients in it like we did.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And the lasers, the lasers make such a powerful image in terms of that transferability, it’s a challenge, you know, well, Dr. Mouw doesn’t adjust me or Dr. Mouw just me this way, you know, you don’t, you know what I mean? And there’s that inter-practitioner, you know, kind of consistency and trust and or standardization. The lasers are just one more element that is just standardized. Dr. Mouw can turn the lasers on just like I can just like Andrew can, just like anyone can. And so that’s a cool way to reason to add the lasers in as well. We’re gonna say, Andrew, yeah,
Dr. Andrew Wells: there was another key resource that we want to plug on this podcast, we talked about Chiro Match Makers, but also the remarkable practice. And I have a kind of a cool story here, we have a chat, and I have had a client who was wanting to integrate functional medicine into his practice. And this very much applies to buying lasers. And so super smart guy, very nice guy. He’s like, I totally get all these different. I get how to run functional medicine. But man, he goes, he goes, I’m just like, I’m so busy. And my wife, when my wife, he’s like, my wife is like, we don’t need one more thing. And he was kind of struggling there to implement it. Or like, you know, it’s kind of like a car stuttering in the beginning. And we’re like, you know what, go go if you need, you need some systems in place. And you know, he was like losing staff left and right, not because he was a bad person. Super nice guy. Right. And, and a great leader as well, he’s really a good leader. And so we’re like, man, maybe check out the remarkable practice. And they’ll show you how to systemize some of these things. Because he wasn’t, you know, he’s a practitioner, not a CEO, you develop his CEO muscle. So he’s like, Yeah, you know, I’ll check them out. He’s like, You know what, this is exactly what I needed. So he dropped us as a client, which kind of sucked, but we knew we knew, like, that’s what he needed. And so he went through, he went through training through their remarkable practice, and developed systems. And then he called us back, he goes, Hey, I’m ready. Yeah,
Dr. Mark Mouw: I’m ready. How smart is that guy? It’s cool. It was cool. And that’s what we want to do. Because there’s synergy between all of us because we all have one mission. It’s the people outside of these walls that we want to have an impact on. And how can we have that impact is what we need to have togetherness.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah, and I see Docs who buy lasers and like, cool, I got a laser, I’m gonna implement, it’s gonna be great. Everything’s gonna work fantastic. But they have no systems. And so if you’re listening to this as a doc, you’re like, Yeah, I’m, I’m stuck in that build mode. Check out their remarkable practice, if you need, if you’re if you’re wanting a deep dive, you went over kind of a gloss over like, here are the here’s the outline. But if you really need to, as I say, develop that CEO muscle, that’s the best group that you can that you can join up with to do that.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I say this all the time. And it’s one of those things when I hear the statement that I say I’ve told Stephen Frandsen who’s what’s his his total is his role. President CEO, what’s his role in remarkable practice?
Dr. Mark Mouw: He is the owner, Owner, okay. Owner, CEO.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, so I’ve said this before, I’m like, Where the heck were you guys when I was in new breath, like, I’m kind of like pissed off because I’m like, I didn’t know about Stephen Frandsen and remarkable practices that would have completely changed entirely the trajectory of my experience. That being said, though, I also at the same time recognize, we learn the lessons we learn for reason. And so my first you know, five years of struggle in practice, taught me a lot about myself, helped me to develop a lot of grit and other no doubt necessary life lessons that I had to learn. But nonetheless, if I could, for Docs who are listening who maybe are brand new out of school, help them I wouldn’t recommend my five year plan. I think there’s a way to accelerate that and I think reaching out to groups like Stephen’s, you know, your you guys can really make a difference and help practitioners avoid some of those same kind of learning experiences. Yep, it might be a little little more painful than they want.
Dr. Mark Mouw: Like we said at the beginning as chiropractors and doctors, you don’t learn that in school, you learn how to be a doctor and you don’t get the business and we come out of school. And we have to learn how to run a business right away. Yeah. And then we become leaders in our businesses and we lead a community of health. But I would say when you were chatting to Andrew is you were just saying like the leadership part of it, if you want to be a better leader, you want to be able to run your office the way it is. And leadership to me is learning delegation. Yep. Yep. And the problem is, is that so many chiropractors are so used to doing everything themselves. Yeah. You know, if I say scorecards, and their KPIs, and a job description, so a lot of Docs listening right now that maybe don’t know what that is, but that’s what we teach at the remarkable practices, how to run your business like a business, being a CEO with scoreboards and scorecards and laying those things out. But unfortunately, a lot of times we do accountability charts with the doctors that we coach, and we’re like, Okay, here’s the 20 boxes inside of your business, from attraction to conversion to money. And the three things that go along with each one of those put your initials in each one of the boxes that you’re responsible for. And it’s nothing for doctors to have those boxes, oh, if they don’t understand why they’re so freakin stressed, and they’re like spending 17 plates and so forth. We’re like, Your name should be in five of those boxes no more. And they’re like, what? That doesn’t mean you need to have 18 employees. Yeah. So when you have two employees or three employees, a lot of times you don’t delegate to them, you micromanage them. So people that are team players want to have macro management, they want to be trained, they want to do role-playing, they want to be micromanage. They want to work in a place with purpose. And a lot of times we don’t hire these people because we think we need to micromanage them. And the people who leave us are the ones that are awesome employees because they’re sick of the micromanaging and not the A-team player mentality, right? Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, boy. We could talk about this for hours. And I know there’s a lot there. But for Docs who are listening who are like, hopefully this has sparked something, check out what Mark’s doing over at Chiro Match Makers, check out TRP at the remarkable practice, we’ll put links in the show there for them to check that out. But we appreciate you guys. We appreciate what you guys are doing. So any final thoughts, Andrew?
Dr. Andrew Wells: Thank you for being on. We really appreciate it. I think this is a really refreshing episode because we don’t really talk about, you know, okay, cool. Now you’ve got a laser. What do you do with that laser? How do you build it? How do you build a team around that?
Dr. Chad Woolner: We should title this episode with Dr. Mark Mouw. He bought a laser dot dot dot now what? It says really good when he asked me like.
Dr. Mark Mouw: What do you want me to do and do a podcast with him? I’m launching them in March. I mean, I’ve been taking my time making sure this goes right. And you’re like you’re the exactly what we need to talk to. So I appreciate the invite. Yeah, I just gotta say I appreciate what Erchonia laser is doing in our profession. Yeah, the research you’re doing everything and all the pieces you got to ours are touching. And I can only see like right now the runway’s just taking off. Like we just we do launching some awesome, awesome products and you’re growing and I just see what you guys are doing. So I commend you guys, so keep doing it. Yeah, don’t
Dr. Chad Woolner: Thank me, man. We were just chatting with Travis Salmons. And David to sec, Travis heads up all of the research that’s being done. And it is inspiring when you hear they have, they have a vision for what they’re doing. And it’s they are very, very mission-driven, which is what really had us gravitate to them in the first place. Right? This is a company with integrity. And with a clear vision, they could, we’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again, they could make so much more money by like in terms of like you either, in terms of profitability of business, you either obviously make more money or you cut costs, they could easily right now just cut Okay, we’re gonna cut our research costs because that’s really expensive. And we can
Dr. Mark Mouw: We have 10 times more than anybody else. Right, right, right. We’re
Dr. Andrew Wells: good enough. We don’t.
Dr. Mark Mouw: We’re just gonna glide. Right? We’re not doing No,
Dr. Chad Woolner: no. And that’s and that’s the thing that is just incredible. And that’s the cool thing is when you talk to them, it’s clear why they do is because a, they’re very mission-centric, but also b, they’re passionate about it, they love it, they love where the future is going because it’s just and what’s cool is we see all sorts of incredible things that these lasers do that we can’t necessarily fully articulate or explain yet, but the research seems to slowly but surely come behind and start explaining some of the oh that’s that’s why we’re seeing what we’re seeing with these things. And so it’s just a really, really exciting thing we just entered I we constantly truly like for everybody listening like we have conversations off air all the time where we’re like pinching ourselves like holy cow like we were a part of this well it took quote Dumb and Dumber To go oh my gosh, you’re quoting Dumb and Dumber, the part when they’re getting ready to go on their road trip and he’s like we’re really doing it our way. Conversation We’re always having that but it’s true like we’re so excited like I spoke this morning and I’m like I’m so glad that I got to speak first first thing in the morning came out I can just like enjoy these conversations with the podcast now I’m like this is like like this is the coolest thing we get to do we get to sit down we get to talk with awesome Doc’s. We get to have these conversations. We get to share a lot of valuable information with those who listen and it’s like, dude, like, this is the coolest thing ever. Like I want to do this This indefinitely. So anyways,
Dr. Mark Mouw: I have a part-time job of just talking on podcast and get paid really well. I mean, I would be there because I enjoy this. It’s been fun. You guys are great Hoedspruit Thank you. Yeah,
Dr. Chad Woolner: thank you, man. So, Doc’s and patients alike. We hope that this has been valuable and insightful for you. We appreciate Dr. Mark Mouw. He’s doing some amazing things out in the Midwest and beyond. And we’re looking forward to catching up with him again, in the not too distant future to see how things are going with his investment with Erchonia lasers and how he’s changing people’s lives. So share this with those that you think could benefit. I think there’s a lot of real value here for practitioners and helping them understand that a lot of the business side of things so we’ll talk to you guys on the next episode. Have an amazing day. We’ll see you. Thanks for listening to the laser light show. Be sure to subscribe and give us a review. If you’re interested in learning more about Erchonia lasers, just head on over to Erchonia.com. There you’ll find a ton of useful resources including research news and links to upcoming live events, as well as Erchonia e community where you can access for free additional resources including advanced training and business tools. Again, thanks for listening and we will catch you on the next episode.
Dr. Mark Mouw has started and run several high-volume chiropractic offices and is also the co-founder of Chiro Match Makers. In this episode Dr. Mouw discusses why he traded in his Class IV lasers for Erchonia lasers. Also, he discusses how to implement any new service or technology into a busy practice without disrupting what is working. This episode is for any practitioner who likes or needs good systems!
https://www.mouwchiropractic.com/
Dr. Mark Mouw, a seasoned professional in the chiropractic field, brings a wealth of experience to the table, having successfully initiated and managed multiple high-volume chiropractic offices. As an additional feather in his cap, he serves as the co-founder of Chiro Match Makers. In the course of this enlightening episode, Dr. Mouw delves into the intriguing decision to transition from Class IV lasers to the cutting-edge technology of Erchonia lasers. Beyond merely narrating his journey, he shares invaluable insights on the delicate art of seamlessly integrating novel services or technologies into a bustling practice, ensuring a harmonious blend with existing successful elements. Tailored especially for practitioners who appreciate the significance of robust systems or those in need of efficient frameworks, this episode provides a compelling exploration of Dr. Mouw’s experiences and expertise in the chiropractic landscape.
In the realm of chiropractic and medicine, the deficiency in business education becomes evident upon graduation. As professionals, the immediate shift from focusing on becoming adept doctors to running a business is a daunting challenge. Dr. Mark Mouw highlights this transition and underscores the critical role of effective leadership in managing a healthcare practice. He emphasizes the pivotal aspect of delegation in leadership, stressing the importance of relinquishing the tendency to handle everything independently. Dr. Mouw introduces essential business concepts such as scorecards, KPIs, and job descriptions, integral components taught at the remarkable practices to instill a business-centric approach.
“Yeah, I just gotta say I appreciate what Erchonia laser is doing in our profession. Yeah, the research you’re doing everything and all the pie” -Dr. Mark Mouw
“You know, what, let’s, let’s go back to the meaning of Doctor, teacher, right, right. And if we’re teaching, we need to be learning. If we’re not constantly learning what the best thing is for our patients, then we aren’t a great doctor. So when I talk to my association, I coach clients, you know, we have to have a foundation who of who we are as chiropractors” – Dr. Mark Mouw
“Like we said at the beginning as chiropractors and doctors, you don’t learn that in school, you learn how to be a doctor and you don’t get the business and we come out of school. And we have to learn how to run a business right away. Yeah. And then we become leaders in our businesses and we lead a community of health.” – Dr. Mark Mouw
8-Minute Read
As an athletic trainer, your top priority is to help your clients perform at their peak ability both physically and mentally. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as cold laser therapy or photobiomodulation, is a non-invasive treatment that uses low-powered lasers to stimulate cell function and promote healing.
Related: [Free eBook Download] Not All Light is the Same in Low-Level Laser Therapy
While LLLT has been around for decades, its use in sports medicine has only recently gained popularity. According to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, LLLT has the potential to be effective in aiding the recovery for sports injuries and found that LLLT can accelerate healing time, reduce pain, and improve range of motion in athletes.
So, as an athletic trainer, are you using all the tools in your arsenal? This innovative treatment is gaining traction in the world of sports medicine, and with good reason. In this article, we’ll explore how laser therapy can benefit athletes both physically and mentally.
One of the most compelling reasons to consider laser therapy for your athletes is its ability to aid in recovery and reduce pain. Chiropractic laser therapy has been shown to decrease inflammation and promote tissue healing, making it an attractive option for individuals with sports-related injuries.
Experience faster recovery and pain relief with chiropractic laser therapy, a game-changer for athletes dealing with sports-related injuries and chronic pain.
It can also help manage chronic pain caused by conditions such as arthritis, tendinitis, and bursitis, giving athletes a way to stay active and pain-free.
What sets laser therapy apart from other pain relief modalities? For one, it’s non-invasive and drug-free, which means no side effects or recovery time. It’s also precise, targeting only the affected area rather than affecting the whole body like medication or surgery.
This makes it an excellent complement to other treatment methods, such as physical therapy or chiropractic adjustments.
While laser therapy is often utilized for recovery and pain relief, it can also help improve athletic performance. Studies have shown that laser therapy can increase muscle strength, speed up recovery time post-exercise, and decrease muscle fatigue. It can also promote better circulation, helping deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues more efficiently.
But perhaps the most exciting application of laser therapy for athletes is its potential to improve mental clarity and focus. This is where Eli Garcia, a professional boxer, found laser therapy to be a game-changer. By combining laser therapy with eye exercises, his doctor, Dr. Michael Burdorf, was able to improve Garcia’s hand-eye coordination and mental acuity. This enabled Garcia to take his performance to the next level, both in and out of the ring.
Professional boxer Eli Garcia credits laser therapy and brain exercises for improving his mental clarity and focus, allowing him to take his performance to the next level both in and out of the ring.
In an interview on the Laser Light Show Podcast, Garcia explained how the combination of LLLT and brain exercises have helped him mentally stay strong and focus on his opponent rather than external factors. “It’s the lasers, and the brain exercises that he helps with,” explained Garcia. “Mentally it keeps me strong.”
Listen to the full interview here:
Garcia has an impressive record of 11 wins and 0 losses, with nine of those wins coming from knockouts. Garcia says that he is always learning and that even when he doesn’t get a knockout, it is still a learning experience.
If you’re considering adding laser therapy to your clients’ wellness routines, it’s important to take a systematic approach. There are a few things to keep in mind.
First and foremost, it’s crucial to start with low-level treatment to allow the body to become acclimated to the therapy and reduce the risk of side effects. This gradual approach will enable you to increase the intensity of the therapy over time as the athlete’s body becomes accustomed to it.
Gradual introduction and regular sessions of low-level laser therapy is crucial to reduce side effects and achieve optimal results for athletes with varying needs.
Scheduling regular treatment sessions is also crucial for optimal results. The frequency of treatment sessions may vary depending on the athlete’s needs, and it’s important to keep an open line of communication with your patients to ensure that they are getting the desired results. Athletes may also require more frequent treatment sessions to manage pain or inflammation, and it’s essential to stay flexible and adjust the frequency of the therapy accordingly.
Related: How Erchonia Cold Laser Devices Assist Medical Professionals
While incorporating LLLT into an athlete’s routine, it’s also essential to understand that this therapy is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments that promote physical and mental well-being, such as nutrition and exercise. A comprehensive treatment plan that covers all these areas can help athletes maximize the benefits of laser therapy and gain a competitive edge in their pursuits.
Finally, it’s important to monitor your patient’s progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan as needed. Regular assessments can help ensure that the athlete is getting the desired results and can help identify any potential areas for improvement.
Laser therapy is a powerful tool for athletic trainers looking to optimize their clients’ physical and mental health.
Whether used for recovery and pain relief or performance enhancement, its non-invasive and precise nature makes it an attractive option for athletes of all levels. By incorporating laser therapy into an overall wellness routine, athletes can potentially gain a competitive edge while promoting their well-being. Consider adding laser therapy to your practice as it is becoming one of the most impressive innovations in physical therapy.
Reach out to Erchonia today to learn more about this rapidly evolving technology.
Discover the benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy (3LT®) by Erchonia, a world leader in the field of 3LT® technology. Learn how 3LT® can help reduce the need for prescription opioids for chronic low back pain, the science behind 3LT® and the difference between visible lasers and infrared lasers.
Related: Red Light Therapy: Dispelling Laser Myths with Basic Photochemistry
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23626925/
Dr. Chad Woolner: What’s going on, everybody? Dr. Chad Woolner here with Dr. Andrew Wells, and on today’s episode of the laser light show, we have with us a really special guest, Floyd McLendon. We’re super excited to be able to chat with him. So let’s get started.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I used to love going to laser light shows at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. They would put on these amazing light shows with incredible designs synced up to some of my favorite music from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica. They were awesome. Little did I know then that lasers would have such a profound effect on my life decades later. As a chiropractic physician, I have seen firsthand just how powerful laser therapy is at helping patients struggling with a wide range of health problems. As the leader in laser therapy, Erchonia has pioneered the field in obtaining 20 of the 23 total FDA clearances for therapeutic application of lasers. On this podcast, we’ll explore the science and technology and physiology behind what makes these tools so powerful. Join me as we explore low-level laser therapy. I’m Dr. Chad Woolner, along with my good friend Dr. Andrew Wells, and welcome to the laser light show. All right, everybody. Welcome to the show. We are here live on set at Parker’s event in Vegas. We’re super excited to have Floyd McLennan with us. Welcome to the show, Floyd.
Floyd McLendon: Oh, thank you for having me, Chad. Andrew. It’s a pleasure.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Floyd, you are a veteran.
Floyd McLendon: Yes, sir.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And, and I don’t know if it’s like Marines where you shouldn’t say former Marine, like once a Marine always Marine. Is it the same with Navy SEALs? Once a Navy SEAL, always a Navy SEAL?
Floyd McLendon: Yes. So the term that we like to, well, it depends on how long you’ve been in, but I’m retired. So I just like to say retired Navy SEAL.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay.
Floyd McLendon: Or you will say US Navy SEAL veteran in the
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay.
Floyd McLendon: Former we understand what
Dr. Chad Woolner: Do we call you a frogman, former frogman or retired frogman? Do we say that to retired frogman?
Floyd McLendon: Yes. We have many names that those are very, most common. Yes, yes. Very
Dr. Chad Woolner: Well, first off, a huge thank you for your service. Really appreciate it. My father is a retired survival instructor for the Air Force. During the late ’60s, early ’70s, he was stationed over in the Philippines was teaching all the pilots, you know, if and when you crash or whatever, here’s how you survive.
Floyd McLendon: He was a SERE instructor is what we call them.
Dr. Chad Woolner: This was yeah, this was pre-SERE is what he told because I asked him because I kept hearing that term, right? And I’m like, is that what you were? He was like, oh, SERE instructors are amazing. And I’m like, That’s my dad. Yeah, amazing. Like, well, this is actually my dad’s such a humble guy, you know, so he’s like, let’s just pre-SERE, you know, so before they actually titled it SERE and so, but yeah, incredible individual. So Navy SEAL. You know, I have such an issue. I think most people do. Like there’s a certain level of like, mystique and excitement and or like all associated with Navy SEALs. And I think for a good reason because they don’t just let anybody into the Navy SEALs. It’s not like you just say I want to be a Navy SEAL. Okay, great stamp on it, and improve it. You know, so maybe tell us I mean, I think, to some small degree, we might have a little bit of an understanding, but I don’t think most have a real depth to that. What did what was that all entailed? You know, in terms of becoming a Navy SEAL? What What, what’s that like?
Floyd McLendon: Wow, that’s a loaded question.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So just applied in there.
Floyd McLendon: Well, just to share my background, so my dad was a former Marine. He served for four years in Vietnam, and a couple of brothers who served in the Army. I thought that I was never going to go into the military. And then I found myself after high school contemplating and I ended up in the Navy. I served for 25 years.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Wow.
Floyd McLendon: I had no intent of becoming a Navy SEAL. I didn’t know what it was, you know what they did? Yeah, I was an electronic technician which means I was a marine or satellite communications expert.
Dr. Chad Woolner: For how long?
Floyd McLendon: For 10 years.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Wow.
Floyd McLendon: Yes. But around my six-seven year mark, I started to look at the Navy as a career. Okay, don’t 20 years but I didn’t see myself as an electronic technician for 20 years. I just didn’t think that that was gonna really resonate with me being happy. So I started to look at other like no other careers within the military. And I had a colleague who was about to train to go to BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL) school to be a Navy SEAL. And I was like, Hey, I don’t know how to swim you mind if I you mind if I you know, train with you? Just the water portion so I can learn how to swim. And as I started to train with him, I started to research what Navy SEALs who they are and what they do, and I was like, oh, man, this may be cool. So I started to go down that path. And it, you know, I was blessed, you know, to it took me six years from the time I said I wanted to be a Navy SEAL to the time that I became one law, right. And then I just served my last 15 years in a team, so serving, you know, 25 years. But to answer your question, so what that’s like, it’s a, it was a very humbling and an eye-opening experience for me because at the time, I thought I was at a certain level mentally and physically, yeah, but as I got into the training, you know, and then back in the back in that day, there was no internet, you know, so you had to go to the library, you had to go to the bookstores, you had to buy all these books on, you know, I’m soaking in, I’m reading on it for whatever you can get. Yeah, but I’m also I’m applying, you know, when I’m learning, you know, the training, and I started to realize that, that my shit does think, right, and but it, it fueled me, you know, and it resonated with me to be better to improve. And I did that on a daily basis. And that was just the beginning before I even got to training. And then when I got to train, it was a whole nother level. Yeah, no, so now I’m with all these other alpha males, who are physical mental specimens, and I’m with them shoulder to shoulder and you start to you start to look at yourself and see, you know, just how worthy you are and what you can contribute, right, you know, to, you know, to the training and to your class. And that breaks individuals, or that motivates individuals to become better. Sure. Right. So for me, it motivated me to be better because of the guys that I was training with. Yeah. And I didn’t make it through my first time. You know, I suffered gastro-intestinal virus I lost 30 pounds is a shin in a three-month span. I went from 195 to 165. Wow. And I just started my second Hell Week. I am, you know, for all intents and purposes, whatever goes into my mouth is coming straight out of the other end. And so I go to the medical doctor, while I’m in Hell Week, and I said, Hey, this is what’s going on. And I was like, alright, well, what are you gonna do? You know, quit or keep going? And I was like, wow, he’s he’s, he’s very compassionate.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Like this, this fits.
Floyd McLendon: Yeah, this fits.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Just wanted some comforting and love. It’s gonna be okay. Yes, no, what are you gonna do? Yeah, that didn’t happen. But I was generally concerned about how it would affect me in the future. Like, if I made it through Hell Week. How much of damage would I have done? And if I would have continued, right, so I took the risk, and I quit on the bell. I went back to the fleet for 15 months, I came back a second time, and I was blessed to make it through the seconds.
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s amazing. You know, when you say you know how long it took you, I’m reminded, you know, a very, very dear friend of mine and mentor of mine, my former Brazilian jujitsu instructor who actually passed away a year ago, he often referred to getting your black belt in Brazilian jujitsu as like getting your PhD in martial arts, you know, because it was such a time-intensive process. And I think very similarly, you could say the same thing, right, that you should, and I don’t know if this is an unconventional way of looking at a Navy SEAL. But I would say, I would be so bold as to say, becoming a Navy Seal, or any type of special type of operative in that level is like the equivalent of getting your PhD in your respective military. Do you know what I mean? Like, you’re, you’re, you’re a doctor of like, I was gonna say you’re a doctor of death. It’s like, you’re, you’re, you’re a doctor at that level. I mean, you really, like get such high specialized training just at such a level that few Do you know what I mean? I do.
Floyd McLendon: So it’s interesting that you bring that up because I’ve thought about that. Like, how would that compare to the academic world? And I actually have tears. So if you when you graduate buds and you become a Navy Seal, that’s like getting your bachelor’s, okay. Right. And then, once you, you go to a team, you train, you go downrange, and you do a combat deployment, right? Are two, that’s your masters. Okay. Right. And then you you start to advance into leadership roles, and now you’re leading men, you’re leading a platoon attached unit. And once you get to that, then that will be like your, your PhD. Yeah, right. So I’ve actually broken it down in a day, a Sunday like, Well, do you have what’s your highest degree? Well, I have a master’s in you know, Special Warfare operations. Like Well, what did you get that from? I’m like, Well, I got it from the SEAL teams, you know, you look yeah. And what under what most don’t understand is the academic acuity that we have to have,
Dr. Chad Woolner: Oh man. Because it’s probably every bit as important if not more, so you can’t just have mindless, you know, like zombies out there on the on the field, you got to have intelligent people because my, again, my guess is I have this is coming from a place of pure ignorance, but I’m assuming that you have to make every bit as much intellectual decisions, you know, as much as the physical stuff that’s required, right? If not more, so
Floyd McLendon: Yes, because we learned dive physics, you know, meaning, you know, we have to know, you know, on a closed rig, how deep we can go, how long we can be at that depth, we have to be able to do intense math
Dr. Chad Woolner: Some life and death math,
Floyd McLendon: Right, You know, and we do that we do the calculations, before we get into the water to understand, we also know, you know, okay, I went this deep, I can only stand the water this long, but also what’s your swim buddy, you know, it’s the middle of in my, you’re 25 feet, you know, underwater, and you’re about to do a ship attack, and you’re looking in their eyes, and you’re looking to see if they’re, if they’re coherent, or you know, if something is wrong with them. And all you have is, you know, just looking in their eyes and the small nuances in their body. So you have to understand, you know, those kinds of things that you know, dive, you know, medicine, and if they do, if your, your buddy or you start to have symptoms, then you have to know what to do, you know, and how soon you you have it before the before something, really, before you get really injured. So those are the things you know, academically we you know, with, I was explosive expert, right? So what’s what we call lead Breacher. So anything that needed to be destroyed, or compromised, and I can do it manually, mechanically explosively. Like any guys dream, right, your job is you get to blow stuff up. Like, who would not want to do that? You know, but it’s also to okay, what’s the structure? What’s the, you know, is it is it? Is it rock? Yes. And yes. What’s the, you know, how, how thick? Is it? What’s behind it? Do I want to destroy what’s behind it? Right? How close are is my team and I to it, to where,
Dr. Chad Woolner: Basically, the equivalent of shoving a bunch of Ma DS into a mailbox is what you’re saying? I know exactly what you’re talking about there. We’ve had lots of experience.
Floyd McLendon: Right. So you got to do you have to do your mathematical computations, you know, based off of and then with that you find out the amount of explosives to do the job correctly. Yeah. Right.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And not get yourself hurt.
Floyd McLendon: Yes, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Dr.Andrew Wells: And all underwater, or some of the some underwater, yes.
Floyd McLendon: Because we said yes. Underwater, we’d be on the water explosive as well. So yes, be and that’s a whole nother level. Yeah, you know, being that depth plant in the charges, you know, making sure you’re making sure you are, you know, out of the area when it when it blows, you know, things like that, and making sure you place it correctly so that it will blow in a manner manner that you would have as far as what you want to destroy your compromise. All those things like you’re, you have to be academically sound in order to in order to do those. And this is just a I’m talking about a basic Navy Seal, we all learn explosives. So I went to a school to learn advanced explosives. So when I came back to the team, I was able to teach my platoon things. So if it was a basic problem, they could take care of it.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So we could give you like a pack of gum and a paperclip. And you can go to town right now pretty much right?
Floyd McLendon: I can confirm nor deny.
Dr. Andrew Wells: I’m really curious about the mindset you had when you had to ring the bell, the first in the first class you were in? Because you had a taste of buds at that point. Yes. And and then you had 15 months of crap. I didn’t make it. What was that? What happened in your mentally front in that 15 months before he went back? Did you like you’re like, I know, I could have done that if I hadn’t had this gi bug or, or what we have what was your?
Floyd McLendon: So that’s the great thing about about bugs, is it’s an environment for you to learn about yourself. That’s it, and what you’re like what your limitations are. And that’s it and then to like how you you know how you work with, you know, what a team, how much are you willing to sacrifice? So my first time at Budds I was like, You gotta be kidding me. Like holy smokes. It blew me away of like, what was required? You came into it thinking like, this is what it’s going to be like in terms of the level of intensity and or requirement and then like, it didn’t shock you when you got in like it was way higher. Yes, because I was training. I’m like, I’m training I’m ready. I can prepare prepared, and it was just the bare minimum just to get there. And then you had to step up your game. Like once you were there. But when I decided to ring the bell, I knew I’m like, You know what I can, I can do this. But I may break my body, if I continue. If I break my body, I won’t be able to come back. So I had to take calculated decision, right. And it was a calculated student, however, ringing that bell and still being on the compound for two to three weeks and seeing my class, who did make it through seeing the instructors every day it it was, man, it was very, very humbling and a depressing moment. But I had to focus. And then when I when I left, and I went to the ship for 15 months, that was all I was concerned about was like, I’m going back to Budds I’m going by and I communicated that with my commander, I said, I’ll do whatever you want, please support me going back to Budds. So I started training, you know, I went to a gastrointestinal specialist, and I got right with my body. And then when I came back some of the same instructors were there to welcome you with open arms. They loved on me so much, because they remembered me. And they just embraced me
Dr. Andrew Wells: Floyd’s back.
Floyd McLendon: Embrace me, but I did have instructors come to me and they said, Yeah, I remember you. You’re not gonna make it. You’re like, because it’s statistically higher for those who retread who come back. Like, oh, like it’s a high percentage that they quit a second time? Because, yes, so and I, I can’t imagine there’s a third time for many if ever, and I mean, every now and then you’ll have a car. But now you like now you only have one truck? Oh, yeah. So if you don’t make it through the first time, like they may give you they may give you a waiver based off of you get hurt or something. But now it’s only one because it’s a bottleneck.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Sure
Floyd McLendon: It’s a bottleneck.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Sure.
Floyd McLendon: So they saw made it very clear that they were going to make sure that I was there for the right reasons and that I was ready. Yeah. And I was like, Okay. And, you know, this the second time was physically harder. Well, mentally easier, physically harder, because I was older. Sure, right. You know, I’m in my late 20s, you know, early 30s. And I’m, you know, I’m literally seven to 10 years older than the average.
Dr. Chad Woolner: What years was this?
Floyd McLendon: This was 2002 to 2005 right? So I’m 29 to 32. Yeah, and I’m going to training and physically, you know, I was smoke every week, physically, mentally, I was like, Alright, I got to push through. But physically it was it was so difficult. Yeah. You know, Monday, Tuesday was great Wednesday, I started to go down a slope Thursday and Friday. I was just hanging on. Right. And then the weekend was there for me to recover. And that was just kind of week after week.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Sure.
Floyd McLendon: But the mind is a very powerful, very powerful muscle.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, let’s talk about that. And kind of coupled that with what you talked about with the team. I read a book called stealing fire. Do you heard of that book before?
Floyd McLendon: No, sir
Dr. Chad Woolner: You’d get a kick out of this. So they talk about in that book, they talked about how the military started to utilize, especially with Navy SEALs, meditation, and specifically with the idea of trying to elevate consciousness to a degree that would help and the term that they used with Navy SEALs was helping teams get into quote, unquote, sync, meaning they were doing research to determine if Navy SEALs could through various types of meditative practices. Get more in tune and or again, synced up from a extrasensory I know that sounds kind of crazy. But I see you’re smiling because you’re like, you probably are tracking with what I’m saying here. But the whole point is, is that there are missions where Navy Seals have to go. And again, I’m speaking like, I know what I’m talking about. I’m just reading the book. Okay, so I’m just I’m reporting. Let me tell you how it is. But they’re saying that there were there are missions and times where you can’t just like be speaking out loud. And you got to be dead silent and quiet in the dark. And so what do you rely on the you know, and so that what they basically were saying is, you’re you’re tapping into these higher levels of consciousness in the brain, such that you can literally be more or less reading each other’s collective minds together synced up. Do you know what I mean?
Floyd McLendon: I do know what you mean. And I agree with that to a small degree. All right, we have what’s called Dirt diving, right? Meaning that you go through your mind mentally on the steps that it requires in order for you to accomplish a task. So in training, they teach us that. So if it’s if it’s, so for instance, on the water not tied, right, we have just five different knots that you have to tie, it’s in a 15 foot section of the pool. And your structure tells you to go down and you tie your knot. And then you wait for an instructor to come down to check it. And then you ask for permission to go up, he gives you permission, you untie it, you come back up, you get 30 seconds, and you got to go back down for the second knot. And then you do that all the way through three foreign fighters Hearing you say that it’s giving me anxiety, right? So so dirt diving is you are, you know, you’re like the night before or like right before you’re about to do it, you’re going through your mind and you you see yourself, you know, you’re doing it in your mind to that degree, that that’s the small degree that I agree. And you do that throughout training with every like, test and they teach that you know, dirt dive there dive dirt die. So that way, it just becomes muscle memories. Because when, when the unexpected happens, your your body is going to naturally finish Chanel. And I’ll give you a great example before I go to my next, my next point is the 50 meter underwater swim. And I jump in, I do a specific maneuver that is required once you jump in. And I want to equalize the pressure in my nose. So I don’t get any water on my nose, right because it’s uncomfortable. While I blow too hard. I blow out all my air. I’m at the start of my 50 meter underwater swim. So I go down to the halfway point turn around. And as I’m coming back, I you know, my body starts to react to lack of oxygen. Yeah, so I had, you know, only had a couple options. I can go to the surface, and you know, you know, break the surface and fail, right, or I can continue and possibly pass out. So I was like, You know what? I’m not I was like, I’m gonna finish. Yeah. So the last thing I remember is like one, one. The last thing I remember was I did a one car pool. And then next thing you know, I’m pinned to the top of the pool by my instructor, my safety instructor and I being slapped to consciousness by another striker that’s on the deck. Right? So gently though, right. So, so I come to and I kind of look back at my safety instructor who asked me pin and I was like, Did I pass? And in choice words, he was like, Yeah, you pass Get the out of the pool, right? So a few years pass. I see him down the road. I’m a team guy now. I’m like, Hey, what happened that day? You know? Yeah. And he’s like, Well, he said, I saw you jump in a pool, and I saw your dumbass. Blow out all your air. He said, I knew he’s like, I just knew you weren’t gonna make it. Yeah. So you know. And so what do they say? Shout out you. You’re right. So he’s at the surface. He says, So I saw when you went out. He said, But I let you go. Because you kept. He’s like, you kept swimming. Yeah. And you reached out. And as soon as you touched the wall, I grabbed you and pulled you up. So you can pass. Wow. So I was out. He was letting the momentum of the water chicken with its head cut off. And he just kept going. Yes. So by his by his explanation, I was out and I kept going. And I tap the wall. And then he pulled me out. Wow. So that comes from the dirt diving. Right? You you go to your where you’re most training? Yeah. Now, the other piece where I think it’s, it’s, it’s a greater percentage, is the training that we do with each other on a day to day basis. And the environment that they put us in is so arduous surance so hard, that it creates bonding. So you begin to like I could I could be on not at night in the middle of the night and I can see a shape of one of my platoon mates and I can No I know exactly who he is. His walk, right? His stance, I know there’s something up there, that’s not right. Or everything is okay. And that’s through our training that we do day to day in day out you and it’s kind of like your spouse and your kids like you know, because like voice inflection or you know, just the slightest shirt, you know, movement or shift in their body. You automatically know what the hell is going on. Yeah, so you don’t have to talk. And that’s where the silence comes from. Yeah, yeah. Right. Because you can just look and be like, Oh, you like you read them like, okay, they do something and then you just you’re trained to where you’re going to support? Yeah. Right. So if they go left, you’re gonna go right. Right? If they go low, you’re gonna go high, you know, that kind of thing, right? If they get into a certain posture, you’re in that certain posture to support Yeah, and it’s vice versa. But that’s just from the high level of training that we do you on a day to day basis. No doubt. That just reminds me of my my, my little gang. I grew up in my neighborhood. Like we spent so much time together as me and four other boys. We knew each other that well, yes, right? Because we just every day we were playing together either after school or summer, like from sunup to sundown. Yes, that was my crew. Yeah, we do. We do all the little ins and outs. Yes, you did. So just imagine like doing that. And, and very adverse situation. Sure. Right. That’s that week, we take the training wheels off, but we we in training, we try to make it as real as possible. Yeah. And, and expose ourselves to that every day, right? And then when we’re done, we debrief, we talk about it, we dirt dive, or we just do walkthroughs. So so that’s where it comes from, where I can just look at you and be like, Okay, well, Chad is he, you know, he’s he’s ready to go right now. Like, oh, he’s he’s holding on something or, you know, he, he’s about the art. So let me get behind him or let me get to let me support him in a certain way. Sure. So we can do business. And that’s just from level of training that we do. Yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So fast forward. You retire from the military. Now you’re working for Parker. Tell us a little bit about that. How’d you come in touch with Parker? What do you do for Parker? Tell us all about that.
Floyd McLendon: I’m the director of advancement for Parker University. And I build relationships to raise funding and resources for veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Wow.
Floyd McLendon: Right. So I find the veterans and I also find the funding so that they can receive a scholarship, a scholarship where it’s no cost to them to go through the traumatic brain injury treatment. I’m one of those veterans who went through the treatment program is called the Invictus project at Parker Performance Institute. I did it three years ago, how I got connected to Parker. When I retired. I went into the political world. I worked up in DC as a legislative fellow for North Carolina congressman. I, when I retired to Texas, I was the executive aide for the Texas Attorney General. And then I resigned from him to run for US Congress. And up until this point, I run for US Congress twice. That was for Texas. Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, sir. I’m a city councilman, for my you know, for my city, and the President of Park University was watching my political track. I, I didn’t win. But in the political world. I did. I did well, you know, as far as building my foundation, building your relationships, the money that I raised, I raised close to a million dollars, my first my first race, and that translated into being a philanthropist for Parker University to raise funding and resources for our veterans. So that’s how that’s how I got on Parker University’s radar. Yeah, we connected and I’ve been with him for almost two years now. And I love the I love my colleagues, I love the mission, or the culture and the mission is very important, you know, for veterans. Yeah. And it’s very hard to find. But I think that’s, you know, Parker resonates, resonates with the culture and their mission that I’m looking for.
Dr. Chad Woolner: What a rewarding role that you get to play in this process, right, you get to and how, like, almost like incredibly full circle, this is for your career, right? You kind of from one end of this experience, having been in it to now having retired seeing some of the struggles that so many, if not the vast majority of veterans struggle with and it’s no mystery that unfortunately, as sad as it is, veterans are not getting the help and the care that they need. And so it’s they need advocates like you and like this to be able to help them and then that’s, that should be that should be the standard is what it should.
Floyd McLendon: It should be but that’s all about just educating the American people, And it just taken away the the negative stigma that comes with PTS traumatic brain injury. Pretty much all veterans will have you know, a, you know, some type of PTS or TBI myself when I went through the treatment they were trying to before I went into treatment, they were trying to convince me like Yes, something you need to go through. I’m like, it’s nothing wrong with me. But if you if you look, you know, I walk around I talk or whatever, you’d be like, Yeah, whatever. He’s fine. Right? It is an invisible issue. Sure. Right. And I’ve been I’ve been in I’ve been hit by, you know, back blasts of explosives, you know, I’ve you know, concussive waves, you know, multiple times over the years things like that and that and that does affect your brain, that muscle and you just you deteriorate over time. One it’s about incorporating this type of treatment and to active duty military veterans like, wow, they are serving, and then it’s providing that treatment after the fact.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So tell us for those who are listing a little bit about what that treatment consisted of, because I know that Parker has been pretty innovative and or kind of keeping their finger on the cutting edge of technology and tools to help. What did that treatment for you consistent? What did that look like?
Floyd McLendon: So I like to, I like to kind of I like to dumb it down, you know, to so everyone can understand your brain and eyes are a muscle. And if your muscle gets injured, you don’t rehab it, it atrophies. Right, and then you lose, you lose the ability to use it the manner it was it was designed sure also to like what your eyes, we don’t, we don’t use them in all the planes like we should, like we’re dominant in the lower plane, but the left, right and upper play. So your eyes are mostly weekends. So part of the treatment is training your brain and eyes, you know, to strengthen it. And that requires sometimes as TMS, right transcranial magnetic stimulation, we have a Burrtec you where you get into like a balance a balance game, you know, we also have the gyro stem where you get in, you know, you can be like an astronaut for you know, for a day. Yeah. So those are the type of things but also, we just have you do eye movements, right will have you move your body in a certain way, while while your your eyes are tracking something differently to you know, to connect your physical, physical physiology physiology, which are neurologic neurology, sure. We assess you from the neck up neurologically. And we say, Okay, this is what your brain is doing. And this is how it’s affecting your body. And then we assess you from the neck down physiologically and say, well, your, your body is doing this, you have these injuries here, your knee, your shoulder, your ankles, and the doctors come together and they build a comprehensive plan, specifically for you to weigh complements the neuro and the physio. Yeah, right. And they take you through that training plan for two weeks. And it’s literally three to four hours a day. And each day you are smoked, like it is, it baffled me just how fatigued and tired I was just from doing eye movements, and you know, just you know, TMS and Vertec, you’re like, Oh, those are easy, because you see it, if you’re looking at you like, oh, like what the hell are you doing? Or what are they doing, but when you’re in it, you’re like, holy smokes, this is crazy. So you do that for two weeks, you do a post assessment, and they show you this is how you were, and this is where you are now, here’s your homework. So you can maintain that level. We’re gonna bring you back in six months, and we’re gonna have you do a week to see where you measure from your last post assessment show, right? And then we’ll tweak you will, we’ll let you go. We’ll give you homework again. And we’ll tweak you, and then we’ll bring you back another six months for a week. But that whole time you have I can call you, I can call the darkness say, Hey, I’m having these issues. This is what’s going on. Yeah. And they tell them okay, well, let’s change this, or let’s do this, or let’s, you know, let’s bring you back in early, but you always have that lifeline for the rest of your life. So that’s, you know, that’s the you know, that’s the basic gist of what we do. I am a direct recipient of it. Yeah. And I believe in it, which is one of the reasons why I took this job as the director of advancement. And I just want my my fellow veterans to have the opportunity to go go through it as well. We have an issue with being vulnerable military veterans, right. Especially Special Warfare operators, or special operators. Because we feel like if we show our vulnerability, we’re going to be shelled or we’re not going to be able to do our job. Right. So that’s the negative stigma when it comes to these kinds of things that we have to strip away not only in the military, but also in the civilian sector. Sure is, this isn’t a disease, right? It is you know, it is just a condition based off of the profession. Just like anything else, you know it with sports or just like anything else, you know, with doctors in the long hour, you know without lawyers If there’s a negative, you there’s negative consequences to your commitment to your job. Sure, this is no different. And we have solutions in order to help, you know, our military veterans, you know, you know, to improve to get back to that baseline.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah. I’m, I’m curious, you know, because I know that Erchonia has been pretty heavily involved on that side of things. Did you get any exposure to Erchonia’s lasers in this whole process?
Floyd McLendon: So personally, I did not.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Okay.
Floyd McLendon: However, Erchonia and Parker Performance Institute and Park University, we have a great relationship. We use Erchonia lasers, within our modalities of treatment. Yeah. And we have gotten a significant amount of success with it. fantast. So, so we’re very grateful and appreciative of the relationship and being able to be able to use, you know, the lasers for for treatment. Sure. I haven’t been blessed yet. You know, you know, with the with the treatments. Sure.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So you’re here at the booth. You might as well while you’re here. It’s your lucky day.
Floyd McLendon: Don’t get me hooked on something that I can’t use, like every day. Right. But yeah, but yeah, we have a wonderful relationship. with Erchonia And we want to continue to do so. And yeah, you know, so it’s for me, it’s just, it’s just about a continuation of service. Yeah, I’ve served for 25 years in this capacity. Now, I want to do it in another capacity where I can impact I can still impact our country and impact our citizens. Right. Be there for my fellow military veterans. That’s amazing. That’s it. That’s all that you know, that’s the purpose.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So you said all of your brothers and your dad are all former military, correct?
Floyd McLendon: Yes. My dad and two of my brothers were.
Dr. Chad Woolner: And you have kids yourself?
Floyd McLendon: Four boys.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Four boys and what’s their career path looking like so far?
Floyd McLendon: The oldest, he’s a cop. Okay. Yeah, he wants to go. He wants to go US marshals. Okay. 22 and 19 year old, they’re still trying to figure it out. Okay. My 15 year old, he’s the artist of the family. So he’s developed over 50 anime characters and he wants to launch his comic book. And so using none of them have any interest in the military. And I’m okay with that.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Yeah, I gotta imagine that’s a good thing for you, right?
Floyd McLendon: You know what, I don’t push them? Either way. Yeah. But if they do decide to go down a road, I’ll have a very honest conversation with them on how it impacts you how it impacts the individual, and also, more importantly, how it impacts the family. Sure, right. Because they’re the ones that, you know, I think kind of suffered the most. Yeah. And I’m starting to realize that not I’ve been retired. Yeah, you know, now that I’m out of it, I’m like, wow, you know, we really did that. Or, you know, like, I’m a different person, they emotionally. Now, I’m no longer you know, it was a different mindset. But now that I’m out, and I am starting to realize the impact that was made through my service. But that’s just a testament to my brothers and sisters who have mentored me to get me to that point.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, you can’t, you can’t, I can’t imagine. You can be a Navy Seal with one foot in and one foot out. You know what I mean? You’re you’re all in that’s got to be like an all-consuming, you know what I mean? Like, I would have to imagine that for most, if not all, they view it rather than a job as a calling. You know what I mean? Like, this is what I was called to do. You know, that’s my guess.
Floyd McLendon: That’s very interesting. Because I, when I do my talks, I say that I grew into service. Yeah, right. When I joined the military, I had no ask for it. Like, yeah, I want to serve my country. And that was not the case. Yeah, you know, I went in purely from a selfish perspective, I’m gonna come and go in, do this little bit of time. They’re gonna pay for my my college GI Bill and get my GI Bill and I’m out, right. But when I got the Navy SEAL training, that’s when it started to dawn on me the impact that I had as an individual to be prepared in order for my brothers to do their job. Sure. Right. And to make sure that I don’t do anything that’s detrimental to them. Yeah, it wasn’t necessarily that’s like to me, but to them in the mission. That’s where I started to learn. I grew into service. And then when I got to the team’s training wheels came off. And my big brothers who had real combat started to mentor me, then mass when it really hit on I’m serving and I’m doing you know, something really special. Yeah, but the responsibility is I have to stay in it the whole time. Yeah. And be committed to me Should I position to where I don’t do anything? To hurt the mission? Or from from I want my brothers and sisters to come back. Sure. Right. So you’re absolutely correct.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Do you still find a residual sense of duty in terms of a protector? You know that you I hear the term like sheepdog? You know, do you? Is that still a part of you? Like we’re absolutely you see, you see something going on? You’re like, Absolutely, you’re gonna step in and absolutely do that. Yeah, that’s, you’re a good person to have around.
Floyd McLendon: That that never goes away. Yeah, that never you just, you don’t engage. But you, you do see it, you just let things play out. And then you position yourself to where it’s known that you are paying attention and that you are aware and that you may, you may engage if you need to.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I read Tim Kennedy’s book scars and stripes. Have you read that book? It’s so good. He’s so he’s a former Greenbrae. And he and several others have said like, you know, the whole school shooting stuff. One simple solution is you put to work all these incredible veterans who have all this incredible experience, and are used to being protectors, you get them into the schools, and you can really do a lot of good in terms of the overall protection for the students and stuff. And I’m like, that’s a really think novel solution. I don’t know if that’s practical or not. I see you. You have thoughts on that?
Floyd McLendon: He’s correct. Yeah. However, legislation doesn’t support that. Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So you’ve seen that interview as well?
Floyd McLendon: Yes. So I mean, I have great relationships with law enforcement. Yeah. And their rules, their rules, or, you know, our I couldn’t be, I cannot be a cop. Because there are rules of engagement, although the support that they get from, you know, from from being able to do their job if if things were to occur. And we would have to change legislation to support but not only that, they need to be properly trained, and given the resources in order to be at that level. That’s that’s not how not that’s the case, then we also need to have legislation to support that. And we and we don’t, but yes, military veterans. Yeah, we tend to, you know, we tend to stay protectors of our country.
Dr. Chad Woolner: One of the one of the coolest interviews, clips, it’s floating around on YouTube, somewhere there that I ever saw was Marcus Luttrell, he was on CNN years ago. And they were asking him about he was basically he was pretty outspoken. And he was basically just saying, the problem at that, at that time in Iraq. He said, The problem right now is that there’s a bunch of Marines that are there that are chained down because of bureaucracy, and because of all these different rules, and he says, if they’ll just release the chain, he said, you can let these Marines go to work and they’ll fix stuff real fast. And they said, and I think it was like 300 Marines was in some area. And they said, in the news caster, like very innocently, but very curious. He was like, well, what could 300 Marines do? And Marcus Luttrell goes, Oh, 300. Marines. He said, If you take the chain off, he said, they’ll take care of everything in a day. He said, they’ll get Iraq secured, or Baghdad or wherever they were. He said, Oh, yeah, there’s a lot 300 Marines can do. And it was cool to see that kid respect that he clearly he had. You know what I mean? He didn’t see any sort of this turf war. You know, him obviously, being a Navy SEAL. He’s like, Oh, yeah, Marines are freaking amazing. You know, so it’s cool. I’ve got a lot of good friends of mine. I’ve got a good doc friend of mine. Shout out to Dr. Daniel Shattuck. He’s actually here in Texas, or we’re not in Texas. We’re in Vegas. Park is here in Texas. He’s a he’s a Marine, and he’s a chiropractor in the Austin area. Amazing. Amazing. Dark, but yeah, so
Floyd McLendon: We love each other. Yeah. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines. Even Coast Guard and Space Force.
Dr. Andrew Wells: Your face switched when you said that resolve the truth. And
Dr. Chad Woolner: I saw somebody saying, you know, SpaceForce ain’t looking so dumb now, now that we’re seeing all these UFOs in the sky getting shut down. Right, right. Funny.
Floyd McLendon: No, we love each other. But we internally fight, you know, we internally give each other crap, which is where it needs to be. Yeah. But for the most part, we work with each other downrange all the time, we respect each other. And we save each other’s lives. And you know, quite frankly, you know, I wouldn’t be here today, you know, if it wasn’t for like other services, sure. You know, part of, you know, our missions. Yeah. Yeah, I wouldn’t be today you know, my brothers and my community you know, supporting me so sure, you know, really is just about representing them and making sure if you No, I toe the line, and they’re in their ability to love on me, for me to be where I am today. Yeah. So and it really hits home like now that I’m out of and I’m like, man, like, why am I so sympathetic? You know, why am I do I have so much empathy? You know, for for serving now? Sure. But I think if you put me back in it tomorrow, like that’ll go away, and I’ll focus on the mission and we’ll be we’ll be rocking and rolling. You know, but it’s just kind of understanding that. Yeah, we love each other here.
Dr. Chad Woolner: You’re a softy. But that can change in a heartbeat when you put you in the right situation.
Floyd McLendon: Yeah, there you go read and react.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, there you go. Yes, that’s amazing.
Dr. Andrew Wells: So I’m kind of curious for Docs listening. I think they understand that when you’re in practice, you know, and helping patients get better, whether it’s for brain health issues, or you know, chiropractors helping people with pain. Most I think most chiropractors and most health care providers will look at their job as a mission. So their job is, is focusing on the health of their community. And, and we kind of I think, for most practitioners, we try to balance this, okay, like you mentioned, you can’t have one foot in and one foot out in your practice when you’re serving your community or you, you know, a lot of doctors are all in on their practice, but they find a really tough time balancing that with home life. So they have you know, they’re married, they have kids, but they want to be high performers in their in their job as a health care provider. Do you have any advice for Doc’s like that on how to be the Navy SEAL in practice, but also have some way in terms of level of focus and discipline and building that community? Yeah. And actually, like, how does that translate to home life? And now, kind of you’re looking back, you know, you’ve been in it for 25 years? Yes. What?
Floyd McLendon: So it’s, it’s very difficult for the, you know, for the spouse, and the kids, like one I would, I would, I would encourage the doctors to have effective communication, you know, like really making sure that their spouse, and their family understands exactly, you know, what their mission is their purpose, and how they are going to dedicate themselves to it. They have buy into it as well. Yes, yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: That’s huge.
Floyd McLendon: So that’s very, like, that’s the start. And then it’s the planning, it’s okay, here’s the calendar, right, this month, this is what I got going on. What family events should we plan?
Dr. Chad Woolner: Right? Are you sure you weren’t like a marriage counselor at the same time as a Navy SEAL? Man, this is like such profoundly pragmatic advice. And, you know,
Floyd McLendon: I’m speaking, I’m speaking from doing the wrong thing. Right, and learning how to do the right thing. Yeah. So. And this was something that I had to learn, right, I had to learn how to communicate, you know, with my family, say, “Hey, this is the deal,” because you’re absolutely correct. We get so deep into our profession, that our family suffers, sure why. So it’s, you know, it’s, there is no balance. You know, it’s just where are you dedicated at this moment? And the people you love? Do they understand that? And will they support you? And then are you willing to make adjustments when it just becomes overwhelming, right, that and that’s what it is. But effective communication, sit down with the calendar, just like you plan your appointments, put your family, like on the calendar, and you hold true to that. And I would say I would just give that recommendation, like that’s where that’s where it will start.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, I can 100% attest to that. I am so fortunate. I have the most amazing supportive wife. And I was just thinking about that this morning, literally. And I was just like, you know, there is no way that I could be where I’m at in my career today. We’re not for that unconditional support. She is like the, you know, we oftentimes have joked that she got an honorary doctorate, you know, going through me struggling, you know, so you’d like your wife is an honorary Navy Seal, is my guess. You know, she struggled right through it. Are you married at the time?
Floyd McLendon: Yeah, so, so yeah, so she gets that to write? Frog woman. Absolutely. Absolutely. So they earned it. Yeah, they have earned it so I wouldn’t take that away from my from my ex. Like it was earned. And it was Yeah, yeah, that’s where I would, I would suggest that you know, dog anyone, you know, who’s very passionate about, about their profession, they’re gonna dive in and things are gonna get missed. Right, but do your does your family really understand? Yeah, right. And sometimes they don’t like my when I’m when I went on this journey. Like my, my family, like my mom, my dad, my siblings, like my friends close to me. This the support wasn’t there. Hmm. Well, you know, but that’s because I have assessed it was because they saw me for who I was, and not for who I was becoming. Mm. All right, but at the time, I didn’t have time for that shit. Yeah. So I had to put them on the shelf and say, You know what, I’m not dealing with you right now. Because I need supportive people in order to attain my goal, right. And then once I attained my goal, I pull them off the shelf. And then they saw a new, they saw a new flow, and it was like, oh, man, okay, now, right now they get it. Right? Well, they maybe a different mindset of like it, you know, what the, so when I went down to US Congress road, it was the same thing, hey, I want to be, I want to run for Congress, you know, the support really wasn’t there. But it’s just kind of understanding like, okay, don’t, don’t be upset with them, you know, just kind of understand, you know, how they, how they view things, and you’re just gonna have to throughout the process, you know, they will learn that, you know, you are, you are capable, and you can accomplish this. Right. And it’s just a process. And so I don’t, I don’t take it. I don’t take offense anymore. I used to, I used to be very pissed off.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Well, I would, I would say that your training as a Navy SEAL probably helped you in that regard, too, because it’s not like you were getting a lot of warm, fluffy encouragement from your instructors. either. You can do this. We know you can’t keep working at it, Floyd, you know, I got that every day. Yeah, I love every positive affirmation every day.
Floyd McLendon: They pick me apart. Yeah, any weakness, they will attack it. Yeah. And they will see All right, where are you? Where are you at with this? You know, are you going to step up? Or are you going to fold?
Dr. Chad Woolner: You know, the connection that I will make here that maybe people listening may not see the connection. But I think there’s a very clear connection. At the end of the day, what we’re talking about is something intrinsic, rather than relying on something external, right. And when we talk about health, yes, a big thing that we preach is, you know, health comes from the inside, not from an outside in approach. And so if you’re looking, whether it’s your mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health, if you’re relying or dependent on something external, and that’s not, please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, you know, we all need community, we all need connection with people, that’s a human need. And I totally understand our voice is what’s most important, but exactly what you’re saying exactly. That comes from the inside. When you there, there may be seasons in your life where you feel like you need to tread that road alone, or there may be times where you don’t have the support that you would hope for that you have. And you know, you’re kind of shining example of the fact that in those moments, and in those times, you have to kind of dig deep inside of yourself and figure out you know, how to how to tap into that inner voice. That inner power, you know, that you’re talking about?
Floyd McLendon: I will say though, during that time, I think I didn’t effectively communicate to those around me. Sure. Right. So I do take I do take some some responsibility about that. But also, I think at the time, I felt like I didn’t have I didn’t have the time to, you know, try to explain and pull you in. You know,
Dr. Chad Woolner: it was not only that but you were 20. You know, you’re in your 20s Yeah, what are your 20 year old? Exact? No?
Floyd McLendon: Yeah, I didn’t know any. Yeah, you know, it’s like, Yes, I was in my 20s. Yeah, we know nothing. Yeah, I’m still learning and then I’ll be 50 this year. So yeah.
Dr. Andrew Wells: That’s kind of the way it should be, though. If you’re if you’re in your early 20s. As a young man, I think that’s by design, that you don’t listen sometimes. And that’s either harm you or hurt you, right. And sometimes in your case like that, yes. Kind of putting blinders on and not listening and moving forward with confidence in yourself. You’ll Yeah, either that’s going to produce good outcomes or bad outcomes, or maybe both, but at least you’re moving in a direction.
Floyd McLendon: Yeah, yes, it taught me. It taught me that I can do probably mostly anything like one through God, you know, he that should just go without saying, but also, I knew if I applied myself at a certain level that I could be successful in anything that I do now, like buds taught me that I because there were days I came in, I’m like, I don’t know, if I’m gonna be here. At the end of the day. I don’t even know if I’m gonna be if I’m gonna physically hold up, I may break, right? I don’t know if I’m gonna pass this test, like I studied, and I did my dirt diving, but I don’t know if I’m going to make it. Yeah. But I applied myself and I put forth the effort. But a part of it too, was those around me, my brothers, my instructors. They saw that and they supported me when I fell short, which allowed me to be successful. So I feed off of that knowing if I put any effort and I dedicate myself that I can be successful and that and that process with individuals will, you know, will help them be successful because now you can go back and be like, Well, I did this and this is how I did it. This is what I applied. You know, I garnered this support, I can do this. Yeah. And it just taught me to just believe in the process. Yeah. Right, you know, not just believe in the process, one step at a time do this workout one step at a time, like, study this curriculum, one step at a time, you know, just take this test, and then whatever happens, happens if I don’t, if I fail, then I’m happy with that, because I know I did everything I possibly could to be successful.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It that reminds me of that quote, by Theodore Roosevelt, the Man in the Arena, you know, that quote, everything you just said, there was like, the modern equivalent of that, quote, you know, that at the end of the day, if you fail, at least you did so daring, greatly, you know, that that was his whole. And that he says at the end that that, and his place will not be among those cold and timid souls, that no neither victory nor defeat, you know, and that’s such a such a powerful quote, you know, they’re exactly.
Floyd McLendon: And I’ve learned to apply that, to my personal life. Sure. Right. So I learning like going through that process and buds at the SEAL teams, because once you get to the things that learning doesn’t stop, it’s continuous. Yeah. And it’s harder, and it’s longer, and it’s faster. Yeah, you know, and it’s just more mentally challenging. Because now it’s not just yourself, but it’s also your teammates, now, you’re in leadership roles, where you have to make decisions for these guys to do things that may kill them, you know, so it’s, it’s a continuous process that you have to stay on, on top of to continuously train and continuously be prepared. And I learned to apply that to my personal life to my relationships, right to, you know, to my own, you know, personal education to where I want to grow right, to my friendships to my relationships.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So yes, my favorite movie is The Karate Kid. And I’m ashamed of that. And this is long. This is I don’t get it. I’m gonna tie this in. This is long before Cobra Kai and all that I was a fan of karate kid. But there’s a scene in there where Mr. Miyagi says to Daniel, he says, you know, we talked about balance, the whole balancing, he said, and just all the lessons that he was teaching him, he said, this applies to every aspect of life, not just karate, and learning karate. And so that’s the thing. I think that’s cool that you can make that connection is like what you learned in the Navy SEALs isn’t just about blowing things up and isn’t just about diving and military, you’re learning skills that you can transition and take and allow yourself, you know, it’s character development person, it’s like, it is like the nth degree of like, a masterclass in personal development if you if you allow it to. Absolutely right. Yeah.
Floyd McLendon: Like if you allow it and you apply it.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So that’s my connection from Karate Kid. Does that make sense?
Dr. Andrew Wells: I like that you took Mr. Miyagi to heart as a tender young man, I learned life lessons from him.
Floyd McLendon: Is that what makes it his favorite? Like if with that particular?
Dr. Chad Woolner: So here’s the deal. Speaking of Karate Kid, you’ve seen the movie, right? Yep. Okay, he looks for those who can’t see the facial expression and facial expression was one of this series. Are you serious? It was a head side caulk. You’ve got to be kidding me. So, so the best seat and this is not open for debate. The best. The best scene in the movie is not the crane technique. Crane technique is amazing. It is. But that’s not the best scene. The single best scene in the movie is when Daniel gets asked, it’s like the final straw. He gets asked to paint the house and he’s pissed. And Miyagi is like I went fishing. So just paint the house. You know, remember, instead of doing up and down, you’re gonna do it side to side now. And so then he gets he gets home that evening again, just painted the entire house and his shoulders are sore, and he’s just pissed. And Miyagi. He’s like, Hey, you did a good job with the house. And he’s like, Why didn’t you take me fishing? He’s like, Yeah, I was up too early. You were here, you know? And so then he’s like, I’m going home man. And he’s like, he’s like you, we got a deal. He’s like, I’m keeping up my end of the deal. And he’s like, No, you’re not he’s like, You’re big, basically making me your slave. I’m out of here. And then me out. He’s like, not everything is as it seems. And he’s like, he’s like, Alright, man. He’s like, I’m going to show you right now. I know. Exactly. And then And then, and then he has just the coolest moment. He’s like, show me show me sand the floor show me you know, you know, wax on wax off. Show me that paint the fence and paint the house. And all of a sudden, it’s like, Daniel gets served up this just massive heap heaping scoop of humble pie there because all of a sudden he’s like, holy cow. I will not question again. Because now I see like, this is what I’ve been learning this entire time. I had no idea. And it was just it that is hands down the coolest scene. I would argue of any movie that is like the coolest scene.
Floyd McLendon: You realize this at that young age like you were very enlightened kid.
Dr. Chad Woolner: I don’t know if that’s if it was it’s probably not until I was I don’t know. We’ll we’ll pretend Yeah, we’ll pretend that it was. But that’s the that is seriously like the best. The best scene ever. You just wanted to go practice your skills on the playground. You want to do that’s exactly yeah,
Floyd McLendon: This is the first time I’ve been been connected to the Karate Kid. Like, I don’t know if I should feel proud or everybody. I’m hoping that if I did my job, which is funny,
Dr. Chad Woolner: I just bought Ralph macho wrote a book called waxing on and it’s about his whole story with karate. It’s so good. Yeah, that’s, you’re going to
Dr. Andrew Wells: Mr. Myagi I’m Over here. you will see Chad at the next comic con.
Dr. Chad Woolner: We’re changing the name of the laser light show to the Karate Kid podcast. No, no. No lessons from the crowd. Yeah, no, but it’s really good because I think there’s just some really cool life lessons from that that truly can and, and relate to. And at the end of the day, like it’s, there is something to be said. Something really, will we use another quote? And I’m going to paraphrase this really bad. But Norman Maclean? You know who Norman Maclean is. He’s from that movie, A River Runs Through It the flyfishing movie. Remember that movie? Yeah, it’s based on the real true story, his life story, right? He was this fly fisherman. And he said, and I’m paraphrasing this poorly, I haven’t written in a journal on mine. It was so good. He says one of the most beautiful things in ER, one of the most wonderful things in life, is to step back and watch yourself become something beautiful, like in anything, right? You could call this case in, you know, in the Navy SEALs, I’m sure they have some type of type of philosophy of constant improvement and progression and things like that. But it’s it’s a beautiful thing to see in life, what people are capable of. And so much of speaking of Navy SEALs, right. That’s, that’s one of David Goggins biggest things that he tries to teach people is that people are capable of so much more than they believe that they are capable of, and no doubt, maybe sales has a really powerful way of extracting more out of you than you probably believe or think you can guess.
Floyd McLendon: But we don’t. Like we don’t do that. We don’t step back and be like, Ah, beautiful. Yeah, we, but we teach that. Yeah. You know, we teach that within our within our community. Yeah. Is you’re like, Okay, you just did your job. Are you to others? It may seem like, you know, it’s it was great. But yeah, you’re not the first person to do that. And okay, what are you about to do now or tomorrow? Well, and that’s, and that’s a good thing, right?
Dr. Chad Woolner: Because you can’t have a bunch of ego maniacs out there. That’s not That’s not conducive to a team.
Floyd McLendon: It is. You know, it is a it’s a firm, I believe it’s a great thing. Yeah. But once again, it hits much harder, like once you’re out of it, because then the once you’re out of it, you step back, you start to see like, wow, you know, there’s some stuff I didn’t train and I’m like, Wow, I can’t believe you did that. Yeah, I did that. Yeah. Right. Or like, I mean, I’m still here. I’m still alive. Yeah, though, you know, those kinds of things. Yes. And you just like, what? But while you’re in it, like this is every day, because you’re I mean, you can’t see there was always somebody who’s stronger faster. Right?
Dr. Chad Woolner: Doesn’t the UFC teach us that? You see these like champions that rain for a couple years, you know, and they’re just like, No one can beat them. I remember, like Cain Velasquez when he was up there like who can? Who is there that can be Cain Velasquez and then all of a sudden Junior dos Santos comes in. You’re like, oh, okay, no one can be Junior. And I don’t remember if that’s correct. Did Junior dos Santos beat Cain Velasquez at some point came? Yeah, anyway. But yeah, in that funny, there’s always somebody always somebody, it’s gonna be strong.
Floyd McLendon: So we try to keep each other humble. And then when we do mess up, man, you know, we let we let each other know about it, because that’s part of the humbling process. Right? And then if they do some spectacular, everybody’s like, yeah, yeah. We pay. We pay each other no attention if we were old at large and needs more of that. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. I agree. Yes, yes. They’ll get me started on on today.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Let’s talk politics.
Floyd McLendon: Let’s not, I want to build bridges not burn them.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So and just like that the listenership was cut in half, you know, in all seriousness, Floyd, you are truly an inspiring individual. It is no mystery that you are in the place where you’re supposed to be and it’s exciting because I know you’re going to be changing a lot of people’s lives for the better. Parker is truly, truly lucky to have you As a part of their team and it’s incredible the work that you’re that you’re doing something
Floyd McLendon: Thank you and quite frankly, Erchonia currently plays a part in in Parker, me being successful. You guys are one of our longtime trusted partners, you know, been there since day one with Dr. Morgan and Parker University.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, they they Erchonia it’s funny because what gravitated Andrew and I to Erchonia in the first place is a lot of the same things we’ve been talking about this entire time. The leadership Erchonia is never satisfied, yes, even when they could be, they could totally be like, we’re good. You know, we’re gonna coast from here on out, they are constantly in a very similar way exactly what we’ve been talking about this entire time, pushing the envelope, constantly reinvesting time and effort and a lot of money into continuing to further the mission and the vision of trying to help more people and change more lives
Floyd McLendon: At the end of the day. That’s what it’s about. Yeah. Or it should be, you know, it’s just about serving each other, and just making you know, this, you know, our community, you know, our world a better place. And I’m just very appreciative and grateful that, that I have the ability to be here to represent Parker, to be on the podcast with you to found. Yeah. And to give love that we’re currently a camp. Yeah. So um, yeah.
Dr. Chad Woolner: It’s been a really fun interview. And I think those listening, have gotten a front row seat into hearing some really, really cool aspects of military service that, that we don’t always get to hear. And so it’s really, really cool to have you here. We appreciate you taking time. Any final thoughts, Andrew?
Dr. Andrew Wells: For docs, listening to the podcast and interested in helping veterans and plugging into the work that you’re doing at Parker, how would they get more information or plug into the efforts that you’re doing?
Floyd McLendon: Please go to our website, and it’s spelled out completely Parkerperformanceinstitute.com. It’ll you can learn a little bit more about specifically about what we do and how we treat not only military veterans, but everyone, because we do we do treat neurologically, physiologically, you know, the general population. And I’m just very passionate about the veterans piece, but Parker performance institute.com Please go there. You know, please look at our website and make notes.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, we’ll put the link in the in the show notes. Yes. Great, great, cause great, great efforts that are being made there. Absolutely. So and then just so you know, kind of understand that. You know, we’re human beings. Right. Yeah.
Floyd McLendon: That’s it. That’s the only title we have, you know, so that’s, you know, That’s level one each other. Yeah. And let’s find a way to be there for one another build bridges. Not necessarily birdmen. Yeah, right.
Dr. Chad Woolner: So amazing. Well, thanks again for being here with us, Floyd, we really appreciate it. And thanks to all the listeners, we appreciate you guys being on here with us. We hope that you’ve really enjoyed this episode. This has been a really unique one. And it’s been a lot of fun getting to know Floyd and hope that this is certainly not the last time we get to cross paths with you and chat with you.
Floyd McLendon: Next time we will talk about you know, some stories.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Yeah, yeah, yes. Part two.
Floyd McLendon: And part two is very cool stories. Amazing. Amazing. All right, everybody will have an amazing day. We will talk to you guys on the next episode.
Dr. Chad Woolner: Thanks for listening to the laser light show. Be sure to subscribe and give us a review. If you’re interested in learning more about Erchonia lasers, just head on over to Erchonia.com. There you’ll find a ton of useful resources including research news and links to upcoming live events, as well as Erchonia E community where you can access for free additional resources including advanced training and business tools. Again, thanks for listening and we will catch you on the next episode.
After 25 years of military service in the Navy and a run for Congress, Floyd is now the Director of Institutional Advancement for Parker University. He now works as an advocate for military veterans and helps to ensure they get the care and support they need.
Floyd McLendon explains a comprehensive treatment plan for veterans, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitating brain and eye muscles. He highlights the use of treatment involving and assessing both neurological and physiological aspects, creating a personalized plan for each individual. The intensive two-week program includes daily sessions and post-assessments, with ongoing support and adjustments. Floyd emphasizes the need to overcome the stigma around vulnerability in the military community. While he hasn’t personally experienced Erchonia’s lasers, he acknowledges their success in the treatment modalities and expresses gratitude for the partnership with Erchonia and Parker Performance Institute.
Drawing from personal experience, Floyd McLendon highlights the importance of family understanding and support. Floyd shares his own journey of learning from mistakes, acknowledging the need for effective communication and family involvement. He emphasizes the significance of spouses and families earning recognition for their support, acknowledging their struggles, and adapting to changes during the pursuit of professional goals.
“We have a great relationship. We use Erchonia lasers, within our modalities of treatment. Yeah. And we have gotten a significant amount of success with it.” – Floyd McLendon
“And that breaks individuals, or that motivates individuals to become better.” – Floyd McLendon
“ Erchonia currently plays a part in Parker, me being successful.” – Floyd McLendon
8-Minute Read
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a safe and effective modality with tremendous potential in the medical field. It has numerous applications, including wound healing, pain relief, and treating musculoskeletal disorders and skin conditions.
This therapy works by stimulating the mitochondria to enhance the production of ATP, which plays a significant role in cellular energy production and metabolism, thereby promoting tissue repair. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive understanding of the importance of ATP in biological functions and its significance in LLLT.
Related: How Does Laser Therapy Work for Pain? The Science Behind the Effective Treatment
The human body is made up of trillions of cells, each with a specific function that contributes to the overall health of the body. One of the most important cellular components is ATP, which is produced in the mitochondria through the process of cellular respiration. ATP plays a crucial role in many biological processes, including metabolism, cellular signaling, and DNA synthesis.
These processes cannot occur without adequate ATP production.
Mitochondria, illustrated above in 3D, are cellular organelles responsible for producing ATP, the energy source crucial for many biological processes.
Several factors, such as diet, exercise, and sleep, affect ATP production. The use of LLLT is another way to enhance ATP production, thereby increasing cellular energy levels and promoting tissue repair. LLLT works by inducing photobiomodulation, which involves the absorption of light energy by the cell membrane and cytochromes in the mitochondria.
Erchonia’s FX-405 Low Level Laser induces photobiomodulation, promoting ATP production and tissue repair, resulting in improved cellular metabolism, signaling, and DNA synthesis.
This process activates a cascade of events, leading to improved cellular metabolism, signaling, and DNA synthesis, specifically by enhancing ATP production. Therefore, it gives effect to the cellular energy cycle in the human body.
One of the significant benefits of LLLT is its ability to penetrate skin tissues to specific depths and produce reactive oxygen species that activate signaling pathways for tissue regeneration, while reducing inflammation and improving blood flow. Numerous studies have shown that LLLT is an effective treatment for conditions such as acute and chronic neck and shoulder pain, lower back pain, chronic plantar fasciitis, nociceptive musculoskeletal pain, post-operative pain, and body contouring.
Red and near-infrared wavelengths are the most effective in LLLT, as they penetrate deeper into the skin and tissues. The optimal wavelength range is between 600-1000 nm, with the 780-830 nm range being the most effective for cellular penetration.
Other significant factors that impact the effectiveness of LLLT include the duration and frequency of treatment and the energy density of the laser. Understanding these factors is crucial in maximizing the benefits of LLLT and using this modality to its full potential.
ATP plays a crucial role in various biological functions. The most important function of ATP is to provide energy to the cells. The energy stored in ATP molecules is used to power all cellular processes such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and protein synthesis.
Mitochondria, which produce ATP, are essential for providing energy to power all cellular processes and in signal transduction
ATP is also important in signal transduction. In neurons, for example, it is released from a presynaptic neuron and binds to receptors on a postsynaptic neuron, triggering the release of neurotransmitters. This process is essential for communication between neurons and is crucial for cognitive functions such as memory and learning.
Neurons in the brain rely on the release of ATP for signal transduction, which is essential for cognitive functions such as memory and learning.
In addition to being a source of energy, ATP also acts as a coenzyme. Coenzymes are molecules that work with enzymes to facilitate biochemical reactions. ATP is involved in several enzymatic reactions that are necessary for various metabolic processes such as the breakdown of glucose.
ATP is constantly being produced and consumed within cells. Cells generate ATP through cellular respiration, a process in which glucose and oxygen are converted into ATP and carbon dioxide. ATP is then broken down to release energy during cellular processes. The turnover of ATP is high in cells, and cells must continuously produce ATP to maintain their energy needs.
LLLT stimulates the mitochondria to enhance the production of ATP and cell metabolism, thereby increasing cellular energy levels and promoting tissue repair.
Additionally, LLLT penetrates skin tissues to specific depths and produces reactive oxygen species that activate signaling pathways for tissue regeneration, while reducing inflammation and improving blood flow.
Low-level lasers are gaining popularity as a safe and effective modality in doctors’ offices for various medical applications such as pain relief, wound healing, and treating musculoskeletal disorders.
Several factors affect ATP production and thus the effectiveness of LLLT. One key variable is the wavelength of the laser, with red and near-infrared wavelengths providing optimal results. Other factors include the duration and frequency of the treatment and the energy density of the laser. Understanding these factors is crucial in maximizing the benefits of LLLT and using this safe and increasingly popular modality to its full potential.
LLLT is an evolving field that offers potential benefits for disease management. As technology advances, LLLT is expected to become more prevalent in medicine, especially for pain management, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic disorders, sports medicine, and aesthetic purposes.
LLLT is an evolving field that is expected to become more prevalent in the future for various medical applications, including pain management and neurodegenerative disorders.
Furthermore, LLLT may expand into new areas of medicine and become a mainstream treatment option as more research supports its effectiveness and safety. With advancements in devices and equipment, LLLT could become even more accessible for a wider range of conditions including: Increasing use for pain management, expansion for neurodegenerative disorders, and an increased use in sports medicine.
Related: Forecasting the Next 20 Years of Low-Light Laser Therapy in Medicine
In conclusion, LLLT is a safe and effective therapy that offers several medical applications, including pain relief, wound healing, treating musculoskeletal disorders, and skin rejuvenation. It works by enhancing ATP production, which energizes the body’s cellular functions and facilitates tissue repair.
Understanding the factors of effectiveness of LLLT, such as wavelength, duration, frequency, and energy density, is crucial in maximizing its benefits. With emerging technologies, LLLT is poised to become an essential tool in the treatment of many chronic and acute conditions, bringing hope for a faster recovery and improved quality of life.
Reach out to Erchonia today to learn more about this rapidly evolving technology
Discover the benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy (3LT®) by Erchonia, a world leader in the field of 3LT® technology. Learn how 3LT® can help reduce the need for prescription opioids for chronic low back pain, the science behind 3LT® and the difference between visible lasers and infrared lasers.
Related: Benefits of Implementing Laser Therapy in Your Practice
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1. Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., & Stryer, L. (2002). Biochemistry (5th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman.
2. Lodish, H., Berk, A., Zipursky, S. L., & Matsudaira, P. (2000). Molecular Cell Biology (4th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman.3. Avci, P., Gupta, G. K., Clark, J., & Wikonkal, N. M. (2013). Low-level laser therapy for healing of bone fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science, 28(3), 969-976.
4. Chen, A. C., Arany, P. R., & Huang, Y. Y. (2011). Low-level laser therapy: a review of its applications in dermatology. Dermatologic Surgery, 37(4), 572-583.
5. Chow, R. T., Johnson, M. I., Lopes-Martins, R. A., & Bjordal, J. M. (2009). Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo or active-treatment controlled trials. The Lancet, 374(9705), 1897-1908.B. Mechanism of Action of Low-Level Laser Therapy
8-Minute Read
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has gained popularity as a treatment option for various conditions, but with that popularity comes misinformation. Many myths and misconceptions surround the use of lasers in medicine, which can lead to confusion and hesitation about trying LLLT.
Related: Not All Light is the Same in Low-Level Laser Therapy [Free eBook]
In this article, we will take a closer look at the basic concepts of photochemistry and how they apply to LLLT. By dispelling common myths and clarifying the scientific basis of LLLT, we hope to provide a better understanding of this promising therapy.
When a molecule absorbs a photon of light whose energy is equal to or greater than the energy difference between the molecule’s ground state and an excited state, a photochemical reaction can occur. This principle is the foundation of LLLT, which utilizes specific wavelengths of light to stimulate cellular processes and promote healing.
By targeting cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme in the mitochondria of cells, LLLT increases ATP production, leading to various beneficial effects such as improved wound healing, reduced inflammation, and increased cell proliferation.
LLLT uses a specific range of wavelengths (600-1000 nanometers) that are well absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase. When this enzyme absorbs light energy, it undergoes a change that leads to an increase in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of cells. This increase has been shown to have a range of beneficial effects on cells, including increased cell proliferation, improved wound healing, and reduced inflammation.
Related: How Cold Lasers and Low-Level Lasers Work to Relieve Pain
In short, low-level laser therapy is different from high-power laser therapy because it uses a specific range of wavelengths that are safe and effective for the cells in the body. Most importantly, LLLT causing tissue damage is a myth.
Here are three examples:
These studies demonstrate that LLLT has scientific support for its potential effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function in various conditions.
LLLT lacks the energy required to ionize atoms or molecules. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that LLLT causes cancer or has any other adverse effects when used according to established safety guidelines. In fact, LLLT is often used as a therapeutic treatment for cancer patients to alleviate pain and promote healing.
It is important to note that improper use of LLLT, such as using it at high intensities or for prolonged periods of time, can lead to burns and other skin damage. Therefore, it is crucial to follow safety guidelines and receive LLLT treatments only from trained professionals.
There are many affordable LLLT options available for medical professionals, such as handheld or desktop devices that cost a few thousand dollars.
Low-level lasers operate at much lower power than high-power lasers, which can make them less expensive to produce and easier to use. LLLT devices are also typically small and portable, which can further reduce their cost and increase accessibility.
LLLT operates by utilizing specific wavelengths of light that can be absorbed by chromophores in the body, leading to various biological effects.
Research has shown that LLLT has potential benefits for reducing pain, possibly due to its ability to reduce inflammation and increase circulation. It has also been studied for its potential benefits in treating conditions such as osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
Discover the benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy (3LT®) by Erchonia, a world leader in the field of 3LT® technology. Learn how 3LT® can help reduce the need for prescription opioids for chronic low back pain, the science behind 3LT® and the difference between visible lasers and infrared lasers.
Understanding the basic principles of photochemistry, specifically the First Law, can help dispel myths surrounding red light therapy and provide a clearer understanding of its potential benefits. By harnessing the power of specific wavelengths of light, red light therapy can stimulate cellular processes and promote healing in a non-invasive, drug-free way. Despite misconceptions, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been shown to be safe and effective for a range of conditions beyond skin and wound healing, such as pain and inflammation. With caution and proper use, red light therapy may offer a promising treatment option for improving health and wellbeing.
So why not give LLLT a try and see how it can help you improve the health and wellbeing of your patients?
Related: Benefits of Implementing Laser Therapy in Your Practice
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