How to Retain Massage Clients at a Chiropractic Clinic
T here is a relatively active pipeline of chiropractic clients becoming massage clients, with 24% of massage therapists in 2017 receiving several referrals from chiropractors each month. However, this opportunity for total patient care and cross-selling can be effective the other way too, especially for the 43% of adults who received massages in 2017 for pain management, injury prevention and healing reasons. Here are a few ways massage therapists can help retain clients at chiropractic clinics.
Education
While chiropractors may only have time for patient adjustments, massage therapists have a unique opportunity to provide patient education. During their 30 to 60-minute sessions, the therapists can share advice on proper alignment, trigger points or how to improve muscle length and strength. These recommendations could involve seeking out chiropractic care for certain conditions or misalignments observed in the body during treatment.
Evaluation
As part of their intake process, massage therapists can include a postural evaluation. This initial observation stage can help both the therapist and chiropractor identify areas for improvement, especially if the client is seeking pain relief. As the two practitioners work together, they can develop a more holistic care plan for the patient. Therapists can present this information to their clients and refer them to the chiropractor as a way to help them achieve their desired goals (reduction in pain, correction of alignment, etc.).
Incentives
Massage therapists can also, in agreeance with chiropractors, employ some traditional customer conversion tactics. They could offer existing massage clients a discount for their first chiropractic appointment or a free, quick chiropractic consultation. The chiropractor could also be involved in the postural evaluation and make recommendations for additional care during intake.
Approximately 17% of massage therapists in the United States work out of chiropractic or health care clinic, and there is high potential for their clients to become chiropractic clients as well. When the two disciplines work together, they can provide even more effective therapeutic care for clients.
