The Informed Chiropractor Podcast

Why do practice members leave care, and what can you do before it's too late? In this episode, Brandi MacDonald is back on the show for the first time in a long while, and we talk about the early signs that someone is drifting off-trend, and the conversations that keep them in care. Retention isn't a strategy. It's a lag indicator. What you control are the lead indicators: noticing health trends and behavioural trends early, and having the honest conversation while it still matters. In this episode: Why "retention strategy" is the wrong goal, and lead vs. lag indicators Trend lines: catching someone drifting toward the ditch before they hit it Why results come first: adjusting through a polyvagal lens with the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol Health trending: what to do when something happens that nobody pre-framed Brandi's three lenses (chiropractic, salutogenic and polyvagal) and moving people from "the one thing" to the whole thing Behavioural trends: the missed second visit, the "I don't know my schedule next week" moment, and comments at the front desk Why your chiropractic assistants are your "connector detector" Amiable chiropractors and conflict: "It's not conflict, it's just the truth" Topping up the rapport bank, and practising these conversations like an athlete Scripting and table talk vs. incidental learning Brandi on storytelling, depth and meaning in practice Read the article: Why Patients Leave Chiropractic Care (and How to Notice Early) We'll go much deeper on all of this, with role-play and our actual first-visit, report-of-findings, re-evaluation and front-desk systems, at The Gathering: The Communication Extravaganza in Toronto on Saturday, December 5, 2026. Doctors, chiropractic assistants, spouses and students are welcome: https://theinformedchiropractor.com/toronto Also mentioned: our book, The Polyvagal Shift, coming in January; Healing the Chiropractor in Phoenix in January; the Communication Extravaganza on the Gold Coast in February; and something in the UK we'll keep you posted on. This is clinical experience, not medical advice. Free "Intro to the Polyvagal Lens" for Chiropractors: https://www.theinformedchiropractor.com/introduction-to-chiropractic-through-a-polyvagal-lensJoin the Informed Chiropractor Collective: https://www.theinformedchiropractor.com/the-informed-chiropractor Connect with The Informed ChiropractorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinformedchiropractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/informed_chiropractor/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theInformedChiropractor If this episode was helpful, follow The Informed Chiropractor Podcast and share it with another chiropractor (or CA) who would benefit from the conversation.

Your practice members don't leave because your adjusting isn't good enough. They leave because of the little things nobody noticed. In this episode, Dr. Don MacDonald talks about trend lines: the health trend lines and behavior trend lines that tell you when a practice member is drifting off course. Catch it early and a simple conversation repairs it. Miss it and those micro ruptures accumulate until someone ghosts you. You'll hear why rupture and repair is the hidden engine of every strong practice relationship, what the "rapport bank" is and why a full one gives you leeway when things get bumpy, why your chiropractic assistants should be your best noticers, and how incidental learnings teach better than any script. This is a preview of what Don and Brandi will be teaching at the Communication Extravaganza in Toronto on December 5, 2026. Bring your team. Details at https://theinformedchiropractor.com/toronto Also mentioned: the Communication Extravaganza on the Gold Coast February 27, 2027, the pelvic floor protocol seminar in Perth February 20, 2027, and Don and Brandi's book The Polyvagal Shift, coming January 2027. Free "Intro to the Polyvagal Lens" for Chiropractors: https://www.theinformedchiropractor.com/introduction-to-chiropractic-through-a-polyvagal-lens

What happens when chiropractors look beyond the spine and begin paying closer attention to the pelvis, pelvic floor, fascia and nervous system? In this episode of The Informed Chiropractor Podcast, Dr. Don MacDonald sits down with Dr. Lauren Rose, a chiropractor from Okotoks, Alberta, to talk about her journey into chiropractic and how learning a nervous-system-focused approach to the pelvis and pelvic floor has changed the way she works with her practice members. Dr. Lauren shares how her interest in chiropractic began after discovering the philosophy of chiropractic while studying kinesiology, eventually leading her to the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. After returning to Canada and beginning practice in 2020, she developed her clinical experience while working as an associate and learning from experienced chiropractors. The conversation then turns toward one of the areas that has become increasingly important in her practice: pelvic floor chiropractic care. After attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in Calgary, Dr. Lauren began applying the approach with patients experiencing a variety of pelvic, hip, fascial and tailbone-related challenges. She explains why she was initially hesitant to add another technique to her practice and what surprised her about the way the pelvic floor approach could fit within a chiropractic framework. Dr. Lauren and Dr. Don also discuss the relationship between the pelvic floor, fascia, movement and the nervous system, and why the goal is not simply to add more techniques, but to understand how the body responds to the input being provided. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Lauren shares several clinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort, pelvic floor challenges, sciatica, hip function and changes in movement following pelvic floor work. These stories highlight how much there is still to learn when chiropractors become curious about the relationships between different regions of the body. The episode also returns repeatedly to an important theme of Polyvagal Theory and nervous-system regulation: the state of the practitioner matters too. Dr. Don and Dr. Lauren discuss the importance of co-regulation and why chiropractors should pay attention to their own state before entering the adjusting room. In this episode: Dr. Lauren Rose's journey from kinesiology into chiropractic How the New Zealand College of Chiropractic influenced her approach to practice Why mentorship and the right practice environment can shape a chiropractor's career How Dr. Lauren became interested in pelvic floor chiropractic care Why tailbone and pelvic floor challenges encouraged her to expand her clinical approach How pelvic floor work can be integrated through a chiropractic lens The relationship between the pelvis, fascia, movement and nervous-system regulation Why some patients may respond differently depending on the condition of their tissues and their ability to adapt Clinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort and pelvic floor-related challenges How Dr. Lauren describes using pelvic floor work with male patients experiencing tailbone challenges What Dr. Lauren learned from attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in Calgary Why listening to the patient's body can be more valuable than simply explaining symptoms The importance of co-regulation in chiropractic practice Why a chiropractor's own nervous-system state can influence the clinical environment How Dr. Lauren approaches self-care, exercise and maintaining a positive state before practice Why continuing education can change the way chiropractors see their patients Key Takeaway One of the biggest themes from this conversation is that chiropractic care continues to evolve as practitioners become more curious about how the spine, pelvis, fascia, and nervous system interact. For Dr. Lauren, learning more about the pelvic floor did not mean abandoning the chiropractic approach she already valued. Instead, it gave her another way to

Dr. Don MacDonald sits down with Dr. Liz Walker to explore women’s health, pelvic floor care, and the realities of growing a chiropractic practice. Dr. Liz shares her journey from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic to building a thriving practice in Montana, along with insights on pregnancy and menopause care, hiring the right associate, community-based growth, and integrating pelvic floor techniques into practice.

Can the pelvic floor influence nervous system regulation and chiropractic outcomes? Dr. Don MacDonald explores Polyvagal Theory, fascia, the vagus nerve, and the latest lessons from the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol while sharing practical insights for chiropractors.