Extremity Expert Humble "Foot Doctor" Thrives by Addressing Area Neglected by Others Interview with Kevin Wong, D.C.

Dr. Wong is a 1996 Summa Cum Laude gradu­ate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West, currently in his fourteenth year of practice. Not only has Dr. Wong been in active practice since graduating, he has also been teaching chiropractic education as well. Dr. Wong worked part time for PCCW from 1997- 2001 and to this day remains on as Adjunct Faculty. He has been an instructor and lecturer for Foot Levelers for six years now. Although he treats the full spine like many other chiroprac­tors, in an effort to distinguish his practice from others, he has gravitated towards treating lower and upper extremities. The acknowledgement of the feet and arches as primary source of body stability and pain has become a specialty for him. This often overlooked area of the body is an important area of focus, as most patients have not been taught the relationship between their feet and the rest of their body. Equally significant is that many chiropractors never touch this area at all. In an interview with The Amer­ican Chiropractor Magazine (TAC). Dr. Kevin Wong shares his story. TAC: What inspired you to become a chiropractor? Do you have a specific story? WONG: I have always been fas­cinated and drawn to helping people. Teaching is another aspect that 1 have always loved and felt I wanted to do. I was inspired to enter Chiropractic college by my mother and my late aunt. I actually had very little idea what I was getting myself into. Other than some short stints of volunteer work at a couple of offices, I had no formal knowledge of Chiro- practic. I did not have a miracle story of my own but I went to school convinced it was something I needed to do. To this day. I believe I was guided to Chiropractic because it is what I was meant to do. I still love helping people as well as teaching patients and other chiropractors. TAC: Tell our readers about the patients you generally treat or attract? What are the top conditions you treat in your office? (ie. Back pain, headaches, extremity, etc.) WONG: 1 have a family-based practice that includes all age ranges from children up to the elderly. This also encompasses various activity levels from athletes to sedentary office workers to wheelchair-bound individuals. The top conditions treated in my office revolve around pain in the extremities. Many referrals sent to me are for foot-related problems that could manifest itself as pain in the back or the lower body. I also get a lot of shoulder and upper body pain cases. Since I understand that the feet have a lot to do with the health of the entire body, part of my examination always goes there. TAC: How did you develop your expertise in extremity related problems? WONG: I enjoy treating areas of the body that traditionally chi­ropractors have not emphasized. As a way of distinguishing myself from other chiropractors early in my practice. I learned how the extremities were so different from the axial spine. I began identifying patterns that correlated to some of the condi­tions and had success treating these types of patients. Early on in practice. I learned how important the feet were as the foundation of the entire body. I started to understand how the feet could influ­ence biomechanics and neuromuscular patterns all the way up to the skull. I have made it my focus to be the "Foot Doctor" who can correlate and explain the relationship of the arches and feet to patients. As a result, they can have better stability, balance and results from chiropractic care. TAC: How do insurance company's view orthotics? WONG: There are a number of insurance companies that will cover some or all of the costs of the flexible, custom-made Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers (orthotics). This may include the examination, the digital scanning of the patient's feet, taping and fitting of the Stabilizers on their feet. The chiropractor needs to submit the appropriate CPT codes and diagnoses to support what work has been done. Some insurance companies require a letter of medical necessity that explains the obvious need for corrective arch sup­ports. It has been my experience over the years that insurance companies do not understand the depth of knowledge that we have about the feet and how skilled we are at prescribing orthotics. They are stuck in the antiquated viewpoint that the podiatrist is the "foot specialist." Don't forget that as chiropractors, we can do an amazing job helping the patients with their feet!. TAC: Any problems with patients when their insurance doesn't cover orthotics? Give an example (optional) WONG: Of course there are patients who do not have the insurance coverage for orthotics and need to pay out of pocket. In fact, quite a few of my patients pay out of pocket, and they understand that most types of quality orthotics cost money. I make sure to explain why they would need Stabilizers and the value of what they will be wearing. Even for the patients who do not have insurance to cover the cost of their Stabi­lizers, what they pay out of pocket is still significantly less than orthotics made by other healthcare providers. TAC: Which techniques do you use and why? WONG: I use a combina­tion of diversified, drop table, SOT and spring-loaded instrument ad­justing. The techniques I use on each patients will vary depending on the presentation, their history with chiroprac­tic and their general state of mind when they first come to the office. Some people may be manually adjusted only or some may be light force only. It has been a blessing to me that I am only 5'6 and weight 127 lbs. I have never been able to rely on a lot of physi­cal strength or height as ways to get my adjust­ments to go. I have had to learn to use my body as leverage and focus on speed for executing a lot of my manual ad­justments For people who are either very big or are in so much acute discom­fort that manual adjust­ing is not indicated, I go to my light force techniques. Having lots of tools in my bag has allowed me to treat many types of people successfully. TAC: Tell us two or three of your most amazing patient success stories. WONG: The best examples are the many patients who come into the office with pain in the lower back, hips, knees or ankles. They have usually seen another healthcare practitioner before me. After examining their back, I make my way down to their extremities and feet and they ask me what I am doing and why I am doing it. After I educate them about how important their feet are and how they relate to their whole body, I treat them. I do the standard physiotherapy modali­ties, adjustments and get them back into alignment. Then I use sports tape to sup­port their arches and send them home. After 1-2 days of just wearing the tape, they get the idea of how their feet can contribute or cause their pain. The pa­tients have just learned a concept that was never taught to them by any other type of healthcare provider. They see how such a simple concept of supporting the feet can make a big difference. TAC: What has really impacted your growth as a chiropractor and that of your practice? WONG: My growth and success as a chi­ropractor has been due, in large part, to my continued learning. I feel that even though I am out of Chiropractic college, my need for chiropractic education has never stopped. I attend seminars regularly as well as teach seminars for other chiropractors. Just being around other chiropractors with different specialties and hearing about their successes/challenges has Kevin Wong Tool Kit TABLES: Leander Flexion/distraction with full drop pieces; Zenith High low table with full drop pieces: pelvic benches DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT: Foot Levelers V7 Scanner with posture check REHABILITATION EQUIPMENT: Necksys, Backsys, Theraciser resistive tubing systems from Foot Levelers. I have the wall mount system that allows the patient to use all three in one area for patients. Foam Roller, Exercise Ball Exercises are readily available on my website and my EZ notes software. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS: Nature's sunshine, Metagenics, Standard Process, Heel, COMPUTER SOFTWARE: Chiro 8000 practice software, E-Z Notes HER docu­mentation software. V7 Scanning software from Foot Levelers X-RAY EQUIPMENT: None, I refer out to a facility across the street. I like the radiologist report. helped me tremendously. Chiropractic has nuances and different flavors in all parts of the United States and the world. As I travel to different places, I am exposed to amazing people, concepts and ideas that have helped me flourish as a practitioner and as an instructor. TAC: What marketing strategies do you use to attract new patients? And to keep current patients? WONG: Business networking/referral organizations: I belong to two of them and attend their weekly meetings. People get to know me on a personal level, and with that comes trust and referrals. My website: I have put in a lot of time to make it as functional as possible. I update it as often as I can. I try to refer cur­rent patients back to my website to read about aspects of the practice, newsletters, exercises or to learn more about the feet and Stabilizers. Social networking: Facebook, Linked In. Yelp are some examples of things that help me. Asking for referrals from my patients. It works! When 1 do a good job for them, I ask them to tell their friends and family about me. TAC: What single piece of advice would you give a new chiro­practor just starting out? WONG: Whether you are going to open your own office or go into an Associateship, find a mentor. Getting out into the world after chiropractic school is an interesting place these days. Managed care, employees, taxes and treating patients with a myriad of complaints are just a few of the day-to-day responsibilities we deal with. Working with someone who has experience and advanced skills can make your learning curve so much easier! Plus, making mistakes can be easier on you when you talk to someone who has made them 10 times over. TAC: Where do you see the future of chiropractic headed? WONG: Chiropractors have always had an amazing ability to help and heal people. However, the world continues to not see this. On a daily basis I talk to patients who were either advised not to go see the chiropractor or had no idea that we treat all parts of the body. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (foundation4cp. com) is leading the charge to get our positive message to the world. This won­derful organization is helping unify our profession so we can reach everyone and turn them on to what we offer. I see more and more of us joining this movement so that the world can see what valuable contribution chiropractic offers. TAC: Any final words for our readers? WONG: Thank you for taking the time to read this interview. One of my life's great passions is the teaching 1 do across our country and internationally. I hope to have the pleasure of seeing and meeting you one day at a seminar somewhere near you. Until then, keep loving chiropractic, your patients and check those feet! Yon may contact Dr. Kevin M. Wong at his clinic, Oriiula Chiropractic Center by phon­ing 925-254-4040. You can also reach him via his website: www.orindachiropractic.com or www.lainorindalasertherapv.com. His e-mail address is drkevinwongiuorindachiropractic. coin