From Sports Doctor to Educator
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER ILLES, DC
The American Chiropractor
Although born and raised in southern Ontario, Canada, Dr. Jennifer Illes currently resides in Florida. She is an associate professor at Keiser University's Chiropractic College of Medicine in Florida. In addition, she travels locally and around the globe teaching extremity and TMD lectures.
She attended Brock University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, she then crossed the border and attended New York Chiropractic College. She was the class salutatorian, a member of the Phi Chi Omega honor society for excellence in academic standings, and the recipient of the Clinical Award of Excellence. Dr. Illes is also a graduate of McMaster University's medical acupuncture course. She holds a past certification as a kinesio taping instructor, is a myofascial directional therapy (MFDT) practitioner, and is certified in all levels of Active Release Techniques (ART).
She's worked as a chiropractor with a professional sports team, as well as been a clinician, professor, and associate dean at three different chiropractic colleges. Dr. Illes has been affiliated as a practicing doctor at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. She's treated performance athletes and chronic pain patients in pain management settings, all of which have their unique set of challenges. In an interview with The American Chiropractor (TAC), Dr. Illes (JI) shares how she became interested in chiropractic, and what you can learn from her experience.
TAC: How did you become interested in chiropractic?
JI: I grew up on a farm in Ontario, Canada, and was introduced to a holistic wellness lifestyle for as long as I can remember. My parents had seen a chiropractor, and eventually they introduced chiropractic to my siblings and me. I still remember being in elementary school and drawing out a “skeleton bone” business card as my potential profession. It was a profession in the making—starting with family wellness care and my unique farm-girl lifestyle.
TAC: What do you think is the mark of a good technique?
JI: A good technique is one that is safe, efficient, and supported by evidence, and that works in clinical practice on your patients. It is one that also works for you, as the doctor. For example, I prefer prone manipulation to supine thoracic manipulation, simply because it works for me. There are so many techniques available to use that have been demonstrated to be positive, to help effectively care for patients of all sizes, ages, and conditions.
TAC: Are there certain techniques that are more effective for women than men, and vice-versa?
JI: I have taught chiropractic technique classes and been in practice for over 15 years now. Over these years, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons that I have been able to pass along to my students. The assumption that men manipulate better than women is probably thought because of their size. I believe that although there may be a “weight advantage” to some doctors, it has nothing to do with the sex of the doctor. I am 5’ 9” and 165 lbs (not the typical female doctor’s size), but I have learned to get better at manipulating every year. Height does interfere with some of the learning curve, but that’s exactly it—it’s a learning curve. When I was in school, I had a small 5’ 2” spitfire female technique instructor at NYCC who manipulated just as well as most men (or better). It’s all in the technique.
TAC: Who are some of your mentors?
JI: Dr. Mark Scappaticci from Ontario, Canada, is a world-known sports chiropractor. I shadowed him as a littie girl, and he helped fulfill my dream of being a “sports doc” with professional athletes. His knowledge and emotional security of knowing that what he was doing would help the patient is something I could never learn in a chiropractic school or purchase from Amazon. Dr. Tom Hyde is probably everyone’s mentor. Every sports chiropractor knows who he is. I will never forget when I met him during an internship in Florida at the Miami Dolphins’ training camp (as an intern through NYCC). He treated all of the students like we were special and going to make a difference. He guided me and introduced me to people along the way. Also, Dr. Jay Greenstien, Dr. Joseph Stiefel, and Dr. James Winterstein have taught me many valuable life lessons. They showed me the ways to be an administrator and taught me the value of working relationships in a way I don’t quite think they even know they did.
TAC: Who are some of your favorite vendors?
JI: Foot Fevelers has been a favored vendor of mine. Back in chiropractic school, I was awarded the Foot Fevelers scholarship and worked a lot with them at D’Youville College, NUHS, and now Keiser University. Their dedication to the profession, their post-educational classes, and their constant support to the academic institution makes them a favorite for me. Performance Health is another vendor I’m strongly supportive of. They are constantly providing funding and support to chiropractors and students. Their customer service is easy to speak to, and they continue to grow and develop unique educational opportunities. Dr. Dana Mackison has been a longtime friend and colleague, and I value his dedication to the company and the schools.
TAC: Do you have any recommended marketing strategies that chiropractors can do to attract new patients? And to keep current patients?
JI: Have an active and updated web page, get on Instagram or Facebook. Be a board member of a local community group or state association. Be constantly involved in everything you can do while maintaining a good work and life balance. Patients appreciate people who are altruistic and give back; people who volunteer in the community and are actively involved.
TAC: Can you think of one change that a chiropractor can do to significantly impact his/her practice’s growth immediately?
JI: The lack of confidence at any time of the clinical career is a ticking time bomb. Start believing in yourself and your abilities to heal and manage patients without seeking extra certifications. I see one common concern: the lack of confidence in the skill set students have trained in for many years. The chiropractic school that you graduated from assured your competency in the skilled area, so it’s not due to lack of certifications or lack of skill. It’s a lack of confidence. Join a local community group in which you volunteer your time and service, and this usually helps build confidence and attract new networking opportunities to your practice.
TAC: What topics do you speak on at seminars? Where will you be in the next three months?
JI: Currently, I am an educational speaker for Foot Levelers. They have monthly speaking engagements throughout the United States and Canada that can be found on their website. I usually teach on the topic of the “kinetic chain from the ground up” with Foot Levelers. A focus on a strong foot, postural gait, core stability, and respiratory exam typically precedes any other musculoskeletal examination. I also specialize in temporomandibular joint disorders with a special focus on the orofacial examination.
TAC: What are your goals for the chiropractic profession?
JI: One of my goals for the profession is to make room and give more chances to new or recent graduates. Usually, I tend to see the same “speaker lineup” at the conventions. The only way I was able to be known on the speaker circuit was by constantly bothering some of the postgraduate coordinators. I cannot remember how many times I have been turned down to speak, but I never gave up. As I continue to mentor new students, I wish that they have the confidence to get out there and try, rather than to give up.
TAC: What is the biggest problem or challenge you see in the chiropractic profession today?
JI: The lack of willingness to understand and tolerate different chiropractic philosophies. We are part of this amazing healing profession, yet seem so divided. I live and work in a state that has three different-minded state
associations. From straight and mixer to chiropractic physician. A challenge for the patient is to understand why Dr. X adjusted my occiput for my postural issues, while Dr. Y gave me rehabilitative exercises for my postural issues, and Dr. Z provided a diversified manipulation with some elastic tape on my mid-back for my postural issues. The challenge isn’t that everyone has their own way of treating; the challenge is more the constant battling between these groups, or the unwillingness to understand why one does something and the other does not. Most chiropractic curriculums are following an evidence-based practice approach, so this isn’t much of a problem anymore, and just because it’s evidence-based doesn’t make that doctor a “wannabe allopath.”
TAC: Where do you see the future of chiropractic headed?
JI: I see more and more growth in women’s care and geriatric health care for the chiropractor. I’ve seen this trend as students tend to want to work with “athletes” and by the end of their academic career, many have moved onto newer more developed clinical ideas (e.g., giving back by working at the VA facilities). I foresee a stronger commitment toward functional outcomes versus simply pain reduction for our patients. I also see more chiropractors working in multidisciplinary practices and even being hired by third-party payers (e.g., patient-centered medical homes).
TAC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the chiropractic community?
JI: I appreciate people in this community acting like a family. Although there are debates about philosophies when it comes down to it, I know I can call an old chiropractic colleague and ask for help without hesitation. I’d like to thank everyone that has moulded my career, both positively and negatively.
You may contact Dr. Illes through email at [email protected] or on FB at Dr. Jennifer Illes Seminars.
