[0:00] Welcome, my name is Dr. Warrick Bishop. I'm a cardiologist, an author and a keynote speaker. I'm CEO of the Healthy Heart Network. I'm all about trying to help people [0:12] Live as well as possible, for as long as possible. [0:15] heart disease is huge in Australia. [0:18] Every 20 minutes someone suffers a heart attack. Most of these could probably have been avoided if only we knew what to do. This podcast is all about helping you understand blood pressure, weight, cholesterol and weight. [0:32] for better health. [0:33] If you enjoy this podcast, I would be honored for a five-star review. [0:37] you can share it with your family and friends. It may well save [0:41] someone you love. [0:42] Hi, it's Dr Warrick here and thank you so much for joining me on my podcast and videocast station. [0:50] I actually got a bit of a unique podcast opportunity today, the very first time I've done a father and son podcast. [0:56] And I'm super excited to welcome Stephen and Sam Crean, who are both chiropractic doctors working in Hobart at Hobart and Kingston Chiropractic. Welcome. [1:08] Gentlemen, how are you? [1:10] Thank you for having us, Dr. Warrick. Nice to see you again, Dr. Warrick. [1:16] Look, by way of background for those listening, Stephen is dad. He's been in chiropractic for years. [1:26] well, approximately 40 years. And Sam has followed those footsteps and has been practicing for nearly a decade. And I guess there's a couple of things we really want to cover. One is the [1:38] Some of the bits that people may not understand about chiropractice [1:43] chiropractic and where it can fit in for their best health journey. But I'm particularly interested to know what it's like with a father and son working together. And I'll direct my first question to Sam. What's it like working for your old man? [1:58] uh well dr worry has it it has its good days and bad days as you could understand but thankfully most mostly good um look i i got into this profession [2:09] because I saw the amazing impact Dad was having on so many people's lives. And that's why I do what I do, and I endeavour to get better at what I do every day I'm in clinic. It's a pleasure. It's fantastic. The trouble is disconnecting when we get home and talk about work at the family dinner, is the family going, I'm sorry, guys, we're not at work anymore. You can relax. Yeah, 100%. [2:39] of medicine and we get caught on conversations all the time. We have to be aware of the environment we're in and whether we're inadvertently excluding people or not. So I completely understand. Stephen, what's it been like seeing your son come through the ranks and join you? It must be an absolute privilege and something you're very proud of. [3:01] So when our kids were young, we wanted a couple of things for our kids. We wanted them to be happy. We wanted them to be happy. [3:10] good people and we wanted them to follow their dreams and passion and at no stage did my wife and I ever think that any of our family would be involved in our practice and the things that we do in healthcare. [3:24] So, and much to my surprise is when it came time to make decisions. So Sam, who has been an elite gymnast, has been very interested in being strong, fit and coordinated and balanced as he competed over a number of years. And I presume that some of that... [3:44] What he's seen has led him to make some decisions, which really surprised us. And every day, I think I'm just a little proud and I feel very humbled that he's still he's happy to work here. He did go and get rid of the wet behind the ears and spent time working in northern beaches in Sydney for a few years before returning to Tasmania. [4:08] We actually have another member of the family who works with us also [4:12] Wow, okay. Well, look, for those listening, I can tell you that there's a lot of integrity and authenticity with what these guys are saying. I've had the chance to meet them socially. There's no question that independently, they're both passionate about really making a difference for people's health when it comes to supporting people with their chiropractic techniques and specialty. But I know that they both get on extremely well, because I've had the chance to observe that firsthand. [4:42] really like to do though is open it up to both of you because there are aspects of chiropractic that people just may not understand and often people think i'll go to the chiropractor if i've got a bad back but it's much more than that i'll invite either of you to open that up and talk to really where you see chiropractic can offer benefits beyond backs perhaps helping populations [5:12] Ailments. [5:15] Okay, so thank you, Warrick. One of the things we do, and we use a chiropractic as our tool and a passion to do things well and make a difference for people. A big chunk of the people that we see at work are older people. So probably around 60% of our practice are people over the age of 50. And that brings with it some special opportunities and some challenges. Okay. [5:41] Now, one of the things that saddens me is that when we have people who come into the clinic and we see that they are performing below their potential. So they are held back. They are not able to enjoy their grandchildren. They're not able to travel because they can't get in and out of a car or a car. [6:00] You know, just pulling on the shoes and socks becomes a struggle. Or it could be more challenging things. You know, they have trouble getting in or out of bed or cooking or cleaning. [6:12] what we like to do is we like to see and find ways that we can enable them to be better. So sometimes that's just very simple stuff about the things that we all hear about, which is, you know, you need to move, you need to do some stretching. But one of the things that chiropractic does is it changes people's mobility, it changes the neurology. It allows them to do more, to be better, to have less pain. [6:39] And we see that that's really important. So that if we can influence our older patients and they can be more comfortable, more mobile, more capable, then they can do all those important things. That means they can look after their muscle mass. They can help their cardiovascular health. They can manage their bone density. And really important, they're less likely to fall over. And we all know what happens when people fall as they get older. [7:09] really sad. So that's a big part of what we like to achieve. Now, I reckon Sam is busting to turn out and help us understand how some of that actually works. So I'm just going to take a moment and [7:22] let the intellect take over. That's about too kind. Before you do jump in, Sam, and thank you for sharing that, Stephen. The reason that we connected was that... [7:35] shared desire to help people through that journey. [7:38] journey of mobility, stability, functional capacity. And we've actually recognised that with the chiropractic work that you guys are able to offer, you can keep people moving and mobile to a degree that they can come and share [7:56] services that we've got here at Osteo Strong, where we build strength specific through our machines and different programs here. And so there's this realisation that there are different aspects of a healthcare journey that can all be complementary. So it's a really important journey that people need to be on and you need to carry more than one suitcase. I think Sam, over to you. [8:20] Yeah. [8:21] Oh, that's a wonderful point. And we love working with your team at Osteo Strong and seeing people move. So what I thought I'd do is I'd jump in. Now, there's many different flavors and types and other theories within the chiropractic profession. But what everything tends to come back to is when we're discussing the spinal column, particularly what makes a healthy spine versus an aging spine, it comes back down to the quality and capacity and ability of the spine to move and function as it was designed. [8:51] that are listening online, I'm holding a little model of a spine in front of me. It's showing the vertebra, how the nerve passes down through the center of the spinal column, how the nerves then exit through the spaces in the spine created by the intervertebral discs that connect to our muscles, our probe preceptors and our organs to allow our body to work at its best. Our job is [9:21] that's no longer moving at its full capacity or in its normal way. And it's about finding ways to return normal capacity and function back to those segments and create balance within the body so that when you go enjoy your hobbies, you go... [9:36] to osteo strong and do your weights, the body has greater capacity to load and to tolerate load. And from there, then we can work on. [9:44] finding good health. So there's a... [9:47] I was going to say, Sam, some of the people listening may have... [9:54] experienced chiropractic services before or chiropractic care before, and some people may not have. There may be people who are listening, wondering if everything in chiropractic care centers on the spine and mobilizing or moving the spine. [10:10] And... [10:11] Would you speak to, or Stephen, would you like to speak to whether it's only the spine that you address or whether you... [10:17] look to manipulate, mobilise or move other joints if that was required. [10:25] Thank you, Warren. So when we talk publicly, what we do is people want the 10 second elevator pitch. What is it that chiropractors do? And we use words like anywhere there is muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, bones and nerves is us. That's us. So any problems that affect those structures, it's OK to ask a chiropractor, can they make a difference or can they help? [10:55] you know, 60 to 80% of the people that come in to see a chiropractor are looking for help that involves their axial skeleton. [11:04] Thank you. [11:05] base of the head, neck, down through the shoulder blades, hips and pelvis. Out of the remaining 20%, and to be fair, people often come in and they've got multiple areas that we need to have a look at. So it might be their back. It might be the achy, rusty knees. It could be the elbows and the fingers. It could be I can't dry my hair anymore or brush my hair, and I wish I had much more to brush. [11:33] But it is all of those things. And so we use those principles that Sam just showed, and we apply that everywhere. Now, we know that the anatomy and neurology is different in the hands, wrists and fingers, but some of the underlying principles about function and capacity and movement and stability are the same, and we apply those all over. So... [11:57] What that does is a big chunk of what we do is active treatment and active care. But what we also do is we want to empower our patients so that they can take some control too. So they know what it is that we are doing and what can they do to facilitate that. So very commonly, people go home with a little package of homework, but people also get we do work within with ergonomics, [12:27] most efficient in their workspace, in their kitchen space? Or when we've worked with soccer and AFL, how can they be on the ground at their best? One of the things that Dr. Crean hasn't mentioned humbly is that we have worked collaboratively with some of our local football clubs for well over a decade, running their people teams, training the physios, the massage therapists on how to apply these philosophies within their scope. [12:57] chiropractic profession to be involved for that. So one of the things that you were touching on there, Stephen, in particular, and you can speak to this if you wish, Sam, is that concept of dealing with people's pains and limitations, but also helping them fulfil or find their maximal capacity, that... [13:17] interplay between pain and capacity. Do you want to speak either, if you'd like to speak to that momentarily? [13:24] Okay, so I'm going to grab that just for a second because this is really good. Sometimes people... [13:30] We tell people that we sometimes hurt them, Warrick. And sometimes what we need to do, we need to do things that are a little bit uncomfortable, unpleasant to help. So good pain, good discomfort. Sometimes there are things that we have which are unpleasant and bad discomfort. So that's the sort of thing, that's the pathology, that's the things that we need to help. [13:52] And sometimes when you're working with people, we have to push those boundaries a little bit, [14:00] improvement so sometimes some pain is what we're trying to help people with but there's a process to go through to make that difference not having the ability to adapt to your environment surroundings you got to create adaptation within the body to to achieve that [14:16] One of the great things when it comes to performance is picking up on things early enough or [14:25] Helping someone reach balance and potential before those problems really start to arrive. And I'll be honest, we love helping everyone that comes into our clinic and we get amazing results with people who struggle with pain. But it's the people that come in understanding how they want their body to feel over the next 40, 60, 80 years of their life. And as the whole families bring their children in and understand what good health, good spinal health and fundamentals means throughout your life. [14:55] what actually really gives us joy in practice, is guiding those people through that. [15:01] I've got a story. [15:03] Well, I can't believe you're saying that because I was about to say we're actually running out of time. We're going to wrap it up soon, but I'd love to hear. [15:13] one of your cases, an exemplar of what you guys are able to do. [15:21] Okay, so we're a little bit cautious about what we say publicly because we've got rules and guidelines to follow. However, the story I was hoping to hear is an older person's story. [15:32] So what we have is we've got some people that have taken a journey with us and their journey started out as a pain journey and it has progressed into a how do I stay at my best? How do I be well journey? And what we've done is we've just got them to do some reflection. And that is, how are you? How do you fit into your 70 year old group, your 80 year old group? And what they do is they have a little look in the mirror and they've gone crazy. [15:59] You know, I'm not using a walking stick. [16:02] I [16:03] I actually help them get out of the bus. [16:07] I drive myself. [16:09] And I look at them, [16:11] And some of them have got sticks or walking frames. I don't want to be those people. I want to be the me person. And it just makes them feel so good about the decisions they've made to be better. [16:24] That was it. That's amazing. And you're speaking to independence, actually, Stephen. I think [16:29] All of us want to see people live as well as possible [16:32] for as long as possible, not decline and fade away and lose that quality of life. And the mobility, the reduction in pain, the support you're giving people, it sounds profound. And for anyone out there who's wondering whether this might be something that could be helpful, go and check it out. These good doctors are at Hobart and Kingston, but you may be listening to this in another area altogether. Check out your local chiropractics. [17:02] Dr Stephen and Dr Sam, thank you so much. As a father and son duo to be the first on... [17:10] on the Dr. Warrick Bishop podcast. In fact, I'm going to do an interview with my son because we're going to talk about some specific science that he's... [17:18] So he and I will be the next father and son combo on the podcast. But I really thank you guys for your time and sharing. For anyone listening. [17:30] I hope we've given you some good information. I am always very grateful. If you've listened this far, it means that you've found it engaging and hopefully something that's relevant for you or someone you care for. [17:42] If you've got any queries or questions, drop us a note at drwarakbishop.com. [17:46] online and till next time I hope you live as well as possible. [17:52] for as long as possible. Take care and bye for now. Thanks, guys. [17:55] Nice to work. [17:57] Thanks for it. [17:59] Did you know that coronary artery disease kills one in four people? So most of us are likely to carry some risk or know someone who does. If you're interested in finding out more about how to evaluate that risk, [18:14] Check out [18:15] www.virtualheartcheck.com.au. It'll give you information about risk, [18:22] And what else can be done to be even more precise?