Free Spinal Decompression?

One of our staff members brought in a full page advertisement for Spinal Decompression from our local newspaper. The Headline was very impressive and claimed almost miraculous results.
As I read through the advertisement, I too was impressed by the results reported by various patients. I liked the explanations regarding spinal decompression. In fact, I was pleased with nearly everything until I got to the “coupon”…… Free, free, free. Free evaluation. Free X-rays. Free massage. All you need to do is come in. Wow!
One of our patients went to this particular office and got the “free” evaluation. Not surprisingly, it turns out he was a good candidate for Spinal Decompression. He was given an itemized explanation of the costs of his treatment. Since he has good insurance coverage, his cost was going to be “only” $3,500.00.
I wonder if consumers who respond to these “free” or “discount” ads really think about the whole situation. Consumers should stop and think about everything that is involved with getting them through the front door and providing spinal decompression services. The costs are quite high. I didn’t bother to check the cost of a full page newspaper ad, but I bet it’s a significant amount. There are the additional expenses to consider; such as the cost of training the Doctor though eight years of college. The cost of the X-ray equipment. The cost of the Decompression equipment. The cost of the Facility. The cost of staff members. On and on. These costs will have to be recovered somewhere, or these offices could not continue to operate. How will these costs be recovered? Obviously from the people who respond to these ads. I’m going to stop short of calling these tactics, “bait and switch”. I am certain that these facilities would merely suggest that they are providing the “opportunity” for suffering individuals to learn about a form of treatment that may help them. But, at the end of the day, are these persons receiving the best service at the lowest cost? Often, relatively new practitioners are placed in new offices with a great deal of business support. This arrangement may be good for the new practitioner, but not always good for the consumer. Would you want to be a surgeon’s first operation?
We have been in Cary for 23 years and built our reputation one patient at a time. We believe in the effectiveness of Spinal Decompression and offer it as a service to our patients. Our Decompression Equipment is manufactured by Chattanooga, the largest manufacturer of physical therapy equipment in the world. And, although our Triton DTS Spinal Decompression is every bit as effective as other versions by other manufacturers, the initial cost of the equipment is substantially less. And we pass on the savings to our patients. No bait and switch, no coupons, just lower cost to our patients.
So, trust our reputation and see us first, we’ll provide the highest level of service available. Or see us last, and bring your estimate of expenses from the other offices. I feel confident that you’ll discover that we are your best choice.