Episode Details
We are joined by Dr. Tabor Smith, the founder of the Spinal Hygiene Movement, who reveals his blueprint for solving patient retention issues in chiropractic practices.
Dr. Smith discusses how his retention strategies, inspired by the dental profession, have more than doubled the lifetime value of his patients. Learn about the systems and educational frameworks he uses to convert new patients into lifetime clients, and why focusing on spinal hygiene could be the game-changer your practice needs.
Dr. Smith also shares insights on the pitfalls of rapid growth, the importance of stabilization, and practical tips for building long-term patient relationships. Don't miss this episode if you're looking to enhance patient retention and build a stable, thriving chiropractic practice.

Key Takeaways
The Retention Problem & The Dental Solution
- The fundamental issue in chiropractic is not patient acquisition, but retention.
- The number one reason patients drop out of care is not that they feel better; it's because they just don't know why they should stay.
- Dentistry solved its retention problem by creating a culture of preventative care and educating people to take care of their teeth for a lifetime.
- Spinal Hygiene is the chiropractic equivalent, providing patients with a clear, simple reason for lifetime spinal care, just like dental hygiene for teeth.
The Patient Education System & Its Financial Impact
- Dr. Smith's system is built around a 21-day Spinal Hygiene Challenge that turns a patient's home care into a daily habit.
- This system includes an automated email and text drip campaign that provides consistent education on the importance of spinal health.
- The financial result is significant: his practice's lifetime value of a patient more than doubled after implementing these systems. He has patients who come in weekly and have been with him for 10 years.
- He mentions that the Spinal Hygiene kits increase a doctor's per-visit average and provide about a 60% return on investment.
The Mindset of a Scaling Entrepreneur
- He initially made the mistake of trying to grow too fast by opening multiple clinics without having his systems stabilized, which made the practice fragile.
- The solution was to create a simple, plug-and-play system that could be used consistently across all locations with a single change to the sign-off.
- The biggest misconception is that patients don't want to be educated. In reality, when a chiropractor explains the "why" behind the care, patients are 60% more compliant.
- He changed his own mindset from "feast and famine" to a more stable, predictable business model. He also believes that a chiropractor must provide a service (like preventing degenerative disc disease) that they themselves would want to provide.

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