Eventually, his possessions were returned. This was not the end of his struggles to establish
chiropractic, but it does stand out as a particularly harrowing time!
Again, with support from Dr. Janse, a small group of DCs started a chiropractic college,
and Dr. Laurent was a founding faculty member. This school, Institut Franco Européen de
Chiropratique, has succeeded and continues to thrive. Visit ifec.net for more information.
He continues to enjoy his practice some 45 years later, and remains quite busy with patient
care and no intention to fully retire. The pharmacy across the street stocks a complete range
of herbs, essential oils and homeopathics. Dr. Laurent sends patients there frequently.
His approach to patients is very whole person. He was taught at NCC to think of creating
physiological change in the patient through manual therapies, exercise, food, supplements,
education and more. His tools of choice are of intermittent traction, flexion–distraction and
micro-current electrical stimulation. He makes use of herbal medicine, including bio-drainage
and many nutritive substances. He reads the MRIs and radiographs that his patients bring in
and is quite on top of their medical concerns.
Dr. Laurent was very clear that a doctor graduating from National can stand shoulder to
shoulder with any doctor, and that using a variety of techniques to correct problems in the
body are the way to set the stage for healing. In my day with him, I saw patients who could
barely walk due to pain get up and leave his office with arms swinging, and patients who were
wincing with pain relax, reflexes and proprioception opened up in extremities, and nutrition
and homeopathy recommended.
Dr. Janse taught him, “Take care of your patient and your patient will take care of you.” This
was sound advice and deep wisdom – it has seen him through many seasons of practice in
France. He does not overcharge, and yet he makes a good living. He gives people the time they
need, and always finds time for his patients. He definitely agrees with Dr. Janse’s admonition:
“Legislate to practice as broadly as possible, so that you can practice as narrowly as you choose to.”
My friend Dr. Christian Laurent describes himself as a naturopath at heart, and given his
confidence in the ability of the body to heal itself and his use of so many of nature’s agents, I
have to agree. He is very proud, totally unapologetic for being a chiropractic physician, and he
tells everyone that he was educated at the great National University in Chicago.
I left him that day in June, thinking that he really embodies what NUHS is all about: different,
yet philosophically aligned professions working together. He expresses an identity not forged
by modalities or techniques, but rather a belief in the healing power of the body and high
standards of training as a doctor. I returned to our hotel room reflecting on what a gem we
have in National for all of those things, and returned to Lombard later that week thinking that
it’s extremely important that we continue to put a new generation of Dr. Laurents out, literally,
into the world.
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