Saturday, August 10, 2013

Chiropractic Marketing - What is a Patient Appreciation Dinner?


The purpose of a Patient Appreciation Dinner is to connect you with your patients on a heart-to-heart level. This dinner is to show your patients and guests what your vision is for the town, what your vision is for the world and most of all why you became a chiropractor.

It's not about the food at the restaurant (although you will obviously need to choose an adequate restaurant with an appropriate menu). It's not about making friends and socializing, although there will be some socializing going on. It's really, more than anything, about allowing your patients to become excited about your vision. You are recruiting them into your passion for chiropractic. This deep level of connection and understanding will build your practice in a profound way.

Keep in mind, this event does not always have to be a dinner. You can do the same exact format as a lunch or you can do a breakfast. Those people with families or who have late office hours may better respond to a lunch. Do what you feel is best for your practice. You can even change it up occasionally to fit the needs of your patients.

The last and most important purpose of holding a Patient Appreciation Dinner is to get your patients excited about telling everyone they know about your practice. This creates a massive flow of referrals into your office.

When Should You Hold a Patient Appreciation Dinner?

One of the most common questions chiropractors ask me is when they should hold their first Patient Appreciation Dinner. Should they hold a dinner when they first open?

My advice is to create a Patient Appreciation Dinner right away. I did my first one within my first month. I just basically took my whole practice out to dinner. I actually was able to do it within the first two weeks as I had enough patients. So, if you're just opening, just take everyone out to dinner. Recognize everyone during the evening. If you have been in business for a while and have already established a small or large practice, you will want to choose who you invite to the dinner more carefully.

Choose patients who meet the following criteria:


  • make all of their appointments



  • refer people to your office



  • receiving impressive changes on their XâEUR'rays



  • receiving impressive changes on their scans

You may also want to invite patients to the dinner who made a comment to the front desk or to you personally that they're going to be a patient for life, or that they're going to tell everybody they know about chiropractic. You want to invite patients who are already engaged in your practice and in your mission. Why? Because what you are building is a team of patients who are going to drive referrals into your office and help you grow your practice. It is the most enthusiastic of patients who will partner with you, who will want to tell their story to as many people as possible.

Picking Your Restaurant

It is a good idea to find a restaurant that is willing to work with you long term. As far as prices go, I have found that $9 - $12 per person is usually what you can negotiate. Make sure you get a fixed price. It's a good idea to create a special menu with only three items that your guests can choose from. You don't want to give people too many choices.

We do not provide desserts with the dinner. And obviously we do not include or make available alcoholic beverages of any kind because that's just not the environment you want to create while you are hosting your Patient Appreciation Dinner.

As far as the room goes, you should get a closed room where it's quiet and where there will be no interruptions. You want to have servers that are dedicated to you, and you want to prep the servers as to the timing of the meal. For instance, if you're going to get there at 7:30pm, you tell them exactly to the minute when you want the food brought out, when you want the servers away from the table, when people are going to be showing up, and when you want the dinner to be concluding. In other words, you tell the servers when to bring the salads out and when to bring the drinks.

Everything needs to be timed properly so the servers know what to do so you're not interrupted while delivering your heartfelt message by the arrival of the dinners. I've had that happen before, and believe me, it's no fun competing with a stampede of sizzling steaks!

Chiropractic is Not a Pill, Instead a Way to Fight Sickness by Enhancing Life!


The public's' perception maybe skewed a certain way by either misperceptions and or improper education on what Chiropractic really is. My intention is to share with you the passion and art of healing called Chiropractic.

Here is a synopsis on the history of Chiropractic so you can understand why Chiropractic was founded; D.D. Palmer in the state of Iowa founded Chiropractic in America in 1895. Through a profound and simple observation he noticed two people who were sitting next to one another and only one of them was sick. He asked himself, why isn't the other guy sick also? What is the real cause of disease?

Palmer theorized that decreased nerve flow may be the cause of disease, and that misplaced spinal vertebrae may cause pressure on the nerves. Thus, he reasoned, if the spinal column were correctly positioned, the body would be healthy. He then studied a lot of eastern philosophy and TCM concepts to look at the body holistically instead of mechanistically.

Shortly after his discovery he started his own school. The concept that the body can be its own doctor shook the medical community. Because of that, Chiropractors were repeatedly thrown in jail, fined and having to defend their beliefs to health authorities.

D.D. Palmer's student and son, B.J. Palmer, assumed control of the Palmer School in 1906, and promoted professionalism and formal training in chiropractic, expanding enrollment to a peak of above 1,000 students in the early 1920s. It was not until the 1950s did Chiropractic became accepted.

Today, Chiropractic is the largest alternative/complementary health profession in North America. It is widely accepted among healthcare professionals and everyone has learnt to coexist in America. With the advances and understanding of the human body through biological science, Chiropractors have been given the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of the intelligence of the body. Chiropractors in and other holistic practitioners remind the medical community how intelligent the human body really is. Pressure from holistic forms of healthcare in America has put pressure on medical doctors to study things like nutrition and even eastern medicine in order to catch up to the needs and education of the public.

Unfortunately most Chiropractors have lost sight of the history because the school they came from did not teach them or through over education, they have forgotten the roots of the beautiful profession that inspired them to touch lives. As a fundamentalist I feel it is important to appreciate what the fathers of our profession who struggled in order to keep the profession alive so people such as myself can have an opportunity to serve. I wish to carry their dream of creating a healthy world that empowers people's lives instead of suppressing lives. I encourage my fellow colleagues out there to live that dream as well. They did not sit in jail so we can treat back pain. They did not sit in jail so we can give people the short end of the benefits of our service.

Today, the public's perception of what Chiropractors do is to just treat back pain, neck pain, and headaches. The profession has moved forward in mainstream society and moved backwards on concept. In a holistic approach, there is nothing the body does unless it has reason for it. In a holistic approach Chiropractors do not use fear to control people, instead we educate them in a respectable manner.

In most cases the product of your state of health is directly proportional to the lifestyle you lived. To treat symptoms alone will not take care of the cause of the problem. Health is not based on a linear model; it is based on a dynamic model that changes and adapts to life or nature. It is part of the Chiropractors responsibility to educate their clients even if the client is only interested in treating their symptoms.

Chiropractic is not a treatment or a cure. It gives people the opportunity to be healthy by removing interference in their nervous system. As a result, the body is able to function properly and fight disease on its own. The body would not have to create pain signals to your brain because something is wrong. Instead it would send signals to the proper cells in your body to fight disease.

If Chiropractors focus on symptoms alone they are doing a great injustice to the people they serve. Health is not as simple as taking a pill or only going to someone when something is wrong. Waiting for symptoms to arise in order to take care of one self can be dangerous. Health comes from a byproduct of your lifestyle. Just like money comes from a byproduct of hard work. Or our promotion is a byproduct of our hard work. When one wants to focus on health and does so, they have higher odds of being healthy than someone who abuses their body.

The training of a Chiropractor mainly focuses on the spine and the nervous system. Most Chiropractic programs require a person to take a few physical therapy and nutrition classes. This gives a Chiropractor general knowledge to give an opinion and to refer but does not make them a master of that craft. A jack of trades is a master of none. Going to a specialist who is properly trained with the correct certificates is advisable.

Lastly I would like to talk about the recent scare that has been emanating our lives because of the recent H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) which is could be a serious threat. The Singapore government has been doing an excellent job to set up precautionary measures to reduce the chances of a serious outbreak. However completely isolating a pathogen that is airborne is a task easier said than done. Minimizing risk and completely isolating an airborne disease is two different things. During the process of isolation there will be a population that will be exposed.

Just like the observation the D.D. Palmer made about the two men sitting next to each other. One of them was sick and the other was not. The reason why the other man was not sick was because he had a stronger body that could adapt to the changing environment. Therefore, if the pathogen is inhaled a small dosage, the bodies' natural defenses is able to cope with it. The SARS outbreak in 2003 in Singapore is living proof of it. SARS took 25 lives and infected 173 more in a period of two months. Health officials isolated the pathogen so it could not spread but things could have been worst. If the germ theory was completely sound, then those numbers should have been higher. An explanation of why those lives were taken and not 4 million others can be related to the state of health those people were in. Statistically 25 lives out of 4 million+ is not bad. To the families of the victims, that statistic means nothing. Even one life lost can affect many lives around them because these people have families and loved ones. One life is worth more than all the gold in the world.

Some of those people may have felt fine before they contracted the virus but physiologically they were not. It is always much easier to prevent disease than to fight disease.

I am making a plea to everyone, especially fellow health care practitioners to promote, educate, and learn. Having an understanding of the body so you can do as many things as possible to keep you and your loved ones healthy is the most important thing. Especially at times like this when people are worried about many things such as job and finances. We must treat life as if it were a holy object, without life all the things we strive for means nothing.

Become a Massage Therapist


Interested in a career in Massage Therapy? If you think that it seems like a caring, compassionate career in the health care field, you are right. Having been a Massage Therapist for over 30 years, I can attest to the joy of bringing relief to people that are suffering. There are other benefits too. You can work for yourself, and set your own hours. You can make an average of $40.00 to $80.00 per hour. You can work in a resort environment while enjoying the lifestyle on your days off. And, you will meet a lot of health conscious people.

I can also attest to the pain and exhaustion of being a Massage Therapist in a resort environment. In a town like Aspen, Colorado, the Massage business cranks up in the winter time with bookings from dawn until dusk, then slows to nearly no business when the off-season hits in May. You need to carefully budget for the few very slow months.

Most states govern Massage Therapy licensing. Generally, a license requires from 500-1,000 hours of training including Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology (or Functional Anatomy,) Pathology, Professional Ethics, Practical Training, and some internship or clinical practice, or a similar variation of these classes. The cost of training can be anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 or more depending on the school that you choose. There are some famously outstanding schools like the Boulder College of Massage in Boulder, Colorado, or Mueller in San Diego, California. These schools hold esteem to some employers, so their tuition might be a little higher. Most massage schools have a payment plan or a scholarship program.

Once certified by your particular program, you will need to decide of you want to become Nationally Certified. Some states honor the National Certification exam and will issue your state license with proof of National Certification. Some states will require you to take their state licensing exam regardless. You will need to check with the Massage Licensing Board in your own state.

Practitioner's Liability Insurance is around $125-$150 per year. That's it! You're then ready to make decisions as to how you wish to practice. Most newly certified therapists choose to begin their career in a public environment like a health club or beauty salon. They can gain confidence and experience in a safe and supervised setting. The facility does the scheduling and provides the table, sheets, and oil, but still require you to provide your own Liability Insurance.

If you choose to practice privately, you will need to begin with a business budget to study exactly how many hours that you will need to work in order to pay your expenses. Massage is heavy work. Studies show that the average life span of a massage career is only three years. I know from experience that you can go for many more than that, but make no mistake about it, this is heavy work and requires a practitioner to remain strong and fit in order to prevent overuse injuries. An injured therapist cannot fully deliver effective therapy.

You will need to budget for a massage table, preferably portable, so that you can have it in your office, or at your home. It's always nice to be able to give a massage to a friend or neighbor in your own home-office environment, rather than a business location. You will need several sets of sheets, somewhere to launder them, oil and lotion, business supplies (client notes, files, phone, computer,) wardrobe, robes, towels, continuing education classes, insurance, and office rent. Also, being self-employed, you will need to keep your own tax records, so you will need to budget for an accountant, or an accounting software program for your computer.

There are other options in private practice that do not require for you to work for a health club or resort. There are also co-op situations where therapists office-share. You can join a co-op like this that pays a receptionist/scheduler, and you come in to work on your clients, and pay a monthly fee to the co-op for the space rent and the services. This is a good way to pickup extra referrals, as well.

Some large hotel chains lease their massage rooms in the spa area to private therapists. This is a good way to go as they have built-in spa customers in their hotel guests. There are a variety of arrangement options in who does the bookings, and who provides linens.

Another option is a Doctor or Chiropractor's office. These professionals already have the clients and the space. They generally do the insurance billing, and pay the therapist when they are paid. If you are licensed by your state, you will have a license number that will allow for you to do your own insurance billing, as well.

Alleviate Your Pain, Visit a Chiropractor


If you have ever suffered from back pain, you understand how it can interrupt the daily flow of life. Calling a chiropractor for back pain, sciatica and other related problems is the best choice towards healing. Bodily pain is caused by pressure on ligaments or muscles. For example, there are a series of discs, muscles and ligaments in the back and if, for some reason, there have been any interruptions in these areas, chronic back pain can become a problem. Sciatica pain is similar to back pain, but can be more intense. It originates in the Sciatica nerve which begins at the base your spine and runs down the length of your leg. When this nerve is compressed, it can give off a tingling feeling along with numbing and muscle weakness.

Many people choose to visit a chiropractor first before deciding to take a more aggressive approach. A chiropractor can seem less intimidating and can help their patients reach optimum comfort through specific techniques. In those less likely cases where healing cannot be reached via a chiropractor, bi weekly injections of cortisone are available. These doctor assisted shots will help to temporarily relieve the chronic back pain. At times more drastic measures are necessary, and back surgery may be the only solution.

A chiropractor can re-align your body to relieve the pressure off of your back and neck. You can also benefit from regular office visits to help with tension headaches as well as your sciatica pain. This realignment can improve your joint flexibility and remove the tightness of muscle tissue that can build up over time. You will feel immediate results in your posture and have the ability to move without pain. Some patients report increased energy and coordination during a much loved activity after a visit to the chiropractor.

How many times you visit your chiropractor depends on their diagnosis, advice and the severity of your pain. No one should submit to living their life with unnecessary discomfort. It may be as simple as several visits to the doctor and over the counter pain relievers. Whatever the need, do not hesitate to research a local chiropractor in your area and find out how they can help alleviate your pain.

Proper Back Care for Healthcare Workers


If you are a nurse or caregiver, then you know the importance of protecting both yourself and your patient when you are working. However, many healthcare professionals get back injuries or strains when they are transferring patients, lifting equipment or moving supplies, and some patients are injured as well. This is why it is extremely important that you use every precaution necessary to protect everyone involved.

Follow Guidelines

If you work for a healthcare facility, make sure that you follow all guidelines that they have in place about transferring patients. This may mean that you need to have several nurses on hand to help move the patient, or it may require you to use a patient lift. Patient lifts will take the strain off of you and the patient, which keeps everyone safer, while extra hands will make sure that help is available in case of an accident. In addition to protecting you from injury, following the guidelines will protect you from any legal ramifications if an accident occurs.

Wear the Proper Equipment

No matter what type of work you do, it is vital that you wear the proper shoes. This is especially important when you are working in the healthcare industry. Since you are on your feet all day, you are more susceptible to injuries. A good pair of shoes will keep your muscles and joints healthy so that you are less likely to pull or strain a muscle.

If you will be lifting patients or heavy equipment, you need to wear a back brace. This will help you remember how to bend properly and to lift using your legs.

Change Position Often

As you are working with patients, make sure that you change your position often. Don't hunch over a patient's bed for several minutes without standing up straight, as this could cause the muscles in your neck, back and shoulders to become bunched up. Keep your movements varied, and avoid repetitive movements, which will overwork your muscles.

Outside of the Workplace

When you get off work, it is still important that you take care of your back. Take a long, hot bath to soothe away the strain of the day. Visit a chiropractor if necessary, which will help to alleviate any strains or knots that you may have. You should also indulge in an occasional massage to pamper your back and should muscles.

Your back is a very important part of your job, so you should protect it while you are working and at home. By taking these precautions, you will be less likely to suffer back injuries so that you can continue to work and do the things you love.

Few Things To Consider Before You Visit A Chiropractor


Most people suffer from body pain at some point in time in their lives. Popping a painkiller every time does not seem to be very appealing. A Chiropractor is the best alternative today when it comes to curing such pain. There is no surgery needed and because of this it is perhaps a better option than most other methods of treating pain.

Chronic pain can really affect your daily living. You can't concentrate or even move when you are in pain. Although you can consume medicines, but the real source of pain is still not treated. Chiropractors offer a more natural way of healing your pain without getting your body exposed to different chemicals and other harmful side-effects. This is one of the major advantages of going in for such therapy. Drugs and antibiotics may not be very useful in the long run. If you allow your body to heal naturally, it will develop stronger muscles and you will enjoy relief for much longer periods.

But there are some things you need to be careful about before visiting a Chiropractor. You must ensure that the person is qualified and experienced.

You need to remember that the procedure involves the spine which can be a critical area. If it is not done properly, it may even cause paralysis. That's why you have to make sure that the specialists are well-trained and he or she has a license to do the procedure. You can't just entrust yourself to someone who doesn't even know what he or she is doing. Ask for references and check with some of the previous clients so that you can be very sure before you go in for your treatment.

The treatment does not start without a proper examination. They will gently do the assessment, especially on your spine to make sure that everything is done correctly. Such examinations may generally include an X-ray, physical examination, neurological examination. He will also go through your health history before starting the treatment.

Since the experts are proven and tested, after the procedure is done, you will feel a huge difference. With constant application of the techniques, you will be free from the pain. The practitioners will usually prescribe lifestyle modifications to prevent the re-occurrence of such pain.

A lot of people now prefer non-surgical methods of treating their ailments. Chiropractors have become popular in recent times as they have been able to treat people naturally without extensive drugs or medicines.

Friday, August 9, 2013

4 Benefits of Acupuncture


Acupuncture techniques have evolved over the years to better and better pinpoint people's ailments and health issues. Acupuncture is an ancient form of alternative medicine based in Chinese history. It is a Taoist based philosophy where meditation and the flow of positive energy or chi inside and outside the body is controlled. The needles used for shifting the energy flow first were made from refined stone. Here are 4 benefits of acupuncture.

Acupuncture has grown in popularity as alternative medicine techniques have become more and more popular and mainstream. One of the main benefits of acupuncture is to improve the quality of your sleep and promote a good appetite. Sleep disorders and having trouble with insomnia are a widespread problem. When you choose to use acupuncture to cure your sleep troubles, bear in mind, that you won't see immediate results. However, after staying with it, you will notice your overall quality of life improving very much.

Another use of acupuncture is to cure mental health issues and get positive energy flowing thoroughly through your body. The needles used in acupuncture are placed in such a way that it promotes overall well-being. Some areas can be targeted to improve mental outlook and overall positivity. The unconventional treatment of acupuncture also benefits people who have suffered from chronic conditions such as back pains that never disappear, painful headaches and migraines, cancer, depression, sleep disorders, and many other emotional and physical disorders.

That's where we come to the acupuncture benefit of releasing positive energy which promotes healing, relieves stress, and reduces the risk of emotional disorders such as depression. Meditation and focusing on the breath is a proven technique for releasing toxic thoughts and toxic energies. That is why acupuncture is a good overall stress reliever.

Finally, there is the use of acupuncture to promote sexual well-being and improve fertility. Many fertility specialists recommend the use of acupuncture as a supplement to the medical and scientific techniques being used. It helps improve women or men's fertility state by decreasing stress and targeting the reproductive organs.

Before trying acupuncture, be sure to check that the acupuncture practitioners who administer the treatment have gone through proper training and are licensed to practice. You can check any reliable local directory to investigate whether the clinic and the one who administer the acupuncture have good reviews from their previous patients. Sometimes, acupuncture practitioners are even listed in the Better Business Bureau.

Before submitting yourself to acupuncture benefits, you need to make sure that the who administer the acupuncture have undergone thorough training and it is licensed to practice. Check your local directory and investigate whether that clinic and the one who will administer have good reviews from their previous patients. It is better to be sure and safe than be sorry later. Once you do that, you will easily find that acupuncture is an excellent alternative medicine which eases chronic pain and promotes overall well being.

Do You Want to Be a Chiropractor?


Chiropractic is a method of dealing with health disorders by the use of manual therapy. Chiropractic practices spinal manipulation and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation. It also includes exercises and health and lifestyle counseling. Chiropractors are primary-contact health practitioners. They practice conservative management of the neuro-musculoskeletal system without the use of medicines or surgery. Their emphasis is on the spine.

Chiropractic medicine involves a range of diagnostic methods that include skeletal imaging, observational and tactile assessments, orthopedic and neurological evaluation, laboratory tests and other specialized examinations.

Chiropractic courses are offered in many universities. Graduation from a secondary school is the main requirement for admission. A popular option to actual attendance to on-campus education is online chiropractic courses. There are now many accredited online colleges that offer chiropractic courses. There is not much difference between on-campus education and online education. You will get the same training and preparation. At the end of the course, you will have the same kind of expertise. The only difference is you manage your own schedule in an online course.

Chiropractors are now in great demand. They have established very lucrative practices. Chiropractors are the health professional of choice for accident victims in their rehabilitation phase, workers who met work-related incidents and injuries, and almost any one who has suffered from pains in one part of the body or another. By enrolling in either an on-campus or online education, you could be in for a very rewarding career in the field of medicine and health care.

How Chiropractic Can Help Kids Chronic Sprained Ankles and Pigeon Toes


Parents often become concerned when they notice their child running awkwardly, being "pigeon toed" (also known as in-toeing), or when they repeatedly sprain their ankles. Your child my trip or fall more often than seems normal, you may notice them rolling their ankles inward (AKA excessive pronation), or their foot may have a "hooked appearance". There are three conditions which can cause these problems and depending on which condition and the age of your child they may require intervention to correct. The good news is that serious interventions such as wearing leg braces or surgery are not usually needed in these cases.

1. Tibial torsion - This is fairly common condition where the tibia or "shin bone" has not rotated into the position where it will be during adulthood. Tibial torsion is considered normal until the age of 7 years. However excessive toe-in between 2 and 7 years my warrant consultation with a doctor. Your child may have excessive pronation seen by weight bearing on the big toe side of the foot much more than the pinky toe side.

What your Chiropractor can do - Your Chiropractor can adjust a subluxated (misaligned) joints in the legs and show you how to stretch the proper muscles while strengthening others. Your Chiropractor may also be able to fit your child with custom shoe orthotics to help correct the excessive pronation.

What you can do - Buy shoes with flexible soles and good arch support such as athletic shoes. Also, getting your child involved in sports or activities which emphasize running such as soccer will help to strengthen the muscles of the legs and provide good muscle length.

2. Femoral torsion - This is similar to tibial torsion except in this case the femur or "thigh bone" is the one that is out of position. This is another common condition that usually resolves on its own by 8 years of age. Again excessive pronation may be seen as well as bowing back of the knees and an excessive curve in the low back.

What your Chiropractor can do - Chiropractic treatment will be similar to that of tibial torsion, adjustments/stretching/strengthening only focusing on the hip instead of the knee and lower leg.

What you can do - Again good shoes are in order. Sports in this case should include those that work out the hips such as bicycling, ballet, or gymnastics. Also, encouraging your child to sit cross legged will stretch the muscles holding the leg in a toe-in position.

3. Metatarsus adductus - This one is a little different than the other two in that it involves the feet instead of the legs. In this case the toe-in occurs in the foot itself. This condition is normal until 1 year of age is a common problem in school age children.

What your Chiropractor can do - Adjusting will focus on the bones of the feet and orthotics may be used if the problem persists beyond 7 years of age

What you can do - Gently stretching your child's foot toward the pinky toe several times a day will help to loosen up the tight tissues.

In all cases, it is important to ensure your children's shoes are well-fitting with plenty of room and no stress points. Also, having your child go barefoot more often encourages better motor control and position sense.

A note on Chiropractic adjustments: Many doctors, including those at Fletcher Hills Chiropractic use low-force techniques such as Activator technique that are much more gentle and less intimidating for children. Ask your Chiropractor what techniques he uses.

This article by a San Diego Chiropractor is a review of an article from the March 12th issue of Dynamic Chiropractor by Dr. Mark Charrette. Read the entire article here Dynamic Chiropractor

Don't Let That Minor Neck Pain Become a Major Pain in Your Neck


Many of us have experienced neck pain of some sort or another, and hardly anyone is unfamiliar with the feeling of a stiff neck after waking up from a long nap in an uncomfortable position. However, this kind of neck pain can actually be a serious problem, and it is important that you take steps to ensure any recurring neck ache or discomfort is taken care of quickly.

The neck is one of the most sensitive parts of the body, and the average human head can weigh as much as 12 pounds. People who have strong neck muscles tend to suffer less from neck pain or a neck ache, but almost everyone will experience a stiff neck at some point in their lives. You need to catch your neck pain before it gets worse, as you can end up seriously hindered by a chronic neck pain if you don't care of your neck.

If your car was out of alignment, would you wait to get it fixed? Answer: No. The same principle holds true with the body and spine. If it is misaligned, or is not moving properly, wouldn't you want to get it corrected before it became a major problem? Chiropractors excel at treating and improving our body's posture, alignment and movement.

Chiropractors are experts are dealing with a sore or stiff neck, and you can be sure that a chiropractor is the best person to help you alleviate any pain you feel in your neck. Chiropractors are trained in manipulating bones and joints to relieve pain, restore proper function, and help get rid of any problems in the spine or neck.

When you see a chiropractor for mild neck pain it is similar to going to an eye doctor when you're having mild vision problems. Just as the eye doctor can give you glasses or alter the prescription of your present classes to help you see better your chiropractic treatment can provide help to lessen and alleviate your neck pain. Not only can you feel better after visiting a chiropractor, but your chiropractor can give you tips and ideas so your neck pain will not worsen or develop into a serious problem.

Many things can cause neck ache, including:

• A slipped disk
• Sore or overly tense shoulder and neck muscles
• A strain placed on your head or neck

It is vital that you take the steps to correct any neck pain that you may experience, as a neck ache can easily develop into something more serious.

Here are two tips to help you get rid of neck pain:

• Make sure to improve your posture if your neck is hurting. Make sure to stand or sit up straight, and keep your shoulders back. Having poor posture is the quickest way to ensure back and neck pain, so have correct posture to avoid aches and pains in your neck.

• Don't sleep in positions that are uncomfortable for your neck, or allow your neck to remain in uncomfortable positions. Talking on the phone can be a cause of a stiff neck, especially if you hold the phone with your ear and shoulder. Make sure that your pillows are not pushing your neck into an awkward position, and get thinner pillows if you feel that your neck is painful after you sleep.

Arthritis Hand Pain - Top 3 Ways to Cure Arthritis Hand Pain


Hand arthritis can occur mainly in three areas, such as wrist joint, finger joints, and knuckle joints. When these joints are affected by arthritis, daily activities such as writing, threading needle or tying shoelace etc. become very difficult. Out of all forms, hand arthritis is very perilous. However it is possible to get relief from pains associated through natural remedies.

Top three ways to cure arthritis hand pains are:

-Use of Alternative Medicines: Few alternative medicines are found to be very successful in relieving pain. One of the most popular alternative medicines is the use of herbs & massages. Acupuncture and visiting a chiropractor can be equally helpful for curing hand pain.

-Non-surgical Treatment: Three most popular non-surgical treatments are medications, injections, and splinting.

Medication: Medications works as anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatories are capable of stopping the body from producing chemical, responsible for swelling & pain. Tylenol and Advil are two most popular over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs. Celebrex is a popular prescription drug for arthritic pain relief. Though medications treat symptoms, they are unable to restore joint cartilage or joint damage.

Injections: When anti-inflammatory medications are ineffective, injections are used. These injections contain a long lasting anesthetic & steroid. These injections are capable of providing pain relief, which can varies from weeks to months depending upon the amount of doses.

Splinting: Splints have to be used when joint hurts. The splint helps to support the joints. Splinting works along with injections as supplementary.

-Surgical Treatment: If non-surgical option fails to relief the arthritis hand pains, then surgery should be preferred. Usually surgery is the best option in providing long-term pain relief. Joint replacement is one of the popular methods in the surgical treatment.

Though these are the best three ways to cure arthritis hand pain, these can have possible site effects. Possible side effects of injections are lightening of the skin, weakening of the tendons and ligaments. Infections may be one of the major side effects of these practices.

Chiropractor Detoxification - Your Body's Friendly Neighborhood


A chiropractor detoxification program is another cleansing program that works on both the physical and mental health of people. The toxins in our body can from a wide variety of sources, but all can cause considerable damage to our body once they accumulate and not acted upon immediately. A chiropractor detoxification program is an effective way of cleansing the body, but it is also safe and natural. Toxins accumulated in our body can block our body's meridian points, and the program can help significantly unclog these passages. Once these meridian points are properly unclogged, energy can be evenly distributed all over our body. With it, our system can also run much more efficiently, and can give you the overall feeling of rejuvenation.

A chiropractor detoxification program works its cleansing miracles by incorporating healthy diets, herbal supplements, and better lifestyle changes. This natural process of cleansing the body is designed to prevent bad things before they even start to occur. It will not only help detoxify your body, it can also make you feel renewed and young again. You will be more resistant to common illnesses like colds and flu, as well as the ability to fend off stress and fatigue. With toxins out of your system, your immune system will become stronger, keeping you healthier in the process. And don't forget that this program is not only made for betterment of physical health, but mental health as well.

Toxic substances are all around us, and with the way we live our lives nowadays, its no surprise that we all are carrying a certain amount of these accumulated impurities. The longer they stay inside of us, the more we are at risk to a wide range of diseases. A chiropractor detoxification program is focused mainly on cleansing your system, and preventing these impurities from coming back inside of you. With proper diet, exercise, lifestyle change, and a little determination, you can bring back your health to its optimal level in no time.

A chiropractor is known as the person qualified to give you this kind of treatment, and they work by helping you get to the root of your problem. Toxin problems tend to repeat itself if an individual is not properly advised on how to maintain his healthy lifestyle. The root of the problem is usually our eating habits and lifestyle, and this is what the program targets to solve. And besides, prevention is always better than the cure right? 

Chiropractor - Tampa - Whiplash - Neck and Back Pain


Did you know that permanent injuries can occur from being in an automobile accident where the cars are only going five miles per hour? Whiplash injuries are the most common type. This occurs when the head is violently whipped forward and then violently backward. Ligaments are torn, vertebral discs arfe herniated, and degenerative arthritis begins. If the individual chooses the wrong type of treatment or even neglects to seek any treatment, then the damage can become permanent. Once a veretral disc wears out, it is gone forever.

This situation leads to other types of health concerns because of the irritation and pressure on the nerve roots. Irritation to the nerve roots decrease the body's ability to function properly, and can cause a person a lot of pain, inflammation, numbness, and decreased mobility. So where is one to turn for help? Is a medical doctor the one to turn to? The medical doctor can write you prescriptions that can ease your suffering. They can also send you to other specialists such as a physical therapist, who can help you to exercise and apply therapy modalities like ultrasound and elctrical stimulation.

These therapy modalities can also help to decrease pain and increase mobility. Massage and acupuncture are also helpful and can do the same. However, none of these can correct the problem to its full potential. There is one health field that can though. Chiropractic is the only branch of health care that can help the individual recover to his or her full potential. Without chiropractic care, the accident victim will most likely be left with permanent degeneration and disability. Often times accident victims are still left with some degree of permanent injury and disability even with chiropractic care, so you can imagine how bad it is for those that neglect to go to the chiropractor. Chiropractic is usually cheaper than other treatment. Medical doctors almost always charge more. There is no side effects from chiropractic care either. Did you know that there are more fatalities and damge done from side effects of perscription drugs and surgery that from anything that the none medical health professionals do. Just listen to the next television commercial that is selling a drug and pay close attention to the part where they list the side effects. Chiropractors are highly trained caring professionals that know how to find and correct the cause of the problem that is associated with car accident injuries.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

The Many Benefits of Care at a Chiropractic Clinic


One of the many reasons for the continued growth of Chiropractic Care among the medical field is due to the many benefits that can be received from it. In addition many recommend and suggest Chiropractic methods due to the non-invasive and non-harmful approach, as Chiropractic insists upon awakening the body's own natural ability to heal. It is stated that the Power that created the body, heals the body!

Some Common Benefits of beginning Care at a Cape Girardeau Chiropractic Office

Changes or dysfunction in the nervous or musculoskeletal system does not exclude anyone. It is for this reason that anyone with a nervous system can benefit from Chiropractic (yes this is everyone!) The body has a natural ability to heal and a Cape Girardeau Chiropractor can provide relief to many forms of discomfort, pain, or dysfunction, when the body has undergone a change to the spine, back, neck, or nervous system. If an individual is required to stay active, the presence of these types of dysfunctions can disable you from performing well and limit your motor capacity. This is because of the fact that any form of movement to the damaged area of the body, or change in the nerve system, can result in pain and discomfort.

Regardless of what has caused your initial discomfort, some of the highlighted benefits of beginning care at a Cape Girardeau Chiropractic Clinic are as follows:

• Improved circulation (better blood flow)
• Reduction or elimination of lactic acid (less pain following exercise)
• Smoother travel of oxygen and nutrients in the body (better healing capacity)
• More flexibility (better performance)
• Elimination of any pain or soreness (can get back to activities faster)
• Faster recovery time (quicker return)
• Reduced muscle spasm (less pain)
• Prevention of future injury (ensured future performance)
• More relaxed feeling

Combination of Chiropractic and Common Sense

To receive the most benefits of seeing a Cape Girardeau Chiropractor it is best to combine his efforts with natural techniques. Most Chiropractors will recommend this to help your body respond to their care as best as possible. This will allow your body to attain maximum mobility, performance, and healing capacity!
To enhance your results from your Chiropractor, you must try to develop a routine that incorporates the following physical activities:

• Keep your body properly hydrated.
• Follow a healthy nutritional plan.
• Do some stretching exercises or develop a healthy exercise routine.

Additional Benefits of Chiropractic Care

People all know that Chiropractic may be able to help them with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. However, there is so much more that a Cape Girardeau Chiropractic Clinic can do for them. The benefits for people with dysfunction in the nervous system go well beyond the musculoskeletal system and many people receive these types of additional highlights as well:

• If a woman is pregnant, they are able to deliver much easier when they have balance to their body.
• For babies and children, improved developmental abilities and prevent the possibility of acquiring scoliosis.
• For kids, it helps prevent asthma, ear infection, bedwetting, among other things.
• For adults, they are able to generate more energy and increase productivity.
• For senior individuals, they attain better balance and prevent injury caused by falling down.

Meanwhile, overall results and benefits reported from patients who've undergone chiropractic care include the following:

• Boost in the functions of the immune and nervous system.
• Patients attain improved vitality.
• Breathing becomes easier.
• Better digestive function.
• Sharper vision.
• Improved overall health.

When Do Results Become Evident?

This is different for everyone. When you receive your first correction you have begun your path towards new and improved health. Your body will start to realign and you may feel relieved pressure and pain in your joints and body. In patients with mild problems, they often immediately experience some relief and see some of these benefits. This is one of the best advantages over surgical or medical procedures! No long recovery period before starting to feel better!

Some cases do take longer to see changes. Often times these patients have more chronic issues. In these cases the patient may feel a slight soreness or aching as the body starts to readjust and rebalance to its normal position. This again is part of the healing process and is to be expected with more serious cases. Even if this is you, it shouldn't take long before you can start to see your body regain its healing capacity and start to return to normal functioning and mobility!

How Can a Chiropractor Help You?


Chiropractic care has several benefits and can help a variety of issues. If you are currently experiencing back pain, migraines, neck pain, or tension within your muscles and joints, then chiropractic care may be a solution for you. Your bones create the frame your body needs for everyday function. Ensuring that your bones are properly aligned and at optimal performance is vital for your health. The first step to receiving any kind of care is getting to know your chiropractor and what type of treatments they can offer to help your problem areas. Understanding what your chiropractor does, what happens when bones become misaligned, how they can be fixed, and types of treatments that can be offered will help you to prepare for your visit.

What does a chiropractor do?

Chiropractors' specialize in the positioning of your bone structure. Though they primarily focus on your spine, chiropractors' can also specialize in working with other bone structures. Additional areas of specialization include:

  • hands and wrists

  • elbows

  • feet and ankles

  • knees

  • shoulders

  • neck

  • hips

When these areas experience tension or harsh movements, they can become misaligned and cause additional problems that can interfere with the functioning of your body. Chiropractors' locate these target areas and perform a gentle adjustment to realign problem areas. By doing so, chiropractors' have the ability to relieve tension, pressure, and pain due to the misalignment.

What happens when my spine becomes misaligned?

Your spine consists of vertebrae discs that houses your spinal cord. When vertebrae become misaligned, they are pushed in a direction opposite of their normal positions and it can cause tension around the area due to where it is located. Misaligned vertebrae can effect your spinal cord and cause pinched nerves to occur. They can also pull in a direction and cause your muscles to become sore due to having to overcompensate for the shift.

How does a chiropractor fix a misalignment?

When a vertebrae or bone becomes misaligned, your chiropractor will perform a gentle adjustment that will shift it slowly back into its proper position. It will feel similar to when you lean back and stretch your back and you feel a slight pop. Your chiropractor will guide you throughout the process to ensure you are comfortable during your visit.

What types of treatments are offered with chiropractic care?

First and foremost, gentle adjustments are the main focus of your chiropractic visit, but there are additional forms of treatment used in addition to help maintain your adjustment. The following can be recommended on an individual basis:

  • stretches

  • muscles stimulation

  • heat/ice application

  • laser application

Before additional treatments are performed, your chiropractor will review your problem areas and find the best forms of treatment and review them with you prior to application.

When pain occurs, reaching out to your chiropractor for treatment options can help with relief and help to prevent additional pain from occurring. Strengthening your spine and additional areas will help to prevent a misalignment from occurring and keep your body running at your optimal performance. Contact your professional chiropractor today for more information.

Why Would You See A Chiropractor


Have you ever:

  • fallen over?

  • had an accident?

  • experienced an injury?

  • been a kid and fallen on your butt?

  • had a brother or sister jump on you in play?

  • done anything that you can think up that places strain on your body?

If you have experienced any of these things you have had bumps that can damage your structure. These impacts stay in your system until they are adjusted out by the only profession that is interested in accomplishing.

Chiropractic care is the only modality to work out the effect of these bumps during our lives and how to adjust for them. You may not even notice any effects from that damage, such as pain, until some time down the track - often years, especially in children.

The reason people choose to see chiropractors is that they can address these fundamental structural issues and imbalances before they become bigger, more noticeable and more significant health issues. This is what chiropractic adjustments can help you with in a very short amount of time so you can get back into living life. Isn't that what you want?

So if you have ever had any time of accident no matter how small the chances are you have done minor damage to your spine. Such damage can become worse over time and affect other body systems and structure. Just like the foundations of a house when one part is out it can affect many. The spine can affect the knees, shoulders, hips and more.

When to See a Chiropractor for Joint Pain Relief


Hometown Reno chiropractors can bring you quick relief for your joint pain, and may even be able to provide treatment options for other pain and illness.

Your chiropractor is trained and educated on the body and has studied bone and joint placement extensively. You may find that you feel relief after your first visit to the Reno chiropractor of your choice. Imagine feeling better in just a couple of hours and able to enjoy your favorite activities again with the help of your chiropractic care center. There are treatment options for people suffering from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and from injuries that have resulted in long term pain issues.

Your joints are held together by ligaments. Over time, whether through injury or use, your ligaments can become thin, and/or damaged. Cartilage that cushions the bones is also found between the joints. Working with your Reno chiropractors to find a treatment option that works for your condition can provide significant relief. The treatment center may ask for x-rays of the affected area or other diagnostic tests before the treatment plan is decided. This process can take a few visits, but the treatment plan will be more comprehensive and customized with the addition of diagnostic testing.

Typically, the chiropractor will work with patients who have joint pain in their neck, back and shoulders. You will also notice an improvement in leg and hip pain associated with your condition, however, since the alignment of the back can affect the entire body. Some common conditions that require a trip to the chiropractor include whiplash, sports injuries, and repetitive motion injuries. These injuries can require treatment that reshapes and tone the back and neck and treatment that aligns the spine.

Your local chiropractor will begin the treatment program that is right for you as soon as possible. You may be asked to get x-rays more than once through the treatment process, simply because this is the best way to see the improvement that is taking place in the joints. Ligaments can become damaged due to sprains and result in chronic pain making even the simplest tasks difficult. In some cases they can tear resulting in extreme pain. This type of pain is usually very intense and can even make simple tasks that you completed before difficult.

With comprehensive chiropractic care from Reno chiropractors, you will be back on your feet again. Enjoying life and living your life to the fullest is just as important to your personal chiropractor as it is to you, so make sure you seek the treatment that you need before it worsens. If not treated properly, ligament and joint damage can actually worsen over time as you use the joints in your body for everyday activities. Your treatment plan will stop the damage you have experienced in its tracks so that you can feel better quickly.

The 5 Most Common Causes of Serious Neck Pain and How to Fix Them!


1) Muscle Strains or Sprains
This most often occurs as a result of an injury. Something like a whiplash injury from a fall, sports injury or a car accident. It can also be from sleeping in an awkward position or being in one position too long. Even an injury to your shoulder or turning too quick can do it. There's actually many ways someone can strain a muscle; sometimes it can literally be from stress or that combined with one of the other things I've mentioned.

2) Herniated or Bulged Disc
A Herniated disc occurs when the inner disc, the nucleus, protrudes or ruptures through the outer part and puts pressure on a nerve or nerves. It usually occurs as a result of a very serious injury, like one of the above but on a more serious scale. Most often someone has accumulated a certain amount of wear and tear first then something is the "final straw" causing that disc to rupture. A bulge is similar except the outer disc stays intact but bulges. The same pain and inflammation may result. Depending on exactly where the disc bulge is and its size will determine the amount of nerve pressure. Often as discs degenerate and flatten they bulge. This leads me to my next common cause...

3) Arthritis
Arthritis is another word for degeneration or wear and tear. People who beat up their bodies more over the years will have more arthritis as they age. There are actually many factors, but basically people who don't take care of themselves usually break down faster. Just like a car, if you don't feed it with good fuel and maintain it by changing the oil and cleaning certain things it may stop running. Our bodies are the same way and as more degeneration sets in the bones become more brittle, muscles become tighter, and pain increases. Constant repetition of certain activities or having poor posture overtime can lead to degenerative changes in the spine.

4) Muscle Spasm
Muscles are an important factor in allowing us to move, and to be active. Doing one motion incorrectly, or repetitively can cause the muscles to overstretch and be injured. Muscle spasm can cause constant pain because the muscles are irritated and pressure on nerves. Remember those muscles are attached to the spinal bones and call force misalignment which also puts pressure on the nerves. Misalignment can cause poor posture or the reverse.

5) Poor Neck Posture
What your posture looks like on the outside is often what your spine looks like on the inside. So if you have forward head posture for example, most likely you've lost the normal neck curvature. This is also known as loss of cervical lordosis or "military neck". This will tension the spinal cord and nerves; it will strain the muscles in the back of the neck and predispose you for all of the conditions mentioned above.

Now, onto how to prevent and fix these common cause of Neck Pain...

The best way to prevent and correct all of the above is to keep the spine in it's best alignment. Injuries and strains will happen but when they do, they will be less and the muscles will heal much quicker. My best recommendations to avoid and end your neck pain are to see your chiropractor when an injury occurs, avoid repetitive stress to the neck, and try to maintain good neck posture. I realize sometimes you can't get to your chiropractor's office soon enough, or you find it difficult sometimes to maintain good posture. In this case I would also recommend using a good neck pillow. The traction pillow will help correct and maintain alignment while you sleep. This is central to keeping pressure off of the nerves and therefore preventing muscle spasm, degeneration, and disc injury.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Finding the Right Chiropractor


Kansas City offers many of the choices you need if you're looking for a chiropractor. Chiropractic offices are plentiful and maybe you're wondering what chiropractics are all about. Does their service has to deal and help me with in-depth medical issues? The answer to this is yes, they can help you and in more ways than you might think.

First of all, chiropractic is a healing method that deals primarily with the spine. The spinal column interacts and is intertwined with the body's central nervous system. The central nervous system is like a train depot for the body. It gives signals and "messages" that controls all of the body's functions, and movements. The central nervous system runs from the brain and to the bottom of the back. The spinal column follows this same track.

For an extreme example, this is why when a person breaks their spine, they can't move, and can become paralyzed for life. In this case, the nerves stop sending "messages" to the various parts of the body needed to create movement. If there is no "message", there is no movement. Our bodies take on a lot of wear and tear in our daily lives.

Sometimes our spinal columns can become slightly out of alignment, due to daily movement, or accidents. We all have experienced physical accidents from slips, falls, athletics, or even vehicular accidents. We may in time feel better after these accidents, but these incidents can cause the joints and bones in our spines to not line up correctly, or to shift.

The results of these shifts can be pain in the back, headaches, or nerve tingling in parts of the body not even associated with the original accident! That's where a chiropractor can become your friend. These professionals spend years studying the spine, and the nervous system. They learn techniques that bring the spinal column, and therefore the body back into alignment. When the spine has proper alignment, the benefits are many. The biggest overall benefit is that the nervous system can carry its "messages" to various parts of the body with efficiency.

Another benefit in using a chiropractor has said to be training your body to heal itself, and protect itself against infection. Again, one has to get their body into alignment, so that their nervous system can work properly. In addition to sending "messages" to body parts for movement, nerves also control mental, and organ function. If there is a breakdown in the nervous system, the body won't get the "messages" it needs to create anti-bodies, or other self-protection hormones. Sometimes, the nerves send out "messages" telling the body to protect itself from dangers that aren't really dangerous. This is the case with auto-immune diseases. An alignment can help the flow of messages in the nervous system, and the body will receive the appropriate messages it needs to defend, or heal itself from infection,allergens, or trauma. A chiropractic visit isn't very expensive, and many health care plans will cover the cost.

A chiropractic visit is viewed in the medical community as both a healing, and a preventative health method. The procedure is pretty non-invasive. There are no needles, or blood involved with a spinal alignment. The patient just needs to wear comfortable clothing. The procedure can take up to an hour. Some patients have experienced slight pain during the alignment, but the benefits far outweigh any discomfort. Most people who visit chiropractors on a regular basis feel that they can live productive lives. They gain control over pain, or ailments that have held them back. A reputable, caring chiropractor wants their patients to experience this, and more. Their goal is to work with the patient in educating them, and empowering them to take control of the outcome of their health, and therefore their quality of life.

The Anatomy Of A Pinched Nerve


Minor body aches and pains are an accepted fact of life for anyone who leads a relatively active lifestyle. But when that pain becomes problematic and chronic, it may be time to consult professionals about what might be the source of that pain. A pinched nerve is often found to be the culprit when it comes to chronic pain, especially if it develops into lower back pain, neck pain, leg pain, shoulder pain or hip pain. A chiropractor may be the answer for pain relief in this situation, and we will explain how to determine if this condition might be at the root of your pain.

Symptoms

The term pinched nerve is used in medicine to describe an injury or damage to a single nerve or set of nerves for any number of reasons. The nerve most commonly affected by this condition is the sciatic nerve, and because it has bundles that radiate throughout the body, it can cause pain in areas far removed from the actual injury site. Because of this, if you show any of the following symptoms, it would be a wise idea to see your regular physician or chiropractor immediately, so that the injury site can be determined, and treatment begun.

Weakness: generally felt in an extremity, like a leg or arm, but may often present itself in the lower back as well. Feels like the muscles located in that area are exceptionally weak, and may lack basic strength while manipulating them.

Tenderness: the skin, muscle and tendons within the affected area are hypersensitive to tactile feelings, like pressure, pain, extension and compression. The entire area around the affected nerve bundle feels sore, like it had undergone severe cramps over a long period of time.

Odd sensations: you may feel odd sensations in the affected area, like pins and needles, numbness, waves of burning sensations or stabbing and fluctuating pains. These may also coincide with muscle spasms, and are brought on by the compression or contracting of the nerve bundles.

Causes

The primary cause of this condition is often simple exertion. When we work hard or play hard, we run the risk of pulling muscles, straining ligaments, and shifting some of our more fragile bones out of place, especially as we grow older. Age is also a factor for the second most likely cause behind this condition, which is bone spurs or thickening of the bones through aging and arthritis. This can be a defining factor for the location of the compression, especially when the sciatic nerve is involved.

Other medical conditions, like sciatica, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis can cause the nerve bundles along the spine to become compressed, literally pinching the nerve strands and causing pain to radiate throughout the body. This is why it is so important to be examined to determine the source of the injury or compression. Too often the site is thought to be where the pain is, when in reality, it may be far removed from it. Lastly, any injury that involves the neck, shoulder, back or spine can lead to the vertebrae that make up the spinal column to shift or compress, and the spinal nerves along with it.

Treatment Options

The treatment for this condition is usually broken down into phases of treatment options. For chronic pain episodes, treatment with corticosteroid shots, followed by periods of bed rest, will usually alleviate the most painful symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments can also be done, as well as physical therapy sessions. The key to any viable treatment plan, however, is assessments and examinations to pinpoint the injured area.

The important thing to remember about treating a pinched nerve is that over time, it can progress from a temporary injury to a permanent condition far faster than you might realize. If it happens to you, get checked, and get treated before it gets worse.

Top 10 EHR Qualities to Look For


Chiropractors have a lot of information to decipher before choosing the right electronic health records (EHR) software for their practice. Knowing the fundamental qualities in an EHR is critical to minimizing costs and maximizing productivity. After all, purchasing a chiropractic EHR system may be the most important practice decision a chiropractor will make. It's a decision that will last for many years and significantly impact the way a chiropractor manages their patients.

Today there are hundreds of software vendors to choose from in the market, each advertising very different products at very different costs. Knowing which qualities are fundamental is critical to purchasing the right EHR system for your practice. In an effort assist in the buying decision, a list of the top ten critical features to look for in an EHR below.

Top 10 EHR qualities:

1) Government certification status - Most providers are aware of the government's $44,000 incentive program for providers who adopt certified EHR systems. What chiropractors may not know is there are two certification status' for EHR systems, modular and complete. Only completely certified systems will qualify for the incentive money. Additionally, some EHR companies may have used other software systems in order to satisfy their certification status. Bottom line: make sure the EHR is completely certified system and doesn't require other software.

2) Specificity- Chiropractors are unique health care professionals. As such, EHR systems should be designed from the ground up using the direct input of a practicing chiropractor. Systems that have been designed for general practitioners and later retrofitted for chiropractors will simply be less functional. Buyers should ask the EHR system was designed by a practicing chiropractor.

3) Connectivity- In today's digital world, many offices are using some form of software scheduling, billing, accounting, statistics, and/or marketing. Having multiple programs for each of these functions is redundant, inefficient and costly. An EHR should incorporates these functions into a single practice management system will be more stable and efficient. For example, when daily notes are completed, the diagnosis, treatments and charges should automatically post to the patients accounts and insurance claims.

4) Usability- It's hard enough that a doctor needs to switch from paper records to electronic, let alone learn to use a software system that manages their whole office. To ease this transition, the program needs to be intuitive and logical. A user should not have to click through several windows in order to accomplish a simple task. Data should only be entered once and important information should be clearly displayed in an organized fashion.

5) Adaptability - Windows is still the most popular operating system but more apple users are growing in popularity. Having an EHR that is compatible with both operating systems will allow you more flexibility. Tablet PC's have proven to be more efficient and are the main reason for their growing trend. Having a chiropractic software system that is graphically driven for touch screens interfaces will allow you to be more efficient.

6) Customizable- It's important to use a program that generally follows accepted standards of care. However, it is equally important to have a system that can be tailored to the doctor's unique ways of practicing. An EHR program that restricts the way a doctor diagnosis', treats and manages their patients will only increase frustration, usability and liability.

7) Reliable support - Converting to an EHR is one of the most complex tasks chiropractors will face in practice. Therefore, chiropractors should accept nothing less than a personalized support plan that is easy to access. Phone support is essential along with the ability to have technicians remotely access the computer's desktop.

8) Program speed- As more patients are added to the program's database, the speed will inevitably decrease. This can be minimized if the coding for software program has been done efficiently and properly. When going through a EHR demonstration, buyers should ask to see if there are at least 1000 patient records in the database. Under this condition, you should not have to wait more than 1-2 seconds for access to critical areas like billing and documentation.

9) Networking- A typical chiropractor will be using a treatment room with a receptionist at the front desk. Local networking allows both doctor and staff to have simultaneous access to patient data in each room. As Tablet PC's become more popular, data needs to be accessed quickly through a basic wireless connection. If there are multiple clinics, then data needs to be exchanged seamlessly between those clinics through a basic broadband internet connection.

10) Cost- The right EHR system will provide multiple returns on your investment. Nonetheless, you shouldn't have to mortgage your house in order to pay for the right system. Most quality EHR systems range between $1000.00 to $10,000.00 depending their functionality. If you are investing in a higher cost system, ask what payment options are available and if there are special discounts.

The health care environment is evolving at lightning speed and EHR technology is at the forefront of this change. EHR's have been proven to be more efficient, accurate and secure than paper records. The right EHR system will increase productivity and improve patient care. However, don't settle for the most popular, the most flashy or the least expensive system on the market. Take your time and use this list as a starting point when analyzing all of your options, and find the best fit for you and your office.

Time-Sensitive Chiropractic Marketing Ideas


The other day while reading the Wall Street Journal, I came across an article which discussed what I immediately saw as a time-sensitive practice-building opportunity for chiropractors and chiropractic marketing in general.

The article started as follows: "It's that time of year when darkness descends like a heavy blanket beginning in mid-afternoon in much of the country. For some people, it also brings a desire to stay in bed and wait for spring". The article continued with an introduction to and explanation of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Or, as it's more commonly referred to: the Winter Blues.

"Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects an estimated 6% of Americans, causing depression, lethargy, irritability and a desire to avoid social situations. It can also create an urge to overeat, particularly carbohydrates. As many as 15% of people in the U.S. may have a milder version that includes only some of these symptoms", the article reported. That's an estimated 21% of Americans with some form of symptoms related to the Winter Blues.

For the astute chiropractor, this presents a superb practice-building and chiropractic marketing opportunity. You can easily offer a 60-minute free teleseminar about natural methods for equipping the body to better handle SAD. Of course, one of the main ways would be chiropractic care in your office.

You could run a small-space ad chiropractic marketing campaign in the local newspaper advertising the free teleseminar. Ideally, the call-to-action in the ad would send prospects to a web page where they would need to enter their name and email address to register for the teleseminar and get the call-in details. Done correctly, this could easily bring you a small handful of new patients. At worst, it builds you a little list of future prospective patients you could then follow-up with on a regular basis.

Point is just this:

Anytime there's a group of people with a problem chiropractic care can solve or help with, it presents you with a chiropractic marketing opportunity to offer free education and promote chiropractic care in your office. And when there's a group of people with a problem nobody else is really addressing... your opportunity to become their savior is even better.

Finding a Chiropractor Online for Back Pain


Many people sustain injuries due to car accidents or because of recurring arthritis, back pain and headaches. A nearby physician or the medicines that are stocked in the medicine cabinet are merely ineffective sources of relief. What people do not know is that their pain and other discomfort can be relieved much more efficiently and effectively if they contact a local chiropractor.

These days, the society is benefiting from chiropractors in a variety of ways. People can seek help from them when it comes to leading a healthier life, while they can seek relief from aches and pains with their help. In fact, the rate of improvement with traditional treatments is known to be slower, while chiropractic therapy has become popular for offering quicker results.

The fact of the matter is that chiropractic therapy has not yet been established as deeply and widely as a traditional remedy for back pain and other ailments. Thus unlike the huge number of traditional doctors, there are not as many chiropractors out there. So, for people suffering from back pain or other musculoskeletal problems should begin searching for a chiropractor near their area if they intend to consult one.

A good way of avoiding a hit-or-miss approach is by searching for a source that can provide credible information regarding local chiropractic practitioners. To ensure the information available is actually valid, it should be made sure that it is detailed and up to date.

In the early days, when people wanted to check further details of a chiropractor, this would mean going through printed yellow pages and looking through some other source. Luckily, this task has been made much easier and simpler ever since the advent of the internet. Today people can ideally get a list of chiropractors in their area simply by going online.

For those who require additional information on the potential chiropractors they are seeking even have the option of reading reviews. Many chiropractors even have online profiles that offer much more details about them and their practice so that people can determine if they are useful to them.

Often a single chiropractor directory, like chirodirectory.com, might not have all the information on every chiropractor and this can be concerning when people are not able to find a chiropractor near their area. Consulting different directories can help people, and they are sure to come across several chiropractors nearby.

Many people are turning towards it as a career and chiropractor therapy has is gradually becoming a popular treatment. So finding a chiropractor in different areas should not be a problem.

To attain the best possible experience when searching for chiropractors online, people should even make use of the search functionality of directories like chirodirectory.com, chirohub.com, etc. Often people are even allowed to type in their zip code when they are searching for a chiropractor, and this specifies the search radius. Once the results for the nearest chiropractors in the area are presented, people can then choose the right local chiropractor for their back pain.

Bulging Disc Treatment - 5 Ways to Treat Your Bulging Disc As Painlessly As Possible!


It is not a secret that bulging discs which occur in the lumbar or lower back is excruciatingly painful. It is also not a secret that quite a lot of people all over the world go through life enduring extreme amounts of pain due to this very debilitating condition.

What does seem to be a secret though is the fact that not all bulging disc treatments require that you under surgery. While a lot of these conditions can become untreatable via the use of surgical means, quite a number can be treated using lesser, more affordable and less intense methods.

In this article, we will be discussing five methods which you may explore as a bulging disc treatment, all of which do not require surgery to achieve; at the end of this article, you will be directed to a resource which will help you completely and permanently solve your slipped disc issues without fail. Let's continue shall we...

Let us expound on the whole slipped disc condition some more; many people make it seem as though bulging disc treatment is impossible. This is not true; while your disc may be bulging, you must realize that that condition can be improved.

In fact, quite a lot of time a simple pelvic traction (this is a method used to stretch the spinal column) or good old bed rest can result in the reduction of the displaced disc back into its normal habitat. Nevertheless, below are five more advanced and effective herniated disc treatments...

#1. Chiropractic Adjustments
This method involves the use of techniques like traction and spinal manipulation. While there are more chiropractic adjustment techniques, these are the two most beneficial which are widely used.

#2. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a method which has been used as a bulging disc treatment for a while. It is very effective and the origin of most of these kinds of therapy can be traced directly back to the chiropractic arena.

Since then though, many embellishments and enhancements have been effected. Examples of these physical therapies include, but are not limited to, the following; automated pelvic traction, free-weight pelvic traction, ultrasound, hot packs and therapeutic massage.

#3. The McKenzie Method
Most of the blame for herniated disc can be attributed to posture. The McKenzie bulging disc treatment method directly affects the spinal column in relation to posture, dysfunction and derangement.

This bulging disc treatment method involves the use of extension exercises targeted at the lower back encouraging the displaced disc to reduce into its normal location.

#4. The Williams Technique
To encourage the reduction of the disc and the decompression of the nerves, the Williams technique makes use of the flexion (or bending) position. This, as you may have noticed is the reverse of the McKenzie technique.

#5. Epidural Steroid Injections
This method can have numerous benefits when used as bulging disc treatment. It helps reduce the pain and inflammation which generally irritates spinal nerves.

This is achieved by injecting Cortisone into the spinal canal outside of the spinal sac. It is a simple procedure which may require a pain management professional and the use of anesthesia.

FACT: Most conventional treatments for slipped disc only work as a temporary band aid solution; they all fail to work in the long run!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Can a Chiropractor Fix a Bulging Disc?


Many people are intimidated by chiropractors because they don't really know very well what chiropractic specialists do and if they can actually fix their bulging disc. Chiropractic care was basically invented to help you eliminate or diminish back pain. But will a chiropractic specialist be able to really fix a bulging disc?

The short answer is yes, a chiropractor can help fix a bulging disc, if additional treatments are employed. The big bonus that chiropractors come with is that they completely focus on your back only. A chiropractor understands nearly anything there is to comprehend concerning the back discs, the spinal cord, the nervous system structure as well as the biochemical processes going on in the back. That is actually the key motivation why many people consider chiropractic specialists not alone to obtain assistance but also for a diagnosis.

Another important detail would be that chiropractors don't use any kind of medications plus they never perform any surgical procedures. They will aim to solve the condition in non invasive approaches and whenever they may discover that the ways that they employed didn't work, a good chiropractor is going to send you to someone else who they think are more suitable to fix your back problems.

Most people are introduced to chiropractors because they have been involved in some kind of injury, generally a vehicle accident. More often than not a car accident that has hurt the back may bring about a painful bulging disc, and soreness in the muscles and joints that are connected to the spinal column. A chiropractor in many cases can take care of it through focusing on the right places around the spinal column. An excellent chiropractor will also continue working on your back for an extended period of time and maintain the alignment of the vertebrae so that you can keep your life quality.

Despite the fact that chiropractic specialists are completely accepted as health specialists by all health care institutes and physicians it is still part of what has become known as alternative treatment and usually employed in cases where the standard medication couldn't help. You will find that numerous medical practitioners might send you to the chiropractor after they detect the condition you have and realize that the standard medications will fail to benefit. Oftentimes the hospital will have its very own chiropractor staff members who can provide you with help even at the clinic itself.

Chiropractic treatment can help fix bulging discs, but it should always be utilized in addition to further effective treatment options for disc dysfunctions. Seeing that each back condition is different, this mix of therapies has to be fitted to the specific disorder of the affected individual. Alternative therapy possibilities like acupuncture, massage therapy, and physical exercise are extremely good solutions to make use of in combination with chiropractic care.

Neck Pain - Chiropractic Care Related to Cervical Spine Injury


Most people do not realize how much stress is on their neck, with its great degree of flexibility and support of your 12-14 pound head, coupled with the fact that it has the least amount of muscular stabilization in the spine means that your neck is very susceptible to injury. The spinal cord runs directly through middle opening of vertebrae and sends signals to every muscle, organ, and system of the body. Between each pair of cervical vertebrae, the spinal cord sends out a nerve that runs anywhere from your neck and upper back down to the hands and fingers. This means that if you get pain, numbness, tinging, cold or other symptoms in your hand and arm, it can actually be a problem in your neck! This can often mimic and can be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes a similar pain in the wrist and hand.

Your neck was also created with built-in shock absorbers, including both the intervertebral disc and whats called a cervical lordosis or curve. This curve acts like a spring and absorbs the shock of your head resting on your neck. When your neck loses this lordotic curve, the ligaments of the neck become stretched and lose their ability to maintain the curve. This would resemble the pressure a bowling ball resting on top of a spring versus a bowling ball now on top of a stick. Which do you think causes more pressure? This loss of the lordotic curve can occur from a number of things including an automobile accident, chronic poor posture, or vertebral misalignments left untreated by a chiropractor.

Poor posture is a very common cause of joint dysfunction in the neck, and can cause problems in the shoulders and upper back as well. This is a very common trend seen in a chiropractic office. Bad postural habits are often the result of poor tendencies such as reading in bed, slouching while sitting or driving, and leaning forward to look at a computer screen. These are causes of poor posture, and each one of them can be corrected by getting adjusted by your chiropractor and learning the proper way to position yourself during day to day activities. One thing to keep in mind with neck posture is to not let your head bend forward or hunch for long periods of time. Also, make sure you get up and walk around every hour to keep motion in the joints if you are sitting in one position for a long time. When you are sitting, make sure your head is in a neutral position and you back is supported, keep your knees slightly lower than your hips, and rest your arms especially if you are working with a keyboard or mouse.

Bozeman Chiropractic

A Chiropractor Treats Injuries From a Car Accident


When were you in a car accident?

Did a chiropractor assess you? If not, you should have this done. It's always still possible to pursue this treatment.

Chiropractic is a good treatment option for back pain, headaches, and neck pain caused by car accidents. It may surprise you that we not only treat patients with recent injuries from auto accidents, but also those that had accidents that were dismissed as mild and not previously treated.

It has always seemed strange that people usually don't look after themselves as well as they look after their cars. Slight neck pain, headaches and lower back pain are all too often minimized, overlooked, or brushed off as not something to worry about after an auto collision injury. This shouldn't be the case. Can you imagine if other health concerns were treated so recklessly?

The injury triggers in whiplash related accidents are complicated. Discs can become herniated, fractures of the spine can occur, muscles stretch and tear and ligaments can often partially tear or even burst. There are numerous various symptoms that can cause pain in the neck or back, ranging in severity from an irritation that is small to a disability that is severe as a result of these injuries. Short-term back and neck pain is very distressing, but chronic back and neck problems are even more difficult to cope with.

While whiplash is a complex injury, the spinal injuries that result often show a common pattern. Muscles and ligaments at the injury location start feeling irritated. Inflammation results from the irritation. The inflammatory process is the cause of the majority of symptoms at the onset, and it also causes the development of scar tissue that can cause these symptoms to become permanent or chronic.

One quarter of auto accident victims develop chronic problems from their injuries.

Auto accidents often result in neck and back pain along with headaches, areas that chiropractors excel in caring for. To make sure that you are not part of the one-fourth of those people who do not recover completely from a car crash injury, see a chiropractor as soon as possible for examination and treatment.

Chiropractic Techniques Examined - Gonstead and Activator


The chiropractics profession has been around a long time and over the years dozens of different spinal manipulation methods have developed. Two of the most commonly used techniques are the Gonstead Technique and the Activator method. Which one is better for you? The following information may help you decide.

The Gonstead Technique

This technique was started by Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead of Wisconsin when he became a chiropractor in 1923. His idea of chiropractics references all body misalignments to the pelvic girdle, the body's foundation according to the Gonstead theory.

Just like a building's foundation needs to be level and firm to support the top of the building, the body's foundation of the pelvic bones and the lower back bones needs to be level and in balance for the rest of the body to be secure and functioning well.

If these base bones become out of place at all through accidents or just abnormal movements, the whole body can be thrown out of whack. When the body is unable to naturally correct these misalignments, chiropractics is the key to setting things straight again.

Those using or following this concept will look carefully for misalignments in the upper back, but especially in the lower back near the pelvic bones. Manual techniques are often accompanied by spinal X-rays to get a complete understanding of the spine's shape.

The theory then is once the exact problem vertebra is located, that problem area and nothing else should be adjusted back into place. Everything else will naturally fall into alignment when the root problem is fixed.

The Activator Method

This technique was created by Arlan Fuhr in the early 1960s with the introduction of his spring-load tool called the activator. The tool is used to replace manual manipulation of the spine and is often less jolting on the patient.

This is because the activator is used to pop misaligned vertebrae or joints back into place individually. In this procedure, the chiropractor has the patient lay flat, face down on a table while the doctor compares the length of the patient's legs. If one leg appears shorter than the other, the chiropractor will press on individual vertebrae on the back to see if that makes a difference in the length of the leg.

That vertebra is then adjusted with a special tool and the doctor repeats this process until all necessary vertebrae have been realigned.

This is a very popular treatment in the United States today. A National Board of Chiropractic Examiners survey from 2003 found that almost 70 percent of American chiropractors employed the activator procedure in their practices. And this technique is taught is most of the chiropractics schools around the country today.

Both these procedures have many ardent followers among chiropractors and patients. Both have plenty of people who love each style and claim it works the best. You may need to try each method for yourself before you can determine which the best solution for your back troubles is.

Allergy and Asthma Relief and Treatments


Types of asthma and common triggers of asthma attacks:

There are three main types of asthma, allergic, idiopathic, and mixed asthma.

The first main type of asthma is allergic asthma. This type of asthma is caused by airborne and seasonal allergens. Some of these Allergens include pollen, mold, pet dander and dust mites. Once you are exposed to an allergen, it acts as a trigger for an asthma attack, causing coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. By avoiding the allergen, the asthma can be controlled.

The second main type of asthma is idiopathic or non-allergic asthma. This type of asthma is not related to any specific allergen or substance. Common triggers for idiopathic or non-allergic asthma include the common cold, a respiratory tract infection, exercise, emotions, environmental pollution or some food additives such as sulphates. Over time, asthma attacks can become more frequent and severe if left untreated. This type of asthma can also develop into a more serious respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or emphysema.

The third main type of asthma is mixed asthma. An individual could have a combination of both allergic and idiopathic (or non-allergic) asthma. This is the most commonly diagnosed.

Different treatments for asthma:

It is important to know what your personal asthma triggers are. Preventative medications do not stop an asthma attack, they only help improve your day to day functioning. Therefore, knowing your personal triggers is a must. Triggers can include weather conditions like extreme temperatures, pet dander, dust, mold, pollen, dairy products, emotions, and exercise. It is possible to eliminate some triggers like pet dander, dust mold, pollen and dairy products. Pets can be bathed to help with their dander. Frequent cleaning for dust and mold problems helps along with keeping windows closed and running the air conditioner during the spring and summer seasons.

Bedrooms are good rooms to target to get rid of a lot of dust. Dust and dust mites collect in pillows and mattresses. There are covers for pillows and mattresses that help to eliminate dust mites. Also the regular cleaning of sheets, blankets and curtains will help. It is recommended when possible not to have carpet or throw rugs as these items also collect dust and present problems.

According to medical theory, asthma is a hypersensitivity reaction of the lung. The bronchioles of the lungs start to constrict when triggered by stimuli. When your body is weak, the hypersensitivity reaction is more extreme and the asthma attack is more severe. Once the lungs become hypersensitive easily, it is almost impossible to remove these reactions. In Chinese concept, asthma is most likely triggered when the body is weak. According to Chinese alternative medication, eating a certain Chinese bird nest which can only been found in a cave is very good at controlling asthma. It is a bird's salivary secretion which contains lots of minerals. Some believe there are some Chinese herbs which are good for asthma also.

Some asthmatics try Chiropractic care not just for symptomatic relief of asthma and allergies, but for a complete change in how the body responds to allergens and infections. The nervous system controls all of the functions of the body and allergies are an inability to respond properly to something we are sensitive to. It's not the pollen or mold or food that gives us the allergy it's the way the body responds to the allergen. So the medication that helps with our symptoms is suppressing the body's response to something we are sensitive to. A Chiropractor performs an adjustment in a patient's spine which provides more comfort and freer breathing. They also recommend a change to a more natural diet with whole foods. It is recommended to take the most natural approach possible. First make sure your nervous system is doing exactly what it should. Get checked by a Chiropractor who will be able to recommend nutritional supplements which will help strengthen the glands in the body that have the most to do with allergy response, the adrenal glands. They put out adrenaline, which is a hormone that, when injected into the body, will immediately stop an allergic response.

Chiropractor Marketing Crash Course


You went to school to be a chiropractor and learned anatomy and adjusting, but now you are in the real world and need Chiropractor Marketing 101. You are in the right place. In this short, but sweet, article we take a 30,000 foot view of chiropractic marketing. If you took a semester-long course called Chiropractor Marketing 101, these are the lessons we hope would stick with you throughout your career.

Chiropractor Marketing 101 Learning Objectives

1. Build a brand.

2. Embrace the digital age.

3. Be relevant and valuable.

Build a Brand

As long as you are a chiropractor, marketing will continue to be a necessity. What is your message? What is your 15 second elevator speech? What does your brand of chiropractic stand for? You better get this aspect of your marketing nailed down early. "I treat anyone who walks in the door" doesn't cut it as a position statement.

To build a brand you need a business name that is not your personal name. You need a professionally designed logo and you need a memorable tagline. Your brand and your patient records will be the only transferable business assets you have at the end of your career. Invest wisely.

Embrace the Digital Age

Whenever there is a new technology developed that genuinely helps patients heal and feel their best, you would want to know about it right? Keeping up with current marketing trends is no different. As a digital-age chiropractor, marketing methods are constantly evolving and shifting. Embrace the change. Be open to new methods. Apply the ones that make sense for your practice and your brand.

Be Relevant and Valuable

All consumers, including your current and potential patients are hit with hundreds of marketing messages every day. The only way to stand out from the crowd is to be relevant and to be valuable. The chiropractor marketing to tech-savvy, upper-income, 30 and 40 somethings has to add value to their hectic and tumultuous lives. How can you help them look younger? How can you help them get their kid into college on a baseball scholarship? How can you help them take stress and toxicity out of their lives? When you provide relevant solutions to current challenges you become a trusted advisor instead of just a service provider.

If you came here looking for copied text to place on a postcard next week, I'm sorry to disappoint. I do hope that you've come to realize that chiropractor marketing gimmicks are just that - gimmicks. On the other hand a trusted brand that remains relevant with the times is an asset worth building and safeguarding.