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As a chiropractor and healthcare provider, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the vital issue of excess weight and how it negatively affects every part of the human body. I explain the health challenges to my overweight patients and hammer away on the subject in my blogs because in addition to the cardio-vascular diseases caused by obesity, much of the back pain, hip pain, and knee pain that people experience is influenced by the undue stress excess weight puts on the joints of the body. And, though it may not surprise you, an expert panel in a report out just today said that people in this country must slash their calories and increase physical activity because the obesity epidemic is “the single greatest threat to public health in this century.” 

We all know that dieting isn’t easy, but the advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans gave this clear-cut advice: “People in this country need to cut the calories they consume from added sugars and solid fats (butter, marbled meats) and start eating a more nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.”

The report called for many changes in the food environment. To read more, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-06-15-

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Chiropractic Marketing

Social Media is the “hottest” topic on the Internet today. If you’ve been thinking about getting on board, but you’re not sure where the platform is, let’s take a minute to talk about the “Who, What, When, Where, and How” of social media and you, that’s “Who.” Then you can decide if you want to add Social Media to your chiropractic marketing strategy.

Social media marketing may seem familiar in some aspects to other chiropractic marketing strategies you’ve thought about in the past, but also unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you’d never think of trying any sort of marketing plan without making an effort to understand what it is and what you want to get from it. It’s important to ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Once you’re clear about what you want, you’ll be more capable of using social media to your biggest advantage.

When you are ready to begin your social media endeavor, but before you start, it will be crucial for you to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, i.e., be certain that your name or your clinic’s name is procurable so that you can use the exact same name on every one of the social channels you decide to use. When you’re ready, there’s a service, which is entirely free, that can assist you with your search. Knowem.com is the who to go to. This service will check where your name is and/or if it’s available for use or not on a substantial number of social media sites.

The next step, once you have all your social media accounts secured, is to make a decision as to where you would like to be active. Beginning with only a small number of social media sites is best because, let’s face it, you have a clinic to run and patients to see. You won’t want to get caught up in too many social media sites. So, how do you choose the best sites for you? The big ones (where most of the action is) are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube.

What successful social media activity will do for you is build a genuine presence in your community. What you should never do “sell” on your social media sites, that means don’t sell your chiropractic services, don’t sell products, don’t sell anything! The benefit of social media is for you to go out and network with the community. Sure, let them know what you do, but do it by participating in the conversation. Social media works the same way as social networking offline. It is important to be clear on this point, people on social media do not want to be sold to! Social media sites are a lot like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around having a conversation about who they are and what they do, and then someone asks you what you do. Or, perhaps you begin the conversation by simply stating, “Hello, I’m Dr. ____. With social media marketing, the same dynamics apply. “Work” your social media sites in the same way you’d work your offline networking communities, which is to say, answer the questions and concerns that get potential patients interested in the who that’s you!

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Corona Chiropractor

When it comes to hip pain relief, your chiropractor in Corona offers highly successful non-surgical, drug-free treatment. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a final option. Therefore, before you schedule a surgery to replace that hip, think about the following questions: Does hip pain keep you up in the night and make it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep? When you get out of bed in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it hard at first to move your legs? Do you feel pain in one or both hips when you cross your legs or rotate or twist your hips? If you’ve answered “yes” to any or all of these questions you probably have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that are not only causing your hip pain, but can lead to osteoarthritis in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already begun, chiropractic treatment can help!

You may be getting older and it may be true that your hip joints aren’t what they used to be. But, are you aware that your hip pain and related problems, which normally are thought to be age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be caused by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In many cases, rather than being the root cause of your problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is typically the consequence of a prior injury (or injuries) to your hips.

Hip problems frequently have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as in the case of walking. If you “pronate” when you walk, like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, sooner or later you will develop pain in your hips as a result of the asymmetrical stress on your hip joints and your body’s efforts to compensate. Fortunately, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can help you to do it.

In addition, you may have had gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical alterations produce hip pain. Of course, if not treated, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, i.e, wear and tear that causes degenerative changes.

Other activities that can frequently injure the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that necessitates your moving your body in atypical ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can create hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for extended periods of time on a regular basis can cause hip injury and pain.

So you can see that not every pain is caused by “old age,” although we may suffer from more pain as a consequence of the progressive capacity of untreated injuries.

In addition to your adjustments, as an integral part of your chiropractic management, your Corona Chiropractor will offer special rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also study your gait and may recommend simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t vanish on its own. Hip pain is a sign that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If left untreated, it is very likely that you will eventually require that hip replacement surgery. Remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Your Corona Chiropractor can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

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Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor

I’ve always appreciated the old saying, “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” However, it’s no joke if the aging process is causing you pain! As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, I treat quite a few people suffering from age-related challenges that likely would not have taken place if the primary cause had been treated earlier in life, particularly when it comes to musculoskeletal breakdowns. Pain in the back, neck, hips, knees, and even the feet are often the result of needless stresses due to poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse. But, as another saying goes, “Hindsight is 20-20.” If we only knew then how our aging body would feel now!

back pain is number one on the list as the most common musculoskeletal condition to take place as we get older. Back pain that is age-related is most commonly caused by a degenerative disorder known as Spondylosis (spine osteoarthritis).

Spondylosis is caused by advanced wear and weight-bearing force on the spine that eventually undermines discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The specific area(s) and rate of the degenerative process of spondylosis is individual, varying from person to person. The regions likely to be affected are the cervical (neck), thoriacic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back). Spondylosisi symptoms very from person to person and depend on the severity of the degeneration, and can range from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Repetitive stresses antagonistically affect the cartilage around the joints and can encourage calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. Adjacent nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue can be constricted by these calcific deposits, also called bone spurs. This particular of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Even if you are not suffering from spondylosis, regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management can noticably decelerate age-related degeneration of your spine. No, “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it isn’t too late to give your spine the good treatment it deserves. Chiropractors are experts when it comes to treatment of the spine. See your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today, for the health of your spine.

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What’s a little extra weight, especially when your clothes still fit? Most of us know that “too much” extra poundage can lead to heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, not to mention the damage that it does to the musculoskeletal system. As a chiropractor I witness first hand on a regular basis the toll that extra weight takes on the low back, hips, and knees. But, did you know that even as “little” as 10 extra pounds of body fat, particularly abdominal fat, in addition to stressing body joints and burdening the efforts of the heart, can actually trigger the production of  “pro-inflammatory” immune cells that circulate in the blood and promote inflammation in the body. When our immune system isn’t working “for” us, we experience adverse reactions and painful conditions.

The good news, as far as the immune system goes, is that recently Australian researchers found that shedding just 10 pounds helped to bring back balance to the immune system of obese individuals. Getting the immune system back into balance is certainly a wonderful step in the right direction toward better health and longevity.

But, as you begin that important diet and exercise program, it’s a good idea to see a chiropractor. Chiropractors are highly knowledgeable when it comes to both diet and exercise. Your chiropractor may suggest that along with a nutritious diet, your individual body may require additional supplementation. And, in addition, your chiropractor will make sure that your body is in good alignment so that your new exercise routines promote pain-free mobility that leads to healthy weight loss.

The results of the Australian study were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism.

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Wichita Chiropractor

As a Wichita Chiropractor for more than twenty years, I have helped a significant number of patients suffering from sciatic pain, so I know from experience just how incapacitating the pain from sciatica can be. Sciatica sufferers are unfortunately all too familiar with the type of deep pain that frequently radiates through the lower part of their body, persists during the day and restricts almost all of their daily activities.

Are you wondering if your low back pain could be caused by sciatica? If your pain travels from your low back, through your buttock(s), down the large sciatic nerve in the back of one or both legs, and possibly penetrates into one or both knees, you are probably suffering from sciatica. Also, sitting, as well as activity, can be painful. Commonly lying down will reduce, or sometimes even temporarily eliminate the pain. However, you should be alerted to the fact that sciatica will not go away without appropriate care.

Radiculopathy

A radiculopathy is a medical term that describes a condition where a disc has protruded from its natural position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) that forms part of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. This type of pressure can generate excruciating pain.

Prolonged sitting, particularly in an improper position, can cause imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine and added pressure on the intervertebral discs. A specific event or injury isn’t commonly the cause of sciatica, but rather sciatica has a tendency to evolve over time due to everyday wear and tear on the vertebrae of the lower spine. Over the course of time the lower spine can lose its ability to function normally during common stresses.

If this occurs, the intervertebral disc incurs small fissures or cracks that then allow the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is created as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This occurrence is commonly known as a ruptured, or slipped, disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica. The good news is that most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be totally alleviated with chiropractic manipulation and therapy that frequently includes postural exercises.

Periformis Syndrome

Another condition that creates sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome happens when the periformis muscle, which is superficial to the sciatic nerve, goes into spasm and irritates the nerve. Along with chiropractic treatment, this type of sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor can recommend.

It is crucial for you to seek chiropractic attention if you are experiencing sciatic pain. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Wichita Chiropractor, I invite you to come in to see if I can get you out of pain and help you to get your life back!

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I just read a very moving story in the news today about a man who’d had his prostate removed and, afterwards, spent every waking moment wishing that he had it back again. The gist of the story was, of course, that he’d waited “too long” to have his prostate checked and his condition had developed into a more serious problem making surgery unavoidable. But, as I read the story I began to think of the number of patients over the years who’ve come in to see me “too late.” Many came in for chiropractic treatment after back surgery, after neck fusion, after hip replacement, and after a regimen of pharmaceuticals that had caused unfortunate side effects. And, because their surgery had not only failed to relieve their pain, but had created more problems in its aftermath, many of them told me, “I only wish I’d come to see you sooner.”

Chiropractic treatment is a non-invasive, non-surgical, drug-free approach to pain relief and musculoskeletal corrections. If you are experiencing pain, your body is telling you that there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. A conservative treatment choice like chiropractic may not only be able to get you out of pain quickly, but can also help you to avoid more serious problems in the future. The wear and tear on your body from misalignments can, overtime, create painful conditions that can, eventually, make surgery the only option. Don’t let that happen to you. See a chiropractor in your area today!

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Cincinnati Chiropractor

As a Cincinnati Chiropractor I treat a lot of seniors who suffer from balance problems. In fact, dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related problems affect at least 9% of adults, aged 65 and over. Good balance is essential, of course, in assisting older adults in continuing to be independent and in avoiding falls and encounter injuries that are often very serious or even fatal. But, what you may not know is that falls contribute to a large percentage of work-related injuries for workers under 65 years of age, including individuals in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! No one is “invulnerable” to balance problems, no matter what their age may be. It is for this reason that those who work in “high places” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or any other place where a ladder is required are far more likely to sustain serious injury if their balance isn’t good.

The chief function of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance aids us in walking without stumbling, arising from a sitting position without swaying, and in climbing stairs without slipping. In other words, good balance is essential to our health and well-being.

What you may not be aware of could have a balance abnormality without any idea of how threatening it may be. Often times someone can “shake off” a dizzy sensation and it may not return for a while. But, when precipetous dizziness comes about at a critical time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is usually certain.

Vertigo is the medical name for the feeling that you, or objects around you, are spinning. Close to 40 percent of people in the U.S. will have at least one experience of dizziness that is acute enough to seek out a health professional, like your Chiropractor in Cincinnati. But, if you are involved in any of the activities listed above, it is an excellent idea for you to have a chiropractor check your balance prior to an unexpected episode of dizziness, rather than as a response to such an episode. Why? Because as a chiropractor, I can not only check your balance, and make corrections if necessary, but can aid you in maintaining good balance in the future. And, it may go without saying that having good balance may save you from serious injury or worse.

Balance disorders at any age are dangerous. If you think that you may have a possible balance disorder, it is vital for you to be diagnosed and treated without delay. To help to make your decision easier if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, you should discuss the symptom(s) with a chiropractor as soon as possible:

• Have you experienced a feeling of being “unsteady?”

• Has the room seemed to spin around you?

• Has there ever a time when you felt as if you were moving when you knew you were standing still?

• Have you lost your balance and/or fallen down?

• Have you ever felt as if you were falling?

• Has your vision ever become “blurred?”

• Have you ever felt disoriented, or lost a sense of time, place or identity?

As discussed above, balance problems are not confined to a particular age group. From the time we learn to walk until we take our final step, our falling down is possible. If you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” event, you need to have your balance checked. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!

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