June 17th, 2010 | 
Author: Let’s face it, there’s just no getting around the fact that as we age our body responds differently than it used to when we were younger. It just doesn’t seem fair that as our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive,” our body seems to become less “cooperative.” We’re stiff when we get out of bed; certain activities during the day make us sore at night; and, if we’re not truly careful, even a movement as simple as turning too fast or bending over to pick up a dropped object, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. Fortunately, there are specialized techniques for us, “boomers,” that is not only beneficial in slowing down the aging process of the body, but can aid us in avoiding some of those problems completely.
Take arthritis for example. In point of fact, with the exception of pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine fails to address this age-related affliction. What is the reason? The answer is that most medical doctors treat the symptoms of arthritis. The chiropractic approach is to discover the origin of the condition and treat the pain at its source. For more than one hundred years, chiropractors, like your Chiropractor in Santa Clara, have been helping individuals suffering from back pain and other problems caused by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Arthritic changes occur as your body ages because, over time, wear of certain joints takes place as a consequence of repetitive stresses, as well as years of poor gait, bad posture, and lack of beneficial movement. Chiropractic adjustments reestablish motion in your joints and ease any vertebral misalignments that may be producing irritation and restriction. In addition to causing arthritic changes in the spine and increasing pain, did you know that misaligned vertebra can also lower your resistance and immunity? It’s an irrefutable fact, and this may be one of the reasons why it may seem that as you get older you develop more health problems and that it often takes longer for you to feel better again. Studies have shown that older individuals who are under chiropractic care stay healthier. In fact, you could say that, as you get older, chiropractic treatment is good for what ails you!
Chiropractors are experts when it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, from the small, growing frame of an infant to the full-grown body of an aging adult. Your chiropractor understands the aging process and has exceptional observational and diagnostic skills that aid in locating spinal misalignments and joint problems. A chiropractic examination can, in fact, frequently reveal some age-related conditions before they’ve begun to create noticeable pain. Furthermore, your Chiropractor in Santa Clara can evaluate your posture and analyze your gait to identify faulty patterns that could generate further arthritic changes.
So, if feeling your age has become a painful experience, make an appointment with your Santa Clara Chiropractor today!
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-
Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing
- There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
- The staff knows your practice intimately. Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
- You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.
Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing
- The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
- The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job. If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
- Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.
Advantages of using an outside professional
- Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field. They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO. They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
- There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
- The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.
Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company
- Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
- There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
- Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.
Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.
Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.
If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day, and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.
Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.
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Tags: chiropractic internet marketing, chiropractic marketing, SEO | 
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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.The “hottest” buzz word on the internet today is Social Media. For those of you who would like to delve into Social Media marketing as an adjunct to your overall chiropractic internet marketing strategy, but aren’t really sure what all the buzz is about, let’s take a minute to talk about the “Who, What, When, Where, and How” of social media and you, that’s “Who.”
Social media marketing may seem familiar in some respects to other marketing strategies you’ve engaged in in the past, but also unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you wouldn’t consider any sort of marketing plan without taking the time 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 know what you want, it’ll be easier for you to use social media to your greatest advantage.
When you are ready to begin your social media effort, but before you start, it will be crucial for you to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, that is to say, make sure that your name or the name of your clinic is procurable so that you can use the exact same name on all of the social channels you decide to use. There is a service that is free and will assist you with your search when you’re ready. Knowem.com is the who to go to. Knowem.com will research where your name is and/or if it’s available or not on a sufficient number of social media sites.
The next step, once you have all your social media accounts “locked up”, is to choose where you would like to be active. Because you have a clinic to run and patients to see, initially only a few social media sites is preferable and may actually be all you’ll need. That way you won’t get distracted by in too many channels. How do decide which sites are best for you? Choose the social media site where the most action is, which are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube
What your social media actvitiy intention should be is to build a real presence in your community. What you don’t want to do is “sell” on your social media sites, which is to say don’t sell your chiropractic services, don’t sell products, don’t sell anything! The purpose of social media is for you to have an addition channel through which to network with the community. Of course, let them know what you do, but do it by becoming a participant. Social media works the same way as social networking offline. People on social media sites don’t want to be sold to, plain and simply. What might be useful to think of social media sites like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around chatting about who they are and what they do, and then a person asks you what you do. Or, maybe you start 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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I am aware from more than twenty years experience as a Chiropractor in Wichita helping people suffering from the pain of sciatica that the condition can be extremely disabling. Sciatica sufferers are regrettably all too familiar with the kind of deep pain that frequently radiates through the lower part of their body, accompanies their waking hours each day and inhibits almost all of their daily activities.
Are you wondering if your low back pain could be caused by sciatica? You are probably suffering from sciatica if your pain travels from your low back, through one or both sides of your buttocks, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s), and possibly penetrates into your knee(s). Also, sitting, as well as movement, can be painful. Often lying down will decrease, or sometimes even temporarily get rid of the pain. Even so, it’s important for you to know that sciatica will not go away without appropriate treatment.
Radiculopathy
A radiculopathy is a medical term used to describe a condition where a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve, or nerve root, that forms part of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. Such pressure is extremely painful.
Prolonged sitting, especially with bad posture, can create imbalances in the muscles enclosing the spine and additional pressure on the intervertebral discs. Generally, a particular event or injury doesn’t cause sciatica, but rather sciatica tends to progress over time as a consequence of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Eventually the lower spine can lose its ability to function normally during everyday stresses.
When this happens, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures or cracks, which then let the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is created as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This condition is often known as a ruptured, or slipped, disc. Sciatica is the result of the disc pressing on the spinal nerve. With chiropractic manipulation and management, which usually includes postural exercises, most disc problems, including sciatica, can be totally alleviated.
Periformis Syndrome
Another cause of sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome occurs when the periformis muscle, which is superficial to the sciatic nerve, goes into spasm and irritates the nerve. In combination with chiropractic treatment, this kind of sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor will suggest.
If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is extremely important for you to seek chiropractic attention. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Wichita Chiropractor, I look forward to helping you to get out of pain and 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!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!Injuries are not uncommon with any sort of sport. It is beneficial to discover what injury is apt to happen in a particular sport and then to do as much as you can to avoid it. The truth is, however, that sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Consequently, it’s important to be in good physical shape to make incurring injury less likely, or less traumatic. Prior to beginning a sport, such as golf, the most important thing you can do is to be sure that you have an appropriate fitness level. By cultivating a healthy lifestyle, making sure your joints are mobile and your muscles are limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures while actively playing, and giving yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you just might keep your body safe from injury.
It isn’t simply amateur golfers who suffer from injuries. Approximately, one-third of pro golfers play injured at any given time. On the positive side, all-round good health and fitness can decrease the number of injuries that you may acquire and may conceivably deter them completely.
It is vital for you to have proper body strength in the muscle regions most employed when golfing. However, before you make an effort to build muscle strength, it’s prudent to make sure your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A proficient golf swing is contingent upon your spine’s facility to adequately rotate adequately. Back injuries are the most common type of injuries suffered by golfers. To insure that your spine is in proper alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see your chiropractor in Sacramento. Chiropractic management can go a long way in helping you to avoid back injury.
Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. A safe, injury-free day on the green depends upon your being prepared for your golf game. You can warm up your muscles and make injuring them less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Full body range of motion (ROM) exercises will enhance flexibility, often rather speedily, in all regions of the body. In addition, elastic band conditioning can provide targeted golf range of motion improvements and can increase needed power in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, like your chiropractor, are including elastic band training in their golf conditioning programs because the bands offer dynamic resistance that regular weight lifting does not provide.
Quite a few golfers have painful “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. There is a minute difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow though they are nearly identical injuries. Tennis elbow affects the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow impinges the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single extreme action, such as (in golf) thrusting down on the mat at the driving range or hitting a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, however, is generally the cause. In addition, it can occur for those who suddenly start playing too much golf. For instance, if individuals that generally play golf once or twice a month elect to play in a tournament, they are potentially at risk for contracting the injury.
Golf makes exclusive requirements on the body. Fatigue can be a problem because the game usually lasts longer than most other sports. Once the body is fatigued, poor posture and decreased coordination often follow. This combination can create an assortment of injuries. In addition, as a result of the constant swinging of the golf clubs, the shoulder muscles are prone to injury. Just as attention should be given to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up before starting your golf game, be sure that you rest your body suitable between games.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is, often, a surprising injury associated with golf. But, because it a condition that happens as the result of repetitive stress, numerous games of golf played over several months repetitively may cause this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a an extremely damaging injury producing disability and occasionally necessitating surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, diagnoses it at an early stage, chiropractic treatment and, frequently, the use of a brace will relieve the problem.
Injuries are assumed to be an inescapable part of life for many golfers. However, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, appropriate exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and sustaining a an appropriate fitness level, and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can help to make injuries a good deal less a part of your golfing experience.
Dr. Yong Kim is a Sacramento chiropractor with over thirteen years of experience helping thousands of patients get out of pain and get their lives back. His office is located at 1707 Professional Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825. He has special training in the area of sports injuries. Dr Kim is himself an avid health enthusiast. For more information go to his website at http://www.sacramentochiropractor.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yong_J_Kim
Posted in sports injuries |
Tags: back pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, chiropractic, chiropractor, golfer's elbow, shoulder pain |
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Most injuries happen, experts say, not because kids are lifting too much, but because they’re supervised too little. They offer these tips for newbie lifters:
- Never lift alone. It’s best to have a coach or trainer nearby at all times.
- Always use a spotter.
- Be sure to start slowly and build up to heavier weights.