Chiropractic Marketing With a Giant Spine Parade and Event Costume

Chiropractic marketing should be unique and dynamic. A giant spine parade and event costume creates excitement and attracts attention for a Chiropractor in their community.

Publicity is important for any business. The giant parade spine will attract tremendous attention because of its size and uniqueness. When used properly, the giant spine will be the hit of the parade and result in priceless advertising value. People will talk about it for a long time.

"If your business is not worth being advertised, then advertise it for sale." - BJ Palmer, developer of the chiropractic profession.

To make your own giant spine costume you will need one 50 inch by 73 inch sheet of 翻 inch closed cell white foam for each vertebra,10 feet of 2 inch wide Velcro for each vertebra, and sprayable contact adhesive. All the foam pieces for one vertebra can be cut from one 50 X 73 inch piece. Foam and Velcro are petroleum product so the price fluctuates just like gasoline. As of 4/12/2010 the price for one foam sheet was $65.00. The Velcro costs approximately $30.00 and the sprayable adhesive costs approximately $16.00. The 3 or so razor blade knives cost approximately $8.00. Total estimated material cost per vertebra is $119.00 plus shipping of these supplies (approx $30.00) plus tax.

For tools you will need several razor blade knives, scissors, a pen, a yard stick, and a wooden, flat cutting surface that is at least 6 foot by 3 foot (an old wooden door works best).

The vertebrae are best created in a well ventilated area because of the fumes from the adhesive.

It's best to make just one type of vertebrae for ease of production. Also, the public does not know or care about the specifics of spinal anatomy.

Call your material supplier and order the materials well in advance (at least 6 weeks) of the event you are targeting. Arrange a clear space in a well ventilated area with approximately 10 foot by 10 foot of working space. I placed my wooden cutting surface (an old door) on 2 construction horses to eliminate the bending over while working.

Start by laying the foam sheet flat, then trace the templates ( available below) of each piece as specified. Carefully cut the foam using a razor blade knife. The knife will dull quite easily and begin to tear the foam instead of cutting it, so watch for that and change blades/knives frequently. It's best to take your time and get a smooth, straight cut. But don't worry about imperfections because the spectators won't notice, and no vertebra is perfectly symmetrical or similar either.

With the pieces cut (4 transverse pieces, 2 spinous pieces, 2 fastener pieces, and the body), cut the Velcro with a scissor for each appropriate piece and trace the Velcro's outline on the foam so you'll know where to apply the glue. Even if the Velcro has adhesive already on it, you will still need to apply the glue to both pieces (the Velcro and the foam). You must let the glue become tacky before joining the Velcro to the foam, and then allow to dry for at least 48 hours. Apply the glue at the narrow ends of both the transverse and spinous pieces last (each transverse and spinous piece is made of 2 foam pieces glued at the ends about 4 inches wide).

You will need 16 total pieces of Velcro for each vertebra: 6 pieces on the outside of vertebral body, 4 on the connecting tabs on the inside of the vertebral body, 2 pieces on the inside of the spinous, 2 pieces on the inside of the transverses (4 total), and 2 pieces on each fastener tab. Velcro is two part, one part has hooks (male), the other part has loops (female). Make sure you place the correct part on the pieces you want to join.) Don't try to save money by skimping on the velco. Using shorter and narrower pieces is tempting, but in a wind the pieces will not hold together.

The giant spine can be used anywhere you wish to gain attention for your office. It works great as a parade float, but it can also be used (single vertebra) at a screening event, office promotion or a sporting event.

You will need one person for each vertebra, 2 people to carry the banner at the front of the giant spine, 1 person to drive the vehicle at the back of the giant spine, and at least 2 people on each side of the giant spine handing out candy/promo items (it's better if you have 4 on each side). This totals 19-23 people assuming you have 12 vertebrae as I always did. Organizing this many people for a summer holiday can be quite taxing. After the first year that I used the giant parade spine, I called my local high school and spoke to an administrator who directed me to one of the sports team coordinators. The team (tennis team) was happy to assist me especially when I told them I would like to make a donation to their team in gratitude for their help. The following year the football team helped me. Always arrange or ask for more help than you think you will need because it's likely a few will not show up. If you do use your staff or perhaps even some patients, reward them. When office staff and patients are used, it adds the benefits of teamwork, camaraderie, and unity of purpose.

- Ignore some peoples' initial comments of "Oh, look at the little airplanes or the little white sharks" - they will figure it out when they see your chiropractic signage.

-The landmark designation on the signs is important because people will remember that easier than an address (I used across from South Shore YMCA).

Consider adding music and have a "dancing spine".

-Give candy to the kids and the promo items to the adults. Give each person carrying a vertebra a small bottle of water to carry with them. Distributing coupons to the crowd for a complimentary exam is a great idea.

-Most people don't know how many vertebrae are in the human spine, nor do they know that each is shaped differently, that's why the number and imperfections do not matter.

-Expect to have some overspray/application of glue, and some scuff marks, and perhaps even some errors in your cutting of the foam. These flaws will not be noticed by the parade crowds, so don't worry about it. For dirt smudges like fingerprints, use a sprayable cleaner and towel.

-Store the collapsed and stacked spine in a flat dry space surrounded with plastic wrap.

-Palmer College rents out their giant parade spine but it is difficult to obtain on the holidays. Last time I checked the rent was $600/day. Also, their vertebrae do not dismantle and lay flat so you must rent a large truck to transport Palmer's spine, substantially adding to the cost.

-The vertebra are quite light (less than ten pounds), but most parades are slow and about 1-2 miles in length so make sure those you recruit/invite can walk that far.

-Extra attention can be gained by making a vertebra for a dog and walking it at the back of the giant spine - the tailbone!

Using the giant parade spine can be one of the best chiropractic marketing events for your practice if you use it correctly. The key is to let the crowds know who you are and where to find you. This is accomplished in two major ways: 1) have your name/address and a landmark close to your office clearly visible in the front of the spine (using a 3 foot by 6 foot(minimal) banner carried parallel to the roadway), and large banners (at least 6 foot by 6 foot) on both sides of the vehicle at the back of the giant spine. 2) hand out items with your office name/address/phone to the crowds as you pass by (I handed out coupons, bent pens, and jar openers). The crowds love to see the main doctor at the front of the display smiling and waving. This is your chance to ham it up, doc!

Top 4 Benefits Of Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic therapy has been able to reach many clients and change their life for the better. This alternative medicine gave hope to those who thought their condition is there for the rest of their lives. With this holistic approach in achieving optimum health, many have chosen chiropractic because it is a non-invasive. Other than that, a home health program is provided to allow the patient to follow a regimen for their betterment. Read on to know the top benefits of chiropractic treatment and you too could experience quality life.

The main benefit of seeing a chiropractor is getting relief from muscle and joint pains. A patient who has experienced chronic pain and had taken medication to get immediate relief realizes that the root cause of the ache is not targeted but only numbing it for a while. With chiropractic therapy, it is not only the pain that is eliminated but also understanding where it came from. Thus aside from getting relief from pain, it is also prevented from returning.

Another one of the top benefits of chiropractic treatment is increase in flexibility of the muscles and range of motion. It is no secret that as the person ages, the body tends to go slow in healing injuries and flexibility is decreased. With the chiropractic therapy, the chiropractor is able to help the patient with teaching exercises and lifestyle changes that can help strengthen the muscles. With the patient's determination, the injury or weak body will enjoy once more muscle flexibility and doing more activities.

As the body is a complex machine, each body system has its own function to make the whole body works well. However, one system works will affect other systems in their performance as well. But if all body systems are in-sync and the pain is eliminated, the body can be at its optimum capacity. Such condition allows the body to protect itself from diseases and illnesses common among people. With chiropractic therapy, the body's immune system is given the boost as other systems in the body are given treatment.

Many people having stressful lives lack sleep and easily get irritated. With chiropractic treatment, the body will feel energized and full of vigor to face the daily challenges head on. When body ache is relieved and the immune system is heightened, the person will feel less stressed and experience better sleep. This will give the person more energy to take on any trials without complain with little to no problem at all. Being able to feel fresh everyday when waking up is one of the top benefits of chiropractic treatment.

Many have attested to having undergone chiropractic therapy and felt the benefits of chiropractic treatment. With its hand techniques and tools used in a non-invasive way, patients prefer this alternative medicine. If you have any condition that has been coming back and not being cured, chiropractic may just be the right one for you. Do not delay as your health is on the line here and experience the best life you can possibly have after.

Chiropractic Marketing 101

What you most likely didn't learn about chiropractic marketing in chiropractic school: No matter the location or size of your clinic, or the relative success you've experienced to this point in your career, I would be willing to bet a pretty penny that you probably have at least some attention on the number of new patients in your practice. In my years of putting 100% of my attention into the area of chiropractic marketing and new patient acquisition, I have some gems to help you fast forward to a new level of patients that you serve in your practice.

Before I go too deep into the technology of chiropractic marketing, I want to first let you know why I have a fascination with chiropractic new patients procedures. In my practice, I have spent the last 6-7 years solely working 'on' my practice, rather than 'in' my practice. What I mean by that is that I have put in place specific executive tools that have enabled me to be anywhere I want, whether it be at home, on a vacation or in a coffee shop masterminding, and my practice will actually grow in my absence (currently statistics: averages 22 new patients per week and serves over 500 patients per week). This is certainly not to boast, but simply to show you what is possible in the owning and operating a chiropractic 'business' rather than just a 'clinic'. It is not magic, just simply application of some solid, proven business systems.

Anyway, my point being, I have had endless amount of time over the past 7 years fully committed to piloting and testing new chiropractic marketing methods, techniques and programs. In my journey and experimentation I came across some very specific points that I feel are extremely important and must be understood for a chiropractic marketing program to succeed for long-term growth of the office.

Here are some things you should know about chiropractic marketing and attracting new patients into your office:

• There is an exact technology on how to attract new patients into a chiropractic office.


• You just need to learn it and apply it. The better that you and your staff are trained on chiropractic marketing and new patient acquisition, the more control you will have over the number of new patients your practice gets.


• Every factor limiting the number of new patients you currently get is an internal factor-meaning it's not because of the economy, or your town, or anything else outside of your practice. This is good because it means you have control and can be 'at cause' over the expansion.


• Any chiropractor can learn how to get high numbers of new patients on a consistent basis. We have proven this at the Chiropractic Business Academy...even if you 'hate' doing the chiropractic marketing!


• If you feel your service is valuable, you should share it with more people! We need more chiropractors serving more people to help them heal and grow naturally with the chiropractic wellness lifestyle. I am sure you agree that our current national healthcare system is not healthcare at all.

Chiropractic Marketing Has a Recipe

Some doctors are surprised to learn that there are exact formulas and strategies that will literally guarantee you see more new patients. I teach these exact chiropractic marketing strategies to my clients through the Chiropractic Business Academy Marketing Courses, through the Academy Workshops and One on One Consulting. Although the exact marketing strategies are reserved for our clients, I can share with you some basics.

Your marketing success starts with your viewpoint on chiropractic marketing. To find out what your current viewpoint on chiropractic marketing is at this moment, try this simple exercise:

Write down in single words or short phrases how you feel about 'marketing' your practice. Successful chiropractic marketing is going to require application. So, you can start now by doing this exercise. Please take a minute and write down your feelings about marketing, before reading on.

Take a look at what you wrote. Do your responses indicate that you are excited about introducing chiropractic to new people? Can you see evidence in your responses of back-off to creating a strong marketing effort? If so, you'd really benefit from handling those points.

One of the most effective ways to change your viewpoint is to acquire correct data in that area. The more you know about chiropractic marketing for instance, the more logical your conclusions will be when making marketing decisions. And let's face it, if you know how to be successful at something, don't you feel better about it?

A rock-solid chiropractic marketing program has multiple sources, or we refer to them as Legos, of new patients coming into your office. For example, our Signature marketing courses and webinars cover over 40 ways to market a practice. Knowing and understanding multiple techniques makes it easy to attract 60, 80 or 100 new patients per month, or more.

Chiropractic Marketing Foundations

Here are some examples of a couple foundational approaches our clients use:

• A program or method to acquire as many names and phone numbers of local people as possible. To do this we teach our Public Gift Certificate program. This specific technique has 5 different approaches and gives our clients endless leads to contact for introductory services. What form of introductory service can you provide to the public? How can you make that introductory service known to the demographic that you want to attract to your office?


• Multiple strong Business to Business, or corporate programs. This is an alliance with a local business or major corporation which allows you to farm leads from their clientele or employees. We teach numerous ways to do this including Lunch Lectures, Corporate Massage programs, Wellness Events and other introductory programs. The key is to offer a truly valuable introductory service as businesses will literally be calling you to come over!


• An Internal Referral Program. This should be a truly engaging, active, strategic (and fun) activity. In communicating with each patient you must direct their attention in a very precise manner-for instance, using symptoms, conditions or circumstances. Each week or every other week providing a new viewpoint on a specific unwanted condition. Your goal is to get a name AND contact information of the referred person with that unwanted condition-so you can mail them more information about their symptom or condition, as well as invite the referral into your practice.

No matter the target audience or the strategy used, there are some key factors on which to build a consistent chiropractic marketing effort:

• Structure each chiropractic marketing activity so that it can be done by a non-doctor. This will allow you to pass the activity to another staff member and you can further your progress of becoming the CEO or executive director of your 'business' rather than running every single activity in a one-man/woman-show 'clinic' (we have all been there before!).


• The more you market, the more new patients you will have. There is actually a direct quantifiable relationship between the number of hours and attention allocated to chiropractic marketing and the number of new patients a practice sees.


• Whatever chiropractic marketing you do must communicate a concept which the consumer will understand and be interested in.

This last point is one of the most important but least understood aspects of chiropractic marketing. Additionally, to separate your identity from the other handful, dozens or even hundreds of chiropractors in your city, town or valley, you must clearly establish your uniqueness alongside with this concept.

As you become more established with your 'Legos' of chiropractic marketing you see this pay off for the long-term. What makes you different from the other chiropractors in your area?

In summary, I am happy that you are a chiropractor and are here to help a lot of people in your community. We definitely need to be helping more of the people in our towns find the best natural and holistic way to enhance their health: chiropractic! As a chiropractic coach, my goal in the chiropractic management game is to get you to the finish line first. I truly hope this article stimulates and inspires some of you into action with your chiropractic marketing so that you can reach, teach and touch more of these people!

Reasons Why Chiropractic Care May Fail To Relieve Your Back Pain

Even though chiropractic care has proven itself to the American Medical Association and is covered by health insurance companies, some still debate the legitimacy of this form of treatment. Chiropractors are still accused of being "quacks" despite the fact that many people find pain relief in their offices.

Patients who seek chiropractic care and don't feel results may blame the field for being ineffective, but there are several other reasons why it might fail in certain situations. The following may explain why chiropractic care, a legitimate medical treatment, is not working for you.

Tight Muscles

Chiropractors perform many duties and employ a variety of techniques, but their main focus is restoring alignment and range of motion to joints. Chiropractors do have a working knowledge of muscles, but they may not be able to detect subtle imbalances.

A muscle imbalance occurs when one muscle is overly-tight and short while another one, on the opposite side and performing the opposite function, is weak, overstretched and strained. This can occur anywhere in the body, but is most common in the thighs (quadriceps and hamstrings) and the core (abdominal, hip, buttocks and lower back muscles).

The imbalance of both strength and flexibility between opposing muscle groups causes structures in the body to be pulled out of alignment. The overly-tight muscles are shortened, and they exert a pull on surrounding bones and joints that is not countered by the pull of the opposite, weaker muscle.

If your sacroiliac or facet joints are out of alignment, a chiropractor can work to reset them. If you have an underlying muscle imbalance causing the misalignment, however, realignment won't be achieved until muscle balance is. This requires more than spinal manipulation and mobilization. A physical therapist well-versed in muscle imbalance can help identify which muscles are tight and which are weak. He or she can then help you obtain myofascial release to restore length and flexibility to rigid muscles, or you may pursue self-myofascial release. After flexibility is regained, targeted exercise can build weak muscles.

Weak Muscles

Aside form muscle imbalance, a generally poor level of physical fitness can cause chiropractic care to fail. Thorough chiropractors advise their patients to perform specific exercises; if yours did not, or if you stopped doing them, this could be to blame for a return or continuation of back pain.

If the ligaments and muscles that support your spine and hip joints are weak due to a sedentary lifestyle, you are at an increased risk of subluxation (vertebral misplacement). The cervical and lumbar spine segments are designed to be load-bearing and mobile, but without the support of strong tissues surrounding them, stress may cause disc degeneration and misalignment.

If you expect a chiropractor to solve all of your problems without you having to lift a finger, treatment is bound to fail. The chiropractor can treat the symptom, but the cause needs to be identified and resolved to prevent the same problem in the future.

Chiropractic care is a valid form of back pain treatment, but like any treatment, it doesn't stand alone. People seeing a chiropractor often benefit from seeking massage or physical therapy as well to address underlying causes of misalignment. Keeping yourself in good shape will increase the effectiveness of any back pain treatment plan.

Chiropractic for Constipation

People who experience constipation are ashamed to be seen by a doctor. They just depend on over-the-counter drugs to get relief; however, recurring symptoms of constipation must not be neglected. The best thing to do is to consult a physician to prevent serious health problems.

Constipation is referred to as irregular movement of bowel. The ideal is to move your bowel 3 times a day or once a day. Moving the bowel must not be difficult. If you are in pain and the bowel is dry and hard, then you are constipated. Individuals who are constipated feel full and experience distress. They feel strained or tense as they try to push their stool out of their system.

What causes constipation?

• Diet - lack of fiber, intake of refined foods and saturated fats, dairy products, sugar, caffeine and alcohol


• less water intake


• less exercise, and


• issues regarding the nervous system.

How to manage constipation

• A change in the diet and lifestyle can help a constipated person. His diet must include more fiber, reduce intake of dairy products, eliminate saturated fats and drink more water. He must likewise exercise more.


• He can take a laxative or a stool softener.


• He can also take some herbs to help his digestion. He can drink ginger, fennel seed, licorice root or dandelion root tea.


• He can also submit himself to a chiropractor

How chiropractic help constipation?

• Chiropractic can help in adjusting the areas that cause bowel movement issues.


• Inferior spine manipulation. By removing the pressure on the nerve roots that is coming from the spine, chronic constipation can be healed. To explain further, the nerve roots of our celiac ganglion are attached to the lower part of our spine. This area is the nerve core of our stomach, gallbladder, spleen, kidney, liver, small intestine and colon. Constipation results when the nerve roots are strained or stressed.


• Upper cervical manipulation. Chiropractor also performs manipulations on the upper cervical and cranial bones to deal with the issue of constipation.

Many researches and studies have proven the advantage of chiropractic adjustments to constipated patients. One such study was published in The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (Vol. 5, No. 1), where superior cervical manipulations healed an infant of his constipation, which was brought about by a broken left clavicle obtained during delivery. This is not the only study conducted. More constipated patients received chiropractic manipulations and were relieved of constipation.

All of these studies proved only one thing - chiropractic adjustments can help a constipated patient to have a normal bowel movement.

How Is Chiropractic Beneficial To The World Of Athletics?

I have seen tidbits here and there on the news or on the internet about professional athletes and olympic athletes being treated by chiropractors. What do they know that you may not know?

The first thing to know is that their being treated by chiropractors is far more common than you may imagine. Athletes have long known that regular chiropractic care is their key to enhancing their performance as well as quicker recovery from injuries.

Doctors don't usually carry on about all of the different cases and types of patients they treat. Just as patient's usually don't carry on about their healthcare. That is most likely why you may not be aware of the large numbers of athletes utilizing chiropractic care on a regular basis.

Consider for a moment a football player. A football player will experience smaller, but potentially explosive, collisions every couple of minutes. Every day. Also consider that your vertebrae can potentially "jam" from something as simple as bending over to pick up a penny. It is easy to see how a football player would most definitely be in need of a chiropractor. Now, consider a sport as seemingly benign as golf. You may wonder how a golfer can benefit from chiropractic. Think about the fact that they put their bodies in weirdly twisted positions. They generate a large amount of torque through their trunk. They are also in a bent over position 100 times or more over a period lasting hours. Why wouldn't a golfer benefit from chiropractic? We are able to get the vertebrae in the spine freed up and moving in a more efficient manner not to mention the therapy we perform on sore and achy joints and muscles. After chiropractors have introduced more range of motion, then they are able to maintain that movement and build upon it.

Also the use of a heel lift can be beneficial for sports requiring optimal balance for peak performance. Heel lifts can also be useful in preventing or alleviating nagging and chronic back pain that is exacerbated through playing sports. Although an x-ray would be needed to assess whether or not a heel lift (and how thick of a heel lift) would be beneficial.

My examples here are golf and football but that is in no way an all-inclusive list! I honestly cannot think of a sport that does not benefit from regular chiropractic care. Volleyball, basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, bowling, swimming, racing....you name it! Being located in the Southwest, we are familiar with the benefits to the rodeo circuit as well.

Hopefully, it can be clear to you now that chiropractic is definitely an option to be explored if you are an athlete looking to be at peak performance.

Get Rid of Car Accident Pain By Visiting A Chiropractor

Being involved in a car accident can be quite a traumatic experience, especially if injuries result from it. It can be hard to think clearly about whether or not to go to the emergency room. Often times injuries are not even felt until hours or even days after the incident occurs. In situations like this, the patients are often referred by regular physicians to chiropractors.

Unfortunately for the victim, this can lead to many patients going to chiropractors because there are more than 6 million car accidents a year in the United States. At least half of the people involved in wrecks are injured. Because the adrenaline levels are often high directly following a car wreck, the injuries can often be overlooked at first, but after a few days a car wreck victim can suddenly experience intense pain around the neck, shoulders, or spine due to the sudden jolt the collision causes. A jolt of that impact could potentially knock the spine all out of alignment, not to mention cause the muscles to tense up, which may cause further pain.

One of the most common injuries that chiropractors treat due to car accidents is whiplash. Symptoms of whiplash include lower back pain, jaw pain, neck pain and/or stiffness, shoulder pain, headaches, and even fatigue. By consulting a chiropractor for treatment the natural movement of the spine is regained, and subsequently muscle spasms and stiffness are also alleviated, allowing proper healing for any muscle soreness or minor tears that might have occurred.

One type of chiropractic treatment a person suffering from whiplash might expect to receive is electronic muscle stimulation, or "muscle stim" for shot. Muscle stim uses small electric current to penetrate deep beneath the skin into the muscles and joint tissue to help relax the muscles and decrease inflammation. It is a safe method approved by the Food and Drug administration and it is shown to be effective for increasing muscle range of motion and strength. Patients receiving this treatment should expect to visit the chiropractor two to three times per week for about a month to a month and a half.

For muscle tightness and spasms' massage therapy sessions might also be recommended by the chiropractor. In fact, some chiropractic offices offer that service in house because the two services compliment each other so well. Both work well together to ease muscle pain and stiffness and aid in proper realignment of the spine. Once the realignment is complete and the tightness is removed, the rest of the symptoms should subside as well.

There are many different symptoms that can occur from car accidents. Luckily Chiropractic care can help many of them. It is an all-natural way to help you get back to the life you had before the car accident.

The Chiropractic Wellness Generation

'Wellness' is a regular term in the chiropractic lexicon. It's commonly used by today's chiropractor in naming clinics, advertising services and the theme of countless chiropractic websites, many of which are templates for chiropractors to plug-in their pedigree information.

So, what exactly is wellness?

Wikipedia defines wellness as being generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being, and has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. began using the phrase 'high level wellness' in the 1950s. The modern concept of wellness (becoming popular in the 1970s) is a view of health emphasizing the state of the entire being and its ongoing development, and the constant, conscious pursuit of living life to its fullest potential. Alternative approaches to wellness are often denoted by the use of two different phrases - health & wellness and wellness programs. Whether these techniques actually improve physical health is controversial and is an unsettled subject.

D.D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, believed that spinal misalignments ('vertebral subluxations') were the cause of most health problems, ailments and diseases that were corrected by adjusting misaligned spinal bones to alleviate disturbances of nerve supplies to tissues and organs to allow 'Innate Intelligence' (inborn within the body) to act by way of the nervous system to heal disease within the body. Early chiropractic included palpation, a heat-sensing device ('neurocalometer') and x-rays to help diagnose subluxations. Today, palpation and x-rays are still used. Many chiropractors, primarily in spinal screenings, also use computerized testing devices incorporating Thermography and surface EMG to generate reports that purportedly show the locations of subluxations. The allied health sciences, and many chiropractors, contend Palmer's vertebral subluxation theory is not supported by scientific and clinical evidence.

Whose wellness is it? Is it the patient's health or the chiropractor's wealth that is the goal of the treatment?

Many chiropractors turn to practice building consultants for assistance with practice development and growth. Doctors find consultants waiting in line, proclaiming to have the answers for practice success. These consultants include individuals who purport to be specialist in multi-disciplinary practices, marketing whizzes, rehab specialists, as well as those gurus promoting "wellness practices." One may simply Google the term "chiropractic wellness" to observe the pervasiveness of this phenomenon.

On 10/9/09, a Department of Justice, Northern District of Georgia, press release announced the health care fraud indictment of Chiropractors Andrew Sokol and Julie Weisberg (owner - operators of "WellnessOne" clinics in Marietta, Buckhead, Duluth, Vinings, and other Atlanta locations) for allegedly billing insurers over $11 million in fraudulent services.

Guess which wellness guru these doctors used

- Wellness Guru 1 (WG1) Reports that subluxations are not structural (spinal misalignments) but neurologically based. Coaches' chiropractors on using a subluxation based wellness practice model to arouse the innate and build high volume wellness based practices. Offers the 'Million Dollar Report-of-Findings' course, which instructs on; Scripting for shifting back pain patients to wellness patients; Getting yearly commitments for care; Motivating new patients to choose lifetime care. Declares the very best marketing tool on the planet - Community Lectures & Wellness Screenings with the Insight Subluxation Station that allegedly results in new patients making appointments to have a nervous system check for unhealthy neurological patterns.

- Midwest Clinic applying WG1 protocols claims 525-770 patient visits per week; and over 90% of new patients come for care of unhealthy neurological patterns.

- Wellness Guru 2 (WG2) Reports to have the tools to create a system of wellness from the inside out, a total revolution in mind and body wellness, combining the latest scientific technology with the most advanced measurement and motivational program ever developed. Offers a never before achieved multi-dimensional (physical, bio-chemical and psychological) assessment of the positive and negative stresses in daily life.

- Southeast & Midwest Clinics applying WG2 protocols purports to be a modern boutique offering spinal adjustments, personal wellness programs, surface EMG and thermal scans to monitor the nervous system, computer postural assessments of spinal stress, custom orthotics, and pillows. On-line certificates for $175.00 off price of a health screening (consultation, x-rays and surface EMG/thermal scan) and aqua massage, reportedly valued at $250.00.

- Wellness Guru 3 (WG3) Reports the easiest, most cost effective solution to transform a chiropractor's identity from a (back) specialist to a wellness doctor, and a practice's identity from one patients go to for relief into a wellness center they go to for life.

- Southeast Clinic applying WG3 protocols alleges better health by teaching and practicing the true principles of chiropractic wellness care; the finest quality of care through modern chiropractic equipment and technology, including bio-impedance analysis, neuro and orthopedic exam and total health scan.

- Wellness Guru 4 (WG4) Reports to have a team of 12 coaches with a mission to maximize the lives of millions of people by helping them achieve god-given potential through health centers, chiropractic coaching, wellness programs, wellness products and foundation.

- Midwest Clinics applying WG4 protocols use a whole person approach to wellness looking for underlying causes of neurological disturbances. Internet users get initial consult, exam & x-rays for $20 - standard fee is $250 to $300. Claim better exam than a traditional medical doctor through use of latest technology, best scientific research and proven methods to help restore body to a state of vitality and wellness. Remove obstacles to wellness rather than treat symptoms. Free comprehensive wellness inventory (valued at over $200) that includes a biostructural evaluation, thermography neuro assessment, cellular nutrition consult, and radiological screen.

- Wellness Guru 5 (WG5) Reports to have an all-inclusive, upscale program to provide tools, expertise and coaching for building a chain of million-dollar offices. Claims superiority over traditional medical community by offering Real Healthcare and not Sicknesscare. Provides patients points to reward them for visits to and purchases from member clinics, which can be redeemed for merchandise, services and more, even travel.

- Clinics throughout the U.S. applying WG5 protocols claim: Free Consult / Exam / X-rays and spinal & posture screenings. Treat ADHD, allergies, asthma, auto accidents, back/neck pain, bedwetting, carpal tunnel, colic, ear infections, Fibromyalgia, headaches, pinched nerve, PMS, pregnancy, sciatica, scoliosis, slipped disc, stress, whiplash, wellness. Provide DRX9000, chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage.

One might conclude, from researching chiropractic wellness offerings that some chiropractors, in their quest to build the million dollar practice, participate in the chiropractic wellness generation by following a blueprint:

1. Combine chiropractic with wellness services & products into business plan for accessing healthcare dollars from healthcare consumers;
2. Repackage chiropractor from a 'back doctor' to a 'wellness doctor';
3. Redefine subluxations from spinal misalignments to unhealthy neurological patterns to facilitate apparent care for every condition under-the-sun;
4. Use dubious marketing, spinal screenings and workshops to identify consumers with a ready payment-source (e.g., insurance or cash) for future chiropractic services;
5. Offer free exams and other free services (e.g., massage) to get consumers in clinic for patient conversion;
6. Incorporate putative diagnostic devices intended to persuade consumers to participate as by providing printouts depicting the elusive chiropractic subluxation;
7. Emphasize that "wellness" chiropractors enhance quality of life, eliminate pain, lower stress, make one feel good, make one more active, enables the brain to communicate with the body to fight sickness and disease...;
8. Attack non-participating peers and other healthcare disciplines by alleging that they don't provide real healthcare or use latest technological advances; and
9. Increase patient retention by offering incentives (e.g., redeemable rewards) for continuing care, and by having patients sign-on for year-long care plans, and commit to lifetime chiropractic care.

So, what say you?

Cure Vertigo With Chiropractic Care

Vertigo is a type of dizziness in which a person has the sensation of spinning movement when stationary. There are many different causes for dizziness including, for example, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, anemia, anxiety, multiple sclerosis and various inner ear problems. Vertigo can be very upsetting and uncomfortable. It is important to determine the cause of dizziness such that an appropriate solution is found.

There are two types of vertigo that chiropractic care can correct. These are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and cervicogenic vertigo. By far the most common type of vertigo is BPPV. Chiropractors are trained to differentiate between these types of vertigo using orthopaedic tests and to rule out other potential causes of dizziness (and refer if necessary).

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a type of vertigo that comes and goes based on head and neck position. When triggered, the dizziness can last a few seconds to a few minutes. Symptoms are commonly triggered by rising from sleep, tilting the head, rolling over in bed, looking up or sudden head motion. This type of vertigo is related to an inner ear problem and the most common cause is a sudden trauma (like a fall).

The inner ear is responsible for balance and motion sense of the head. Within the labyrinth of the inner ear are calcium crystals called otoliths (or "ear rocks"). In BPPV, the otoliths are dislodged from their normal position and migrate into the semicircular canals. The semicircular canals are oriented at roughly ninety degrees to each others. They are filled with fluid called endolymph and also have sensory receptors that are stimulated during head movement to provide motion sense. In BPPV, crystals in the semicircular canals stimulate sensory receptors adversely giving rise to feelings of motion when there are none (or vertigo).

The hallmark for diagnosis of BPPV is a positive Dix-Hallpike maneuver. This test will reliably provoke the vertigo and cause rotary or horizontal nystagmus (involuntary eye movement). It also determines the side of ear involvement.

BPPV can be corrected using either Semmont's Maneuver or Epley's Maneuver in which the chiropractor assists the patient in slowly moving their body, head and neck into appropriate positions to encourage the ear rocks to return to the correct location in the inner ear. Following the procedure, the patient is instructed to avoid sudden movements and to sleep for 2 nights in a recumbent position. This procedure has a 90% success rate and often only one treatment is required. If the dizziness returns, the procedure is repeated.

Cervicogenic Vertigo

Cervicogenic vertigo is dizziness that arises from the neck. For example, irritation or injury to the joints, muscles or ligaments of the neck can overstimulate proprioceptors (nerve endings that detect position sense) in the neck giving rise to vertigo. Uncomplicated cervicogenic vertigo can be treated by a chiropractor using muscle work (such as trigger point release or stretching), adjustment and/or physiotherapy modalities depending on examination findings. The goal is to balance the biomechanics of the neck and to promote a more rapid and complete recovery of the damaged tissues.

When to Seek Medical Care

By itself, vertigo is usually benign. However, if a patient experiences symptoms such as double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, fainting or collapse, numbness, nausea and/or unsteadiness when walking, (even if temporary), they should seek emergency medical care. Patients with progressive worsening symptoms or dizziness accompanied with fever and/or infection should also see a medical doctor.

Aspartame Will Keep You Going to Your Chiropractor

As much as I hate to admit it, the vast majority of people believe chiropractic is a physical treatment for a physical problem.

The textbook example is a person gets a "kink" in their neck from a car accident, or a fall, or sleeping wrong etc. etc. The response is a chiropractic adjustment to correct the physical subluxation and the body takes care of the rest.

Due to this way of thinking most chiropractors and patients ignore the other two elements of stress that can cause a subluxation of the nervous system, nutritional and emotional stress. This misstep can lead to prolonged nervous system dysfunction, poor results, and a possibly poor experience with chiropractic care.

I bring this up today as Dr. Donald Clum, D.C. posted an article from The Natural News that deals with Aspartame, and the known side effects of this chemical that is added to our food.

The article reveals that:

"75% of ALL recorded complaints received by the FDA were concerning Aspartame. Those symptoms complained about included headache, nausea, vertigo, insomnia, loss of control of limbs, blurred vision, blindness, memory loss, slurred speech, depression, hyperactivity, gastronomical disorders, seizures, skin lesions, rashes, anxiety attacks, muscle and joint pain, numbness, mood changes, menstrual cramps out of cycle, hearing loss or ringing in the ears, and heart palpitations."

"The FDA refused to approve Aspartame 16 straight times. It was specifically rejected in 1974 because it was shown to cause brain tumors in rats."

"What`s interesting is that the herb stevia, which is completely safe, is a natural sweetener that does not contribute to weight gain, yet the FDA has made it illegal for stevia`s manufacturers to state that it is a sugar substitute."

When somebody enters my office with shooting nerve pain down their limbs, one of the first things that enters my mind is diet soda. Since the majority of people think they have a physical issue causing their symptoms, I often get some strange looks when I ask about their soda consumption.

More often than not, there is a marked improvement for people who cut out diet soda after conventional physical chiropractic adjustments have not shown improvement for their radiculopathy.

It is a classic case of a persons nutrition causing subluxation, and without eliminating this stress, a patient could be delaying improvement of their health, and reduction in their chiropractic care plan.

Cut out artificial sweeteners from your diet. Your body and your chiropractor will thank you.

How to Manage Your Solo Chiropractor or Massage Service With a Virtual Receptionist

Is your solo chiropractor or massage service growing at quickening pace? Are you searching for new, cost-efficient ways to manage your practice and attract more new patients? Using the services of a virtual health care receptionist may be exactly what you need to grow rapidly, yet comfortably. More than an electronic 24/7 backup receptionist, the right software can take care of a multitude of tasks, from scheduling appointments online, to placing reminder phone calls, to registering new patients.

Reap the advantages of online scheduling

Virtual reception makes appointment scheduling easier with an online, automated interface. Your patients will be able to enjoy the convenience of 24/7 appointment scheduling. Furthermore, what could be better than scheduling appointments from work or a home office? An online appointment scheduling feature makes it all possible.

Benefit from the time and money-saving appointment reminder feature

Are those no-shows driving you crazy? Patient appointment reminders are crucial for retaining patients and for safe-guarding against patient no-shows. A good automated reminder service will cut down on your time spent calling patients and will save thousands of dollars in no-shows each year. Best yet, a multilingual capacity will ensure clear communication with all of your patients. This feature is a real money-saver that is not to be overlooked!

Retain more patients with an after-hours answering service

Patients need to be able to get things done during after-hours. After all, missing even one after-hours phone call can drive your patient right through the doors of another doctor's office. An automated phone answering service will help your patients get the attention and service they need, on their schedule and from the comfort of their own homes. You can't afford to miss those after hours phone calls, now can you?

Automatically pre-register new patients

Don't miss that critical first phone call to your chiropractic or massage therapeutic office. After all, if no one is there your prospective patient may just end up making an appointment somewhere else. The right software will be able to direct those new-patient phone calls to the right place, whether to an office staff or to an automated pre-registration feature.

A high quality answering service will have the capability of collecting the caller's information (i.e. phone number, name, billing address, etc.) to create a temporary patient record. Then, the system can schedule an appointment for a first visit. Taking this initial step before your new patient enters the office will cut down on patient reception time. Most importantly, a pre-registration feature will increase your conversion rate with that automated initial appointment.

Software and technical support that lets you give your new patients that extra special care

Many times, solo health practitioners want to give special individualized attention to their new patients. The right virtual receptionist software will enable you to do this when you need to. Call technical support to customize your software so that it meets your office's unique needs.

Installing a virtual receptionist system for your solo chiropractic or massage therapy practice will help your business flourish, without all the extra hiring. The best systems out on the market today can do everything from online scheduling and appointment reminders, to answering phones and pre-registering new patients. Discover the many capabilities of modern technology and download a free trial virtual receptionist for your solo chiropractic or massage therapy practice, today!

Whiplash Neck & Back Pain Injury - Chiropractic Treatment With Spinal Therapy, Cold Laser Therapy

Chances are, if you've been driving for any length of time, you've either experienced a car accident or known someone who has been in one. As a doctor of chiropractic, I treat patients all over Dallas, TX. and the surrounding cities. My office sits right on the boundary between Plano, TX. and Dallas, TX. Traffic in these areas is heavy most anytime between 6am to 8pm Monday through Friday so you can imagine how many patients I see as a result of car accidents, especially those that result in whiplash. Regardless of whether it was a major accident or just a simple "fender bender" the car isn't the only thing sustaining damage. Whiplash is a major issue that chiropractors deal with every day. Just ask any personal injury attorney and they'll tell you that they refer a lot of their clients to chiropractors because of this resulting injury. A past study found that more than 3 million people in America suffer from whiplash injury every year. Over half of these people will suffer chronic neck pain or back pain, and an additional 10 percent will become permanently disabled as a result of their injuries.

To help you better understand the chiropractic treatment of whiplash injuries, it's important to have a quick review of this type of neck injury.

Whiplash Injury:

This is an injury to the muscles of the neck from the traumatic rapid forward and backward motion of the neck during an accident, which in turn causes inflammation and spasms to the muscles and soft tissue located in the cervical area.

The end result of a whiplash injury is the sharp pain and restricted motion that people experience causing damage to tissue around the neck, and the protective response of the nervous system as it locks up spinal joints to protect the spinal cord from possible injury.

As part of the overall chiropractic treatment, we focus on mobilizing restricted spinal joints and initiating rapid firing of neurological receptors using spinal manipulation therapy, including non-force and flexion-distraction techniques. It is important to note that spinal manipulation is used only when the initial traumatic muscle injury is stabilized. As a chiropractic doctor, I use various types of treatments depending on the stage of my patients whiplash injury.

Treatment with Chiropractic:

As soon as whiplash is determined as the cause of injury, I will immediately concentrate on reducing inflammation with cold laser therapy, which increases blood supply, stimulates nerve function, and helps generate new cells and tissue. Along with this there is the possibility of using ultrasound, and, if necessary, gentle stretching and massage therapy. Ice and heat will occasionally be recommended for short periods of time along with the use of a light neck support brace.

As the muscles in the neck begin to be less inflamed, gentle spinal manipulation therapy will be introduced in order to return natural motion to cervical joints that have locked up and become restricted as a result of the injury. I specifically use the Pro-Adjuster system for treating patients with whiplash. Another technique that is used on certain patients that have specific problems with their spinal and cervical discs is the Cox Flexion-distraction system. This treatment stretches out the back all the way to the neck, alleviating pressure between the spinal discs using non-thrusting and non-force methods. The stretching motions are believed to help in the reduction of muscle spasms and increase the blood flow through the treated areas, accelerating the recovery time.

The ultimate goal I have for my patients with whiplash is to return their backs and necks to maximum health. The results of my treatment are full motion in the spine and neck along with improved muscular strength in all the affected areas that resulted from the injury.

If you'd like to learn more about treatments I provide or have other questions about neck pain or back pain, please go to http://www.premierhealthclinic.net/chiropractic-visit.htm or if you're in the Dallas or Plano area, please contact Premier Health Clinic directly at 972-713-9355 for a free personal consultation with me. I thank you and your back will thank you. Dr. H. Khayal, DC

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Otitis Media - (Ear Infections)

A common infection that settles in the middle portion of the ear is called Otitis Media. Although adults can develop this particular ear infection, it is most commonly seen in infants and toddlers. The thing that makes this infection so unique is that both a virus and bacteria can be the cause. In addition, treatment is not the same across the board in that a person's age, exact symptoms, and an array of other factors would dictate the right type of care.

Infection Symptoms

The individual's age would determine the exact type of symptoms caused by this infection. As an example, chronic pain would be seen in adults while irritation and tugging on the ear are more common symptoms in smaller children. However, along with this, the following are symptoms commonly associated with Otitis Media in children.

• Low-grade fever


• Balance issues


• Trouble sleeping


• Nausea and/or vomiting


• Diminished hearing


• Fluid draining from the infected ears

Although there are similar symptoms regardless of the type of ear infection, Otitis Media does present with a few unique symptoms. However, before the right treatment could be offered, a firm diagnosis would be required. During a medical examination, the ear would be checked for fluid, as well as inflammation. Because Otitis Media is an infection, antibiotics might be needed but not always.

Safe and Effective Treatments

As mentioned above, antibiotics are not always the first treatment option for Otitis Media. Recent medical studies show that in many cases, the body can heal itself in three to five days. Because of this, some medical doctors now recommend a patient wait this amount of time to see if the ear infection clears up on its own. If not, then antibiotics can be prescribed but only for infections caused by bacteria, not viruses.

During this period, an individual could take over-the-counter medication to reduce pain and inflammation such as ibuprofen, which comes in formulas for adults and children but no younger than age four. Then, based on a series of factors, other treatments would be considered.

However, chiropractic care should not be ruled out as a viable treatment for Otitis Media. Using children as an example, it is common for a child to get one ear infection by age two and then one or more by age three. Usually, the lymph system in the neck cannot drain properly due to a blockage or narrowing of the tube but in some instances, it is the Eustachian tube that does not drain properly.

With conventional medicine, small children are often put under general sedation to have tubes surgically inserted in the ears. For one thing, any time a small child is anesthetized there is risk but in addition, placement of the tubes is not guaranteed to work. It has been discovered that a highly trained chiropractor would possess the necessary skills and knowledge to use gentle spinal adjustments as a means of restoring normal function to the neck and its components. As a result, occurrences of Otitis Media are greatly reduced or eliminated altogether.

As far as treatments for small children, obviously the goal is to ensure safety while finding something that actually works, which is exactly what chiropractic care offers. Sometimes during the birth process or from falling down, a child's spine will experience subluxation, which means the spine is misaligned. As nerves and nerve roots become irritated, the entire body's ability to function normally becomes compromised. By using spinal adjustments to bring the spine back into normal alignment, the body heals.

More and more parents are turning away from conventional medicine to alternative treatments for ear infections and other health issues. While there are many great options, chiropractic care has a track record of being successful. Remember, both children and adults with Otitis Media can be treated by a chiropractor and in most cases, heal faster than with standard medicine.

In addition to being an effective treatment option, spinal adjustments used as part of chiropractic care for Otitis Media does not cause any discomfort or pain. However, another benefit is that no prescription medication is administered, which reduces or eliminates risks of side effects.