If You’re Pregnant, You Have Alternatives When It Comes to Back Pain Relief
80 Ways To Use Twitter As A SMB Owner
80 Ways To Use Twitter As A SMB Owner
It’s pretty common. A small business owner comes to us looking for help promoting his or her business. We suggest using Twitter as a way to find new leads, build relationships and as an overall way to cost effectively market their business. The small business owner then turns around, tilts their head and responds, “Twitter? What can Twitter do for me?”
Well, I’ll tell you. Below are 80 ways a small business owner can use Twitter to build and market their business.
Just like last time, hit print.
Build Credibility
- Answer common customer questions
- Share insight and opinion
- Pass on interesting links/posts
- Tweet links showing your company featured on other Web sites or mainstream media
- Tweet often to keep your brand in customer’s top of mind
- Share high quality content that is relevant to your customers needs
- Share information about your organization that customers, colleagues and others may be interested to know
- Promote competitors when they deserve it
- Tweet links to Slideshare presentations or videos of speaking engagements.
- Promote upcoming speaking engagements
- Mention awards you’ve won or accreditations you’ve earned
- Be the one to break the news in your industry
- Livetweet events
Market Your Business
- Talk about company culture and values
- Let people know the events your company will be attending this year
- Offer discounts, coupons or special offers to customers who find you via social media
- Offer discounts on conferences for folks who come to hear you speak
- Show your human face
- Talk about what you’re doing
- Talk about who you are
- Talk about why you do what you do
- To get blog subscribers
- Direct traffic to your site
- Find referrals
- Offer referrals
- Connect vendors to one another
- Hold contests
- Highlight employees
- Publish your Twitter handle on all direct mailings, email newsletters, on your Web site and all other marketing channels. Put it everywhere
- Promote your latest blog posts and newsletters
- Share reviews people have left about your site that made you laugh. Or smile
- Tweet when you do something cool
- Admit and apologize for flubs to help neutralize the impact
- Be excited about your week
- Ask for votes on social media sites (use sparingly)
Grow Ears
- Track conversations about your brand for online reputation management
- Track your most important keywords and subscribe to an RSS feed
- Listen in on conversations about your general industry
- Do free market research to see what people want/don’t want
- Conduct Twitter polls to quiz consumer opinion
- Learn about what’s working/not working for your competitors
- See how your competitors are interacting with customers
- Find out who your competitors are talking to and do some competitive intelligence
- Track conversation patterns for your industry to determine when people are most active online
- Identify Twitter trends or hot topics related to your industry
- Find ways to connect what you do with what’s already trending on Twitter
- Ask people for their opinions. Listen to them
- Notify customers of any holdups, mishaps or things that may affect business
(Read more…)
Say It’s Not “Too Early” Before It Becomes “Too Late”
It’s time that we start paying attention to a real problem that has been around for a few years now and will only get worse. Let’s face it, kids who are overweight suffer physically and emotionally. And, statistics have consistently shown that unless there is affective intervention obese kids turn into unhealthy obese adults. Read on…
Experts urge screening for obesity in kids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Doctors should screen children and teens between 6 and 18 years for extra pounds, a federal task force recommends. For children who are found to be obese based on their body mass index (BMI), a standard measure of the relationship between height and weight, the task force also calls for referrals to a comprehensive program that includes dietary advice, physical activity, and behavioral counseling to promote weight loss. The new recommendations update earlier ones from 2005. Skyrocketing rates of obesity have reached between 12 and 18 percent in 2- to 19-year-olds, increasing up to 6-fold since the 1970s, members of the United States Preventive Services Task Force report in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics. Obesity is linked to the early development of diabetes and high blood pressure. For their update, the task force reviewed 13 studies of behavioral intervention in 1258 obese children and adolescents. Moderate- to high-intensity programs, involving more than 25 hours of contact with the child and/or the family over a six-month period, resulted in a decrease in BMI 12 months after the beginning of the intervention. In addition to dietary and physical activity counseling, effective programs included behavioral-management techniques such as self-monitoring and eating management. However, the programs only worked in children who followed through on treatment. (Read more at Reuters.com)
No Evidence that Chiropractic Causes Stroke According to Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
Amidst a great deal of emotion and rhetoric coming out of Connecticut this week regarding the stroke issue The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation has just released a very clear position statement on the issue of chiropractic and strokes.
Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes. “While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney. According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists. “What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.” While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.” Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.” Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.” In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.Losing Weight But Still Not Feeling Fit?
Fit VS. Fat: New Research Sheds Light On Debate
Although proper nutrition alone can lead to weight loss, it doesn’t necessarily equal true health or fitness, says a new study in the January issue of the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Enette Larson-Meyer, Ph.D., R.D., FACSM, directed 36 overweight (not obese) adults to participate in one of three programs during a six-month intervention: diet alone, diet plus exercise, or a weight-maintenance program (control group). The diet-only and weight maintenance groups were instructed not to change their physical activity regimens during the six-month period. Although both the diet and diet-plus-exercise groups lost weight during the course of the study – around 10 percent of total body weight – only the exercising individuals improved their internal fitness in addition to their waistlines. Read more at medicalnewstoday.Brief Training In Meditation May Help In Pain Management
Living with pain is stressful, but a surprisingly short investment of time in mental training can help you cope.
A new study examining the perception of pain and the effects of various mental training techniques has found that relatively short and simple mindfulness meditation training can have a significant positive effect on pain management. Though pain research during the past decade has shown that extensive meditation training can have a positive effect in reducing a person’s awareness and sensitivity to pain, the effort, time commitment, and financial obligations required has made the treatment not practical for many patients. Now, a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte shows that a single hour of training spread out over a three day period can produce the same kind of analgesic effect. Read more…Sacramento Chiropractor: Get Fit to Deter Golf Injuries
Injuries are not unusual with any kind of sport. It is beneficial to find out what injury is inclined to happen in a favorite sport and then to do what it takes to avoid it. Sadly, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Therefore, it’s beneficial to be physically fit to make getting injured less predictable, or less traumatic. Before starting a sport, such as golf, the most critical thing you can do is to be certain that you have the proper fitness level. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping your joints mobile and your muscles limber, warming and stretching your body before activity, using proper form and good postures during activity, and allowing yourself an appropriate amount of cool down and relaxation time, you may very well keep your body safe from injury.
It isn’t only amateur golfers who suffer from injuries. It has been conjectured that almost one-third of pro golfers playing in the same time frame are playing with injury. The good news is that general good health and fitness can lessen the number of injuries that you may acquire and might actually preclude them totally.
Effective body strength in the muscle zones most employed when golfing is vital. However, before you make an effort to build muscle strength, it’s essential to make certain your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A successful golf swing relies on your spine’s capacity to adequately rotate effectually. Back injuries are the most common type of injuries sustained by golfers. Your Sacramento chiropractor will take care that your spine is in healthy alignment and that there is good movement of the vertebrae. Chiropractic treatment can make a big difference in helping you to avoid back injury.
Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Being prepared for your round of golf is paramount to a safe, injury-free day on the green. Golf stretching and flexibility routines will warm up your muscles and make injury them less likely. Flexibility in all areas of the body can be developed fairly quickly through full body range of motion (ROM) exercises. Furthermore, elastic band conditioning can provide distinct golf range of motion advantages and can advance needed power in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, such as your chiropractor, are including elastic band training in their golf conditioning programs because the bands offer dynamic resistance that general weight lifting does not supply.
Quite a few golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” besides back injuries. There is a minute difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow despite the fact that they are almost the same. Tennis elbow impinges the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow affects the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can result from a single violent action, such as (in golf) thrusting down on the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, however, is generally the protagonist. Moreover, it can occur for those who suddenly start playing too much golf. For example, if players that ordinarily play golf once or twice a month elect to play in a tournament, they are likely at risk for developing the injury.
Golf makes distinctive requirements on the body. The game is generally longer than the majority of other sports and that can cause fatigue. Whenever the body is fatigued, poor posture and impeded coordination normally follow. Together, these two components can create an assortment of injuries. Additionally, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury as a result of the constant swinging of the golf clubs. Just as it is crucial for you to stretch and warm up prior to starting your golf game, be sure that you rest your body suitable between games.
An unexpected injury on occasion associated with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, because it an affliction that occurs as the result of repetitive stress, a numerous amount of games of golf played over several months repetitively may cause this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a an extremely damaging injury causing disability and sometimes requiring surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, diagnoses it at an early stage, chiropractic management and, sometimes, the use of a brace will help the condition.
The majority of golfers appear to think that injuries are simply an inescapable part of a golfer’s life. Nonetheless, a healthy, mobile spine, good preparation, specific exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and sustaining a a good fitness level, and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can make injuries much 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
Feeling old and blue? Green tea may help
(Reuters Health) Elderly men and women who sip on several cups of green tea a day may be less likely to have the blues, hint findings of a study from Japan.
Dr. Kaijun Niu, at Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering in Sendai, and colleagues found men and women aged 70 and older who drank four or more, versus one or fewer, cups of green tea daily were 44 percent less likely to have symptoms of depression.
Several prior studies have linked green tea consumption to reduced levels of psychological distress. This led Niu and colleagues to look at associations between drinking green tea and symptoms of depression in 1,058 relatively healthy elderly individuals.
About 34 percent of the men and 39 percent of the women had symptoms of depression, according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. These symptoms were severe in about 20 percent of the men and in about 24 percent of the women.
Overall, 488 participants said they drank four or more cups of green tea a day, 284 said they downed two to three cups daily and the remaining 286 reported having one or fewer cups daily.
According to the investigators, the apparent protective effect of greater green tea consumption on symptoms of depression did not fade after they factored in social and economic status, gender, diet, history of medical problems, use of antidepressant medications, smoking, and physical activity. Read more…
San Jose Chiropractor: Growing Older Doesn’t Have to Hurt
Posted by admin in chiropractic on December 16th, 2009
Let’s face it, there’s just no getting around the fact that as we age our body feels and acts differently than it used to when we were younger. It just doesn’t seem fair that our body seems to become less “cooperative,” while our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive.” 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 pencil, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. But, our body doesn’t need to go from bad to worse because there are specialized techniques available 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 instance. In point of fact, with the exception of pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine fails to address this age-related affliction. What is the basis for such a limited approach? The answer is that most medical professionals treat the symptoms of arthritis. The chiropractic approach is to look for the root of the problem and treat the pain at its source. For more than a hundred years, chiropractors, like your San Jose Chiropractor, have been helping people suffering from back pain and other problems created by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Arthritic changes happen as your body ages because, over time, wear of particular joints takes place as a consequence of repetitive stresses, and years of poor gait, improper posture, and lack of beneficial movement. Chiropractic treatment brings back motion into your joints and relieves pain, and it corrects any vertebral misalignment that may be causing irritation and restriction. In addition to causing arthritic changes in the spine and increasing pain, did you know that misaligned vertebra can also reduce your resistance and immunity? It’s true, and this could be one of the reasons why it may seem that as you age you experience more health issues and that it often takes longer for you to feel better again. According to research done on men and women, those who received regular chiropractic care stayed healthier. In fact, you could say that, as you get older, chiropractic adjustments are good for what ails you!
When it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are highly knowledgeable whether it’s the small, growing frame of an infant or the full-grown body of a mature adult. Your chiropractor is well aware of the body’s aging process and has singular observational and diagnostic skills that assist 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. In addition, your San Jose Chiropractor can evaluate your posture and check your gait to identify faulty patterns that could create more arthritic changes in the future.
So, if you have been feeling your age lately, and you’d like to feel a whole lot better, see your San Jose Chiropractor today!
Dr. David Hoewisch is a chiropractor in San Jose with over 25 years of experience helping thousands of patients get out of pain and get their lives back. His office is located at 1221 Lafayette St., Santa Clara, CA, 95050. Dr. Hoewisch has traveled around the world and is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and learned sign language at an early age. He treats many deaf patients in his clinic. For more information go to his website at http://www.mysanjosechiropractor.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Hoewisch
Likely Culprits of Back Pain and How You Can Handle Them
Many people have back pain at some point in their life and at least half of them experience recurring back pain. Sometimes, there is no one particular cause for the pain but rather a build-up of activities they might have done. Back pain is so commonplace that it is one of the top three leading reasons why people see the doctor and miss work. The good news is that most back pain clears itself up within a few weeks. If you are one of the many people that experience back pain, there are a number of causes to consider.
Referred Back Pain
Referred back pain means that you feel pain in your back but it is attached to some other underlying health condition in your body. For example, kidney infections can cause back pain as can appendicitis and bladder infections. Women with infections or disorders in the pelvic area can also experience pain in the back.
Pulled or Stressed Out Muscles
Have you ever slept in an awkward position and paid for it in pain the next day? Sleeping funny can stress out your muscles, ligaments and tendons in addition to lifting heavy objects or even turning or twisting the wrong way. When you experience sensitivity and pain in certain muscle groups, like in your back, doctors refer to it as myofascial pain. Many kids experience this type of back pain because they tote heavy backpacks and school bags. Poor posture and improper lifting techniques can also contribute.
Musculoskeletal Diseases and Conditions
There are a number of musculoskeletal diseases and conditions that can contribute to back pain. For example, fibromyalgia causes pain and tenderness in nerve trigger points and joints in the back and other areas of the body. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that causes deterioration of the discs between the vertebrae.
Osteoporosis can also cause back pain. Calcium leaches out of your bones over time and puts them in danger of stress fractures and breaks. If you have osteoporosis and decide to partake in heavy lifting or other overly strenuous exercise, you can create tiny compression fractures in one or more vertebrae.
Disc Problems
A herniated disc is a common cause of back problems. Wear and tear over time can cause one or more of your discs along your spinal column to rupture (herniated). Sometimes called a slipped disc, this rupture can pinch one of the many nerves that emanate from the spinal column. The sciatic nerve is one of the most commonly affected nerves and it runs down to your leg, so not only would you feel pain in the back because of a herniated disc but also feel sharp, shooting pain down your leg as well.
Over the counter pain relievers can help as can topical herbal remedies for pain such as lavender oil, eucalyptus, chamomile, witch hazel and arnica. Some herbs consumed in tea form have anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate pain too such as chamomile, valerian, rosemary, elderberry and black cohosh. Ice packs can numb pain while heating pads can loosen tight muscles in the back.
If you can afford it, make it a point to visit a chiropractor because your spine may be out of alignment. Acupuncturists can also treat your back pain as well. What you should not do is lie around and be lazy when you have back pain because the joints and muscles may seize up. Rather, light exercise such as walking and stretching can be beneficial. With a little TLC and time, most back pain eventually resolves on its own.