If You Suffer From Hip Pain, Your Corona Chiropractor Offers Chiropractic Management That Can Help You Get Out Of Pain Now!
Your Corona Chiropractor provides a highly successful non-surgical, drug-free approach to decreasing hip pain and often eliminating it altogether. Hopefully, it goes without saying that surgery should be a last resort whenever possible. So, before you decide on hip surgery, consider the following questions: Does hip pain keep you up in the night and make a good night’s sleep unattainable? When you get out of bed in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it difficult at first to get your legs moving adequately? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If you’ve answered “yes” to any or all of these questions you probably have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can eventually lead to degenerative joint disease in your hips if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already begun, chiropractic treatment can help!
It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. Nonetheless, did you know that your hip pain (and related problems), which usually signal age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be created by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In the majority of cases, as opposed to being the original source of your condition, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is frequently the result of a previous injury (or injuries) to your hips.
More often than not, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, like walking for example. If you “pronate” when you walk, with your toes pointing away from your body (like a duck), eventually you will experience pain in your hips from the asymmetrical pressure on your hip joints and your body’s efforts to compensate. However, you can learn to alter your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.
Additionally, you may have had gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical alterations generate pain in the hip(s). There is no doubt that, if not treated, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, like wear and tear that produces degenerative changes.
Other situations that can frequently impact the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that makes it necessary for you to move your body in atypical ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can create hip pain. Even the way you sit or driving for prolonged periods of time on a regular basis can cause hip injury and pain.
So you can see that not every pain is caused by “old age,” though we may start to feel more pain due to the progressive activity of untreated injuries.
As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with your adjustments, your Corona Chiropractor will suggest individualized rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also analyze your gait and may recommend simple pattern changes.
Your hip pain won’t go away on its own. Hip pain is a symptom letting you know that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If neglected, more than likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t put off until tomorrow, what truly needs to be done today. Your chiropractor in Corona can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!
Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
Posted by admin in chiropractic marketing on May 11th, 2010
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.
Helpful Practices That May Help You Avoid Hip Fractures From Falls
It isn’t news to anyone that elderly people are more prone to bone fractures, especially of the hip. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that older adults can take to help avoid bone fractures, especially from falls. As a chiropractor, I recommend a number of preventative measures to my older patients, not the least of which is for them to have regular chiropractic treatment to help to improve and maintain balance and to keep their body in good alignment. As far as I’m concerned, in addition to balance challenges and poor muscle strength, an aging body that is out of alignment is a hip condition waiting to fracture.
According to a new study by Dr. Marian Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research, elderly people who eat more protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures. Why? Because consuming proteins such as meat, eggs, fish or cheese helps to build stronger muscles in the legs, which, in turn can reduce an older individual’s chances of falling. In addition to helping to build stronger muscles, other studies have shown that protein intake can increase bone density. For more on protein study go to: dailymail.co.ukIs Social Media an Important Marketing Channel for Your Chiropractic Clinic?
Posted by admin in chiropractic marketing on May 2nd, 2010
Social Media is the “hottest” buzz word on the Internet today. For those of you who would like to explore Social Media marketing as part of 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 aspects to other chiropractic marketing strategies you’ve engaged in in the past, but still unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you wouldn’t consider any kind of marketing plan without taking the time to understand what you’re doing and what you want to get from it. It’s important to ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Once you know what you want, you’ll be able to use social media to your best advantage.
When you are ready to begin your social media effort, but before you start, you will need to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, that is to say, be certain that your name or the name of your clinic is attainable so that you can use the exact same name on each and every one of the social channels you decide to use. When you’re ready, there’s a service, which is absolutely free, that will help you with your search. That who is knowem.com. This service will check where your name is and/or if it’s available for use or not on a large number of social media sites.
When you have secured all of your social media accounts, the next step is to make a decision as to where you would like to be active. Initially only a limited number of social media sites is the most beneficial because, let’s face it, you have a clinic to run and patients to see. You won’t want to get caught up in too many social media sites. So, how do you choose the best sites for you? Choose the social media site where the most action is, which are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube
What successful social media activity will do for you is build a genuine presence in your community. What you should never do “sell” on your social media sites, in other words don’t sell your chiropractic services, don’t sell products, don’t sell anything! The objective of social media is for you to have an addition channel through which to network with the community. Sure, inform them about what you do, but do it by becoming a participant. There is actually no difference between social networking offline and social media networking. There is no getting around it, people on social media do not want to be sold to! Social media sites are a lot like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around chatting about who they are and what they do, and then someone asks you what you do. Or, maybe you start the conversation by simply stating, “Hello, I’m Dr. ____. The same dynamics apply with social media. “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 let people know who you are and gets them interested in the who that’s you!
Not All Carbohydrates Are Equal
As a chiropractor who works with athletes, both young and old, and one who preaches a healthy diet in addition to regular chiropractic care, I am often asked by my more active patients about “fuel foods,” especially before a big high school football game or prior to a weekend warrior event. The most frequently asked question is: Are carbohydrates the best source to “fuel my sport”? And, my answer is “yes and no.” If you play sports, it’s important for you to know that even though carbohydrates burn off quickly, and are generally the best source of energy (and I recommend them highly), other factors come into play when the body is under the “stress” of the game. And, while pasta, energy bars, fruits, breads, yogurt, potatoes, cereals, and milk may all be great energy foods to eat before your sport, you should also include high sources of protein, including meat and peanut butter. Why? Because even though carbohydrates give you energy, proteins rebuild your cells and help you to maintain your muscle mass.
Another important thing to remember is that not all carbohydrates are equal. And while healthy fats can be an excellent source of energy during your sport, it isn’t wise before the game to eat fats that digest too slowly, like the fats contained in potato chips, fried foods, doughnuts, candy bars, and other sugary foods. Not only can hard-to-digest fats cause stomach cramping, but these types of fats are hard on the body systems for many reasons.
Maintaining an active lifestyle is important to overall health. But, doing it right and not overdoing it will make a big difference in how well you perform.
If You’re a Woman, Take a Walk!
So ladies, take a walk! Do it for your health's sake! For more information on this interesting story, click the link provided above.
Conservative Chiropractic Treatment Can Relieve Severe Back Pain Caused by Spinal Stenosis
As a chiropractor who treats many senior patients suffering from painful back problems, I was very concerned when I read about a new study published this month in The Journal of the American Medical Association that found that the percentage of older adults undergoing a complicated fusion procedure for the painful lower-back condition called spinal stenosis has increased sharply– rising fifteenfold from 2002 to 2007.
This type of fusion procedure is not only complicated, but costly. And worse, it carries three times the rate of life-threatening complications than alternative procedures such as decompression (removal of part of the bone pressing on the nerve) or simple fusion (in which two or three vertebrae are fused and only the front or back of the vertebrae, rather than front and back). And, the bottom line is that earlier studies haven’t found that the complex surgery leads to better results or greater pain relief.
Gentle, non-invasive chiropractic treatment can often relieve the severe back pain caused by spinal stenosis. I fully recommend a short conservative trial of chiropractic care prior to considering most surgeries involving the musculoskeletal system. Any type of surgery carries risks and such risks increase exponentially as we age. But, when a study reveals that a costly, life-threatening surgery does little to relieve pain or improve an individual’s quality of life, in my opinion such a surgery should not even be considered.
Cincinnati Chiropractor Advises: Get Your Balance Checked to Avoid Work Injuries
Posted by admin in work injuries on April 8th, 2010
As a Cincinnati Chiropractor I treat many older adults who suffer from balance problems. In fact, nine percent of adults, aged 65 and older, have episodes of dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related challenges. Good balance is extremely important, of course, in assisting older adults to stay independent and in avoiding falls and incurring injuries that are commonly very serious or even fatal. But, would you be surprised to hear that falls are the cause of a large percentage of work injuries for workers younger than 65 years of age, including those in their twenties and thirties? That’s right! No one is “invulnerable” to balance problems, no matter how young they may be. In fact, those who work in”precarious locations” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or any other place where a ladder is necessary are in danger of serious injury if their balance isn’t good.
The most important function of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance helps us to walk without staggering, arise from a sitting position without teetering, and to climb stairs without slipping. To sum it up, then, good balance is crucial to our health and well-being.
What may be disconcerting to you is that you could have a balance abnormality without realizing how significant it is. Often times an individual may be able to “shake off” a dizzy feeling and the feeling may not return for a while. However when precipetous dizziness comes about at a critical time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is most likely inevitable.
Vertigo is the medical name for the sensation that you, or objects around you, are spinning. Close to 40% of people in the U.S. will have at least one incidence of dizziness that is acute enough to seek out a health professional, like your Chiropractor in Cincinnati. But, if you are involved in any of the activities listed above, having a chiropractor check your balance before an episode of dizziness, make corrections if necessary, and then help you to maintain good balance, may save you from serious injury or worse.
Balance disorders are dangerous at any age. If you feel as if you may have a possible balance disorder, it is extremely important for you to be examined and treated without delay. Often guidelines are helpful. Therefore, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, it is highly recommended that you discuss the symptom(s) with a chiropractor as soon as possible:
• Have you experienced a feeling of being “unsteady?”
• Has the room seemed to spin around you?
• Has there ever a time when you felt as if you were moving when you knew you were standing still?
• Have you lost your balance and/or fallen down?
• Have you ever felt as if you were falling?
• Has your vision ever become “blurred?”
• Have you ever felt disoriented, or lost a sense of time, place or identity?
As discussed above, balance problems are not specific to a particular age group. Our falling down is an ever-present possibility from the time we learn to walk until we take our final step If you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” event, you need to have your balance checked. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!
Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Those Seemingly Harmless Extra Few Pounds Can Make a Big Difference in the Long Run
Posted by admin in weight loss on April 1st, 2010
As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Before you let out all the seams in your current wardrobe, there’s something you need to know relating to those few extra pounds you may have gained. Over time, they can add up to a large number of health problems from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put undue stress on organs, like the heart, as well as on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a substantial figure and a sizable national health issue (no pun intended).
It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to carry around a surfeit of weight in the form of body fat. Just 20 or 30 extra pounds can, in point of fact, overload and encumber the musculoskeletal system. Added weight in the belly, for instance, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This angle creates compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression restricts nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. Most people that are overweightexperience low back pain generated by an impingement of the sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that restrict nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra not only continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can create new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.
Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. Perhaps, it should go without saying that a healthy body weight is required in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spinal column and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. And, of course exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good motion. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually slow the potential for degenerative changes as over the years.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise options. In addition to assisting people suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide trained suggestions on the kinds of lifestyle modifications that can help an individual to stay healthier, more energetic, and more active through the years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that arthritis and immobility are an unavoidable part of the aging process. The human body was intended for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain,as your San Diego chiropractor and someone who cares about your health, I can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
Drugs…Just in Case?
As a chiropractor who believes in the human body’s ability to heal itself, often with the aid of natural, non-invasive, drug-free treatment, I am always dismayed, but never surprised, at some of the pernicious claims and tenacious effrontery of drug companies when it comes to pain killers, in general, and the “treatment” of a number of conditions that don’t get any better with drugs or are made worse by them. And, as a chiropractor who has helped hundreds of headache sufferers not only get temporary, but permanent relief, when I read about a drug study for yet another pain med that will likely keep headache sufferers numbed to their pain, but in the process numb to the rest of their life as well, I feel like shouting from the rooftops: “Try chiropractic first!” But, today, when I read about a study, sponsored by Merck (who also makes the product), I really felt compelled to say that this particular study is shamefully playing to the fears of migraine sufferers when, in fact, the drug itself only offers “less severity” at best when it comes to a migraine headache.
The study, conducted by Dr. X. Henry Hu of Merck & Co.and colleagues, found that one in five migraine sufferers had “avoided” a work-related commitment because they were afraid of getting a migraine, while 27 percent reported canceling a work commitment for this reason, and round 28 percent said they had avoided or canceled social commitments due to fear of migraines.
I have treated many patients who told me how much they’d “feared” the onset of a migraine and limited their activities in life because of that fear, so I do understand how devastating the fear migraines can be. And, yet, the only “solution” this study offered?
This study is “important,” said Dr. Hu, the unpredictability of migraines could contribute to people’s anxiety and fear about them and early treatment with migraine drugs called triptans can help reduce headache severity. “Because of the lack of predictability of future migraine attacks, migraine sufferers may benefit from increased education on the importance of keeping medications available at all times,” they concluded.
My conclusion? If you suffer from migraines, give your chiropractor a call today!
SOURCE: Headache, published online March 25, 2010.