San Jose Chiropractor Offers Care Options for Those Suffering From Arthritis

There is a variety of treatment options from which you can choose when it comes to your back pain and pain in other parts of your body due to arthritic changes, including going to see a San Jose chiropractor. However, quite a few men and women who are suffering from painful arthritis and back pain still think that they should go to a medical doctor as the best way to find a cure for their affliction. But, you might be surprised to learn that only a small number medical doctors are adept in helping individuals eliminate, or naturally decrease the difficulties of back pain due to arthritis. Medical doctors are trained to treat symptoms through medication, as opposed to finding and treating the origin of the pain you are undergoing. And, even though particular medications may ease the symptoms of arthritis, there is a lot that you can do not only for pain relief, but to genuinely slow down arthritic changes in your body.

Seeing a San Jose chiropractor is truly one of the most beneficial things that you can do to gain relief from your arthritis and back pain. Chiropractors are doctors who specialize in treating the muscular and skeletal system, and arthritis is a joint problem. Chiropractic care has aided many people in slowing the process of arthritis by getting their joints moving. Movement is crucial for joint health. A good chiropractor is an expert at treating back pain, even when it is caused by arthritis

If you have never gone to a chiropractor before, you might be a bit concerned about what is going to occur once you are in the office. Here’s what you can expect. You will be asked about your medical history, which will conceivably include a family history of arthritis. The chiropractor will ask about your current lifestyle and may offer specific changes that will be very helpful in decreasing the inflammation due to arthritis. And, finally, you will receive a complete examination. After the examination is complete, the chiropractor will let you know if chiropractic care can help your back pain, as well as relieve your painful arthritic symptoms. After that you will be told about the exact treatment you will require.

A chiropractic adjustment relieves pain gently and naturally, and it is a painless process. And, the best aspect of going to a chiropractor for your back pain and arthritis is that you can feel certain that the reason for your pain is being addressed, and that the ease you experience is not masking the symptom of pain, but actually eliminating the origin of your affliction.

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Be Smart When Using Dumbbells

As a chiropractor I laud that benefits of exercise to all my patients. In fact, I offer community lectures on the subject because I believe that a regular routine of both aerobic and weight-bearing exercises is important for overall health and longevity. Many of my patients use lightweight dumbbells in their workouts and that’s great. But, it’s important to use them correctly in order to avoid injury. So, I’m happy to pass along an exercise that outlines the proper use of dumbbells, offered by Karen Voight, the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Sleek Essentials.”

  • Grasp a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward. Bend your knees and sit back on your heels to avoid putting stress on your lower back. Begin with your elbows bent and tucked in to the sides of your body, palms facing forward.
  • Use your abdominal muscles to support and brace your spine as you simultaneously bring your left arm in front of you and your right arm behind you.
  • Pause when your dumbbells are at shoulder level and make sure your elbows do not “lock out.”
  • Bend your arms and return to the start position. Repeat the exercise, this time extending your right arm to the front and your left arm to the back.
  • Continue to alternate arms for a total of 16 repetitions. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat for a second set.

For more information, write Karen Voight

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The Hottest Buzz: Social Media Marketing

Chiropractic Marketing

Social Media is the “hottest” buzz word on the Internet today. For those of you who would like to explore Social Media marketing as an adjunct to your overall chiropractic internet marketing strategy, but aren’t quite 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 could possibly be very much like, and entirely unlike, any chiropractic marketing strategy you’ve contemplated. In the “very much like” category, you wouldn’t consider any kind of marketing plan without making an effort to understand what it’s about and what you want to get from it. It’s important to ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Once you’re clear about what you want, it’ll be easier for you to use social media to your biggest advantage.

Before you actually start your social media venture, it will be highly important for you 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 precisely same name on each and every one of the social channels you decide to use. There is a free service to assist you with your search when you’re ready. Knowem.com is the who to go to. This service will check where your name is and/or if it’s available or not on a substantial number of social media sites.

The next step, once you have all your social media accounts “locked up”, is to choose where you would like to be active. Because you have a clinic to run and patients to see, in the beginning only a few social media sites is best and may well be all you’ll need. That way you won’t get caught up in too many channels. How do decide which sites are best for you? The big ones (where most of the action is) are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube.

What your social media activity goal should be is to build a real presence in your community. What is definitely a no-no is for you to try to “sell” on your social media sites, which is to say don’t sell your clinic, don’t sell services or products, don’t sell anything! The objective of social media is for you to go out and network with the community. Sure, inform them about what you do, but do it by participating in the conversation. Social media works the same way as social networking offline. There is no getting around it, people on social media do not want to be sold to! Social media sites are very much like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around chatting about who they are and what they do, and then a person asks you what you do. Or, maybe you start the conversation by (just) stating, “Hello, I’m Dr. ____. The same kind of interaction applies with social media. Social media sites should be handled the same way you’d “work” offline networking opportunities to promote yourself, i.e., answer the questions and concerns that let people know who you are and gets them interested in the who that’s you!

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Your Oxnard Chiropractor Offers An Alternative Solution to Your Allergy Problems

Oxnard Chiropractor

Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, understands that allergic reactions can make your everyday life  unpleasant. A stroll in the park, a yarn ball toss with your favorite feline, a shrimp pasta, or just something as small as a nut is likely to result in such irritating symptoms as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash.

Then again, now and again a sufferer’s allergic reactions can increase from simply annoying to severe and life-threatening as the air passageway starts to tighten and inhaling and exhaling becomes strenuous. Such a acceleration of symptoms can commonly produce a state of extreme stress and a trip to the emergency room.

Allergies can, indeed, end up as an extremely difficult problem and make you feel incapable of participating in life. In fact, should you be one of those unfortunate individuals who have hypersensitivity, it might perhaps seem to you that, from time to time, your environment is a very unfriendly place and that the world all around you is, actually, out to get you!

You may ask yourself as to why it is that other human beings appear so invulnerable to the exact same environmental stresses that send your body into overwhelm. Other people seem either unaware of or plainly`totally unresponsive to the would-be irritants that lurk at every turn, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to them. Why you? A appropriate question. The fact is that plenty of people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that literally “goes into a frenzy” when you are exposed to routine substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.

Can your Chiropractor in Oxnard help you in getting a lasting reduction in your allergy symptoms? The answer is a definite “Yes,” and the explanation may surprise you. Quite a few chiropractic patients have noticed that they enjoy freedom from their allergy symptoms following a chiropractic adjustment, despite the fact that chiropractic care does not necessarily treat allergies, per se. The true reason for the reduction in allergy symptoms is because of the fact that chiropractic treatment affects your entire nervous system, which includes the autoimmune system, which is the cause of your allergic responses. When there is a perturbation within the nervous system, together with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose job it is to help you to adjust and react appropriately to your surroundings, has the potential to become under-active or overactive. When it comes to your allergies, the reaction is the latter (it becomes overactive).

Because chiropractic manipulations are intended to reduce or even completely do away with hindrances within the nervous system and recreate equilibrium and relaxation to the complete body, in conjunction with a variety of corrections, the adjustments produce homeostasis to the autoimmune system also. A healthy immune system responds properly to so-called allergens within the environment.

So, as stated previously, your Oxnard Chiropractor doesn’t essentially treat any particular allergy, but that doesn’t imply your allergies won’t get better or go away. On the other hand, one could point out, instead, that relief from your allergies is simply the “side-effect” of your rebalanced nervous system. If you would like to get back into a balanced relationship with your natural environment as quickly as possible, contact Dr. Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, today. He will help you to start living your life again!

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Ventura Chiropractor Explains How Chiropractic Treatment May Help You Get Relief From Your Allergy Symptoms

Your Ventura Chiropractor knows that allergies can make our everyday life a misery. Unwelcome symptoms like itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash can be the consequence of a simple walk in the park, a play date with Kitty, a seafood pasta, or even something as small as a nut.

To make things worse, for some individuals, and perhaps you’re one of them allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as the air passageway begins to close and breathing becomes labored. This evolution of symptoms can often cause a state of panic.

In fact, if you have allergies, it may seem that, from time-to-time, your environment is an intensely hostile place and that the world around you is, literally, out to get you!

Why does your body react, or rather overreact, to the environment with so severely while other people appear to be unaffected? It’s a valid question. The answer is because some individuals, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when you come into contact with ordinary substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.

Can your Ventura Chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? You may be surprised by the answer. Even though chiropractic care doesn’t treat allergies, quite a few individuals notice that they experience relief from their allergy symptoms after receiving chiropractic adjustments.

The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments affect the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s a disturbance in the nervous system, in conjunction with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose responsibility it is to assist you in adapting and responding appropriately to your environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the breakdown is the latter (it becomes overactive).

Because chiropractic manipulations decrease or eliminate disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the treatments provide that same homeostasis to the auto-immune system as well. A strong immune system responds appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment.

So, as explained above, your chiropractor doesn’t directly treat allergies. You could say, rather, that ease from your allergies is merely the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. If you want to get back into harmony with your environment as soon as possible, call your Ventura Chiropractor today.

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Santa Clara Chiropractic: Growing Older Doesn't Have to Hurt

If you’re over forty years old you know that as we age our body feels and acts differently than it used to when we were younger. It just doesn’t seem right 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 mindful, even a motion as simple as turning too hastily or bending over to pick up a dropped pencil, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. Fortunately, there is help for us, “boomers,” that is not only beneficial in slowing down the aging process of the body, but can aid us in avoiding some of those problems completely.

For an example, arthritis. Most of us would agree that, with the exception of pharmaceuticals, allopathic medicine fails to attend to this age-related challenge. What is the basis for such a limited approach? It is because most medical doctors focus only on the symptoms of arthritis. Chiropractic care, on the other hand, not only is beneficial in relieving the pain of arthritis, without drugs and their side effects, but it looks for the origin of the condition and eliminates it.  Chiropractors, like your Chiropractor in Santa Clara, have been helping individuals suffering from pain caused by arthritis, and other age-related challenges, for over a hundred years.

Repetitive stresses, years of poor gait and incorrect posture, and lack of beneficial movement produce wear of various joints over time and cause the arthritic changes the body experiences as you get older. Chiropractic adjustments restore motion back into your joints and decrease any vertebral misalignments 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 an irrefutable fact, and this could be one of the reasons why it may seem that as you get older you experience more health problems and that it frequently takes longer for you to feel better again. Studies have shown that older individuals who are under chiropractic care stay healthier. To put it another way, 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 proficient whether it’s the small, growing frame of an infant or the full-grown body of an aging adult.  Your chiropractor is experienced in working with the aging process  of the body and has exceptional observational and diagnostic skills that help in detecting spinal misalignments and joint degeneration. In fact, a chiropractic examination can frequently reveal some age-related changes before they’ve begun to create noticeable pain. Moreover, your Chiropractor in Santa Clara can check your posture and check your gait to identify inappropriate patterns that could generate more arthritic changes in the future.

So, if feeling your age has become a painful experience, call your Santa Clara Chiropractor today!

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You Say Tomato and I Say…Sunscreen

Aah, summertime. Time to head for the beach or a nice sunny park. So, bring out the picnic basket and blanket, the toys and swimsuits, and the sunscreen and tomatoes. Tomatoes!? Yep, that’s what I said. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, an antioxidant, which not only increases collagen in the skin and adds up to fewer lines and furrows, but actually helps to protect the skin again sunburn. According to Prevention Magazine, a recent study found that volunteers that consumed five tablespoons of tomato paste daily for three months had 25 percent more protection against sunburn.

It’s always nice to come across “natural” alternatives to chemical products, isn’t it? And, in this case, it’s a tasty choice. But, that said, it is always a good idea to cover up and protect your skin if you are going to be out in the sun for extended periods. Because, let’s face it, a juicy tomato or pasta marinara can go just so far!

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Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?

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

  1. There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
  3. Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.

Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.

Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.

If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day,  and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.

Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.

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Surgery As a Last Resort at Any Age

As a chiropractor, it is my professional point of view that surgery should be the last resort for conditions of the back, hips, and knees. Chiropractic treatment is a conservative, non-invasive and drug-free approach to problems relating to the musculoskeletal system. That said, I am also of the persuasion that surgery for most health problems should be a last resort as well. As I’ve said before, there is no such thing as a “minor” surgery. All surgeries, no matter how small, carry big risks. But, not only is surgery risky, there is no “undoing” this permanent attempt at correcting a problem. However, until just a few years ago, I would not have imagined that weigh loss would fall under the “only have surgery as a last resort” category. But, more and more adults are having bariatric surgery or other weight-loss surgery as an attempt to remedy their obesity. Again, surgery is surgery, and this type of surgery has high risks for already “at risk” obese adults. What has been even more disturbing to me is the fact that some parents are opting for surgery for their obese children, even though the risks of bariatric surgery are not only substantial in general, but the long-term safety and effectiveness in children remain largely unknown.

Now, what I am about to pass along will probably fall into the “duh, you think” category for most of us, but in reviewing studies on the “obesity epidemic,” scientists from Britain and the United States  lifestyle changes such as better diet and more exercise should always be the first option, and treatment with drugs should be used rarely. In other words, bariatric surgery, or weight-loss surgery, such as operations to apply gastric bands to limit the stomach size of severely overweight people, should be a last resort.

 

Yes, it is true that childhood obesity can adversely affect almost every organ in the body and often has serious consequences, including high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, insulin resistance or diabetes, fatty liver disease, and psychosocial complications, it is also true that parents need education (and perhaps intervention) and schools need to provide better food options and more daily exercise for children, and communities need to support parental efforts as well. No “toys” as a prize for buying high caloric kids meals is just the beginning. In my opinion as a healthcare provider, without education and support, even children who undergo bariatric surgery will continue to crave high caloric foods and still not get the healthy exercise they need.

 

 

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Where Your Health is Concerned, It All Adds Up

There is just no getting around it, if you want to get healthy and stay healthy, you must commit to a healthy lifestyle. Though it may not seem like it, every little thing you do each day from eating a banana to walking around the block makes a big difference in helping you to maintain your overall health and longevity potential. And, in just the same way, every little thing you don’t do makes a big difference as well.  In fact, according to a new study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the cumulative impact of smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and excess alcohol consumption can add up to increased risk of death. Or to put it another way, these four bad habits can shorten your life by as much as 12 years. Not to mention, of course, the low quality of life enjoyment you’ll experience right up until “the end” prematurely comes along! In fact, the study authors say that, when compared to a healthy lifestyle that includes none of the above (or excludes all of the above), the combined effect of all four behaviors tripled or even quadrupled the risk of death.

So, yet another wake up for you procrastinators out there. The bad habits you eliminate and the good habits you develop will tip the scales significantly in your favor. Don’t put healthy changes off one more day. A healthy lifestyle can profoundly affect your chances of living to a happy old age.

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