issue-11-2018 Archives - Chiropractic Economics

Communication styles can build or break your practice

Don MacDonald July 31, 2018

Student DC Communication is vital to building a successful practice. It’s also the reason many chiropractors fail to thrive. You want to develop a communication style that empowers you for success. Those first years in practice are loaded with excitement, nerves and learning curves. And you know how to check and adjust, but do you know how to build a business? The latter is something with no rulebook. It’s learned by trial and error.

Improve patient outcomes with diagnostic scanning

Tim Maggs July 30, 2018

Tech Talk Often new patients come into my office with a chronic back condition and tell me they are frustrated with their doctor. No matter how long they have been seeing their doctor, their condition has not improved. I always ask, “Did they do a digital foot scan? Did they take standing X-rays? Did they do an MRI?” In almost every case, the answer is no. We have come a long way from the early days of chiropractic care, specifically in diagnostic tools.

3 clinical markers for resolving chronic inflammation

Donald Hayes, DC July 26, 2018

Wellness Approach Following an acidic lifestyle can contribute to a serious pH imbalance and omega-3 deficiency that can lead to the initiation of long-term chronic inflammation for your patients. Acid-alkaline balance is an important concept in the health of your patients that is seeing increasing support in the literature. Two researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, published a peer-reviewed study that investigated age versus blood-acid levels.

Testing for neurotransmitters: A personalized approach to chronic pain that helps your patients

Scott Theirl July 25, 2018

Practice Central As a chiropractor, you are focused on helping your patients regain their health naturally. And what is their top complaint? Chronic pain— including low daytime energy, poor sleep patterns, wandering attention, depressed mood, and difficulty maintaining optimal weight. Relieving patients of these chronic issues requires addressing not just the symptoms, but also the source, which usually resides in the nervous system. It is the central nervous system (CNS), through its beautiful symphony of communication with both the endocrine and immune systems, that truly drives the show.

The connection between poor posture and risk of falls

Steven Weiniger July 24, 2018

Research Results Low-back pain is the most frequently reported musculoskeletal complaint among the senior population, and it’s one of the primary reasons why older adults tend to experience more falls as they age. There is a clear relationship between low-back pain (LBP) and an increase in both falls and fear of falling. One way you can help combat this is by conducting an annual balance assessment on older patients and then providing them with appropriate action steps to improve their balance. Good posture is the interdependence of form and function and, to a surprising degree, an external expression of the state of body and mind.

Your ability to diagnose functional deficiencies is an essential skill

Tim Bertelsman July 23, 2018

Chiropractors now have access to myriad advanced testing options. MRIs, diagnostic ultrasounds, and CT scans help confirm diagnoses like disc lesions, stenosis, and tears of a labrum or meniscus. These structural pathologies, however, are often signs rather than causes of the patient’s underlying problem. Structural diagnoses are frequently the result of longstanding functional deficits that generate pathoanatomic changes and, eventually, symptoms. Diagnosing underlying functional deficiencies does not require any specialized equipment other than a keen sense of observation.

The intersection of neurofeedback and chiropractic

Guy Annunziata July 19, 2018

Clinical Concerns Many neurological disorders are caused by poorly functioning brainwave patterns. Extensive research has demonstrated specific abnormal patterns associated with ADHD, insomnia, anxiety, depression, autism, memory issues, concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and many others. Neurofeedback provides a natural method of correcting these abnormal patterns and eliminating the symptoms associated with these disorders. It is a proven and effective alternative to many of the dangerous medications that are prescribed for these conditions.

Digital imaging promotes compliance

Steven J. Kraus, DC July 18, 2018

Case Study Patient Jane Doe, age 42, entered the practice as an established patient who had not been seen for nine months. Her new presentation of neck pain and headaches represented a different condition than her previously encountered low-back pain. She was seen for approximately three visits involving spinal adjustments and electrical muscle stimulation, including some deep-tissue techniques. She had some minor, temporary relief, but the condition was still significantly present on that third visit.

Treat the whole patient with quality supplements

Christina DeBusk July 16, 2018

Feature The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of people afflicted by non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases is increasing over time. In fact, worldwide, conditions such as these now cause approximately 40 million of the some 55 million total deaths recorded each year. What’s perhaps most startling is that the WHO also notes that 80 percent of some of these major health conditions can actually be prevented. This means that as many as 32 million people could potentially have lived to see another day.

issue-11-2018

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