issue-18-2018 Archives - Chiropractic Economics

Why your practice should move toward a vitality model

Don MacDonald November 28, 2018

All chiropractors have a choice as they emerge from college and launch into their first days in practice. Will they be pain-and-symptom based or vitalistic? If you choose pain and symptoms, then the road forward is clear: Use the orthopedic tests you learned in school. When the test is positive, there is pain, and when it’s negative, there’s not. In this model, your patients stop care once their pain resolves.

5 phone tips to make your practice shine

Jamie Lowary November 27, 2018

Tech Talk You own a small chiropractic practice. You’re confident that you provide exceptional chiropractic care once your patients are in the door, but what about when they’re outside of the building? When someone calls your practice, what type of experience do they have? Research shows that people prefer to speak with a live human when they’re considering a business and also when they have questions or issues.

How to make health fairs work for your practice

Lev Furman November 26, 2018

Marketing Matters You often hear chiropractors say they dislike marketing their practice, or they can’t stand going to networking events. Many times, chiropractors would rather stop doing what possibly got them busy in the first place and rely on their reputation to do the rest. Although some may still find success with that method, these days most will not succeed and will likely fail.

Organics 101: Understanding the trend and why it matters

Derrick Woods November 21, 2018

Wellness Approach It’s like James and the Giant (Organic) Peach: Just when it seems that the burgeoning market for organic products can’t grow any bigger, it does. Consumers in the U.S. are getting increasingly savvy, not only about the food they eat but about the products on their bathroom shelves, what they apply to their bodies and what textiles they wear as clothing—and they want organic.

How to prevent internal fraud in your practice

Tiffany Couch November 20, 2018

Practice Central Some of the most heartbreaking cases I’ve handled over the years have been in the medical field. There’s something inherently tragic about a doctor who opens his or her practice with the intention of helping people heal, recover and feel better, only to realize that despite their altruistic efforts and Hippocratic Oath, they were victims of fraud. For many practitioners, it’s the last thing they ever expected to happen to them.

Master best practices with employee rewards and recognition

Eric Huntington, DC November 19, 2018

Practice Central Your staff is your most valuable asset. They make or break you. They can love or hate you, and still work for you. They can help you achieve stellar statistics into highest-ever ranges or they can crash them. It is all up to you. As Bob Nelson, a stand-up comedian put it, “People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition.” In other words, most employees are in your office for more than a paycheck.

What you need to know about Medicare enrollment and revalidations

Kathy Mills Chang, MCS-P November 16, 2018

Practice Central Details, details, details—it’s all in the details. Even among long-term practitioners, there is still a great deal of confusion about the Medicare enrollment and revalidation process. Doctors of chiropractic should know that they must enroll with Medicare if they wish to deliver manual manipulations to a Medicare patient. Unfortunately, there are some who are still not aware of this, so note that absolutely no manual manipulation can be performed on a Medicare patient without first enrolling with Medicare or completing a successful revalidation.

You can address chronic inflammation with nutrition

Tammy Hutchisen November 15, 2018

Research Results Many chronic conditions, such as asthma, lupus, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, glomerulonephritis and allergies are characterized by inflammation. Normally, inflammation is a bodily response to trauma, toxins, heat, or infection from foreign organisms such as bacteria and viruses. The damaged cells release various chemicals including bradykinin (causes blood vessel dilation), histamine (causes contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of capillaries), and prostaglandins (cause inflammation, pain and fever as part of the healing process).

How DCs can help patients lose excess weight

Jay N. Yepuri November 14, 2018

Clinical Concerns Though doctors of chiropractic (DCs) are known for their ability to treat and sometimes prevent musculoskeletal issues, the American Chiropractic Association adds that “DCs also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.” This is critical as, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 40 percent of the American population is currently obese.

The effective tools for battling chronic inflammation

Karen Appold November 13, 2018

Feature Inflammation is the body’s built-in mechanism to defend itself from adverse stimuli such as trauma, pathogens, damaged cells, toxins and other environmental irritants. It’s even a response to emotional stress. Individuals with acute inflammation may experience redness, swelling, heat, loss of function and pain, says David Seaman, DC, whose organization is devoted to nutritional and other lifestyle approaches for reducing inflammation.