Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Chiropractic Relief for Migraine Sufferers
Chiropractic Relief for Migraine Sufferers
Why This Type of Healthcare May Help You
Migraines are extremely painful headaches that millions of people suffer from every year. Chiropractors may be able to help with alternative forms of treatment.
Migraine sufferers are commonly looking for new ways to get treatment of this painful problem. Chiropractors offer a form of treatment that is more natural and holistic. Chiropractic doctors do not depend on traditional medical and pharmaceutical methods to treat these painful headaches. Instead, chiropractors rely on methods like massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation and readjustment. These non-traditional methods offer migraine sufferers an alternative way of dealing with and controlling the pain.
Massage
Many people think of massage as a relaxing experience. However, it can also be an excellent way of dealing with tight, painful muscle spasms. As many migraine sufferers know, painful muscle spasms in the neck can sometimes bring on severe migraines. Muscle spasms can also occur during a migraine, making it all the more painful. A chiropractor can use ultrasound from an ultrasound machine along with deep tissue massage to help a person that suffers from these types of muscle spasms. The chiropractor will usually suggest an intense ultrasound and massage treatment to start with. This treatment can then be adjusted to meet the needs of the patient.
Spinal Manipulation
Rebecca S. Fischer, D.C., F.I.A.C.A. , reports that 78% of all headaches can be related to biomechanical problems in the upper cervical spine. This can essentially and effectively be treated by a chiropractor. A chiropractor will commonly use spinal manipulation to help realign the spine and return it to its natural position. Realigning a person’s spine can actually help support proper blood flow and enhance nerve conduction within the body.
Periodic Adjustment
Periodic adjustment or readjustment is the method of keeping the spine and cervical bones aligned properly. This adjustment is done on a more regular basis. The method helps to provide relief by improving the alignment of the body and even the improves the posture, thus reducing the number of migraines that a patient suffers from. Some people are skeptical of this kind of treatment until they realize the benefits. When this occurs, people will return to their chiropractor on a periodic basis to obtain this type of therapy. Some people become so aware of their bodies that they believe they can feel when their spine and cervical bones are becoming misaligned.
Acupuncture
The acupuncture method has been used for centuries by the Chinese culture as a method of reducing and relieving chronic pain. Acupuncture is also commonly used by chiropractors to treat severe and recurrent migraines. Chiropractors have to be specially trained before providing acupuncture. The Mayo Clinic website reports that acupuncture is the method of strategically placing pins at varying lengths into the body. Acupuncture helps to reduce pain during a migraine attack and can ultimately reduce the number of recurring migraines a person suffers from.
Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
Long maligned by the medical establishment, chiropractic care may be a more effective, less costly alternative to traditional therapies, studies show.
http://chiromedltd.com
Why This Type of Healthcare May Help You
Migraines are extremely painful headaches that millions of people suffer from every year. Chiropractors may be able to help with alternative forms of treatment.
Migraine sufferers are commonly looking for new ways to get treatment of this painful problem. Chiropractors offer a form of treatment that is more natural and holistic. Chiropractic doctors do not depend on traditional medical and pharmaceutical methods to treat these painful headaches. Instead, chiropractors rely on methods like massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation and readjustment. These non-traditional methods offer migraine sufferers an alternative way of dealing with and controlling the pain.
Massage
Many people think of massage as a relaxing experience. However, it can also be an excellent way of dealing with tight, painful muscle spasms. As many migraine sufferers know, painful muscle spasms in the neck can sometimes bring on severe migraines. Muscle spasms can also occur during a migraine, making it all the more painful. A chiropractor can use ultrasound from an ultrasound machine along with deep tissue massage to help a person that suffers from these types of muscle spasms. The chiropractor will usually suggest an intense ultrasound and massage treatment to start with. This treatment can then be adjusted to meet the needs of the patient.
Spinal Manipulation
Rebecca S. Fischer, D.C., F.I.A.C.A. , reports that 78% of all headaches can be related to biomechanical problems in the upper cervical spine. This can essentially and effectively be treated by a chiropractor. A chiropractor will commonly use spinal manipulation to help realign the spine and return it to its natural position. Realigning a person’s spine can actually help support proper blood flow and enhance nerve conduction within the body.
Periodic Adjustment
Periodic adjustment or readjustment is the method of keeping the spine and cervical bones aligned properly. This adjustment is done on a more regular basis. The method helps to provide relief by improving the alignment of the body and even the improves the posture, thus reducing the number of migraines that a patient suffers from. Some people are skeptical of this kind of treatment until they realize the benefits. When this occurs, people will return to their chiropractor on a periodic basis to obtain this type of therapy. Some people become so aware of their bodies that they believe they can feel when their spine and cervical bones are becoming misaligned.
Acupuncture
The acupuncture method has been used for centuries by the Chinese culture as a method of reducing and relieving chronic pain. Acupuncture is also commonly used by chiropractors to treat severe and recurrent migraines. Chiropractors have to be specially trained before providing acupuncture. The Mayo Clinic website reports that acupuncture is the method of strategically placing pins at varying lengths into the body. Acupuncture helps to reduce pain during a migraine attack and can ultimately reduce the number of recurring migraines a person suffers from.
Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
Long maligned by the medical establishment, chiropractic care may be a more effective, less costly alternative to traditional therapies, studies show.
http://chiromedltd.com
Chiropractic and Children
Chiropractic and Children
It's All About Function
What can chiropractic do for your child? Why do millions of parents bring their children to Doctors of Chiropractic every year? Is it only for highly dramatic health conditions? Is it only for when my child is hurting? Not at all!
Chiropractic's purpose is to remove interferences to the natural healing power running through the body. When that power is unleashed the healing that results may be profound.
Today we find more parents bringing their children to chiropractors for day-to-day health concerns we're all familiar with: colds, sore throats, ear infections, fevers, colic, asthma, tonsillitis, allergies, bed-wetting, infections, pains, falls, stomach-aches, and the hundred and one little and big things children go through as they grow up.
Chiropractors Do Not Treat Disease
It’s most important to understand that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. Its purpose is to remove spinal nerve stress, a serious and often painless condition most children (and adults) have in their bodies. Spinal nerve stress interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system, can weaken internal organs and organ systems, lower resistance, reduce healing potential and set the stage for sickness and disorders of all kinds.
When a chiropractor frees the nervous system from spinal stress, the healing power of the body is unleashed: the immune system functions more efficiently, resistance to disease increases, and your child's body functions more efficiently. Your child can respond to internal and external environmental stresses such as germs, changes in temperature, humidity, toxins, pollen and all the other stresses he/she comes in contact with more efficiently.
So although children with diseases are often brought to the chiropractor, the chiropractor is not treating their diseases but is instead freeing them of spinal nerve stress, thus permitting their body's natural healing potential to function at its best.
What Exactly Is Nerve Stress?
Spinal nerve stress (also referred to as vertebral subluxations, the subluxation complex, or “pinched nerves”) is a misalignment or distortion of the spinal column, skull, hips, and related tissues (the structural system) that irritate, stretch, impinge or otherwise interfere with the proper function of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves and outlying or peripheral nerves). Since the nervous system controls the function of the body, any interference to it can have wide-ranging effects.
How Is Spinal Stress Caused?
Spinal nerve stress can be caused by physical, chemical and/or emotional stress. Physical stress may start in the womb, with the baby lying in a distorted or twisted manner. Spinal nerve stress in newborns is more common than previously realized This may be caused by a traumatic or difficult birth which can introduce great stress to the infant's skull, spinal column and pelvis. Throughout childhood, the normal childhood traumas every child experiences can be a source of spinal and cranial trauma. Most of the time, the pain from the initial injury “goes away” however the damage incurred continues to affect the future function of the child’s nerve system.
How Does the Chiropractor Correct Spinal Nerve Stress?
This is accomplished first by analyzing the spinal column and related structures for balance and proper function. Where the spinal column is found to be functioning improperly, the Doctor of Chiropractic performs precise corrective procedures called spinal adjustments.
Using his/her hands and/or specialized instruments to gently and specifically correct those abnormal areas, the spine and cranium regain their intended state of balance and the nerve system is freed from stress.
It’s All About Function!
Today's parents are more concerned than ever about the adverse effects drugs have on their children. Parents are increasingly asking, when handed a prescription for a child's recurrent problem, "Is this really all I can do for my child? Is there a safer alternative?”
Parents are hesitant to merely mask symptoms with drugs and are worried about side effects. Their desire to achieve a state of true health—has led parents to seek health care options which support their children’s own natural ability to be healthy.
Chiropractic care is one such option. All children function better with 100% nerve function. All children deserve the right to express their fullest potential. Chiropractic care for children is safe, gentle and effective. It allows for the opportunity for maximum potential for well-being.
Http://chiromedltd.com
It's All About Function
What can chiropractic do for your child? Why do millions of parents bring their children to Doctors of Chiropractic every year? Is it only for highly dramatic health conditions? Is it only for when my child is hurting? Not at all!
Chiropractic's purpose is to remove interferences to the natural healing power running through the body. When that power is unleashed the healing that results may be profound.
Today we find more parents bringing their children to chiropractors for day-to-day health concerns we're all familiar with: colds, sore throats, ear infections, fevers, colic, asthma, tonsillitis, allergies, bed-wetting, infections, pains, falls, stomach-aches, and the hundred and one little and big things children go through as they grow up.
Chiropractors Do Not Treat Disease
It’s most important to understand that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. Its purpose is to remove spinal nerve stress, a serious and often painless condition most children (and adults) have in their bodies. Spinal nerve stress interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system, can weaken internal organs and organ systems, lower resistance, reduce healing potential and set the stage for sickness and disorders of all kinds.
When a chiropractor frees the nervous system from spinal stress, the healing power of the body is unleashed: the immune system functions more efficiently, resistance to disease increases, and your child's body functions more efficiently. Your child can respond to internal and external environmental stresses such as germs, changes in temperature, humidity, toxins, pollen and all the other stresses he/she comes in contact with more efficiently.
So although children with diseases are often brought to the chiropractor, the chiropractor is not treating their diseases but is instead freeing them of spinal nerve stress, thus permitting their body's natural healing potential to function at its best.
What Exactly Is Nerve Stress?
Spinal nerve stress (also referred to as vertebral subluxations, the subluxation complex, or “pinched nerves”) is a misalignment or distortion of the spinal column, skull, hips, and related tissues (the structural system) that irritate, stretch, impinge or otherwise interfere with the proper function of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves and outlying or peripheral nerves). Since the nervous system controls the function of the body, any interference to it can have wide-ranging effects.
How Is Spinal Stress Caused?
Spinal nerve stress can be caused by physical, chemical and/or emotional stress. Physical stress may start in the womb, with the baby lying in a distorted or twisted manner. Spinal nerve stress in newborns is more common than previously realized This may be caused by a traumatic or difficult birth which can introduce great stress to the infant's skull, spinal column and pelvis. Throughout childhood, the normal childhood traumas every child experiences can be a source of spinal and cranial trauma. Most of the time, the pain from the initial injury “goes away” however the damage incurred continues to affect the future function of the child’s nerve system.
How Does the Chiropractor Correct Spinal Nerve Stress?
This is accomplished first by analyzing the spinal column and related structures for balance and proper function. Where the spinal column is found to be functioning improperly, the Doctor of Chiropractic performs precise corrective procedures called spinal adjustments.
Using his/her hands and/or specialized instruments to gently and specifically correct those abnormal areas, the spine and cranium regain their intended state of balance and the nerve system is freed from stress.
It’s All About Function!
Today's parents are more concerned than ever about the adverse effects drugs have on their children. Parents are increasingly asking, when handed a prescription for a child's recurrent problem, "Is this really all I can do for my child? Is there a safer alternative?”
Parents are hesitant to merely mask symptoms with drugs and are worried about side effects. Their desire to achieve a state of true health—has led parents to seek health care options which support their children’s own natural ability to be healthy.
Chiropractic care is one such option. All children function better with 100% nerve function. All children deserve the right to express their fullest potential. Chiropractic care for children is safe, gentle and effective. It allows for the opportunity for maximum potential for well-being.
Http://chiromedltd.com
Active Release Techniques for Sports Injuries
Active Release Techniques for Sports Injuries
ART Claims to Help Treat Damaged Soft Tissue - Does It Work?
When they are not candidates for surgery, most victims of overuse injuries are referred to a physical therapist. They then follow a prescribed stretching and strengthening.
Developed in the 1980s by a P. Michael Leahy, a chiropractor in Colorado Springs, ART is a type of soft- tissue manipulation designed to treat repetitive strain injuries. The practice claims to break up scar tissue that entraps muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves, allowing the injured person to regain pain-free, full range of motion. A key principle of ART is that patients are often required to move their limbs during treatment, hence the word “active”. Also, ART practitioners manipulate tissues longitudinally, while massage therapists apply lateral pressure to tissues..
Athletes Who Might Benefit From ART
ART was originally used to treat elite athletes, but since the mid 1990’s, the practice has become more mainstream. Karen Slota, a chiropractor and ART practitioner in Royal Oak, Mich., says most of her patients are bodybuilders and endurance athletes – both of whom are likely to sustain repetitive strain injuries. Typical candidates include runners and cyclists with injuries such as tendinitis and IT band syndrome, as well as swimmers with rotator cuff injuries. Slota says she also sees many endurance athletes on a preventative basis.
Does ART Work?
Unfortunately, very little research has been performed on ART. A 1998 University of California at San Diego study found that 71 percent of patients reported improvement after four weeks of receiving ART. However, only 7 percent said their pain was completely gone. Also, the study wasn’t randomized and did not use a control group.
More recent studies have looked at the effects of ART on specific parts of the body. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found ART to be effective in helping treat lateral epicondylosis (tennis elbow). Another study, published in 2006 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, found that ART increased hamstring flexibility in healthy male subjects.
Read on
Returning to Sports After ACL Tear
Anterior cruciate ligament tear is a devastating injury for high level athletes. Return to top form requires dedication to physical therapy and patience.
What to Expect
Imagine if chiropractic and massage therapy were to gain up on someone. This is what ART resembles. An ART practitioner palpates the patient to find problem areas and then applies direct tension while guiding the patient through various movements. For example, a patient might be asked to bring her knee to her chest, while the ART practitioner applies pressure to the pelvic area. More than 500 specific movements comprise a practitioner’s repertoire.
ART usually takes about six to 10 sessions, but this can vary depending on the severity of the injury and how long the patient has been injured. The treatment may be covered by insurance, based on state law and one’s insurance policy.
Finding a Practitioner
An ART practitioner must first be licensed or certified to perform soft-tissue treatment and then pass an ART training course. Courses are offered for the lower and upper extremities and spine. ART practitioners include chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, athletic trainers and physicians. For a list of certified ART practitioners, visit www.activerelease.com/providersearch.asp.
www.chiromedltd.com
ART Claims to Help Treat Damaged Soft Tissue - Does It Work?
When they are not candidates for surgery, most victims of overuse injuries are referred to a physical therapist. They then follow a prescribed stretching and strengthening.
Developed in the 1980s by a P. Michael Leahy, a chiropractor in Colorado Springs, ART is a type of soft- tissue manipulation designed to treat repetitive strain injuries. The practice claims to break up scar tissue that entraps muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves, allowing the injured person to regain pain-free, full range of motion. A key principle of ART is that patients are often required to move their limbs during treatment, hence the word “active”. Also, ART practitioners manipulate tissues longitudinally, while massage therapists apply lateral pressure to tissues..
Athletes Who Might Benefit From ART
ART was originally used to treat elite athletes, but since the mid 1990’s, the practice has become more mainstream. Karen Slota, a chiropractor and ART practitioner in Royal Oak, Mich., says most of her patients are bodybuilders and endurance athletes – both of whom are likely to sustain repetitive strain injuries. Typical candidates include runners and cyclists with injuries such as tendinitis and IT band syndrome, as well as swimmers with rotator cuff injuries. Slota says she also sees many endurance athletes on a preventative basis.
Does ART Work?
Unfortunately, very little research has been performed on ART. A 1998 University of California at San Diego study found that 71 percent of patients reported improvement after four weeks of receiving ART. However, only 7 percent said their pain was completely gone. Also, the study wasn’t randomized and did not use a control group.
More recent studies have looked at the effects of ART on specific parts of the body. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found ART to be effective in helping treat lateral epicondylosis (tennis elbow). Another study, published in 2006 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, found that ART increased hamstring flexibility in healthy male subjects.
Read on
Returning to Sports After ACL Tear
Anterior cruciate ligament tear is a devastating injury for high level athletes. Return to top form requires dedication to physical therapy and patience.
What to Expect
Imagine if chiropractic and massage therapy were to gain up on someone. This is what ART resembles. An ART practitioner palpates the patient to find problem areas and then applies direct tension while guiding the patient through various movements. For example, a patient might be asked to bring her knee to her chest, while the ART practitioner applies pressure to the pelvic area. More than 500 specific movements comprise a practitioner’s repertoire.
ART usually takes about six to 10 sessions, but this can vary depending on the severity of the injury and how long the patient has been injured. The treatment may be covered by insurance, based on state law and one’s insurance policy.
Finding a Practitioner
An ART practitioner must first be licensed or certified to perform soft-tissue treatment and then pass an ART training course. Courses are offered for the lower and upper extremities and spine. ART practitioners include chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, athletic trainers and physicians. For a list of certified ART practitioners, visit www.activerelease.com/providersearch.asp.
www.chiromedltd.com
The Importance of Exercise
The Importance of Exercise
Proper exercise can significantly reduce the back pain many patients experience. Although the idea of working out whilst in pain seems to be counter-productive, gentle movement can reduce pain in the long run. Please note that before beginning any form of exercise routine, a patient should consult their physician. It is important to understand how your body will respond to exercise and know your individual limits.
Many patients experience increased pain when they begin to exercise. This is perfectly normal. When muscles are put to work for the first time, they have to stretch, adapt, and grow. These minor pains will prove worthwhile in the long run. As you build up strength, movement will become more fluid and less painful. As long as you remain in contact with your doctor and report any major issues, there should be little to worry about.
Basic movements help to tone and build up the core muscles that support the spine. By strengthening your core, flexibility increases and posture improves. Core exercises prevent future pain and can reduce overall discomfort. A strong spine and core help you to avoid a number of injuries. Exercise improves balance and flexibility; two skills necessary to avoid injury, especially in older patients.
Exercise can teach you to manage your own pain. Patients who suffer from chronic pain may be skeptical, but it is true: exercise can reduce pain. Pain sufferers can learn to manage and overcome pain. Unfortunately, exercise cannot remove all pain. It is a tool that can provide pain management, not removal.
As well as improving physical wellbeing, exercise provides several psychological benefits. Often, exercise makes the patient feel better about themselves on the whole. Patients who simply get up and get moving around can experience improvement in self-esteem. Slight weight loss or a drop in clothing size might boost the self-esteem further. All of these positive reinforcements inspire patients to commit to their exercise routine.
Depending on your specific exercise regimen, you may meet others who share your interest in fitness. You might meet people in at class at your local gym or just on a walk around the neighborhood. Interacting with others prevents exercise from being a monotonous activity. It might be a good idea to work-out with a friend. Work-out partners often help to keep you motivated and focused on staying in shape.
Oftentimes, patients just do not know how to get started. Walking can be a great way to get active. It is free and can be done virtually anywhere. A bit of sun and fresh air can do a world of good. Walking can also help you to gain confidence and motivate you to increase the intensity of your workout over time. Remember not to move too quickly. Learning to manage your back pain is a slow process that requires plenty of patience and time.
http://chiromedltd.com
Proper exercise can significantly reduce the back pain many patients experience. Although the idea of working out whilst in pain seems to be counter-productive, gentle movement can reduce pain in the long run. Please note that before beginning any form of exercise routine, a patient should consult their physician. It is important to understand how your body will respond to exercise and know your individual limits.
Many patients experience increased pain when they begin to exercise. This is perfectly normal. When muscles are put to work for the first time, they have to stretch, adapt, and grow. These minor pains will prove worthwhile in the long run. As you build up strength, movement will become more fluid and less painful. As long as you remain in contact with your doctor and report any major issues, there should be little to worry about.
Basic movements help to tone and build up the core muscles that support the spine. By strengthening your core, flexibility increases and posture improves. Core exercises prevent future pain and can reduce overall discomfort. A strong spine and core help you to avoid a number of injuries. Exercise improves balance and flexibility; two skills necessary to avoid injury, especially in older patients.
Exercise can teach you to manage your own pain. Patients who suffer from chronic pain may be skeptical, but it is true: exercise can reduce pain. Pain sufferers can learn to manage and overcome pain. Unfortunately, exercise cannot remove all pain. It is a tool that can provide pain management, not removal.
As well as improving physical wellbeing, exercise provides several psychological benefits. Often, exercise makes the patient feel better about themselves on the whole. Patients who simply get up and get moving around can experience improvement in self-esteem. Slight weight loss or a drop in clothing size might boost the self-esteem further. All of these positive reinforcements inspire patients to commit to their exercise routine.
Depending on your specific exercise regimen, you may meet others who share your interest in fitness. You might meet people in at class at your local gym or just on a walk around the neighborhood. Interacting with others prevents exercise from being a monotonous activity. It might be a good idea to work-out with a friend. Work-out partners often help to keep you motivated and focused on staying in shape.
Oftentimes, patients just do not know how to get started. Walking can be a great way to get active. It is free and can be done virtually anywhere. A bit of sun and fresh air can do a world of good. Walking can also help you to gain confidence and motivate you to increase the intensity of your workout over time. Remember not to move too quickly. Learning to manage your back pain is a slow process that requires plenty of patience and time.
http://chiromedltd.com
The Illusion of Patient Education
The Illusion of Patient Education
Perhaps the greatest fallacy about patient education is the notion that it has occurred. Many offices will assault new patients with patient orientation lectures, videos, brochures, anatomical models, wall posters; everything short of a Vulcan Mind Meld. When asked whether these technologies work, many doctors can only judge their success by how many patients seemingly reject their patient education overtures!
Having been involved in chiropractic patient education, I've reached several conclusions that might assist you in making your patient education efforts more effective and accountable.
Certainly, there is a segment of the population uninterested in the importance of proper spinal biomechanics, the ramifications of poor posture, loss of spinal curves, subluxations or human physiology. Yet, that shouldn't dissuade you from your responsibility to help change the way other patients think about their health and the chiropractic role in it. The long-term practice benefits of effective patient education may be difficult to measure and it may not produce the instant gratification we all seek. However, better compliance, improved retention and the increased ability to describe and defend chiropractic are the most likely and obvious outcomes resulting from appropriate patient education. Besides excellent clinical results, there may be no better way to grow your practice from within.
In the same way you can operate your automobile without knowing how your automatic transmission works, so too, can patients operate their own bodies. However, drivers who understand how their transmissions, anti-lock brakes, turbo and other features of their cars work are more likely to find that their cars last longer and need repairs less often. So too, with one's own personal health.
Patient education also improves the healing response. A study at a Minneapolis hospital that was mentioned in Tom Peter's book, Thriving On Chaos, demonstrated this among two groups of cardiac patients. One group was pretty much kept in the dark about the procedures. The other was given detailed explanations about the operation, how it would be performed, post-surgical expectations, etc. The "educated" patients recovered twice as quickly. Apparently, without appropriate patient education the mind/body connection is overlooked.
Here are some of the conclusions I've reached after talking to thousands of doctors and meeting hundreds of patients at focus group luncheons:
Conclusion #1
Patients do what they do--because they think the way they think.
Patients may be unaware or uninterested in the thought processes that cause them to make certain decisions about their health. But, the decisions and disciplines that cause some people to ignore their seat belts (even though it's the law), regularly neglect to floss their teeth (even though the materials are affordable and readily accessible) and overlook countless other health measures is based on a belief system. People who don't prioritize their health are hard for many doctors to comprehend. It is probably the high value you place on health that attracted you to a career in health care in the first place! If you want to change a patient's behavior, you will need to change the way they think. And even then, there is no guarantee.
Action step: Make sure you examine each patient's mouth. How they treat their teeth and gums is probably a good indication of how they will treat their spine. If they don't value their health the way you do, don't take their rejection personally. Do what you can to enlarge their vision and pay particular attention to those who do value their health. Ask your patients, "What do you hope to do better or enjoy more when you regain your health?" Find out what they value. Relate, attach or explain the significance of chiropractic in the context of something they want or value.
Conclusion #2
Doctors ignore the context in which their patient education is received.
After a new patient has settled into your new patient protocol, has filled out your paperwork, has seen a video and who knows what, it's easy to forget the important "pre-existing complaint" that patients bring with them: a Newtonian, mechanistic model of their bodies that has been heavily influenced by a lifetime of symptom-treating. Changing this outlook is highly unlikely with a 12 minute tap dance in front of the X-ray view box and some snappy tableside chatter in the adjusting room. You may claim you don't treat symptoms and profess that you address the "cause" of their problem, yet the philosophical distinction falls on deaf ears. True, you may be their last resort before surgery or a lifetime of muscle relaxers, but most patients want you to "fix them" (and hurry up already!) with about as much involvement on their part as getting their hair cut or their oil changed. Ignoring the context of your patient education efforts, regardless of what it is, almost assures that your efforts will be ineffective or irrelevant.
Action step: One way to understand the suitability of the "soil" of the patient education "seeds" you wish to plant is to ask better questions. When they describe their particular health complaint asks, "Why do you think that is?" When patients mention they're doing better, ask, "Why do you think that is?" When patients observe a lack of progress, ask, "Why do you think that is?" Look for ways to uncover their theories about how their body functions and what might be involved. You'll be surprised by the "old wives tales" and twisted logic that actually govern their health behavior.
Conclusion #3
Most alleged patient education occurs at the report of findings.
Second to the consultation, the single-most important communication occurs at the report of findings. Besides adjusting technique, there may be no other aspect of practice in which there is so much dogma. One-day reports, two-day reports, three-day reports, group reports, holding X-rays hostage, spouse-must-be-present reports and no report at all blur the purpose of a report of findings: report your findings. Which can be done in about a minute. Making it meaningful to the patient is the hard part.
While you're waxing eloquently about the loss of curves, degenerative changes and soft tissue changes, patients are worring about the cost of care, how they're going to get to your office three times a week and afraid they've traded a dependency on pain pills for a dependency on chiropractic adjustments!
Action step: Answer the four questions patient's want answered, 1. What's wrong?, 2. Can chiropractic help?, 3. How long will it take?, and 4. How much will it cost? Besides the patient education necessary for them to understand your answers to these four questions, make sure some type of education occurs on subsequent visits to your office. Don't be fooled by their polite eye contact.
Conclusion #4
Most patient education consists of nothing more than "data dumps."
Whether you start with the patient's presenting complaint, point out postural deficiencies or explain the colorful history of chiropractic, most patient education is a one-sided affair. Data is delivered with the speed of a semi-automatic assault rifle. Re-exam dates, hip height differences in millimeters, hypolordotic curves, phases of degeneration and treatment recommendations are sandwiched between deductible amounts, a request to bring in their kids and a slam at their previous doctor. Patients are often numbed by the data and are on their own to convert it into usable, meaningful information.
Action step: Ask patients questions along the way to insure their understanding. Like airline pilots who repeat the directions given them by the air traffic controller, follow up your education efforts with questions that can reveal the patient's understanding. Avoid the X-ray view box monologue. Use the nervous system's afferent/efferent model to create a feedback loop to monitor your patient's assimilation.
Conclusion #5
Most patient education depends upon the spoken word.
The most expensive, inconsistent and least likely to be remembered communication media is the spoken word. Yet, most doctors close the heavy door of their report rooms, assume a somber carriage and plunge into a "fireside chat" with scripted precision. You can almost see the doctor's words entering a patient's ear and emerging out the other. Sensing you're on a roll, or merely out of respect, many patients avoid interrupting you. Pausing only long enough to inhale, the verbal assault continues until the staff taps on the door indicating things are backing up in the reception room.
Action step: We are visual creatures. Most of us remember pictures, colors and images much longer than the spoken word. Besides being easier to remember, pictures have less ambiguity. Sure, use X-rays and surface EMG printouts, but collect other images that can add impact to your patient communications. Look for metaphorical representations of the points you want to make. Find a picture of braces on teeth and point to it ("Even with the constant pressure from braces, how long does it take to reposition teeth?" Or how about, "What do you suppose would happen if they took braces off too soon?") Fill your office with pictures, drawings, illustrations, models and other visual devices. Pictures are worth a thousand words--or more!
Conclusion #6
Most efforts are the identical, regardless of the patient's preferred communication channel.
Some patients make decisions based on facts, others on feelings. Some are visually oriented. Others respond to touch. Some respond to testimonials, others to the bottom line. And, while a strong case can be made for the value of a systematized approach, without adapting the message to each patient, this one-size-fits-all approach is doomed. The fact is, most doctors are led to communicate with their patients using approaches that they would respond to.
Action step: Ask patients on your new patient admitting paperwork how they remember important things in their life? How do they make decisions, by facts or feelings? Learning the best ways to explain chiropractic is just as important as asking questions about their presenting health complaint.
The Conclusion
We all remember the professors who were using 15-year old notes and who were clearly not enjoying their jobs as teachers. The material was not to blame, it was a lack of creativity and a lost sense of purpose that turned countless lectures and whole semesters into a bizarre form of punishment. All too many patients are meeting these teachers as doctors, who make chiropractic either too technical or take on a "healthier than thou" attitude and never truly connect with patients. To these patients, chiropractic care is merely an esoteric, low-tech version of aspirin.
Effective chiropractic patient education is essential. Imagine, that instead of merely 100 years of great results we could claim 100 years of truly educated patients! Then, when your patients were asked to spell the word "relief" their answer would be quite different.
http://chiromedltd.com
Perhaps the greatest fallacy about patient education is the notion that it has occurred. Many offices will assault new patients with patient orientation lectures, videos, brochures, anatomical models, wall posters; everything short of a Vulcan Mind Meld. When asked whether these technologies work, many doctors can only judge their success by how many patients seemingly reject their patient education overtures!
Having been involved in chiropractic patient education, I've reached several conclusions that might assist you in making your patient education efforts more effective and accountable.
Certainly, there is a segment of the population uninterested in the importance of proper spinal biomechanics, the ramifications of poor posture, loss of spinal curves, subluxations or human physiology. Yet, that shouldn't dissuade you from your responsibility to help change the way other patients think about their health and the chiropractic role in it. The long-term practice benefits of effective patient education may be difficult to measure and it may not produce the instant gratification we all seek. However, better compliance, improved retention and the increased ability to describe and defend chiropractic are the most likely and obvious outcomes resulting from appropriate patient education. Besides excellent clinical results, there may be no better way to grow your practice from within.
In the same way you can operate your automobile without knowing how your automatic transmission works, so too, can patients operate their own bodies. However, drivers who understand how their transmissions, anti-lock brakes, turbo and other features of their cars work are more likely to find that their cars last longer and need repairs less often. So too, with one's own personal health.
Patient education also improves the healing response. A study at a Minneapolis hospital that was mentioned in Tom Peter's book, Thriving On Chaos, demonstrated this among two groups of cardiac patients. One group was pretty much kept in the dark about the procedures. The other was given detailed explanations about the operation, how it would be performed, post-surgical expectations, etc. The "educated" patients recovered twice as quickly. Apparently, without appropriate patient education the mind/body connection is overlooked.
Here are some of the conclusions I've reached after talking to thousands of doctors and meeting hundreds of patients at focus group luncheons:
Conclusion #1
Patients do what they do--because they think the way they think.
Patients may be unaware or uninterested in the thought processes that cause them to make certain decisions about their health. But, the decisions and disciplines that cause some people to ignore their seat belts (even though it's the law), regularly neglect to floss their teeth (even though the materials are affordable and readily accessible) and overlook countless other health measures is based on a belief system. People who don't prioritize their health are hard for many doctors to comprehend. It is probably the high value you place on health that attracted you to a career in health care in the first place! If you want to change a patient's behavior, you will need to change the way they think. And even then, there is no guarantee.
Action step: Make sure you examine each patient's mouth. How they treat their teeth and gums is probably a good indication of how they will treat their spine. If they don't value their health the way you do, don't take their rejection personally. Do what you can to enlarge their vision and pay particular attention to those who do value their health. Ask your patients, "What do you hope to do better or enjoy more when you regain your health?" Find out what they value. Relate, attach or explain the significance of chiropractic in the context of something they want or value.
Conclusion #2
Doctors ignore the context in which their patient education is received.
After a new patient has settled into your new patient protocol, has filled out your paperwork, has seen a video and who knows what, it's easy to forget the important "pre-existing complaint" that patients bring with them: a Newtonian, mechanistic model of their bodies that has been heavily influenced by a lifetime of symptom-treating. Changing this outlook is highly unlikely with a 12 minute tap dance in front of the X-ray view box and some snappy tableside chatter in the adjusting room. You may claim you don't treat symptoms and profess that you address the "cause" of their problem, yet the philosophical distinction falls on deaf ears. True, you may be their last resort before surgery or a lifetime of muscle relaxers, but most patients want you to "fix them" (and hurry up already!) with about as much involvement on their part as getting their hair cut or their oil changed. Ignoring the context of your patient education efforts, regardless of what it is, almost assures that your efforts will be ineffective or irrelevant.
Action step: One way to understand the suitability of the "soil" of the patient education "seeds" you wish to plant is to ask better questions. When they describe their particular health complaint asks, "Why do you think that is?" When patients mention they're doing better, ask, "Why do you think that is?" When patients observe a lack of progress, ask, "Why do you think that is?" Look for ways to uncover their theories about how their body functions and what might be involved. You'll be surprised by the "old wives tales" and twisted logic that actually govern their health behavior.
Conclusion #3
Most alleged patient education occurs at the report of findings.
Second to the consultation, the single-most important communication occurs at the report of findings. Besides adjusting technique, there may be no other aspect of practice in which there is so much dogma. One-day reports, two-day reports, three-day reports, group reports, holding X-rays hostage, spouse-must-be-present reports and no report at all blur the purpose of a report of findings: report your findings. Which can be done in about a minute. Making it meaningful to the patient is the hard part.
While you're waxing eloquently about the loss of curves, degenerative changes and soft tissue changes, patients are worring about the cost of care, how they're going to get to your office three times a week and afraid they've traded a dependency on pain pills for a dependency on chiropractic adjustments!
Action step: Answer the four questions patient's want answered, 1. What's wrong?, 2. Can chiropractic help?, 3. How long will it take?, and 4. How much will it cost? Besides the patient education necessary for them to understand your answers to these four questions, make sure some type of education occurs on subsequent visits to your office. Don't be fooled by their polite eye contact.
Conclusion #4
Most patient education consists of nothing more than "data dumps."
Whether you start with the patient's presenting complaint, point out postural deficiencies or explain the colorful history of chiropractic, most patient education is a one-sided affair. Data is delivered with the speed of a semi-automatic assault rifle. Re-exam dates, hip height differences in millimeters, hypolordotic curves, phases of degeneration and treatment recommendations are sandwiched between deductible amounts, a request to bring in their kids and a slam at their previous doctor. Patients are often numbed by the data and are on their own to convert it into usable, meaningful information.
Action step: Ask patients questions along the way to insure their understanding. Like airline pilots who repeat the directions given them by the air traffic controller, follow up your education efforts with questions that can reveal the patient's understanding. Avoid the X-ray view box monologue. Use the nervous system's afferent/efferent model to create a feedback loop to monitor your patient's assimilation.
Conclusion #5
Most patient education depends upon the spoken word.
The most expensive, inconsistent and least likely to be remembered communication media is the spoken word. Yet, most doctors close the heavy door of their report rooms, assume a somber carriage and plunge into a "fireside chat" with scripted precision. You can almost see the doctor's words entering a patient's ear and emerging out the other. Sensing you're on a roll, or merely out of respect, many patients avoid interrupting you. Pausing only long enough to inhale, the verbal assault continues until the staff taps on the door indicating things are backing up in the reception room.
Action step: We are visual creatures. Most of us remember pictures, colors and images much longer than the spoken word. Besides being easier to remember, pictures have less ambiguity. Sure, use X-rays and surface EMG printouts, but collect other images that can add impact to your patient communications. Look for metaphorical representations of the points you want to make. Find a picture of braces on teeth and point to it ("Even with the constant pressure from braces, how long does it take to reposition teeth?" Or how about, "What do you suppose would happen if they took braces off too soon?") Fill your office with pictures, drawings, illustrations, models and other visual devices. Pictures are worth a thousand words--or more!
Conclusion #6
Most efforts are the identical, regardless of the patient's preferred communication channel.
Some patients make decisions based on facts, others on feelings. Some are visually oriented. Others respond to touch. Some respond to testimonials, others to the bottom line. And, while a strong case can be made for the value of a systematized approach, without adapting the message to each patient, this one-size-fits-all approach is doomed. The fact is, most doctors are led to communicate with their patients using approaches that they would respond to.
Action step: Ask patients on your new patient admitting paperwork how they remember important things in their life? How do they make decisions, by facts or feelings? Learning the best ways to explain chiropractic is just as important as asking questions about their presenting health complaint.
The Conclusion
We all remember the professors who were using 15-year old notes and who were clearly not enjoying their jobs as teachers. The material was not to blame, it was a lack of creativity and a lost sense of purpose that turned countless lectures and whole semesters into a bizarre form of punishment. All too many patients are meeting these teachers as doctors, who make chiropractic either too technical or take on a "healthier than thou" attitude and never truly connect with patients. To these patients, chiropractic care is merely an esoteric, low-tech version of aspirin.
Effective chiropractic patient education is essential. Imagine, that instead of merely 100 years of great results we could claim 100 years of truly educated patients! Then, when your patients were asked to spell the word "relief" their answer would be quite different.
http://chiromedltd.com
How Chiropractors Treat Neck and Back Pain
How Chiropractors Treat Neck and Back Pain
Chiropractors have a very special skill set and provide a beneficial service to all who seek them out. While pain medication can certainly be helpful as a first line treatment for pain, a pill will not have the intimate knowledge of vertebrae and the body's skeletal and muscular structures. A Chiropractor, on the other hand, has the experience and training to get to the root cause of neck and back pain.
So how do Chiropractors treat neck and back pain? Chiropractors have a number of treatment methods for people who suffer from neck pains and back pains. Chiropractors base their treatment on the belief that most of the body's pain is the result of a misalignment in the spine so most forms of Chiropractic treatment involve an examination of the patient's spinal column to make sure that nothing is out of place. Often the Chiropractor will work the muscles immediately surrounding the spine in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the spinal nerves.
The Chiropractor, while focusing on the spine and back muscles, will work with the rest of the patient's body as well. Chiropractors are well versed in things like pressure points and massage techniques and may put some of these techniques to use as he or she attempts to relieve a patient's pain.
Chiropractors are also well known for their ability to "crack" a muscle or section of the spine back into place. This "crack" is actually a very controlled and swift motion in which the Chiropractor quickly pushes a joint beyond its usual motion range and then puts it back into place. Patients who have been through this explain that they experience a very fast jolt that, though not painful, is often shocking and then they feel the pain begin to subside. The term "crack" comes from the sound the joint makes as it is momentarily thrust outside of its comfort range.
Finally, Chiropractors do work with a patient's internal systems as well as external systems. A Chiropractor might recommend a change in diet as well as giving a patient some exercises to do to help reduce the pain in the back and the neck.
Many residents of the United Kingdom both fear the Chiropractor ("the back cracker") and assume that Chiropractic care is unnecessary. People fear the Chiropractor because they assume that a visit to his/her office will be painful. The truth is that visits to the Chiropractor usually do not hurt and Chiropractic treatment can do the patient quite a lot of good.
http://chiromedltd.com
Chiropractors have a very special skill set and provide a beneficial service to all who seek them out. While pain medication can certainly be helpful as a first line treatment for pain, a pill will not have the intimate knowledge of vertebrae and the body's skeletal and muscular structures. A Chiropractor, on the other hand, has the experience and training to get to the root cause of neck and back pain.
So how do Chiropractors treat neck and back pain? Chiropractors have a number of treatment methods for people who suffer from neck pains and back pains. Chiropractors base their treatment on the belief that most of the body's pain is the result of a misalignment in the spine so most forms of Chiropractic treatment involve an examination of the patient's spinal column to make sure that nothing is out of place. Often the Chiropractor will work the muscles immediately surrounding the spine in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the spinal nerves.
The Chiropractor, while focusing on the spine and back muscles, will work with the rest of the patient's body as well. Chiropractors are well versed in things like pressure points and massage techniques and may put some of these techniques to use as he or she attempts to relieve a patient's pain.
Chiropractors are also well known for their ability to "crack" a muscle or section of the spine back into place. This "crack" is actually a very controlled and swift motion in which the Chiropractor quickly pushes a joint beyond its usual motion range and then puts it back into place. Patients who have been through this explain that they experience a very fast jolt that, though not painful, is often shocking and then they feel the pain begin to subside. The term "crack" comes from the sound the joint makes as it is momentarily thrust outside of its comfort range.
Finally, Chiropractors do work with a patient's internal systems as well as external systems. A Chiropractor might recommend a change in diet as well as giving a patient some exercises to do to help reduce the pain in the back and the neck.
Many residents of the United Kingdom both fear the Chiropractor ("the back cracker") and assume that Chiropractic care is unnecessary. People fear the Chiropractor because they assume that a visit to his/her office will be painful. The truth is that visits to the Chiropractor usually do not hurt and Chiropractic treatment can do the patient quite a lot of good.
http://chiromedltd.com
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