Your Oxnard Chiropractor Offers An Alternative Solution to Your Allergy Discomfort
Your Oxnard Chiropractor, Dr.Donald Bolt, is aware that allergic reactions can make your day-to-day existence miserable. A walk in the park, a play date with Fluffy, a shrimp repast, or even something as tiny as a nut has the capability to bring about such uncomfortable complaints as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash.
On the other hand, in some cases an individual’s allergic reactions can escalate from just plain annoying to critical and even life-threatening as the air passageway starts to constrict and breathing becomes difficult. This kind of acceleration of difficulties can often bring about a state of acute anxiety and a trip to the ER.
Allergies can, without a doubt, turn out to be an exceedingly troublesome disburbance and cause you to feel incapable of participating in life. Indeed, should you be one of the many individuals who have hypersensitivity, it may even seem to you that, from time to time, the environment is a pretty unfriendly space and that the world out there you is, virtually, out to get you!
You may ask yourself why it is that other human beings seem to be so unaffected by the exact same environmental challenges that send your body into overwhelm. Other people seem either unaware of or plainly`totally unresponsive to the potential irritants that lie in wait at just about every turn, while your system reacts, or rather overreacts, to them. Why you? A logical question. The answer is that quite a few people, just like you, have a hyperactive immune system that essentially “goes berserk” when you are exposed to common substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nut products.
Can your Oxnard Chiropractor assist you in finding a lasting reduction in your allergy symptoms? Happily, the answer is a booming “Yes,” and the solution may likely surprise you. A large number of chiropractic patients have realized that they enjoy freedom from their allergy symptoms following a chiropractic treatment, despite the fact that chiropractic care does not actually apply treatment directly to allergies, per se. The real reason for the lessing of allergy symptoms is because of the fact that chiropractic adjustment affects your whole nervous system, which includes your autoimmune system, and that is the origin of your allergic responses. Every time there is a hindrance in the nervous system, coupled with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose job it is to enable you to adjust and respond in a healthy way to your surroundings, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the breakdown is the latter (it becomes overactive).
Considering that chiropractic adjustments are intended to decrease or even completely get rid of perturbations in the nervous system and recreate balance and relaxation to the entire body, in addition to a number of other corrections, the treatments furnish homeostasis to the autoimmune system also. A strong immune system reacts in a healthy way to so-called allergens in the natural environment.
So, as stated previously, your Chiropractor in Oxnard doesn’t really address allergic reactions, and yet that doesn’t suggest your allergies won’t get better or disappear altogether. On the other hand, one could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is merely the “side-effect” of your well-adjusted nervous system. If you would like to get back into a balanced relationship with your environment as soon as possible, contact Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, today. He can help you to start living your life again!
Be Smart When Using Dumbbells
Posted by Author in health and fitness on June 16th, 2010
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
Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
Posted by admin in chiropractic marketing on May 16th, 2010
Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing
- There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
- The staff knows your practice intimately. Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
- You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.
Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing
- The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
- The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job. If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
- Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.
Advantages of using an outside professional
- Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field. They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO. They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
- There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
- The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.
Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company
- Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
- There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
- Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.
Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.
Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.
If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day, and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.
Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.
Helpful Practices That May Help You Avoid Hip Fractures From Falls
Posted by Author in health and fitness on May 8th, 2010
It isn’t news to anyone that elderly people are more prone to bone fractures, especially of the hip. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that older adults can take to help avoid bone fractures, especially from falls. As a chiropractor, I recommend a number of preventative measures to my older patients, not the least of which is for them to have regular chiropractic treatment to help to improve and maintain balance and to keep their body in good alignment. As far as I’m concerned, in addition to balance challenges and poor muscle strength, an aging body that is out of alignment is a hip condition waiting to fracture.
According to a new study by Dr. Marian Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research, elderly people who eat more protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures. Why? Because consuming proteins such as meat, eggs, fish or cheese helps to build stronger muscles in the legs, which, in turn can reduce an older individual’s chances of falling. In addition to helping to build stronger muscles, other studies have shown that protein intake can increase bone density. For more on protein study go to: dailymail.co.ukNot All Carbohydrates Are Equal
Posted by Author in health and fitness on May 1st, 2010
As a chiropractor who works with athletes, both young and old, and one who preaches a healthy diet in addition to regular chiropractic care, I am often asked by my more active patients about “fuel foods,” especially before a big high school football game or prior to a weekend warrior event. The most frequently asked question is: Are carbohydrates the best source to “fuel my sport”? And, my answer is “yes and no.” If you play sports, it’s important for you to know that even though carbohydrates burn off quickly, and are generally the best source of energy (and I recommend them highly), other factors come into play when the body is under the “stress” of the game. And, while pasta, energy bars, fruits, breads, yogurt, potatoes, cereals, and milk may all be great energy foods to eat before your sport, you should also include high sources of protein, including meat and peanut butter. Why? Because even though carbohydrates give you energy, proteins rebuild your cells and help you to maintain your muscle mass.
Another important thing to remember is that not all carbohydrates are equal. And while healthy fats can be an excellent source of energy during your sport, it isn’t wise before the game to eat fats that digest too slowly, like the fats contained in potato chips, fried foods, doughnuts, candy bars, and other sugary foods. Not only can hard-to-digest fats cause stomach cramping, but these types of fats are hard on the body systems for many reasons.
Maintaining an active lifestyle is important to overall health. But, doing it right and not overdoing it will make a big difference in how well you perform.
If You Suffer From Hip Pain, Your Corona Chiropractor Offers Chiropractic Care That Can Help You Get Out of Pain Now!
Your Corona Chiropractor offers a valuable non-surgical, drug-free approach to decreasing hip pain and frequently getting rid of it altogether. As most of us know, surgery should be a last resort whenever possible. Therefore, before you schedule a surgery to replace that hip, ask yourself the following questions: Is it out of the question for you to get a good night’s sleep because your hip pain wakes you up at night? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially difficult to get your legs moving sufficiently? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If these symptoms sound familiar, it is likely that you have asymmetries and misalignments in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can lead to osteoarthritis in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help whether or not degenerative changes have already taken place!
You may be getting older and it may be true that your hip joints aren’t what they used to be. Nonetheless, are you aware that your hip pain (and related problems), which point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be caused by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In many cases, as opposed to being the original source of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is typically the outcome of a prior injury (or injuries) to your hips.
Hip problems frequently have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, like walking for example. If you “pronate” when you walk, like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, it is inevitable that you will experience pain in your hips from the asymmetrical stress on your hip joints and your body’s efforts to compensate. However, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.
Additionally, you may have had gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical changes cause pain in the hip(s). Of course, if not corrected, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, which is the wear and tear that creates degenerative changes.
Other activities that can sometimes adversely affect the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that makes it necessary for you to move your body in atypical ways. Also, carrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can cause hip pain. Even the way you sit or driving for extended periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.
Isn’t it good to know that not every pain is caused by “old age,” although we may start to feel more pain as a consequence of the progressive nature of untreated injuries.
In addition to your adjustments, as an integral part of your chiropractic management, your Corona Chiropractor will suggest appropriate rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also evaluate your gait and may suggest simple pattern changes.
Your hip pain won’t disappear by itself. Hip pain is a sign that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If neglected, it is very likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. Remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Your Corona Chiropractor can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!
If You’re a Woman, Take a Walk!
Posted by Author in health and fitness on April 21st, 2010
So ladies, take a walk! Do it for your health's sake! For more information on this interesting story, click the link provided above.
Social Media Marketing, Your Clinic, and You
Posted by admin in chiropractic marketing on April 19th, 2010
Social Media is the “hottest” topic on the Internet today. If you’ve been giving some thought to getting on board, but you’re not sure where the platform is, let’s take a minute to talk about the “Who, What, When, Where, and How” of social media and you, that’s “Who.” Then you can decide if you want to add Social Media to your chiropractic marketing strategy.
Social media marketing may seem familiar in some ways to other chiropractic marketing strategies you’ve considered in the past, but still unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you’d never think of trying any type of marketing plan without making an effort to understand what you’re doing and what you want to get from it. It’s important to ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Once you’re clear about what you want, you’ll be more capable of using social media to your best advantage.
When you are ready to begin your social media effort, but before you start, it will be necessary for you to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, which is to say, make sure that your name or your clinic’s name is available so that you can use precisely same name on all of the social channels you want to use. There is a free service to help you with your search when you’re ready. That who is knowem.com. Knowem.com will check where your name is and/or if it’s available for use or not on a sufficient number of social media sites.
The next step, once you have all your social media accounts “locked up”, is to make a decision as to where you ought to be active. Beginning with only a small number of social media sites is preferable because, let’s face it, you have a clinic to run and patients to see. You won’t want to get caught up in too many social media sites. So, how do you choose the best sites for you? Choose the social media site where the most action is, which are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube
What successful social media activity will do for you is build a real presence in your community. What is definitely a no-no is for you to try to “sell” on your social media sites, in other words don’t sell your clinic, don’t sell services or products, don’t sell anything! The purpose of social media is for you to go out and network with the community. Certainly, let them know what you do, but do it by becoming a participant. There is truly no difference between the way social networking works and the way you normally network offline. People on social media sites don’t want to be sold to, plain and simply. Social media sites are a lot like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around talking about who they are and what they do, and then a participant asks you what you do. Or, perhaps you start the conversation by (just) saying, “Hi, I’m Dr. ____. With social media marketing, the same kind of interaction applies. “Work” your social media sites in the same way you’d work your offline networking communities, which is to say, answer the questions and concerns that let people know who you are and gets them interested in the who that’s you!
Conservative Chiropractic Treatment Can Relieve Severe Back Pain Caused by Spinal Stenosis
Posted by Author in health and fitness on April 9th, 2010
As a chiropractor who treats many senior patients suffering from painful back problems, I was very concerned when I read about a new study published this month in The Journal of the American Medical Association that found that the percentage of older adults undergoing a complicated fusion procedure for the painful lower-back condition called spinal stenosis has increased sharply– rising fifteenfold from 2002 to 2007.
This type of fusion procedure is not only complicated, but costly. And worse, it carries three times the rate of life-threatening complications than alternative procedures such as decompression (removal of part of the bone pressing on the nerve) or simple fusion (in which two or three vertebrae are fused and only the front or back of the vertebrae, rather than front and back). And, the bottom line is that earlier studies haven’t found that the complex surgery leads to better results or greater pain relief.
Gentle, non-invasive chiropractic treatment can often relieve the severe back pain caused by spinal stenosis. I fully recommend a short conservative trial of chiropractic care prior to considering most surgeries involving the musculoskeletal system. Any type of surgery carries risks and such risks increase exponentially as we age. But, when a study reveals that a costly, life-threatening surgery does little to relieve pain or improve an individual’s quality of life, in my opinion such a surgery should not even be considered.