From The Director’s Desk

Joseph-BuschThe quality of the intervertebral disc is central to the existence, or non-existence of a vertebral subluxation. Alterations in the way that the facets of the vertebrae of the spine articulate with one another, have a direct impact on how the discs, with their nucleii pulposi, distribute forces.

The intervertebral disc, in and of itself as a pain generator, is definitely a possibility when considering the source of back pain at any level of the spine. With that in mind, myriad forms of eradicating this pain have been developed throughout the professions providing hands on care to address the functional disruptions created by disc related pathology. Diagnoses may include encroachment of the nerve in the intervertebral foramina, disc degeneration, or herniation of the nucleus pulposus to name a few.

The impact of an unhealthy disc is vast, affecting not only pain sensors of the spine, but also disrupting the efficiency and effectiveness of the nervous system, thereby increasing the overall stress to the patient. In this issue of The American Chiropractor, the feature topic is what I consider to be the most underrated component of overall health, and the component of the subluxation complex which is very difficult to assess…the intervertebral disc!

There are plenty of articles inside, offering contradictory, and ultimately complementary information as to which methods of care work, and which methods don’t. Which machines are best for which condition, and if there’s even a difference between the machines themselves. You may be challenged by your current positions on these topics, but don’t let that stop you. That’s the first sign that you’re making progress! Most new ideas are met with resistance, so keep an open mind.

And, Doctor, after you read this issue…from cover to cover as I like to say, let me know what your experience has been. Is the herniated disc the problem? Regardless of your answer to that question, this issue provides you with many effective treatment options for the condition referred to as the herniated disc. We’ll be waiting for your phone calls, e-mails, letters, and readers service responses. Until then, thanks!

 

Joseph-Busch-sig

Joseph Busch, B.A., D.C.

Editorial Director / [email protected]

From The Director’s Desk

Joseph P BuschCreating the appropriate vision in the patient is a necessary component of any successful chiropractic practice. It provides the inspiration that carries the patient through care, whether it be a practice treating back pain and headaches, or one that focuses more on wellness, and the long term well-being of the patient. This issue, the feature topic is Family Practice. The doctor who chooses this type of clinic must not only be a skilled adjuster, but also knowledgeable on complex issues relating to pediatric patients, as well as geriatrics; when to refer, and when to accept for care.

A master at creating the long term vision needed in a family practice is Dr. Eric Plasker who has written several books on the topic of longevity, in which he details his vision for lifetime care. In his recent best seller, aptly titled The 100 Year Lifestyle, Dr. Plasker conveys that it will not be long before the average life expectancy will be 100 years old, with many more living to 120! Imagine that! It’s already happening for many centenarians who are sideswiped by a longevity that they never even planned for! So Dr. Plasker has created a lifestyle to help add more life to your patients’ years to help make sure that they’ll be walking around, pain free, when they’re 80, 90, and even 100. Take a look at his interview beginning on page 28.

Director DeskAlso, in this issue, former editor, of none other than The American Chiropractor, Dr. Paul Jaskoviak, presents a compelling pediatric case study for the benefits realized in a patient using the Contact Reflex Analysis technique; see page 22. And, the always popular market review, profiling products specific to a family practice clinic, is on page 34. You’re sure to find a gem. This issue is absolutely packed with great information!

On another note, with regard to the current and future state of the profession in mind, I would like to comment on the topic of National Healthcare policy. It’s important to maintain composure when debating the role of the chiropractor in what can only be termed “the machine” of Nationalized Healthcare. Obama promised change and, boy, is it coming! Let’s be sure to throw all of our support behind the associations, and really come together to represent the entire profession. This is the time for chiropractic as a whole to grow, and rise to the challenge. As you flip through the following pages, and read about some of the phenomenal, life changing events happening to people who were completely written off, such as what Dr. Bobby Doscher has witnessed at the Oklahaven Clinic on page 24, or the relationship between the vertebral subluxation complex and infertility in women, that Dr. Stone writes of on page 48, these experiences absolutely have to move you. Just take the next step; let’s get out there and lobby!

Keep up the great work, and let us know how you’re adapting to the changes in your area if you get a chance. Thanks!

On behalf of The American Chiropractor Magazine,


Sig

Joseph Busch, B.A., D.C.

Editorial Director / [email protected]

Editor’s Memo

It’s our annual look at the latest in technology and software! To help get your practice running at full speed (or keep it there), you’ll find the best and latest software programs you can use to help in every stage of your patient care from marketing to attract new patients to the last step of billing and collections; find all that you need in our feature product piece beginning on page 52. Now is the perfect time of year to plan for any major software purchases that may take time and money to implement over the next few months, so you can start 2009 with a boom!

A couple of editorial pieces to complement our product feature are Dr. Stephen Nohava’s article on page 34, “Deal with Investigators from a Position of Strength,” and Dr. Steven Kraus’s article on page 22, “The Paperless Office: Fact or Fiction?” Both will get you thinking about how you’re documenting your patients’ visits and what you can do to get better results! Dr. Kraus specifically addresses the difference between note taking software and a fully integrated Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.) system.

Next in this issue and on the cover, we have a special nutrition technique article on page 18 about “Dr. Lester Bryman and the 50 Year Evolution of Nutrition Response Testing,” which he’s used to get great results over the years…and looking at his own photo, I’d say it’s working! Regardless of what nutrition program you use in your office, with the decreasing nutritional value in our food supply and the ever increasing toxins in the food and environment, you’ll find that incorporating a nutrition component to your practice is a great way of improving your patients’ results. Read about Dr. Lester Bryman’s 50 year’s of experience and conclusions and tell us what you think!

Finally, you’ll want to see the TAC staff and photos from our latest trip to the FCA National Convention on pages 8 and 10. As you can tell, it’s always fun when the TAC family gets together! Hope to see you next time!

Looking forward to seeing and/or hearing from you soon! Keep up the great work!

For chiropractic,

Executive Editor / [email protected]

Editor’s Memo

This month I’m excited to bring you an interview with Sports Specialist Dr. Gerry Mattia. As seen on the front cover, Dr. Mattia is surrounded with memorabilia from several of his super famous and highly reputable professional sports players like baseball player Johnny Damon, and Pro Golfer’s such as 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman, as well as Mark McNulty and Retief Goosen (to name a few). With over 30 years in practice and around 175 professional athletes under his care, Dr. Mattia has a very inspiring and amazing success story beginning on page 20. Also in sports this issue, we bring you an interview with the Tour de France Postal and Discovery Channel Professional Cycling teams’ chiropractor, Dr. Jeff Spencer, who recounts the events and excitement of being on the tour for the eighth time (page 28). Having been the team chiropractor during each of Lance Armstrong’s seven winning years and now his first “Lanceless” tour, Dr. Jeff Spencer shares some of the highlights and how he used his chiropractic skills to help the team bring home another victory in 2007!

Closing up the exercise and rehab feature, rehab specialist, Dr. Kim Christensen provides an easy to use exercise regime in his article on page 16 titled “Cardiovascular Training Among Children”. Also, Dr. Jeff Blanchard provides a timely piece on “Chiropractic and Golf” to help improve your golf patients’ swings and health concerns. And, Dr. Ronald Free has an impressively written piece on “Restless Leg Syndrome,” on page 40.

Finally, I want to introduce you this issue to a new contributor and author, Dr. Mark Studin, with his article starting on page 34, titled “Image, Credentials, Chiropractic and Success.” This article can help you ensure that you are projecting a professional image with a properly written Curriculum Vitae. This subject sounds so simple that you may have overlooked the value of ensuring that your C.V. is well written. Dr. Studin goes so far as to suggest that one of the major reasons that chiropractic is not more accepted by mainstream healthcare providers is a simple matter of the fact that chiropractors have not taken the time to document their credentials suffi ciently in well written C.V.’s, so the other healthcare professionals win out by default. What do you think about that?! Read Dr. Studin’s article and then tell us what YOU think.

As always, there’s much more inside! Plus you’ll find a TAC Crossword Puzzle on page 60 put together using clues from all of the articles in this issue! How’s that for incentive to read? Find the answers and send us the secret phrase to claim your mystery prize! And, lastly, we’ve got the Annual Florida Chiropractic Association (FCA) National Convention coming up this Aug. 22-24th, where you can fi nd and meet all of us from TAC in our booth #308. We’re celebrating 30 years in publication, so come on by and get in on the party! Looking forward to seeing and/or hearing from you soon! Keep up the great work!

 

For chiropractic,

Jaclyn Busch Touzard, BA

Executive Editor / [email protected]

Editor’s Memo

Find out how to help care for one of the biggest consumer markets with our special feature on “Taking Care of Baby Boomers.” Several of our authors this month provide you with information on how to attract, treat and position your practice to best help these patients who are most in need of your services. Our feature this issue begins on page 24 with Dr. Roger Russo’s article, “How to Attract Seniors,” in which he describes his own practice which very cost-effectively tailors its services to Baby Boomers. Next, in nutrition, Dr. John Maher provides “A SuperFood Solution?” on page 26, in which he offers some nutritional tips which may best appeal to your Baby Boomer patient base. And, on page 30, a new contributor for TAC, author Amy Sung, addresses a very important, yet rarely discussed topic in her article, “Prostate Problems? Hidden in More Ways than One.” Finally, our feature closes up with Dr. Brian Jensen’s article on page 36, “Supporting Baby Boomers,” in which he addresses the fact that, by the time your patients are age twenty, 80 percent have developed some type of problem “and, by age forty, nearly everyone has a foot condition of some sort!”

And, in other editorial features this month, prescription drugs are a great concern! While we all know the dangers of pharmaceutical drugs, it is very telling that not one, but three, of our regular columnists have articles this month which address some major concerns you need to know to protect your patients from this imminent danger. First, Dr. Dan Murphy addresses the alarming “Adverse Drug Rates Shocking!” in U.S. children’s hospitals in his article beginning on page 12, followed by Dr. Rodger Murphree’s article on page 16, “The Evolution of Mood Disorder Wonder Drugs,” in which he notes that “suicide occurs more than twice as much on antidepressants than on sugar pills in individuals under age twenty-five”. And, finally, to wrap up, Dr. Howard Loomis focuses on “Chiropractic and Prescription Drug Use” each month in his new column. This second installment in his series addresses “Fibromyalgia,” in his article on page 20, where you’ll find both the chiropractic method of treatment as well as information about the latest drugs (and their side effects) being used by medical doctors.

Also this issue, Dr. Eric Kaplan offers some very helpful tips on how to speak with your prospective patients in his article, “Anatomy of the Close.” Also, Dr. Jeffrey Slocum shares some wisdom and inspiration that he discovered—of all places—by watching American Idol and a recently released kid’s movie, Speed Racer. (Who said TV’s a vast wasteland?) Just goes to show that you can find wisdom and inspiration everywhere, if you just look. Find out more from Dr. Slocum in his article on page 48, “A Change is Gonna Come!”

As always, there’s much, much more! So read on and tell us what YOU think about this issue! Oh, we’re currently working on our 2009 editorial features, so I invite ALL of you to contact us and let us know any great features, investigative journalism, column topics, writers, news, etc., that you’d like us to include in upcoming issues of TAC to further help you, chiropractic, and your patients in 2009!

 

Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Keep up the great work!

 

For chiropractic,

 

Executive Editor / [email protected]

Editor’s Memo

It’s our annual College issue!

Every year we like to touch base with the chiropractic colleges as they hold the hefty weight of molding the future of our chiropractic profession through their students. This year, we asked each of them to give us a brief update on their latest developments along with their pass rates on the boards. See what they told us in their own words starting on page 8. And also, to find out more on the status of education in chiropractic, ACC’s Executive Director, David O’Bryon, tells us about their latest activities and objectives on page 18.

Our “Amazing Chiropractor” this month features Dr. Larry Wilkins, a 1973 Palmer graduate who’s a true testament to the ongoing value of continuing education. With over 34 years in practice and the recent successful implementation of decompression, Dr. Wilkins shows how you can continue to help improve the lives of even more patients with a practice dedicated to ongoing growth. Read Dr. Wilkins’ inspiring story beginning on page 26.

Among our columnists, Dr. Rodger Murphree tells about his history starting as a solo practitioner years ago and having his practice grow into a multi-specialty practice with DCs and MDs using nutrition and prescription medications together. See what he learned in his article “Greener Pastures” on page 40.

As always, every article deserves your attention, in particular you won’t want to miss an article we received from IRS Crime Specialists Kenneth Hines and Daniel Wardlaw, titled “Federal Income Tax Crimes—An Unnecessary Road to Sorrow,” on page 22. After seeing many chiropractors appear in our “yellow page” news over the years for problems with the IRS, we’re glad these agents took the time to address this issue. Let us know what you think! And finally, Mark Strobel’s article starting on page 34 addresses the dangerous impact a recent Federal mattress regulation may have on your and your patients’ health!

As always, there’s much more to read! Let us know what you think!

Keep up the great work!

Executive Editor / [email protected]

Editor’s Memo

It’s our annual Nutrition issue! Chances are likely that you are already including some form of nutritional advice and even supplementation in your practice to help your patients achieve and maintain optimal health. To assist you, this issue we bring you a compilation of some of the newest and most popular supplements on the market in our special product feature on pages 10 to 18.

And, two of our most popular nutrition authors and experts both address the use of prescription drugs separately in each of their articles. Dr. Howard Loomis Jr. discusses how your patients’ use of prescription drugs may be affecting your clinical findings and even perpetuating their structural problems, beginning on page 26; and Dr. Rodger Murphree poses the question “Is Lyrica the ‘Magic Bullet’ for Fibromylgia?” on page 36. With the overwhelming use and influence of the pharmaceutical industry’s latest “solutions” for these increasingly common health challenges, be sure to arm yourself with the healthier tips and suggestions recommended by these authors.

Next in nutrition, you’ll find articles such as Dr. John Maher’s on “Flaxseed for Heart Healthy Nutrition” on page 20, and Dr. Richard Drucker’s piece on fulvic acid, “The Gift of Naturally Prolonged, Healthy and Sustained Life,” on page 22. Then, on page 34, Dr. Lynn Toohey offers great insight in her article about “Our Toxic Water and Nutritional Help.” Finally, Dr. Lori Puskar shares her experience practicing as a chiropractor and gradually transforming her practice to a highly focused nutrition practice in her article on page 30, “Caring for the Supermom.” Of course, as in all issues of TAC, there’s all this and much, much more for you to explore inside!

Oh, and on a personal note, I almost forgot to mention for those of you who have noticed my absence and sparse appearance in our memo’s over the past few months…it’s been about nine months, to be exact. I didn’t want you to think that I was going anywhere, but I also didn’t want to jinx anything by “letting the cat out of the bag” too soon! I’ve been around here busily working behind the scenes in preparation for our newest staff member (in this family business) who, I’m very happy to finally announce to you…. My son, Christian Alexander Touzard, was born on March 24th! So, you can expect to hear more from me again in our upcoming issues!

Looking forward to hearing from you! Keep up the great work!

For Chiropractic,

Executive Editor / [email protected]

From the Director’s Desk

We here at The American Chiropractor have been looking forward to this issue for some time. The topic of discussion is Scoliosis. If you were to go to any source today on methods of dealing with scoliosis through mainstream medicine, the advice would be very standardized for the treating physician. For example, if you go to the Mayo Clinic’s website right now, something I’m sure the vast majority of patients with scoliosis will do once diagnosed, the advice to the tending physician will be the following: periodic checkups to monitor progression of the curve up to 25 degrees. Once the curve has progressed beyond 25 degrees, consider placing the patient in a brace to prevent progression of the curve and, if the unfortunate circumstance of a 40 degree curve becomes a reality, then a surgical consultation is warranted. These are the recommendations for children diagnosed with the condition until they achieve skeletal maturity. The recommendations will be capped with the “there is no scientific basis” that exercises or chiropractic will reduce curve progression.

Never one to shy away from challenging conventional wisdom, our feature interview this month is with Dr. Dennis Woggon, an expert in spinal biomechanics, as well as the founder of the Chiropractic Leadership, Educational Advancement & Research (CLEAR) Institute. He’s actually been reducing the curves of his patients, and has one peer reviewed study on the topic to prove it. Look for more to come in the future. He’s not the only one in the profession working with patients that have scoliosis though. Dr. Mark Payne offers the history of one Chiropractor and a patient he worked with through the use of some fairly inexpensive devices; and Dr. Marc Lamantia shares some of his experiences with a patient that had an incredibly severe curve, and was treated with the Spine Core, in addition to Vestibular Rehabilitation excercises.

Things are definitely looking positive for the chiropractic profession. It seems that each month a new jewel or gem is cast the way of functional approaches to care. The real question that will be answered when your next patient enters your clinic is, “How polished are you?” Are you searching for words while explaining certain aspects of care? Do you feel confident and on task, with laser like precision while explaining yourself? Find the answers to the questions you seek inside. We’ll keep bringing them to your doorstep so you don’t have to look too hard, so you just keep reading.

Next month, the feature will be nutrition and integrative therapy, something that always works well with Chiropractic methods to achieve wellness.

 

Until then,

 

 

Joseph Busch, D.C.

Managing Director / [email protected]

In This Issue…

Hello doctors!

This month you get to take “A Close Look at Decompression,” our feature topic which serves as an introduction to our commitment to bringing you the most up-to-date information you and your patients need to know on this subject. One of the fastest growing niches in the chiropractic profession, decompression therapy offers tremendous opportunities for better health care, particularly in the treatment of herniated discs and even failed back surgeries among many other conditions. It has been just over a decade since Dr. Allan Dyer coined the term Vertebral Axial Decompression; however, the public’s desperate need for a non-surgical spinal solution to extreme back problems has not diminished, and, in fact, has been growing. So, to arm you with the knowledge to sort through it all, this issue we bring you the beginning of an ongoing coverage with the industry’s leaders in decompression to tell you what this technology is and how it can help your patients and your practice along with your traditional chiropractic care.

To get you initiated this month, we begin in an interview with the man who began it all, a medical doctor and the founder of the first Vertebral Axial Decompression (VAX-D) table, Dr. Allan Dyer himself, starting on page 18. Next, Dr. Eric Kaplan, a long time practice management expert, helps address the difference between the oft-intermingled terms “decompression” and “traction.” Find out in his article beginning on page 24. Finally, Dr. Fred DiDomenico provides some good suggestions for follow-up care after decompression to help prevent any relapses in your patients’ back pain, beginning on page 30 in his article, “The Next Step for Decompression.” And to help give you easy access to some of the best tables, techniques and advice for your practice, look up our special Market Review on page 14. Remember, this is an introduction on decompression, so keep your eyes open for more coverage in our upcoming issues on this topic! And, we fully expect to hear from you if you agree or disagree with any of our authors’ comments, so please do take the time to send us your questions and comments on this subject: [email protected].

All this and much more! Keep up the great work!

 

For Chiropractic,


Jaclyn Busch Touzard, BA
Executive Editor / [email protected]

In This Issue…

What came first, the chicken or the egg??? well, that’s a question that continues to baffle even the wisest sage. This issue, you will have the chance to contemplate just that question, as the features are Neurology, Pediatrics, and Maternal Care. This triumvirate of topics is exceptionally overlapping, as one flows into the other.

So let’s take care of them all at once! These are currently highly poignant topics, as some have perpetuated the idea that there is only a limited amount of information available that supports the use of chiropractic in either pediatric care, or maternal care. There is a select group in the profession that have actually dedicated their lives and practices to just this type of care, all of whom have very happy patients as a result of their efforts. The pioneers and experts on topics such as pediatric, and maternal care through chiropractic most certainly have come to different conclusions as to the benefits that Chiropractic care has to offer their patients and, just for you, this issue we have those experts!

You may have noticed by the cover that this issue’s feature interview is with Dr. Frederick Carrick. Dr. Carrick uses functional neurology as an approach to understanding the chiropractic adjustment, all of its effects, as well as the cause for dysfunction. Approximately 4000 students have entered into his program with the vision of achieving mastery in neurology; however, be advised that not all that apply are accepted (page 16).

Also, in this issue, Dr. Karen Bagnell presents some of the neurological complaints you may encounter when dealing with a pregnant patient (page 12). And, so that you’re well prepared when your patients ask about the laws on refusing vaccines, Attorney Alan Phillips offers his insight as to your rights, beginning on page 26. Be sure to take a look at our signature market review to get an idea of what other chiropractors are doing to better serve these niche markets. (page 11)

To conclude, an observation that has become apparent in this election year is how a particular issue garnering interest is related to healthcare costs, or debates on life, whether it be the aging of it or the birthing process. Rarely does the talk isolate the real issue, which should be reform of the current medical model, or the potential improvements in quality of life a patient may receive through Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Studies continuously demonstrate the promise for more effective healthcare through the use of CAM type therapies.1 Rather than tackle the issue on this level, the presidential hopefuls seem to consistently have their own unique plans on how to reorganize the current system, and restore sustainability through guarantees of increased efficiency and taxation schemes going into the future. The data on the cost benefits analysis of the use of CAM as a primary care tool may be slanted, as most studies that even attempt to establish it are usually self funded; however the data of the cost to benefit ratio that the conventional medical model offers should be held to a similar critical evaluation. It appears as though the only ones pressing to bring this particular issue to the forefront of discussions are the practitioners that have adopted CAM—of which chiropractic is the largest group—as their own. It baffles me why one wouldn’t feel compelled to explore these issues more aggressively, as a potential solution to burgeoning costs of healthcare throughout the United States. On that note, be sure to read this issue cover to cover and, as Ghandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world!”

See you next time,

 

Joseph Busch, D.C.

Managing Director / [email protected]