Creating a Marketing Blueprint for Your Acupuncture Practice

What I see happen to far too many acupuncturists is that they lack an organized, methodical and systematic approach to building their practice. If you want to recession-proof your practice and create long-term stability, what I am about to share with you should prove to be very helpful.

Take a Nap
What do Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci and John F. Kennedy all have in common, other than that they are all men? They all took regular afternoon naps. Our culture has a problem with sleep in general and napping specifically.

The Million-Dollar Matrix: Save a Million Dollars by the Time You Retire
I ran some numbers recently to see what it would take to accumulate a million dollars. I call this the Million-Dollar Matrix. If you are age 35 and could earn 8 percent per year, you could build a fund of $1 million by age 65, if you deposited $667 per month.

First Professional Doctorate: Revolution or Schism?
As a senior acupuncturist, I often ask the question, "What is the benefit of the first professional doctorate (FPD) and, in truth, who will benefit from this degree?" Or for that matter who needs it? I know that I don't need it; I need insurance companies to handle my charges more than I need a FPD.

News in Brief
News In Brief: SCU Launches Smoking-Cessation Program Using Acupuncture. Well-Known Integrative Medicine Doctor Was "Unconventional". OCOM Accepting Trustees Scholarship Applications.

News in Brief
NYCC Faculty, Jean-Nicolas Poirier, DC, DACBR, CCPS, Named to VA Teaching Positions. Five doctors of chiropractic received the Chiropractor of the Year Award during the recent Parker Seminar in Las Vegas. Appreciating the Beauty of Chiropractic Diversity.

Moxibustion and Indoor Air Quality
In April 2009, the Tri-State College of Acupuncture (TSCA), hired a private contractor who specializes in environmental air-quality testing, to perform an assessment in the TSCA clinic training room to determine the environmental effects of burning moxa.

Latest Canadian Stroke Lawsuit Dismissed
Justice R. Paul Belzil of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench has denied certification of a $529 million class-action suit filed in 2008 against Alberta chiropractor Dr. Gregory Stiles and the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors (ACAC).

Vendors Continue Financial Support of the Foundation
Four chiropractic vendors - Erchonia Medical, ScripHessco, Chiro One Wellness Centers, and Tempur-Pedic International - have pledged financial support to the FCP, continuing the corporate support enjoyed by the FCP as it increases awareness of chiropractic and its health benefits.

A Billion Dollar Opportunity for Chiropractors
Truck driver exams, Department of Transportation (DOT) and non-DOT alcohol and drug testing are the vehicle for all chiropractic physicians to significantly increase their income and fill open appointments. The chiropractic profession has a significant competitive edge over all other providers.

Professional Organization Membership and You
I was recently named chair of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) Membership Committee. I know why I joined the AAAOM and my state association, but I want to know why you have or have not joined yours. If you are not a member, what can we do to show that membership and participation in your national professional organization is a value and a benefit to you? Please go to www.aaaomonline.org/2010membershipsurvey to complete a short survey form.

Research Abstracts From the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Research Abstracts From the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. January Abstracts Volume 33, Issue 1.

Posture Evaluations, Part 1
When performing a posture assessment, be as accurate as you can and keep chart notes to make your posture evaluation a reproducible measurement. Posture evaluations become an objective measurement that can drive treatment decisions.

Shoulder Pain: The Supraspinatous Muscle
As a practitioner of acupuncture for more than 25 years, there is no single injury I find more rewarding to treat than shoulder pain due to supraspinatous tendonitis. I was fortunate enough to have studied trigger points with Dr. Janet Travell early in my career.

Subluxation Reviewed, Revisited, Revitalized
Our understanding of the biomechanics and neurology of the subluxation continues to evolve as more research is published which helps explain the nature of this lesion. Historically, the subluxation has been at the heart of the identity and purpose of the chiropractic profession.

Treating Complex Multilayered Cases, Part 2
In the October 2009 issue of Acupuncture Today, I wrote on how to use pulse diagnosis to distinguish patterns as excess, deficiency or complex excess with deficiency. I ended that article by saying that most complex layered cases that enter the clinic will show excess/deficiency patterns affecting the liver, stomach and spleen. Our job, as herbalists, is to evaluate the various stagnation and deficiency patterns and to apply the appropriate herbal formula.

Order in the Court
I have spent a considerable amount of time in courtrooms lately at trials of chiropractors accused of negligence.

Patient Noncompliance

Sometimes patients don't listen to or comply with a single thing the acupuncturist says. I expect my acupuncturist to improve my health despite my noncompliance; I believe most patients do.

SIOM Approved for Public Health Degree
The Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine (SIOM) recently received approval from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) and the state of Washington to offer a master of acupuncture degree (MAOM) with an emphasis in public health.

Violence and Stereotypes
It had been a long time and was always unnerving. Two counselors and I had our lives threatened. Actually, the person we were dealing with threatened to "take out" anyone who got in his way, staff or client. As he put it, "We all gonna be on the news."

Stop Eczema Itch With Acupuncture
An estimated 15 million people in the United States suffer from eczema, which usually looks like dry, scaly red skin patches accompanied by intense itching. Standard treatment to reduce inflammation and itchiness can include corticosteroids, which have some serious side effects, including cataracts, glaucoma, gastrointestinal effects, hypertension, osteoporosis and weight gain.

In Remembrance: Drs. Maylon Drake, Gordon Holman
Dr. Maylon Drake, former president of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, passed away on Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, at the age of 89. Also on Jan. 18, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners announced the October 2009 passing of Dr. Gordon Holman, the board's first executive director.

A Warning That Bears Repeating

In talking with doctors and some new vendors, I've discovered that a disturbing trend appears to be re-emerging. While you probably already know about this, it is worth repeating, even if it only serves as a reminder.

AOM Turns Night Into Day in Tibet
As a follow up to Qi and Light in Burma, we embarked on a similar project in Raktrul, Eastern Tibet. The medical/solar team accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time.

Chiropractors and Public Health: Measuring Success One Patient at a Time
What if people really knew the truth about the potential impact spinal adjustments have on neurological function and how chiropractic care can help so many people with so many different health concerns?

Planting Our Feet
I have just returned from a visit to Taiwan and the interior of mainland China. There was a saying that I discovered in the SuHo Paper Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. It reads: "We understand we have to plant our feet on solid ground to practice our dreams, little by little, to make them last for good." Of course, this made me think about acupuncture and Oriental medicine, both through it's connection to the past and where it is going in the future.

Fighting to Debunk the Chiropractic Stroke Myth
Connecticut has been at the center of the stroke controversy storm for the past five years. It began in spring 2005 when a billboard warning "Chiropractic Adjustments Can Kill or Permanently Disable You" appeared in the parking lot in New Haven.

Lumbosacral Strain/Sprain and Orthotic Support
The lumbosacral region includes the pelvis and the lower spine, as well as the many stabilizing connective tissues and muscles. The joints involved are the lower lumbar intervertebral motion segments (L4/L5 and L5/S1) and the two sacroiliac joints.

Accelerated Bone Maturation in Children
It is well-known that metabolic changes in children, including insulin resistance, may be responsible for accelerated biological maturation, manifested as accelerated bone age. This may lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the future. A recent study reports that advanced skeletal maturation should be considered an independent marker for the development of primary hypertension (PH) in children.

Billing for Cupping and Moxibustion
Cupping and moxibustion are common services provided by acupuncture professionals to aid in the treatment of disease and promote healing. Cupping therapy commonly utilizes glass or plastic cups to create localized vacuum pressure.

We Get Letters & E-Mail
Chiro-Spam: Reflecting Poorly on Our Profession. We are certain that everyone in the chiropractic profession is barraged by spam - useless and intrusive e-mail. Everyone with an e-mail address likely receives offers for cheap drugs, get-rich-quick schemes, sex-oriented advertisements, and other garbage.

Ultimate Low Back Pain Acupuncture Formula
Low back (lumbar) pain has been reported to be one of the most common conditions for which millions of sufferers worldwide seek medical attention. It has numerous causes and can never be lumped into one specific category. The same is true for treatment.

Biomechanics: The Swiss Army Knife of Forensic Evaluation
One of the most frustrating aspects of patient care is watching your patient's legal claim go down in flames. Often they become saddled with your medical bill and others they expected the responsible insurer would pay.

Treatment Planning: Good Clinical and Public Health Practice

Working with new and returning patients not only provides us with the opportunity to use training and diagnostic expertise, but also offers "teachable moments," during which we can be involved with health and wellness promotion and education.

Double-Helix Water For Migraine, Diabetes and Brain Tumor
What do a 25-year-old male with migraines, an 80-year-old lady with diabetes and a doctor with a brain tumor have in common? To answer this question, let's look at a little experiment that was done recently. We asked each of these three subjects to drink our medical water, which we now called double-helix water because it had stable water clusters shaped like a double helix (see last article for more details).

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