The Evidence Based Chiropractor Blog

Hundreds of chiropractic marketing and research articles to help you grow.

Jeff Langmaid 7/22/14 Jeff Langmaid 7/22/14

8 Facts About Foraminal Height for Asymptomatic People- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

Laura Dydra at Becker Spine recently wrote a great article on trends in foraminal height for healthy people. As chiropractors, this information is very important because the foraminal height directly affects the exiting nerve roots. In my opinion some of the information uncovered should be used for further research regarding the adjustment of patients who are 'asymptomatic' but may have clinical signs indicated somatic dysfunction/subluxation.

Ms. Dydra wrote, "Researchers examined subject-based three-dimensional CT lumbar models for asymptomatic subjects to measure trends in foraminal height for the healthy spine and published their results in Spine.

The research included 59 volunteers. Here are eight findings from the study:

Overall foraminal height decreased with age
Foraminal height in males decreased at all levels with age
Foraminal height in females did not decrease at all levels
Foraminal height was significantly larger in the upper lumbar levels
Foraminal height was smaller in males than females
Foraminal width decreased with age in both sexes
Foraminal widths at the lower lumbar levels were smaller than those at the upper levels
Age-related foraminal width decreased at all lumbar levels"

-The Evidence Based Chiropractor is the fastest growing chiropractic marketing group in the profession. The service, founded and run by Dr. Jeff Langmaid, is dedicated to increasing chiropractic utilization by showcasing research. Marketing to medical doctors through research is proven, cost effective, and can dramatically improve your incoming referrals. Join us. Lets grow chiropractic together

Jeff Langmaid 7/21/14 Jeff Langmaid 7/21/14

Finding Your Tribe- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

Building a practice based on interdisciplinary referrals is one of the most affordable and effective ways to grow a practice. It does not happen overnight, and it takes consistency; but the results speak for themselves.

Some chiropractors may cringe when thinking about relationship building with Medical Doctors, while others may welcome the idea with open arms. One extremely important point regarding relationship building is that you should focus on the providers whom you resonate with! If you have a cash practice which only provides care for full families then I would encourage you to build relationships with pediatricians and OB/GYN's. Perhaps you have additional credentialing in sports chiropractic. It would be advantageous for you to reach out to sports medicine doctors and extremity specialists.

In my opinion, the most important component to building interdisciplinary referral relationships is to target and reach out to other practitioners that are in-line with your practice style. Just as there are all types of chiropractors, their are all types of MD's, DO's, PA's, OB's, etc. Finding your tribe, and the group of local practitioners you resonate with may take some time, but your practice and your friends and neighbors will benefit as you build those relationships.

Jeff Langmaid 7/21/14 Jeff Langmaid 7/21/14

Thank You Florida Chiropractic Conferences- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

I would like to extend a big thank you to Lili and everyone at the Florida Chiropractic Conferences. They put on a fantastic seminar this weekend in Tampa. The speaker list was exceptional with a variety of topics that were applicable to everyday practice (in addition to those Florida specific requirements). I was honored to have been offered the opportunity to speak and I also would like to thank all of the doc's in attendance.

If you are looking for an affordable, "actionable" seminar; you can't go wrong with Florida Chiropractic Conferences.

Jeff Langmaid 7/15/14 Jeff Langmaid 7/15/14

Obesity and Your Back: How Being Overweight May Influence Your Spine by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

SPINE Journal recently released a study which examined the discs heights of people who fall within the traditional BMI brackets of "normal" weight and obese. There is no doubt that when we carry additional weight; it places undue stress on the structures of our musculoskeletal system. However, this is one of the first studies to correlate our weight to actual disc heights.

They found that disc heights of the lumbar spine were in fact reduced in the obese patients when compared to the disc heights of non-obese patients. Interestingly, this held true for segments L1-L5 but not at the lumbosacral junction of L5-S1.

Clinically, they found no particular correlation or causation between the diminished disc height loss and any recent episodes of pain. It is important to remember that consistent (over) load of our vertebral motion segments may very well result in an increase in degenerative changes as time continues to march on.

Jeff Langmaid 7/11/14 Jeff Langmaid 7/11/14

Headaches- Chiropractic Care or Drugs? by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

Do you suffer from headaches that interfere with your work and personal life? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. An estimated 9 out of 10 Americans experience headaches, so chances are you may be one of them. The frequency and severity might vary, but the source could be an unlikely culprit - your spine.

Americans are spending more time than ever in sedentary positions, increasing joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and head. When your vertebrae are out of place or there is muscle tension, your nerves may be experiencing unnecessary pressure. These nerves may then be sending painful signals to the muscles in your neck, causing your headaches.

Research over the past 20 years has shown that chiropractic care can lead to significant relief. In a review of nine different studies looking for a link between chiropractic care and headaches, researchers found that spinal manipulation worked just as well, if not better than prescribed medicine.

Some other quick tips to reduce the triggers of headaches:

Drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration
Stretch every 30 minutes if you spend a lot of time in a sedentary position
Perform low impact exercise daily