Amazon Buys PillPack for $1 Billion Dollars

Amazon has made their big play into the healthcare space by purchasing Pillpack. Pillpack is an online pharmacy retailer operating in nearly all 50 states. 

So what is the play? Pillpack generates about 100 million dollars in revenue. But here is the rub. As soon as Amazon announced this acquisition, it shaved 13 billion dollars off of the pharmacy industry! CVS, Walgreens, and other pharmacies saw their stocks drop 10 percent or more. 

That's why it's a billion-dollar play. This is going to mean people have access to medications easier than ever before, with potentially the next day, same day, or even within the one-hour delivery. It is going to make the availability of these prescriptions much more convenient. That's Amazon's model- ease of use and getting products to consumers as quickly as possible. That ease of use is going to make things challenging in the conservative healthcare space. Now more than ever the public needs to understand that quite often; surgery, medications, and or injections are not the answer to their problem. For a majority of individuals  (as we've seen with the pill and the opioid crisis) the use of medications and drugs provide short-term gains with significant long-term repercussions. 

So Amazon has made their billion dollar play into the healthcare space, and it is all about the pharmacy for them. So it is all essential for us to stay diligent to get our message out there and to make sure we are communicating pro-actively with our patients in our community because their ease of getting medications just got a lot a lot easier. 
 

How Chiropractic Adjustments Can Help Foraminal Stenosis

If you have had pain going down your arm or leg due to a pinched nerve chiropractic may be one of the best things you can do to get well quickly. 

The discs are located between the bones, or vertebrae, in your spine. They act as spacers, allowing room for the nerve to travel out the holes, or foraminal canals. That is the place where the nerve can often get pinched, and when it's pinched, it hurts. Sometimes that pinching can happen due to a bone spur, due to the disc becoming degenerative and flattening out, or a ligament is constricting and compressing on that nerve. 

Chiropractic adjustments work by helping to open up those holes and take the pressure off of the nerve. The tunnels, or foraminal canals, are "opened" when a gentle adjustment is given, and proper motion to the vertebrae is restored. That takes the pressure off of the nerve, allows the pain to subside, and the function to increase. So if you have been suffering from a pinched nerve due to a bone spurs or ligament overgrowth; do not hesitate to reach out to your local chiropractor to see if chiropractic care may be the best solution to get you on track and feeling great as quickly as possible. 

Finding Relief from Tension Headaches

If you are someone who has suffered from tension headaches you're going to want to read up to some brand new research which showcases natural and conservative ways for you to find relief and improve your quality of life. 

Over 90% of all headaches are classified as tension-type headaches, and they impact millions upon millions of people worldwide. Quite often a combination of ergonomics, a long time commuting in the car,  long days at the computer, stress, and gravity contribute to tension headaches. And they can be truly debilitating. 

But brand new research from the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine showed a combination of chiropractic adjustments, and pressure points can improve your quality of life. This research paper was titled, "Do manual therapy techniques have a positive effect on quality of life in people with tension headaches: a randomized controlled trial". A randomized controlled trial is the top tier of research. 

These researchers found that a combination of adjustments, or spinal manipulation, and pressure points right under the base of the skull provided dramatic improvement for people suffering from tension headaches. 

Previous research has showcased how chiropractic care adjustments can provide a decrease in pain associated with tension headaches, a decrease in frequency of those headaches, and a decrease in intensity when they come on. 

So, these are all things to consider when you are thinking about natural conservative ways to stay well and find relief from tension based headaches.

How to Use Instagram Stories as a Chiropractor

Here is a quick tip on how you can use Instagram stories to market your chiropractic practice. 

Instagram stories allow you to showcase your practice, reduce fear, and inspire action!. Let's face it. Going to a new doctor is nerve-racking. Not knowing the doctors, the staff, the diagnosis or treatment is scary.  And that fear can cause in-action. Thankfully, Instagram stories are the perfect tool to reduce this fear.  

Walking through the front door of a new doctors office is intimidating. So showing off what's behind your front door is a great way that you can reduce fears and increase the likelihood that somebody will call you when they are in need.  A great way to do that is with Instagram stories- you can simply go to Instagram, and at the top, you will see "stories." The first icon in the row will be you, and there will be a little plus there. You simply click that, and it brings you to a beautiful screen where you can take a picture, or even shoot a short video.

You can do all of that with Instagram stories. If you're shy about being on camera or you're a little unsure of yourself, don't hesitate to point the camera away and give a first-person point of view tour of your office.  You could tour a treatment room or interview a front desk staff member to get people engaged and exposed to what goes on behind the scenes of your office. Make them feel more comfortable, and they are much more likely to ask you to be their chiropractor! 

Finding Relief from Spinal Stenosis Without Surgery!

Have you been told that you have spinal stenosis? 

If so, you're not alone. Millions of people suffer from spinal stenosis each day, and it's the number one reason why people over 65 years old have spine surgery. But, drugs and surgery and NOT the only way to find relief. 

Spinal stenosis is merely a compression of the spinal cord or the thecal sac. Stenosis is narrowing, pinching, or compression. Spinal refers to your spinal cord. So spinal stenosis simply is pinching or compressions that occur in the spinal canal on the spinal cord.

For many people, the most significant challenge associated with spinal stenosis is the decreased ability to get up and move! The hallmark of spinal stenosis is pain in the low back, a bent forward posture, and legs that always feel tired. If you've suffered from spinal stenosis, you probably are always looking for that grocery cart to lean on as you go throughout the store. And if you don't one close by, you're probably looking for a chair to sit down. Sitting down is the easiest thing you can do to relieve the symptoms and pain temporarily. But as soon as you get up and walking the symptoms again will return as gravity takes over and starts compressing the spinal cord again. 

One of the best ways you can relieve the symptoms associated with spinal stenosis is to open up the spinal canal and take the pressure off of the nerves and spinal cord. Many chiropractic techniques focus on increasing the size of that canal by going into a flexed position, or a forward position, which is naturally comfortable and allows relief of the symptoms associated with spinal stenosis. 

After chiropractic care, many patients report having a decrease in their symptoms, the ability to walk further without pain, and an improvement in their quality of life. 

So if you have been slowing down if your quality of life has been impacted due to compression on your spinal cord do not hesitate to see a chiropractor and ask if chiropractic care may be right for you.