The Missouri Chiropractor - September 2009

• President’s Report by Russell Matthias, DC
• Executive Director Report by Kathleen Wilcoxson, MPA
• Government Report by Mo McCullough
• The PAC Report by Paul W. Foster, DC, PAC President
• Beating Breast Cancer by William Hobbins, MD, FABS, DABCT, FIACT and William Amalu, DC, DABCT, DIACT, FIACT
• Thank You For Making Our Convention Successful
• MSCA Summer Convention Awards
• Insurance Report by Margaret Freihaut, DC, Insurance Committee Chair
• ACA Report by Jack Kessinger, DC DABCI Missouri Delegate
• Golf Tournament by Dr. Stephen Furjes
• The Auxiliary Report by Robert D. Pence, President
• District 2 Report
• District 5 Report
• CA Corner by Susan Hoy
• Patient Information From Dr. Mercola - What Causes Kidney Stones?
  
• Calendar of Events
• Classified Ads
  

President's Report

By Russell Matthias, DC, MSCA President

Another great convention has come and gone, but the experience will be remembered as one of the best in years. The Chateau on the Lake proved to be an excellent backdrop for the CE classes, vendors, PAC Auction, Bingo and other events which made this convention worthwhile for all who attended.

As you know, a lot of hard work and effort goes on behind the scenes of any large undertaking, so I would like to thank everyone who came together to make this year’s convention great. The vendors, who traveled a great distance, made a huge showing this year with 56 booths in our trade show hall.

Our speakers were top-notch and presented some of the new categories adopted by the Board of Examiners.
A special thanks to Virginia Kessinger who coordinated a great CA Day which included full certification in Drug Testing.

The PAC Live Auction was re-born this year with a new auctioneer who kept the crowd entertained while bringing in over $12,000 in donations. The MSCA Auxiliary coordinated one of the largest Bingo nights, not to mention all the work put in at the Awards Banquet with the Memorial Service, Picture Station and Best-Dressed Awards.

If you didn’t make the time to attend convention this year, you missed out on a great experience. I hope you will go to the convention section of this issue and look through the pictures, awards and recognition. Then, make plans to attend in 2010. You won’t regret it! u

Executive Directors Report

by Kathleen Wilcoxson, MPA

One of the most critical issues to impact the future of chiropractic is before us; yet, it seems, few are aware, and even less are taking action. It would be a catastrophic set-back for the chiropractic profession if a National Health Care program was adopted by our country without the inclusion of chiropractic care.

We need to let Washington know we are here!

In an attempt to let our leaders in Washington know the vast numbers of chiropractors and patients in support of this movement, two websites were created by the ACA and ICA where doctors, patients, family and friends of chiropractic can register.

At convention, we set up a station with four laptop computers, already open to the ACA and ICA websites, so the doctors and CAs in attendance could sign up during their breaks. We had less than a dozen register out of 200 doctors and CAs.

Why is this issue being ignored?

Some speculate that this issue is similar to others where the doctors figure someone else will take care of the problem for them. Others say it doesn’t affect them because they are a cash practice. Some are so opposed to the thought of a National Health Care plan, they think by opting out of any involvement, it won’t happen.

The reality is a plan is being drafted.

If you want to see chiropractic included, take action now!
It’s simple . . .

Go online. Type in:
http://www.chirovoice.org/signup/signup_form.cfm for the ACA website.
Or: http://www.adjustthevote.org/cdd/subscribe for the ICA website.

Fill in your name and contact information.

You’re done!

If you want to really make an impact, present the issue to your patients, family and friends and ask for their support. A few doctors in Missouri, after requesting their patient’s support, are offering to enter their information for them.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

In the May issue, I showed Missouri ranked 27th among other states in the total numbers signed up for this Grassroots effort. We only had 89 signed up at that time. Today we rank 12th with 869 signed up (see chart below).

THE GOVERNMENT REPORT

By Mo McCullough, Government Affairs Director

In June of this year, the Governor signed into law HB 577. Contained in HB 577 is the following section: “376.391. A health benefit plan or health carrier, as defined in section 376.1350, including but not limited to preferred provider organizations, independent physicians associations, third-party administrators, or any entity that contracts with licensed health care providers shall not impose any co-payment that exceeds fifty percent of the total cost of providing any single chiropractic service to its enrollees.” On August 28, 2009, this new law will go into effect in the state of Missouri.

This important legislation should signal the end of huge specialty co-pays commonly charged by health carriers in Missouri to patients seeking chiropractic care. It will put a stop to the problem of “phantom coverage” of chiropractic benefits where insurance policies offer a chiropractic benefit but require the patient to essentially pay for all the care provided out of his or her own pocket through exorbitant co-pays. As a result of this decrease in out-of-pocket expense, people seeking chiropractic care will be able to afford to visit their chiropractor’s office more often so they can receive the care they need and desire.

The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration is, at the time of this writing, working on the rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing this new law. The MSCA will be working closely with the DIFIP on this important part of the legislative process, and we will keep our members informed of their progress.

Watch your e-mail for further updates on this major victory for chiropractic in Missouri.

The PAC Report

by Paul W. Foster, DC, PAC President

The Trustees approved the Back Saver wallet for Legislative Day 2010. The live and silent auction generated $12,300.  Plans are already in place for next year's auction - Dr Shane Hart was appointed Auction Chair.

At the PAC Membership meeting, the by-laws changes were approved. Dr. David Cosner will chair a Texas Hold'm Tournament. Each District will have a champion, which will meet at the convention for a play-off game to select a state champion.

The Board of PAC Trustees elected the officers listed.

President

District 2
Dr. Paul Foster
816-781-2700
pwfosterdc@darlyns.com
Vice President

District 6
Dr. Gerald Yurth
816-232-9437
yurth@sbcglobal.net

Secretary/Treasurer

District 4
Dr. Jeff Nagle
573-472-4470
jlnagledc@sbcglobal.net

District 1
Dr. Richard James
636-441-9240
dccrash@swbell.net

District 3
Dr. Harold Morrow
573-365-7699
skier4him@charter.net

District 5
Dr. Andrew J. Kessinger
573-341-8292
vkessing@fidnet.com

District 7
Dr. Darren Kirchner
660-727-3677
drdarrenkirchner@yahoo.com

BEATING BREAST CANCER

by William Hobbins, MD, FABS, DABCT, FIACT and
William Amalu, DC, DABCT, DIACT, FIACT

This year, over 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US and 1.2 million worldwide (Source: American Cancer Society and WHO). As shocking as these numbers are, even worse is the number of cancers that won’t be detected until it’s too late. The consensus among experts is that early detection holds the key to survival. Although this is true, early detection can be elusive. Even though women are advised to begin having mammograms at 40, what they don’t know is that by the time most cancers are detected they have been growing for up to 10 years, and that 20% of all cancers can’t be seen by a mammogram. It is because of these factors, and others, that the number of women who die from this disease has gone relatively unchanged in the past 40 years.

If a significant change in breast cancer mortality is to be realized, we have to rethink how we are providing for early detection. Are we currently providing a system that includes an early warning? What if we had a system that would comprise a multimodality approach that includes technologies that reflect the early cancerous process itself? If there were a method of very early detection, a procedure that may act as an early warning system, women would have an additional tool to give them the fighting chance they need to win this battle. What is needed is a risk marker. If added to a woman’s regular screening procedures this may be able to turn these statistics around; as aggressive tissues may be detected before they were able to invade the rest of the body. Women now have access to a unique technology that may give them this early risk marker; a procedure called Breast Thermography.

Breast thermography is an imaging technology that uses advanced computerized infrared camera systems to detect heat patterns from the surface of the breasts. When a cancer is forming it develops its own blood supply in order to feed its growth (a process known as angiogenesis). Even more important, pre-cancerous tissues may start this process in advance of the cells becoming malignant. This increased blood supply causes an abnormal heat pattern in the breasts. Thermography can detect this abnormal heat pattern by using specialized infrared cameras and sophisticated computerized analysis under the guidance of a doctor who is board certified in the procedure. These abnormal heat patterns are among the earliest known signs of risk that a cancer may be a forming.

An increased level of early detection may be realized when thermography is added to a woman’s regular breast health care. It has been found that an abnormal thermographic image is the single most important sign of high risk for developing breast cancer, 10 times more significant than a first order family history of the disease. This gives breast thermography the ability to act as a possible risk marker; thus, warning a woman about her own unique level of future risk for breast cancer.

Women who undergo the test find it to be fairly uneventful, since the procedure is completely harmless and there is no contact with the breasts. Women with dense breasts, implants, and women who are pregnant or nursing can be imaged without any harm or reduction in the accuracy of the test. Normal images, like the one seen on the next page, show evenly cool inactive breasts (dark colors represent cold areas). Abnormal images, as seen below, show highly active blood vessels giving off heat in one breast. Since the procedure does not pose any harm to the patient, women who are at higher risk can be imaged more frequently without possible adverse effects on their health.

Another benefit of this technology is its possible role in prevention. Breast thermography has the added ability to observe specific thermal signs that may indicate hormonal effects on the breasts. At this time, research has determined that the single greatest risk factor for the future development of breast cancer is lifetime exposure of the breasts to estrogen. In which case, controlling the influence of estrogen on the breasts may be the single greatest method of breast cancer prevention. When hormone activity in the breast is dominated by estrogen, a specific type of infrared image is produced; thus, warning the patient and her doctor that this condition may exist. With this information in hand, a woman’s doctor will run further tests to confirm the condition and its cause. Once this is identified, a woman and her doctor can take a pro-active role in prevention. A treatment program aimed at restoring the normal hormonal balance in the breasts would follow and be monitored by the patient’s doctor. Once the hormone balance has been restored to the breasts, a woman’s overall breast cancer risk may be greatly reduced.

With the incidence of breast cancer rising in women under 40, an effort to provide some form of additional test is needed in this age group. Very early detection is especially important since breast cancers in younger women are commonly more aggressive resulting in lower survival rates. Current screening procedures have proven to be inaccurate in women in this age group due to breast tissue density and other factors. These issues, however, do not affect thermography. With this technology, women under 40 now have a safe imaging procedure that they can add to their regular breast health check ups.

Breast thermography is a high-tech non-invasive imaging procedure designed to be used by women of all ages. The technology has been thoroughly researched for over 30 years and is FDA approved for use as an adjunctive imaging tool. Its unique ability to play a possible role in prevention is an impressive added benefit. Unfortunately, at this time there are too few qualified clinical thermography centers worldwide. However, with the increasing demand for breast thermography, educational organizations such as the International Academy of Clinical Thermology, International Thermographic Society, and the American Academy of Thermology are providing training for certified technicians and thermologists. It is their goal to provide women with greater access to this lifesaving technology.

Currently, no single screening procedure can detect 100% of all breast cancers. Thermography is designed to be used as an additional procedure with mammography, and other tests, and not as a replacement. Studies show that when thermography is added to a woman’s regular breast health check ups (physical examination + mammography + thermography), 95% of all early stage cancers may be detected. This would give the vast majority of women who are diagnosed with this disease the reality of returning to a normal healthy life.

What if we could add another procedure that may act as an early risk marker for this terrible disease? What if we could provide a multimodal approach that includes technologies that increase the early detection process? Would this give women a better chance for survival? The number of women who die from this disease will continue relatively unchanged if nothing is done to provide a better system. Breast thermography has the unique ability to warn some women far enough in advance to give them a fighting chance. Combined with its ability to play a possible role in prevention, the advantages are obvious. With the addition of breast thermography to a woman’s regular breast health care, women of all ages are given an early detection edge in the battle against breast cancer.

About the authors:
William Hobbins, MD, a Fellow of the American Board of Surgeons and a board certified clinical thermologist, has been performing thermographic breast imaging for over 35 years. As an internationally recognized author-ity in this field, he has sat on multiple medical and thermographic boards, authored numerous articles, and has contributed a significant amount of research to the medical database using this technology. He currently practices in Madison Wisconsin and can be contacted at 608-273-4274.

William Amalu, DC, a Fellow of the International Academy of Clinical Thermology and a board certified clinical thermologist, has utilized thermography in practice for over 14 years. He is currently the President of the International Academy of Clinical Thermology and practices in Redwood City California. He can be contacted at 650-361-8908
www.breastthermography.com.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR CONVENTION SUCCESSFUL

2009 MSCA Summer Convention
Thank You

Opening Reception Sponsor
OUM
Let’s join together to give OUM and Christy Baird our sincere appreciation for helping make the Opening Reception at our 2009 MSCA Summer Convention a huge success. Thanks OUM!

PAC Reception Sponsor
Standard Process
Please join the MSCA PAC in offering Standard Process our sincere appreciation for helping make the PAC Reception at our 2009 MSCA Summer Convention a huge success.

Food Sponsors
Brown’s Medical
Standard Process
Turowski Healthcare
NCMIC
Smith Klein & Associates
OUM
Cutting Edge Risk Management
Mona Vie

Thank You
Speakers

Dr. Mario Fucinari & Anna Allen, sponsored by NCMIC
Dr. Bruce Bond, sponsored by Standard Process
Dr. Dennis Baker, Acupuncture
Dr. Doran Nicholson, Diagnostic Imaging

On behalf of the entire MSCA, we would like to thank our speakers for their generous donation of time and talent to present at the 2009 Summer Convention. These speakers volunteer their services to help further the mission of the Missouri State Chiropractors Association. Thank you!

And to the following speakers for helping make CA Day at the 2009 MSCA Summer Convention a Great Success!

CA Day Speakers
Dr. Jack Kessinger, III
Dr. Andrew J. Kessinger, IV
Dr. Darren Kirchner
Virginia Kessinger
Claudette Ray
Amanda Saunders
Lucy Nash
Annette Copeland

A Special MSCA
Thank You
2009 Summer Convention
Exhibitors
Alpha-Health Solutions
American Chiropractic Association
Anabolic Laboratories
AnyLabTest Now
Backbone Financial
Baron Health Service
BioGenesis Nutraceuticals
Brican Systems
Brown’s Medical Imaging
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Chiro-Pods
Chiropractic Practice Coverage
ChiroTouch
Cleveland Chiropractic College
Cutting Edge Risk Management
DC Naturals
DHA Advantage
Electro Therapy Association
eyeQuest Networks
Foot Levelers
Gateway X-Ray
Ideal Protein
KC Web Specialists
Lansberg Medical Equipment
Logan College of Chiropractic
Matthews Logan Bookstore
Menla Technologies
Metabolic Research Laboratories
Metagenics
Mona Vie
MRI of Springfield
National ChiroSupply
NCMIC
NuMedica
Nutri-West
OPT
OUM Chiropractor Program
Phillips Chiropractic Tables
Power Plate
Protocol for Life Balance
PRP Wine International
Smith Klein & Associates
Standard Process
The Key Company
Travers Insurance
Turowski Healthcare Products
Vitamist
Worldwide Medical
Wrap-It Bandages

MSCA Summer Convention Awards

Dr. Paul Foster
Chiropractor Of the Year

Dr. Don Broman
Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Jeffrey Ness and Dr. Linda Buckmiller
Workhorse Award

Robert Pence
Distinguished
Volunteer Award

Congratulations
to
Senator Jim Lembke
Legislator of the Year Award

INSURANCE REPORT

By Margaret Freihaut, DC, Insurance Committee Chair

As I am sitting here to write my monthly insurance report and decide what is important information to tell the doctors of Missouri, I keep coming back to the subjects I have already reported on, documentation, PQRI and compliance issues. I know many of you are up on these issues, but it is difficult to keep up with the many government requirements and run a full-time practice.

To refresh your minds, PQRI stands for Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. When I was at the MSCA convention at the end of July, the speaker asked a room of 100 people if they were reporting the quality measures for Medicare. I was amazed at the number of hands that went up - three. Quality measures are not mandatory, currently, but it is felt by many chiropractic leaders that it will eventually be required, and it could ultimately be used as a way to determine who gets paid and who doesn’t.

Doctors who use these measures 80 percent of the time will get a bonus of an estimated 2 percent. I will direct you to the ACA website to see how to use these codes specifically, or refer to the article I wrote earlier this year. We need to get on board and begin using these codes. My understanding is that healthcare reform will likely include quality measures.

The other subject that we keep hearing about is documentation. We are all tired of hearing about documentation, but there is still more room for improvement. The latest OIG report, which I reported on last month, shows some deficiencies in documentation. There are questions in our profession over the validity of the methodology the OIG used to come up with their conclusions; but, regardless, we as a profession need to continue to improve our documentation. The State of Missouri now approves documentation for continuing education hours.

The Legal Action Fund still needs you. The co-pay and White vs. the Missouri Board of Healing Arts wins are because of support of the MSCA Legal Action Fund. Fill out your form today to donate monthly to the fund.

The MSCA insurance committee continues to collect complaints that you have against insurance carriers. We ask that you send us a copy of any complaints you send to the Division of Insurance. If you see improper processing of claims, document it and send us copies. Make sure to block out identifying information on the patients to protect their privacy.

ACTION STEPS

1. Join the MSCA.
2. Join the ACA or ICA.
3. Donate to MSCA PAC.
4. Donate to the MSCA Legal Action.
5. Make sure your are in compliance in your office with HIPPA, Red Flags, and PCI rules by having policies in place and staff trained. Call Cutting edge Risk Management for Red Flags training (Deadline for Red Flags has been moved to November 1, 2009).
6. Take a documentation course each year.
7. Begin using codes to report quality measures.
8. Join ChiroVoice or AdjustAVote, and get your patients to sign up.
9. Get to know your legislators local and nationally.
10. File complaints when carriers do not follow the rules, and send the MSCA a copy.
11. Email questions or information to the MSCA Insurance Committee at insurance@mscainfo.com.

ACA REPORT

New Pilot on Quality Shows Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Musculoskeletal Disorders

A new pilot program shows that conservative heath care, including chiropractic, may reduce overall health care costs in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and neck pain. The pilot, conducted by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to measure quality of patient care for its members in Iowa and South Dakota, also shows promising outcomes for the patients choosing chiropractic and other conservative care.

“The cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several studies. ACA is pleased that insurance companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and other conservative providers can offer to their members,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surgery and hospital-based care,” he added.

Wellmark conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that 89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than 30-percent improvement in 30 days.

The pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to Wellmark.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuro-musculoskeletal complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care. Recent research includes:

A study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes.

A March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients’ first year of symptoms.

A study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than do a variety of medications.

The American Chiropractic Association is the nation’s leading chiropractic organization representing more than 15,000 doctors of chiropractic and their patients.

Golf Tournament

Golf Tournament
by Dr. Stephen Furjes

The 2009 Golf Tournament for the MSCA was a great success. The weather cooperated, and we had a beautiful day. We want to thank Wilma Wilcoxson for collecting money for the mulligans and putting contest. Our own Kathleen Wilcoxson won the Putting Contest, and she donated the money back to the MSCA.

Winners of the ‘A’ Flight were Carol and Dr. Steve Furjes, Dr. David Turnbull and Dr. Keith Moeckle. Winners of the ‘B’ Flight were Dr. Corey Priest and vendors Sean Fisher, Rick Hemphill and Geof Ackley. In second place, by one stroke, in the ‘A’ Flight was Logan College’s famed golfer Linda Kenny with teammates Dr. Tom Robertson, Larry Brunkhorst and Pat Holdman. Second place in ‘B’ Flight went to Dr. Don Broman, Dr. James Gray and Dr. Jim Scott.

A Special THANK YOU to Dr. Bruce Rippee for supplying the trophies. Dr. Rippee was unable to attend this year, but wanted to do something to help out. Don and Judy Rippee (Dr. Rippee’s father and mother) made the trophies. Dr. Rippee paid for them and had them delivered to Branson. They were beautiful. A great time was had by all. See you next year.

The Auxiliary Report

Summer Convention 2009

by Robert Pence
MSCA Auxiliary President

Did you make it to convention? If you did, then you already know what a blast it was. For the rest of you who decided you would not attend, let me recap the fun. First off, the hotel was wonderful; the rooms were great and had beautiful views; and the longest walk was from the elevator to the conference hall. We started Thursday afternoon with lunch for the kids and a movie. We moved on that evening to a nice dinner followed by Bingo. I still cannot believe the turn out that we had. We will have to buy more bingo cards before next year so we do not run out of cards. Thanks to all who made this a great evening. We hope to make next year even better.

Friday was filled with lots of classes for the doctors and a great class for the CAs put on by Virginia Kessinger. Thank you, Virginia, for a great program. Friday night was the PAC Live Auction, and I believe we had more than seventy people there, and everyone was in a giving mood. The auctioneer had everyone involved and a good time was had by all.

Saturday, we had our auxiliary meeting, and I am pleased to announce Virginia Kessinger was elected the new Vice President. Thank you, Virginia. Then, at the Awards Banquet that evening, the Auxiliary gave awards for best-dressed couple to Dr. Homer & Nita Thompson, most outrageous costume to Linda Kenny, and best individually dressed to Dr. Rob Kessinger. The vendor of the year award went to Wanda Munson of The Key Company. We gave away two one-thousand-dollar scholarships, and they went to Mary Surridge of Cleveland Chiropractic Collage and Kathryn Russell of Logan College of Chiropractic. We also want to congratulate the daughter of Dr. Shane and Kenzie Hart for winning the NASCAR Rookie Experience. We hope she has a blast and will give us a report on her experience.

Well, this was a short version of my experience at convention, and I hope you can have your own story next year. Remember that the only way you can experience the fun and excitement is to be there in person and partake in the fun.

I would like to remind everyone that our next meeting will be October 17, 2009, at noon in Jeff City hope to see all of you there.

DISTRICT 2 REPORT

District 2 will hold a license renewal seminar on December 4-6, 2009, at the Holiday Inn Northeast across from World's of Fun in Kansas City.  Contact person is Dr. Russ Matthias. He can be reached via email at lrmattdc@sbcglobal.net.

Contact www.chirovoice.com.  It is an ACA grassroots effort to make sure chiropractic care is included in any national healthcare changes.  The ICA's program is called Adjust the Vote.  If you haven't signed up for one of these programs, we encourage you to take the time and do so.  Also, make your patients aware of these programs so that they can also make their voices heard.

DISTRICT 5 REPORT

We have had two meetings recently. We met in Springfield to appoint new officers and again during the 2009 MSCA Summer Convention.

Rick Hemphill will be our guest speaker at the next MSCA District 5 Meeting.
He will discuss:
How to appoint a Red Flag Compliance Officer.
How to protect your patient and your information from identity theft.
All the implements of identity theft.
Then he will set up individual office appointments to personally do a walk through of your office at the doctors convenience.

All in attendance will receive a FREE evaluation in your office for compliance advice .

Thursday, September 3
Pasta House
National & Hwy 60
Springfield, MO

CA Corner

by Susan Hoy

I will assume that every person reading this article is interested in practice growth. If you are not, just turn the page. If you are, however, read every word and take the time to have a look around your office and decide what you need to work on. No matter how good you think you are, you always have room for improvement. In fact, every practice’s goal should be continual improvement in areas of organization and patient care. After all, how will we make a difference around the world if we are not able to help and impact more people. That’s your challenge, I hope you take it!

Recently we hired a new chiropractic assistant who came to us from another chiropractic office. After a week working in our office, I asked her if she was enjoying working with us. She said she was so impressed with our organization and efficiency. She added that the last office she came from was extremely disorganized and, therefore, a very stressful environment. She ended by saying, “There is no stress in this office.”

I was somewhat surprised at her comment. I know we are ultimately organized, but I never considered our office to be stress free! In fact, I always thought we had a fair amount of stress. I decided that everything is relative and wondered how many offices are disorganized and subsequently stressful, which would lead to staff burnout and job dissatisfaction. Since burnout is such a problem in our profession, I think this issue needs to be addressed and taken very seriously.

I like to make the analogy of the human body. It is entirely make up of systems. The Nervous System, Immune System, Respiratory System etc. Each system works methodically to fulfill its responsibility to its ultimate purpose; to sustain the life of the organism it supports. Each system does not work independently, but entirely together with the other systems. Each system has a responsibility and then helps the other systems in the process of sustaining life.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if our offices worked as well? Can you imagine how successful we would be if we worked as well as our bodies? I can not help but think it should be our goal to have our offices work as easily and effortlessly as our body. Our office should be systemized just like our body. The new patient system, report of findings system, patient flow system, paperwork system, recall and reactivation system, patient education system, billing & collections system, are just a few of the many systems that should be perfected. Each system should work together with the other systems in order to support and sustain the life of your practice.

When new employees are hired, they must adjust themselves to your system instead of making up their own systems. I believe it should take a board decision to change a system, never, never, never, on a whim from any member of the staff including the chiropractor (who sometimes is the worst offender)! Unfortunately, stress abounds when the system gets changed every other day and no one understands the system.

Sadly, patients get lost because of the disorganization. Why would they want to enter into a stressful environment? They get plenty of that in their own offices! It certainly doesn’t promote healing and it definitely doesn’t make them feel like you are in control! All of which leads them to think, sloppy organization...sloppy chiropractic care. Why would they want to stay or refer?

Unfortunately, what also gets lost in this environment is our enthusiasm and passion for what we are doing. No great chiropractic practice ever existed without enthusiasm and energy. Here’s another human body analogy, morbid as it may seem. I can go to the morgue and find a perfect body with all of its systems in tact. Of course, there would be something missing...wouldn’t there? Yes...life force...energy...passion, whatever you want to call it! Your office may have all the systems and all the tools, but if life force, energy, and enthusiasm are not there, you will have a lifeless practice.

Beware of the “Law of Familiarity”, which states that anytime you are around anything enough, you will begin to take it for granted. We can not afford to take what we do for granted. The wonders of chiropractic are presented to us every single day, so often that we consider it our daily routine. So what if a patient crawls in and walks out. Of course, most of our patients leave our office feeling better than when they entered our office; no big deal...happens every day, all day! Sometimes it takes a patient’s enthusiasm and excitement to wake us up again. Folks, that’s not the way it should be and it certainly will not increase your practice.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to keep more new patients. Can you imagine how busy you would be if you were able to have 50% of your patients commit to wellness programs and refer at least one patient to your office. I believe you would have a waiting list practice.

The practice that is unorganized and unsystemized and unenergized will not be attracting new patients or keeping patients to wellness. You just have to examine your patient visit average in order to evaluate how you’re doing. Even the practice that does have enthusiasm and passion will not be able to keep patients if they are unorganized and unsystemized. The patients you attract will fall right through the crack!

Systemizing, organizing and energizing is a process that will take time and hard work, but it will pay great dividends to you and your staff. Not only will your patients stay, but your staff will stay too! The best part is that your patients will benefit. Let’s be honest, our goal is to make a difference with every patient we contact, so do the work and give it your best shot! (If you would like a copy of my newsletter entitled, A Word to the Wise...Energize, Here’s How, send a S.A.S.E. to Susan Hoy, 1207 Hart Lane, Warminster PA 18974)

PATIENT INFORMATION FROM DR. MERCOLA

Reprinted with permission….

What Causes Kidney Stones?

In the U.S., about 10-15 percent of adults will be diagnosed with a kidney stone in their lifetime. Roughly 1 million Americans develop kidney stones each year.

Once you have had one kidney stone attack, your chance of recurrence is about 70 to 80 percent, and the younger you are when you have your first attack, the greater your risk of recurrence.

Typically, a kidney stone is the result of a super-saturation of minerals and acid salts in your urine, such as calcium and uric acid, which then crystallize and form solid masses. This can happen if you don’t drink enough fluids, and if your urine is highly acidic or highly alkaline.

Certain drugs can also promote kidney stones, such as Lasix (furosemide), Topomax (topiramate), and Xenical, among others. Most kidney stones contain crystals of various types, with calcium as the key ingredient. However, usually one type of crystals predominates, and determining the type helps you identify the underlying cause.

The most common type is calcium oxalate stones, comprising about 75 percent of all cases. Oxalate is found in some fruits and vegetables, but your liver actually produces most of your oxalate. You’d think one of the solutions for avoiding kidney stones would be to eliminate or radically reduce your intake of calcium, because calcium is part of the stone, but that is actually NOT a wise strategy. This is because, normally, the calcium in your diet binds to the oxalate, and helps you excrete it in other ways than through your urine.

Other types of stones, and their underlying causes, include:

Struvite stones: Found more often in women, these are almost always the result of urinary tract infections.

Uric acid stones: These are a byproduct of protein metabolism. They’re commonly seen with gout, and may result from certain genetic factors and disorders of your blood-producing tissues.

Cystine stones: Represent a very small percentage of kidney stones. These are the result of a hereditary disorder that causes your kidneys to excrete massive amounts of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

Two risk factors that elevate your chances of developing kidney stones include high blood pressure and digestive problems.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Most likely you’ll never know you have a stone until it moves into your ureter—the tube connecting your kidney to your bladder. At that point, common symptoms include:
Pain in your side and back, below your ribs
Episodes of pain lasting 20 to 60 minutes, of varying intensity
Pain “waves” radiating from your side and back, to your lower abdomen and groin
Bloody, cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Pain with urination
Nausea and vomiting
“Urgency” (persistent urge to urinate)

Fever and chills (indicates an infection is also present)
The pain you feel is a result of distention of the tissues above the stone, since it is blocking the passage of urine, rather than from the pressure of the stone itself.
To diagnose a kidney stone you can collect the kidney stone and have it analyzed for a definitive answer, or you can do a 24-hour urine test. This is a useful strategy to ascertain any imbalances in your urine that contribute and predispose you to develop stones.

Watch What You Eat if You Have Kidney Stones

There are a number of strategies you can use to treat this condition. If you suffer mainly from calcium oxalate stones, you’ll want to minimize the amount of oxalates in your body (as opposed to reducing your calcium intake). Two foods in particular contribute to creating oxalates, namely soy and beer. If you’ve read my newsletter for any amount of time, you already know I warn against unfermented soy products for a number of reasons, but preventing the formation of kidney stones is yet another.

Other foods that contain high levels of oxalate that you’ll want to avoid include:
Spinach
Rhubarb
Chocolate
Parsley
Beetroot
Strawberries
Wheat flour
Pepper Nuts

A diet high in sugar can also set you up for stones, since sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body by interfering with calcium and magnesium absorption. Diets high in processed salt are also bad news as salt increases the amount of calcium and oxalate in your urine. Processed foods have notoriously high salt content and should therefore be avoided as much as possible. Keep in mind that the salt referenced here is processed salt, like your regular table salt, not high quality, unprocessed salts that contain numerous essential minerals that your body actually needs for optimal health. Naturally, eating fresh, whole foods according to your nutritional type is the best way to ensure you’re eating what your body needs for optimal performance, regardless of what health conditions you seek to avoid or improve.

Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones with Plain Water

Probably the single most effective way to prevent and treat kidney stones is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. Actually, the number one risk factor for kidney stones is not staying hydrated enough, as it prevents your urine from dissolving minerals and acid salts. One of the ways you’ll know if you’re drinking enough is to look at the color of your urine. Ideally, you’ll want your urine to be a light yellow. If it’s dark yellow or even orange, it may be a clue that you’re not drinking enough.

Every person’s water requirement is different, depending on your particular system and activity level, but simply keeping your urine light yellow will go a long way toward preventing kidney stones. Remember to increase your water intake whenever you increase your activity, and during summer months when you’re likely to sweat more. Also know that once you’re thirsty it’s usually too late. Thirst is usually a sign of dehydration.

The only condition that will interfere with that analysis is if you’re taking a multivitamin containing B vita-mins, or a B vitamin complex. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), specifically, tends to turn your urine a bright, fluor-escent yellow, which will prevent you from using the color of your urine as a guide.

Are You Still Drinking Soda?

With respect to your fluids, you also want to stay away from soda as it is loaded with phosphorous. Sadly, the number one source of calories in the U.S. is from soda, and is in many cases the main source of fluids. The average American drinks a staggering 56 gallons of soda a year, which is a surefire way to ensure health problems, including an increased risk of kidney stones.

In fact, children as young as five years old are now starting to struggle with kidney stones, and soda consumption is a major contributor to this disturbing trend. Also, diet soda is probably worse for your health than regular soda, so please don’t think switching to a “lighter” variety will make a positive difference. Quitting soda is one of the fastest and easiest ways to improve your health, and can reduce your risk of developing kidney stones. If you’re struggling to quit drinking soda, a very effective technique called Turbo Tapping may help reduce your cravings.

Other Approaches That Can Help Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. If you do get a large kidney stone, naturally you will not be able to pass it without some type of intervention. In the past they had to do surgery to physically remove these larger stones, but now there are some more advanced options such as extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. This treatment entails being submerged in a tub of water where sound waves traveling through the liquid shatter the stones. They then pass as gravel through your urine in a few days or weeks. Lastly, it may surprise you, but exercise is a very important aspect of kidney stone prevention. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you definitely raise your risk of developing stones, so implementing a regular exercise regimen can go a long way to keep kidney stones at bay.

Hopefully, by applying these principles you will prevent it from ever getting to that stage, because kidney stones are no laughing matter.
So if you know someone who suffers with kidney stones on a regular basis, hopefully you’ll pass this article along to them, because this is the type of information you, and your friends and family, can use to take control of your health.