Wheeled Shoes Raise Safety Concerns, Say Chiropractors

          With the popularity of wheeled shoes on the rise, doctors of chiropractic are expressing concerns about safety, both for the children who use them and others who must dodge children skating in crowded shopping centers and parks.

          The shoes, most recognized by the dominant brand name, Heelys®, resemble normal sneakers but have removable wheels in the heels. Although parents have purchased more than 4 million pairs of the popular shoes, some malls and schools have banned Heelys® due to safety concerns.

          “Parents should be concerned about Heelys® and other wheeled sneakers because of the potential for head, wrist, elbow and ankle injuries due to falls, as well as the possibility of injuries due to altered gait patterns,” says Dr. Steven Conway, a member of the American Chiropractic Association from Athens, Wis. “When wearing the shoes on a surface that isn’t skatable, children must walk on their toes. This altered gait forces their posture into unnatural positions, and if worn regularly for walking, this could potentially cause strain on growing bodies, especially in the foot, ankle and lower back.”

           Conversely, when skating in the shoes, children are forced to put their weight on their heels. By doing so, they can easily lose their balance, putting them at a higher risk for falls and resulting injuries to the back of the head, elbows and wrists. Because many children consider Heelys® to be shoes rather than athletic gear, they fail to wear the proper safety equipment - which can be especially dangerous when children fall on slick tile or cement surfaces.

          The American Chiropractic Association offers the following safety tips when wearing Heelys® and other brands of wheeled shoes:

           - Always wear the proper safety equipment including helmets, wrist guards and protective pads.

           - Use the shoes for recreation only - not for regular wear - and always remove the wheels when walking in the sneakers.

          - Do not allow children to wear the shoes in crowded malls, near busy streets or other areas where collisions with other pedestrians - or worse yet, automobiles - could occur. Urge children to be aware of their surroundings and mindful of fellow pedestrians.

          - Remind children to be aware of how their bodies feel. Pain is the first sign of a problem.

          - If an injury does occur, remember RICE - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Ice the injured for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the ice for about an hour and reapply. Using ice will help reduce the pain and inflammation.

         - If your child continues to feel soreness, pain or muscle strain after following these tips, it may be time to visit a doctor of chiropractic. Chiropractors are trained to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to young athletes.

*This article was taken from the American Chiropractic Association at http://www.amerchiro.org/press_css.cfm?CID=2266

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U.S. House of Representatives Strengthens Eligibility for Chiropractic Benefit in Armed Forces
- Legislation seeks expanded access, overseas demonstration project

“The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a directive that orders the Pentagon to make chiropractic care a standard benefit for all active-duty military personnel. The legislation is contained in H.R. 5658, a bill authorizing defense programs in fiscal year 2009, and is based in part on recommendations from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC).

The bill—passed by the Armed Services Committee on May 14 and the full House on May 22—also contains language allowing for chiropractic demonstration projects at overseas military locations and clarifies that chiropractic care at U.S. military facilities is to be performed only by a doctor of chiropractic.

“H.R. 5658 is a bipartisan bill that explicitly states that chiropractic is an integral component of the Pentagon’s health care delivery system, and it is the [Armed Services] committee’s intention that this language will increase access to chiropractic care at more facilities worldwide,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC.

In 2000, Congress passed and the president signed a similar authorization bill, which contained language calling on the Secretary of Defense to develop a “plan” to get the chiropractic benefit to all active-duty service members. To date, there is a doctor of chiropractic at 49 military bases around the country; however, according to a 2005 Government Accountability Office report, only 54 percent of servicemen and women eligible for chiropractic care can reasonably access the benefit. This most recent legislation shelves the “plan” approach and simply states that chiropractic care is a standard health care benefit.

According to ACA sources, the House Armed Services committee also expressed concern that there were no doctors of chiropractic stationed at overseas military facilities. The language contained within H.R. 5658 allows the Pentagon to conduct demonstration projects to implement chiropractic care at these sites.

“The House Armed Services Committee is to be commended for strengthening current law. This strong statement by the committee will pave the way for expanded access to this critical component of the military health care system—both here at home and overseas,” said ACC President Dr. Carl Cleveland III.”

*This article was taken from the American Chiropractic Association at http://www.amerchiro.org/press_css.cfm?CID=2893

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A publication of the World Chiropractic Alliance
 

January 2008
Websites changing the way DCs acquire new patients

          Almost 20 years ago, in a suburb of New York City, David Rosen founded DRG Telemarketing after realizing there was a significant need for an effective way to connect prospective chiropractic patients with a chiropractor close to their homes or workplaces.

          To date, DRG has scheduled well over one million appointments for its clients. Telemarketing has yielded powerful results and those who recognize the power of the Internet know that now is the time to take advantage of this high‑tech way to build a chiropractic practice.

          Increased government regulation in the past several years has made it increasingly difficult for the telemarketing industry to survive. However, even during these challenging times, DRG has continued to grow and deliver the quality of product their clients have come to expect. Mr. Rosen continues to think “outside the box” and has developed a new program that he’s convinced can benefit chiropractors as never before

          Many chiropractors are skeptical about telemarketing and hesitant to include it in their marketing budgets. Specifically to help those doctors who might otherwise not take advantage of this effective marketing tool, Rosen launched www.FreeChiroExam.com

          With it, prospective patients from across the country can log on to the Internet and request a free examination and consultation from a local chiropractor. “This is definitely not your run‑of‑the‑mill online chiropractic directory,” Rosen commented. “We’ve had an overwhelming response since the launch and the quality of the prospective patients has been excellent. Aside from the fact that they are taking it upon themselves to log on and seek help, many specify the types of pain or symptoms that makes them perfect candidates for chiropractic.

          Rosen noted that driving relevant traffic to FreeChiroExam.com  is the key to the program’s success. “We use various internet marketing resources such as search engine optimization and keyword‑targeted search result campaigns to stay in front of prospective patients,” he explained. “Make no mistake about it; this is a ground floor opportunity for DCs who get in early. Ultimately, they will be the ones reaping the benefits, because we do not plan on limiting the marketing to internet only. As membership to the website increases, we plan on implementing television, radio, newspapers, magazines, you name it. Our goal is to create a full scale marketing plan to reach all of the people out there who are experiencing back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc., and who have not done anything about it. FreeChiroExam.com will make it very easy for them to be introduced to a local doctor of chiropractic and get the treatment they need and deserve.

          According to Rosen, member doctors are given exclusive “rights” to three zip codes and any inquiries coming from people in those areas will be directed to that member. “Once a doctor of chiropractic becomes a member, those zip codes are locked up and no other doctor will have access to them during the membership period,” he noted. “That being said, we have made membership very affordable and it is very possible that should a doctor wait several months to become a member that his or her zip codes will already be reserved for a competitor.

          Close to 235 million people in North America have Internet access and many turn to the web to find the services they need and desire. They frequently look to the Internet first to find medical doctors, dentists, babysitters ‑‑ and now, chiropractors. There is definitely a demand for a trusted resource that can qualify and refer a prospective patient to a doctor of chiropractic.

          But the proliferation of online directories has caused problems as well. Many doctors have signed up on these, only to find themselves on a long list of competing practitioners in their area. But they also find themselves immediately bombarded with spam and solicitations, since their name and office address are posted on the website.

          FreeChiroExam.com solves this problem by keeping names, addresses and phone numbers private. It isn’t a generic listing, but an on‑line form which people in search of a chiropractor fill out and submit. That information ‑‑ including the person’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address, comments and health issues ‑‑ is directed to the member’s office for follow-up. All member information is kept absolutely private and not sold to solicitors ‑ enabling members and their staff to concentrate on what they do best: caring for patients.

          To find out more about FreeChiroExam.com, contact Alyssa Mogensen, at 877‑222‑5236 or visit www.freechiroexam.com.

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