Good day!   I like to ask my students “What moves you to work with those in eldercare or hospice?”  Over the years, some themes have emerged from the responses I’ve heard.  I’d like to share them with you here because I assume if you are reading this you have some degree of interest in working with elders or others with life-limiting illness. So, here’s what folks have told me.

“I’ve had a personal experience that led me to want to serve.”  These experiences range from having a grandmother in a nursing home to a close family member receiving hospice care to having grown up around older adults.  Those who identify with this report having both a comfort level and a desire to ‘give back’.

“I’ve been a massage therapist for a number of years and it’s taken a toll on my body.  I want to prolong my career and perhaps working with this population would be a good option.”  These therapists have a number of years in the profession and desire to find work that isn’t as physically taxing, thereby extending the longevity of their career.

“I don’t know exactly, but  I want to do this work– I just feel called in my heart to do it!”  This is the most common reason I hear.  The circumstances leading to the desire to work with this population can’t be pin-pointed, however there is a strong pull toward this form of service. 

Is one reason better than another? Of course not.  I think the most important thing is for each of us to ask the question and come up with our own answer. So, I ask you, “What moves YOU to want to work with this special population?”  I’d love to hear!
Take good care and enjoy the summer,
Ann

Social Networking is the latest craze as many of you are well aware of.  Figuring out what is the best use of your time is important when considering participating in these networks.  How will you find the best opportunities to get new and repeat clients?

Twitter is one of the easiest to use and get results with.   If you don’t know what twitter is yet, it is an online network that you sign up with for free.  Create a twitter account to just be used with your business.  Twitter is unique in that it only allows you a few sentences of space to use to communicate with people.   But who are you communicating with?   People can sign up to ‘follow’ your postings.  But where do you get people?   The best place is to put a twitter feed on your website.  You can get the code to put a twitter badge on your website by going to the Settings page.  In about the middle of that section there is a place for you to put your website address but right under that is a link that says:

(You can also add Twitter to your site here)

Click on that and click on the other tab (or one of the others if you are using one of those systems for your website.)  Click to create a badge.  You can add what you want it to say on the top or whether or not you want to create a flash badge or a html badge.  The flash badge will be interactive and show people’s reply ( I think!) So just copy and paste the code into your webpage where you want it.  I have mine on my homepage above the fold (near the top) where it is the highest profile and also on my services pages.  I also just created a twitter page that people can go to directly.  You can see how I am using it at www.massageseattle.net  I actually just started using it last week and have already gotten 3 new clients.  I also have quite a few visitors to my website and it already gets me a lot of calls but I think it will help even more by making this info of my schedule availability more public.  I am also sending a series of posts based using “you know you need a massage when you ….” and then will do a top ten reasons for getting a massage or something like that and see how that goes.

Facebook – Facebook is fairly time consuming.  It is really important to set up a business only listing.  What facebook is better for is finding your old high school buddies and long lost loves.  You are supposedly not allowed to set up more than one facebook profile.  They do have a way to make a business page and have it connected to your personal page but to me it is not private enough.  I personally don’t mix clients and friends.  You can use facebook to create more messages and even use it like a mini website if you don’t already have your own.  You can search facebook members to find businesses and doctors or other people who you want in your referral network and ask them to be your friend.  You can write a small newsletter like posts.  People can post on your wall or you can opt to not allow people to do that.  The thing I don’t like about Facebook is that people who become your friends will also have access to see each others profiles which may not be a good thing for your clients who want their privacy.  I did find a facebook group for my office building when they were having an open house that I could become a fan of and post my message about being the massage therapist in the building.

Linkedin in works sort of the same way as facebook but it doesn’t connect you with all of your old friends.  Linkedin is more of a professional networking site.  They also have a section where people ask questions like yahooanswers but it is much more professional than answers is.  You may possibly find someone looking for a massage but it is more like looking for a needle in the haystack.

I am not a big fan of social networking because of the time it takes to put into it all.  I would rather be writing a new article for my website to educate people who are already interested in getting a massage.  My website is found for the keywords that I have chosen – downtown seattle massage and it comes up first on Google and most of the other major search engines so writing there is more targeted advertising.  Also writing more content and educating people about massage and muscles and how the body and massage work together is a way of building trust with people.  When they read a website full of information and research they will get the feeling that you know what you are doing and trust you enough to make the call.

So if you are using one of these or other social networking sites successfully I would love to know what you are doing!

In 2007, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) surprised many in the massage and bodywork community with this announcement: Videos of any type could no longer be included in home-study and online courses unless NCBTMB-approved instructors offer one-day workshops to monitor and test home-study participants on the techniques presented in the videos. Furthermore, home-study reading material was restricted from displaying photos or diagrams of hands-on techniques without a one-day testing seminar. Bottom line: Continuing education credits could only be granted upon successful completion of the home-study program in addition to the one-day supervised workshop if any hands-on techniques were displayed in the material.

Please read the full text including comments by Whitney Lowe  @ http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=7523&catid=251&title=home-study-ce-conundrum and chime in on the debate. Art Riggs, Tom Myers and I have been discussing this ruling for some time and finally decided to open it up for discussion. Comments are appreciated…

Hello everyone,

It’s been a month since my last post. As you may or may not be aware I’ve been pretty consumed with plans for a symposium I’m organizing along with my colleague, Lisa (Hand in Hand 2009: A Symposium Celebrating Massage Therapy in Eldercare and Hospice).  The reason I bring this up here is to tell you a little story that I hope may serve as a hopeful example for you.  We’ve all been bombarded with messages about how to handle this “economic downturn”.  It seems everyone is writing about the current economic circumstances and ways to survive them.  I have no doubt that it is affecting each of us in some way or other. 

It was nearly two years ago that Lisa and I decided that, together, we would create and organize our symposium.  We have worked tirelessly–well, maybe not tirelessly– how about diligently – ever since we decided that it was the right thing to do. Of course two years ago we had no idea of the challenges that the economy would present us.  You see we’re not trained event planners; nor do we have an organization full of various committees to share the work load.  It has been the two of us along with the assistance of a meeting and event organizing company which we hired to help with a few things.  Having never created a large event before we just rolled up our sleeves and took what steps we knew to take and a few we hoped would be the right ones.  Now it is only a couple of days before our event and I look back over the last months and recognize something more at work than just the two of us.  For me it is trust that I have been standing in my purpose and witnessing what happens when I do.  Most certainly the symposium has taken some hits. Attendance is less than we had hoped and there have been times when I questioned the feasabiltiy of moving forward.  But I continued to trust and affirm my purpose of assisting others wishing to serve in eldercare and  hospice.  The universe has answered with many gifts! Wonderful presenters and instructors; a grand location; even a harp player has emerged just in the last few days! We have been supported every step of the way by what I refer to as 1000 unseen helping hands. 

So I invite you to trust in YOUR purpose too.  Get clear on what your purpose is and trust that you have 1000 unseen helping hands at work on your behalf.  Take a little step in the direction you want to go and you will be met with resources that just might surprise and delight you!  Even during “these times”. 

Thank you in advance for your positive thoughts for our symposium.  I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Blessings and all good things,
Ann

Denticulate Ligaments.

Denticulate Ligaments (DLs) are strands of connective tissue that suspend the spinal cord within its membrane sac, which is called the dual tube.

The dural tube is comprised of three layers of membrane surrounding the spinal cord. The membrane layer attached to the surface of the spinal cord is called the pia mater. The layer surrounding the pia mater is called the arachnoid membrane, and the layer surrounding the arachnoid membrane is called the dura mater.

DLs extend from the inner surface of the pia mater, travel through the pia mater, through the arachnoid membrane and then attach to the inner surface of the dura mater.

There are 21 pairs of DLs on the lateral aspects of the spinal cord. The first is attached to the foramen magnum. The last is attached to the conus medullaris, which is the end of the spinal cord at L1, and a small portion of the Filum Terminale (FT) beginning at the conus medullaris. The FT is a band of tissue extending from the conus medullaris to the coccyx that is made of spinal cord glial cells surrounded by pia mater.

DLs and FT shortening, twisting, bending or immobility can place adverse stress upon the spinal cord leading to neurological strain and dysfunction. Conversely, balancing the DLs and FT can decrease spinal cord stress which in turn can enhance neurological function.

DLs are fascinating components of the dural tube that seem, to me, to create a ligamentous suspension system cradling the spinal cord. Very little DL research is available.

These questions arise when I ponder and work the DLs and FT:

1) Since the spinal cord needs to move in its bony container more than the brain tissue does in its container, do the DLs provide protection and flexibility while allowing motion?

2) The dura mater of the dural tube is only one layer thick rather than the two layers within the cranium, so do the DLs create additional tube strength without compromising movement?

3) As the spinal cord moves within the spinal canal do the DLs, like thousands of tiny interlinked bungee cords, help dissipate stress and allow the spinal cord to find its most favorable position?

4) Structures that can affect the spinal cord, such as the occiput, spinal column, sacrum and coccyx, dural tube, adipose tissue within the spinal canal and nerve roots can each have restrictive patterns that in turn can distress the spinal cord. Do the DLs help to protect the spinal cord by balancing, dissipating and fine-tuning tension that is transmitted to the spinal cord?

5) Some theories suggest that there is a down and up flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the dural tube. Since the DLs separate the dural tube into anterior and posterior compartments, could that then organize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid?

I hope you?ll join me next month to explore this suspension system further. I’ll share some ideas on how to feel and work with DLs and the FT.

References:
Cramer, Gregory D., D.C., Ph.D., and Darby, Susan A., Ph.D., Basic and Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and ANS, Second Edition, Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005.

Sills, Franklyn, Craniosacral Biodynamics, Volume Two, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 2004.

Tubbs, Shane R., M.S., PA-C; Salter, George, Ph.D.; Grabb, M.D.; and Oakes, Jerry W., M.D. ; ?The denticulate ligament: anatomy and functional significance?, J. Neurosurg: Spine / Volume 94 / April 2001.

Some MT?s think if they invest thousands of marketing dollars into a high-quality brochure, patients will be attracted to it simply because it?s there and looks nice. The truth is that massage therapists should really use a brochure as an educational marketing tool that patients can use to answer questions on their own. They key to an effective massage therapy brochure is to provide patients with something new that makes them want to pick it up, read it, and keep it around long after they leave your office.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating a massage therapy brochure:

• Include helpful information that makes clients want to keep it, such as three tips to reduce neck pain, or five steps to stay relaxed after your massage.  

• Share benefits rather than updates on new features or equipment. For example, describing new technology or equipment available in your office doesn?t attract interest, but showing clients how and why the new equipment helps them through less pain, faster appointments, etc will make them want to learn more.  

• Provide a strong sales message on the front cover. For example, ?Your health is our priority?. This is your chance to grab the patient?s attention and make the brochure keepable.  

• Move the reader forward in the sales process. Accomplish an objective, such as answering common questions, and then ask the reader to call to make an appointment or visit your website for more detailed information.  

• Ensure your contact information is easy to find and up to date. Always include your phone number, web address, hours of operation, location and directions.

Don?t print expensive brochures simply because you should have them. Set objectives and make sure your brochure leads the reader to specific and helpful information about your practice.

About the author

Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is a blogger for both ChiroEco and MassageMagazine and is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips.

Contact Kelly to receive her free report, ?5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits? at www.AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.

Your marketing promotions need to reflect this

Everyone I know is feeling stressed lately. I hear stressful comments daily about job losses, the terrible state of the economy and worries about family. For many everyday Americans stress is the number one thing affecting their lives and their health.

As a healthcare marketer it’s your responsibility to look for ways you can help people live healthier lives. It’s your responsibility to find ways to connect with the people that need you.

Know that most people are aware of their high stress and many are looking for ways to lessen that stress. Ask yourself what you can do to help your community reduce or better manage their stress?

In a recent study by the American Psychological Association, in June of 2008 more people reported physical and emotional symptoms of stress than in 2007 and nearly half said their stress had increased over last year. People reported more fatigue, feelings of irritability or anger, lying awake at night as a result of stress in addition to lack of interest or motivation, fatigue, feeling depressed or sad, and headaches and muscular tension. You can read more here.

If you are looking for new ways to connect with patients I recommend you talk to them about managing their stress. You can do two things:

1. Listen to what patients are saying when they come in. Sometimes people are sharing important information with you and it appears to be idle chit chat unless you are paying attention. I am asking you to really listen. What is causing them stress and what symptoms are you seeing in your practice? An example may be losing sleep. Perhaps you’ve had several patients tell you they haven’t been sleeping well. (Hint: This may have absolutely nothing to do with why they came in to see you.)

Here is what a quick Google search turned up for me on stress and sleep disturbances:

“A new poll finds almost a third of all Americans are unable to get a good night sleep because they are worrying about their finances, the economy or their jobs.” According to a recent article in HealthDay, Dr. Bruce Nolan, medical director of the Sleep Center at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, says sleep is sensitive to things that go on during the day…”

You take this information and apply it to your practice. How can massage or meditation or acupuncture help reduce stress? How can it help your patients sleep better?

Educate and share this information with your patients AND use this information in your marketing efforts in your community.

2. Use the information your patients are giving you to create packages and marketing promotions. If you hear several patients tell you they can’t sleep or their stomach is upset all the time and you think it may be stress related use this information to help them and others in an easy and affordable way. Create “stress reduction packages” or “reduce your stress day”. Create awareness and offer options to help.

I did this recently with my “Practice Specialization Package”. I had several clients come to me that didn’t need ongoing marketing services, they simply needed help narrowing their focus so the marketing they were doing was more effective. They needed help clearly defining their target market or niche. How many times do I have to get hit over the head to realize if five or six people are asking for something there are probably a ton more that could use the same guidance? (The answer is too embarrassing to mention) I created an affordable, easy and doable package and sure enough, practitioners are finding it very helpful.

What information keeps smacking you in the face that you aren’t recognizing?

Let’s look at two more examples of how you can use the theme of stress to create packages for your practice.

“Touching helps couples reduce stress. New research in Psychosomatic Medicine shows that couples may be able to enhance one another’s health by being more physically affectionate with one another.” Our new massage training for couples to reduce stress workshop can help…

Here’s one more final example,

“According to a study in the journal of pediatrics, living in a stressful household can increase a child’s chances of becoming obese. That’s why the chiropractors at Stanley Shores Chiropractic created a stress reduction package for families. Combining stress reduction techniques with a proper alignment and nutrition counseling creates an overwhelming sense well being and benefits families all around.”

Take an honest look at what you can do to help. The health of your community depends on it!

Would you like help coming up with a promotional ideas for your practice? Or not sure which niche to target? We are happy to help! You can sign-up for the Practice Specialization Package by clicking here or by giving us a call at 303-460-0285.

To Your Success!

About the author

Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit.

Kelly Robbins also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, “5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits” atwww.AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.

After buying products at the health food store people are often frustrated when they don?t get healthy.  Many times the problem stems from consumers trying to tweak one aspect of their health while another element is tilted out of balance.  The body?s systems are meant to function in harmony with each other and when one nutrient overpowers another this balance is affected.

Really, the balance of healthy nutrients is the most important reason for buying health food and should always be a consideration.  But, to take it a step further, the body needs to be nourished and cleansed on a daily basis in order to achieve this ultimate healthy balance.

What products at the health food store nourish, cleanse and balance the body?

• Healthy drinks ? These should be loaded with natural antioxidants, not isolated vitamins.  They should be all natural, not artificially flavored, sweetened or infused with various forms of sugar, like high fructose corn syrup.  Beware of candy-colored sport drinks and vitamin waters at the health food store as these only fill the body up with more useless junk that needs to be cleansed.  With the right combination of natural ingredients, some healthy drinks cleanse fats and waste from the body much more efficiently than even plain water.

• Health food for proper nourishment ? This should include a wide variety of whole foods from nature, not pasteurized, artificially flavored or overly processed foods.  For starters, forget about getting healthy with fake meat products at the health food store.  These are typically loaded with isolated soy, preservatives, and other chemicals that create the need for more cleansing.  Don?t be afraid of prepackaged health food if it is properly processed under low heat to maintain the whole food complex of natural ingredients.

In general, when considering health food options, it is best to consume fewer calories, and no artificial ingredients or isolated nutrients.  Also, it?s a good idea to watch out for excess protein in those powder meal replacement formulas at the health food store.  Most of those products contain enough protein for serious athletes, but not for the average person.  Excess protein causes liver damage and creates more waste that needs to be cleansed in order for the body to reach its own natural balance.

Learning how to nourish, cleanse and balance with the right health food choices is an efficient way to achieve a naturally healthy body.

Instead of relying on whole foods for vitamins, some health conscious consumers are acting as chemists for their bodies with isolated vitamins and supplements. Unfortunately, this often creates other health challenges as chemicals replace whole foods.  When too much of one nutrient is consumed it alters the delicate vitamin and mineral balance necessary for the five main systems of the body to function at peak efficiency.

The body?s 5 systems:

1. Respiratory (Breath)
2. Circulatory (Blood)
3. Digestive (Nutrition)
4. Endocrine (Hormones)
5. Immune System (Defense)

Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, world renowned herbalist and founder of Sunrider, the largest herbal whole food company in the world, talks about the importance of maintaining balance throughout these 5 systems,  “The body’s five systems are like 5 horses pulling a chariot. If one horse runs too fast or too slow, the chariot cannot run smoothly.  The systems must be in balance.”

Dr. Chen encourages people to obtain vitamins and minerals from whole foods, saying that whole foods naturally contain the perfect structure for our bodies to assimilate nutrients appropriately.

Isolated vitamins are chemicals that the body does not recognize. Whole foods contain the nutrients necessary for balance.  Studies have shown that 90% of the vitamins in the world today are flushed right into the sewer system.  Workers at water treatment plants report that their collection pools are constantly filled with undigested vitamins.  Because there are no live enzymes associated with isolated vitamins they are not easily absorbed.  All that money on vitamins is being flushed right down the toilet.  Have you ever known anyone who improved their health by taking isolated vitamins? Trying to create good health by consuming isolated vitamins is a mistake many people make.  Instead, it is better to absorb nutrients from whole foods.

Unlike isolated vitamins, concentrated whole foods and drinks are designed to nourish, cleanse, and balance internal organs, so that the cells of the 5 systems regenerate at a higher level.  Then, new cells are created with more sophisticated nutrients and the body performs with greater  efficiency.

Hi all,

Reading Eileen’s blog entry inspired me to chime in.  Eileen talks about how important it is to consider where potenital clients receive their information.  What is THEIR prefered method– not YOURS.  I couldn’t agree more!  I had the privilege of contributing to Massage Magazine’s expert advise column in the June 09 issue where I provided guidance on the question of how to best connect with and market to elders.   I’ve worked with older adults for thirty years– the last ten years as a massage therapist.  In order to market our services effectly to older adults it’s important to understand that there is quite a difference between someone who is 65 years old and the 80 year old in terms of where they might learn about the value of massage therapy.  The 80 year old will most likely turn to print publications for information– newspapers; newsletters, etc.  However those 65 year old “boomers” might be relying on the web for information.  Here is a link to some interesting statistics about computor use by older adults. http://www.retirementhousingonline.com/UsageStats.aspx

I have a friend who develops senior housing complexes in Springfield, MO where I live.  She told me that she is now including internet access as an amenity in all her developments and that she expects to see long term care facilities offer computor access.  I’ve seen this in the retirement communities where I teach. Many have computor labs available for residents. I believe we will see even more emphasis on the use of the web to reach older adults now that the first wave of baby boomers have reached retirement age. 

How do you connect with older adults in your practice? 
Enjoy the beauty of summer!
Ann