“Back and neck problems usually begin with an acute episode which heals quickly.  However, much recent evidence indicates that these problems tend to reoccur, with gradually increasing pain and disability.

Many studies have found that the best predictor of a new episode of back pain is a previous one.

It is now understood that back and neck pain are similar to asthma.  They are both chronic, intermittent problems that occur periodically over the course of a lifetime, rather than an acute disease that can be cured.  Like asthma, back and neck problems must be managed and kept under control.

Two thirds of people who have had back pain in the past are likely to have symptoms every year.  There are more than 100 million back pain sufferers a year in the United States.

If tissue heals with poor function, symptoms can persist long after they heal.  Such areas may become chronic and at risk of re-injury.

A good long term recovery is best achieved by restoring function.  The back and neck are used every day.  If they are injured and function is not restored, they will get hurt again due to the repetitive stress they are exposed to in the course of everyday life.

Exercise training is effective in preventing back and neck pain.

Proper exercise improves muscle strength, endurance, and motor control, enhancing the way muscles work together to stabilize the spine, protect it from injury, and decrease pressure on discs, joints, and ligaments.

Chiropractic care increases the benefits of exercise by restoring and maintaining movement and function, as well as, reducing pain and relaxing muscle spasm.

Chiropractic empowers patients, encouraging them to play an active role in their care.  Patients work together with their doctor to understand their health problems, gain a sense of confidence, effectiveness, motivation, and control of their own health.

Chiropractic and exercise help restore and maintain health, function, activity levels, and quality of life.”

www.ashbychiro.com

The first stage is the inflammatory stage. This is typically the first three to four days after you hurt yourself or a chronic injury flares up.  The most important thing to remember about this stage is DO NOT USE HEAT as a method of feeling better.  It will make your condition worse!  ONLY USE ICE  for the first three to four days.  And….only apply the ice for a duration of 20-25 minutes every 2 waking hours.  That’s right.  Do not put any ice on an area when you are in bed, laying down, or anywhere where there is a possibility of you falling asleep.  Bad, bad, very bad idea.  Heat and prolonged use of ice will cause EXCESSIVE SWELLING in the area that you are trying to heal and create less inflammation.

Another great idea for this initial time period is to rest.  Yes, rest.  Those projects that you’ve been putting off can be put off for another week.  The dishes that you always do can be done by another family member.  Give up the guilt!  They’ll probably be hurt sometime in the future too and then it will be your turn to do the laundry and all those other daily chores.

It’s also a great idea to find a highly educated, qualified body practitioner to lead you through this process to totally recovery so that your injury will not effect you for the rest of your life.

The second stage that your body goes through to heal an injury is the Repair stage.  This can be up to six weeks after the injury/acute flare-up.  The most important thing to remember about this stage is that your body TAKES LONGER TO HEAL THAN YOU EXPECT.  It’s true every time.  There is more going on under the surface than we can feel.  Take your time returning to your normal way of life and your normal intensity of exercise.  Mark 4-6 weeks from your injury on your calendar, your phone, and your refrigerator.  Wait until those dates to resume your weekend warrior zesty-ness!

Again, for all of you “I don’t usually like a stranger touching my body” or “I’m fine.  I don’t need to pay for bodywork.” or “I just don’t need bodywork.” people…… make it happen.  Your future self with thank you.  Especially if you find a good practitioner.  I guarantee it.   Bodywork is awesome once you find the practitioner that will listen to your story and covey real confidence that they can help you.

Finally, the last stage is the Remodeling stage. This can last up to one year after your initial injury.  Isn’t that amazing?  Again, it takes longer to heal than we expect.  Every time.  Anyway,  the most important thing to remember about this stage is to stay regular with your active lifestyle, exercises, stretches, and bodywork even though you feel good.  Pain is a wonderful motivator.  But who likes to be in pain?  Enroll your friends and family in a preventative maintenance plan to do with you so that you can add life to your years and years to your life.

-Dr. Matt Green   www.ashbychiro.com

All of the above symptoms are signs of a body that is properly adapting to its environment.  Scientists clocked how fast microorganisms come out of our mouths when we cough – 120 miles per hour!  This is an intelligent way to rId the body of a virus, bacteria or debris generated from adapting.

We all wash our clothes and dishes in hot water because we know it kills germs.  A fever accomplishes the same thing in our bodies.  The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend the administration of any drugs to reduce fever below 104.2 (unless present in an infant) because it results in increased time of the cold or flu and lowered immune function in the long term.

A lack of appetite is the result of the body funneling its energy to respond to the invading pathogens.  Digestion uses a lot of energy and the body decreases its appetite to reduce food intake to save energy for other balancing functions.  The fatigue is often the result of all the internal biochemical and physiological functions your body is doing that one cannot see.  In additon, a decrease in food intake will result in a more tired body.  After the system has calibrated, the symptoms leave.

Are these miraculously apporpriate and orchestrated symptoms the sign of sickness?  No, they are signs of wellness.  The truth is your body can be considered healthy whether you have symptoms or not!  If you are not experienceing symptoms, your body is performing its regular functions to allow you to live.  If you are experiencing smptoms, the body is focusing inward to respond to an altered internal invironment.  A system that responds, adapts, and changes is HEALTHY!

That’s more than just the tagline on the back of my business card.  That’s the inspiration that keeps me going after many years in theater, film, and video, working as a performer, a teacher, and a producer.  I love to hear people’s stories, and I love to help tell those stories to the world.  And, I believe that one of the most effective ways for people to tell their own stories these days is through video, and specifically through video on the Internet.

It’s certainly useful to have still photographs, graphic images, and descriptive text on your website, but the most personal and powerful connection you can make with your Internet audience is through video.  And, what works best in this medium is you talking from your heart about what you care about.  Check out these two videos to see what I mean:

http://www.vimeo.com/9513695

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfO9IczSEcY

This is the dawning of the age of social networking on the web, and to stay up with the communication forms that viewers are responding to, you need to embrace and employ the tools that people are using.  Video is one of the most effective of those tools, and it can be a friendly medium between you and your audience as long as you see it as a positive, linking force.  To be most effective in the medium, you need to talk THROUGH the camera – that is, talk as if you were sitting across the desk from the person who is watching.  And, you need to remember that spoken language is different from written language.  The communication is not about delivering a memorized speech based on the text of your website or brochure, but rather about you making a personal introduction of yourself and of your service.  In fact, it’s more about creating a positive impression than giving specific information.  You use the text on your website to give details of your service.  You use the video to “shake the hand” of your viewer and begin a relationship with them.

–Terry Lamb, Videosyncracy

Geraldine, of Deep Healing Acupuncture, gave an introduction to acupuncture and invited everyone to have an acupuncture conversation. Remember, with Geraldine, acupuncture doesn’t hurt.

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”  Henry David Thoreau, Walden

What does it mean to be “awake”?

We train the mind to pay attention to the here and now, to be fully present.

We are often in the future – planning, thinking about what is next or in the past – worrying about what happened, rehashing conversations.

When our mind is in the past or in the future, it is like driving a car with the brakes on – it is inefficient and slows us down.

Why is this a problem? One tragic example of not being fully awake is the person who left his son in the car at the Bart stations recently. I imagine that the baby was quiet and the father was not fully present. He was thinking about the day ahead. This is an extreme example, but I believe it can happen to any of us if we are not awake to our lives.

Four Strategies to Wake Up

1.  Ask yourself from time to time, “Am I awake now?”

2.  Stop to notice your breath and your body. Take 2 deep breaths and relax.

3.  Look around and notice what is around you. Use all of your senses.

4.  Notice if your thoughts are in the past or the future and hit the “clear” button.

As a Coach, I help people to wake up and be present for their life. This helps them to be happier, reduce their stress, and be more successful in their work.

Client testimonial:

“I am spending more time on the activities that are most important to me and have set aside old patterns (like worrying too much!) that got in my way. Sue listens, responds, and makes effective suggestions in wonderfully supportive ways. Doesn’t everyone need a coach? From working with Sue, I’m convinced of it. She is helping me to achieve my interpersonal as well as career goals.” P

To learn more about my coaching services, please call or email me.

Sue Schleifer, M.A.
510.269.4434
Sue@Oak-Communications.com
www.Oak-Communications.com
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Estate Planning is more than planning for death.  A good Estate Plan will protect you at incapacity.  You -not the courts- keep control of your assets and decisions about your medical care when you are still alive but no longer able to handle your affairs.  This is why you must include a  Durable Power of Attorney and an Advanced Healthcare Directive in your Estate Plan.

Where did you put it?

If you do not have a business plan, how do you  know  when you have accomplished your goals? How do you measure the results of your business? How do you stay organized? Most important, how do you reach the point of being satisfied with the success that you have created in your business?

I’m here to help you see the importance of developing a business plan so that your best thinking is captured onto a written document. When you create a business plan, you’ll never have to guess what your goals are. You won’t have to guess how much money you need to make. You will stay on track with your goals and make adjustments when necessary.

The main thing is “knowing” the outcome of all these things. Do you know any entrepreneurs who are running their business on auto pilot? There is a problem with allowing your business to “just happen”.  The problem is, unpredictability. You went into business so that you can have control over a few things:

• Your money
• Your time
• Your choices

There is a lot at stake here. If your business is left on auto pilot you may end up in dangerous territory.  You will allow your financial situation to “just happen”. Your client and prospect database will fizzle away. The goals that are left in your head will remain mere dreams.

I want to help you avoid this unnecessary problem. It is my life’s goal to help you stay focused in your business and reach the success you deserve.  Look at some of the questions that I will help you to answer about your business:

1. What are you building?
2. Why does your business exist?
3. What results will you measure?
4. How will you build your company?
5. What is the work to be done?

These five powerful questions will open up thought patterns about your business that you didn’t know existed.  You will develop a fresh perspective and gain new excitement about your business! Are you ready to receive a burst of vigor that will shine new light on your way of life?

Allow me, The Business Mentor to help you to add value to your business by designing an effective, results driven business plan!

You have six months left to accomplish your business goals for 2009. I’ll take you there.

If the foundation of your house is pretty important, what about your business? If you are running your business haphazardly, you may no longer have a house to live in. Let’s talk about keep your business alive. What is more, let’s make it strong by focusing on your marketing foundation. 

When it comes to marketing your business, do you find it to be a topic that you shy from? What are the elements to having bedrock, solid marketing foundation? There are four things that need to be clear so that you can have a focused marketing effort that will serve you for years to come.

The FOUNDATION FOUR:

1. Identifying your ideal client

2. Choosing a target market

3. Understanding why people buy what you are selling

4. Know how to talk about what you do.

Ideal Client:

Identifying your ideal client is important if you want to build a business that you absolutely love to run. What is an ideal client and why is it important to identify him?

An ideal client is a person that possesses certain qualities that resonates with you. Have you ever had a client that you liked so much, that you couldn’t believe you were being paid to work with him? That is an ideal situation. We’ve all had a client that we wish would just pay us and we didn’t have to work them. Even worse, you have probably had clients that you’d pay to get rid of. That is less than ideal.

Target Market:

You may say, “I don’t need a target market. My products and services are great for EVERYONE.” Not so! When you pick a target market, you become known as the expert that can solve the problems of a certain group. That is a nice thought, being a force to be reckoned with. It’s difficult to be such a force if we try to be all things to all prospective clients.

Why People Buy:

When we know why people buy our products or services, we can position ourselves as the problem solver when they need us. Having a target will expand your marketing efforts because your able to understand the urgent needs and compelling desires of a specific group. Customer purchase our services because they are either moving away from something they don’t want, or moving towards something they truly want. This knowledge is a prize possession for your marketing efforts.

How To Talk:

You now know who to talk to (ideal client & target market) and you know why they buy from you. Now, you need to know what to say so that they will recognize you as their go to person. Clearly identifying whom you serve and what you do for them will allow those who hear your message to resonate with your words.

So how strong is your marketing foundation? Learn how to build an unshakable marketing foundation by contacting Wil Hart. I am teach entrepreneurs, namely design professionals and virtual assistants how to attract ideal clients. I do this by teaching my clients how to have effective business conversations. To learn more click here.

Marketing is a wonderful activity. Many find it scary, degrading and slimy! How do you feel about marketing? If you really think about it, we are always marketing.  If we aren’t marketing ourselves, we are promoting someone or something else.

Have you ever tried to explain how and why your favorite restaurant is worth the $4 toll to cross the (S.F/Oakland) Bay Bridge? Think about your favorite restaurant (wherever it may be).

See the sites! Smell the scents! Hear the sounds! Most important, taste the flavors of your favorite dish.  Do you have these things solidly fixed in mind?

Now, think about telling your good friend or even a new acquaintance about that heavenly experience. You do it with ease, calm and a sense of pride.  Why is that? It is because you are confident about what you know. You have enjoyed the sights and sounds. You have smelled the scents and tasted the flavors, thus experiencing the benefits of that establishment.

Do you feel as confident when you are talking about the services that you offer to your prospects? Notice, I said prospects not clients. Prospects know less about us than clients.  Therefore, it takes more work on our part to help them to understand the different aspects of what we have to offer.

Do you want new clients? Well, it is imperative that you become proficient in helping prospects and referral partners to ‘see the sites, hear the sounds, smell the scents and taste the flavors of your business offerings.

How well do you help others to understand what you actually do AND the benefits that you provide?

Do you really want new clients? If you were given tools to help you acquire new clients, would you accept the gift? Perhaps if you ruminate on how much one client is worth to you, you would think more seriously about those free tools. So, how much are two clients worth to you? Three?

Do you really want new clients? I’d like to show you how I am teaching a group of my ideal clients to do just that. Click HERE to see what was offered to our inaugural group of marketing students.  Several of the individuals took advantage of the free tools that our company provided them. They received such value from the free tools that they were willing to raise the bar and pay for additional services. Click HERE to see what our company will soon offer to fellow BNI memebers.

Do you really want new clients? What adjustments are you willing to make in order to acquire them. Will you even take advantage of gifts offered to you? Please stay tuned for a FR*EE teleseminar that will equip you with practical marketing tips and action steps that will have new prospects running to learn more about you and your business.

Actions Steps:

1. Identify specific group of people that you work with (home owners over 45. pregnant women, general contractors etc.)

2. Clearly state what you do for them

3. Highlight a few of the deep rooted benefits that your clients get from working with you.

4. Expand your network by meeting other business owners.

5. Pick 2 or 3 ways to market your business and become proficient in those.

It’s clear that you’d love to have new clients knocking your door down. However, having good sights, good sounds, aromatice scent and fantastic flavors are not enough. You need become skilled at teaching prospects and referral partners WHY you are the Go-To business owner.

So, do you still want new clients? What action will you take to to accomplish this goal?