Summer is upon us, and that means fresh farm food is at its prime! Atlanta has so much to offer its residents, especially its focus on and access to myriad local famers. One need not look terribly far in this city to find a farmer’s market booming with fresh produce, homemade delicacies, and eager food-lovers seeking out the best products for their weekly meals. Here is a list of Atlanta farmers markets happenings. Wherever you look, local food is not too far away!
Having the largest chiropractic college in the world right in its backyard, Atlanta can be a confusing place to find a chiropractor. Similar to finding a dentist, medical doctor, mechanic, or hair dresser it is important to do research if you’re looking to find out who is the best chiropractor in Atlanta. In today’s article we’ll discuss how to choose a chiropractor and provide questions you should ask yourself and the chiropractor you’re visiting.
There are certain strategies I feel are very important when seeking to find a chiropractor that give you and your family the best care.
The first day in a chiropractic office is what sets the tone for the relationship and is the determining factor for what the patient will need. In our office we use the first visit to analyze the entire spine to figure out:
These questions are important in the first day and should be asked by the chiropractor your visit. This will help you achieve your goal and not waste your time.
To give you an idea of which tests we utilize here is a list of what 99% of each client receive on their first visit:
When I look for chiropractors in other states for people that need them the first question I ask is “Do you adjust on the first visit?”. If the chiropractor adjusts on the first visit this means I immediately hang up the phone and call the next chiropractor.
Personally, if I was visiting any healthcare provider or personal trainer I would prefer they perform all the testing and gather as much data as possible then follow-up with me the next day or two days later to review their findings.
An area I feel we specialize in which I would hope more healthcare providers followed suit is education. The term doctor literally means teacher and unfortunately this is not the case in our healthcare world.
Our office holds 4 classes a month to help our patients know what they can do at home to achieve the best results and keep their bodies healthy. Two of these classes are our Natural Healthcare Orientation which is the first class each patient will attend to explain to them how they got their spine in this situation and steps to take to get the best results in the quickest amount of time.
Most doctors track progress based on symptoms and how their patient feels. Unfortunately, this does not work as they are a lot of people walking around who feel great but they have heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases that do not show symptoms until the latter stages. This is why our office focuses heavily on objective results versus subjective results.
We re-evaluate the spine using all of our technology to strategically show someone is getting better not because their symptoms are going away. This is very important in healthcare as most people only care for their health when they are symptomatic but neglect their health when they are asymptomatic.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit one of the top organically 
grown supplement companies in the World: Standard Process. If you are interested in learning more about their products, which I recommend, then check out Jessica’s article “Which supplements are best for you?”
We arrived at the Standard Process (SP) farm on Friday at 10:00 AM and took a thorough tour through the farm and facility to better understand the efficiency and quality of their products. Everything about the company is contagious from the way the employees clean the machinery to the types of produce they put in their supplements to the passion of each SP worker.
Following the 2-hour tour, our weekend speaker asked the group of 60 chiropractors if we are “playing a bigger game” in our lives. This question intrigued me and sparked many ideas, as I truly believe my life’s purpose is to reeducate people about TRUE healthcare. In today’s U.S. society, we are marketed a different kind of healthcare system, one that has the potential to have the best of intentions but does not always come with desired results. Obviously, if what everyone is doing worked so well, then we would be the healthiest country on the planet, but unfortunately, we are one of the sickest. 
When you look at your life ask yourself, “Am I playing a bigger game?”
The speaker’s message drove the point that most people focus on the outcomes and goals, but they rarely focus on the game itself. However, if people spend more time on the game, then everything else will be a byproduct of playing that game, and success will be a result of each action. 
For example, we set specific goals for our practice, such as the number of new patients we want to accept each month, the number of people who will attend workshops, and the list continues. If we only concentrate on raising these numbers, then our main focus is more so on the outcomes rather than the game, yet we work diligently to ensure that the details of your care are covered every quarter of the game.
This game our amazing staff and myself are playing is “creating energy in people’s lives”. We do this through chiropractic adjustments, compliments, quality customer service, new facilities, best technology, advanced workshops, weekly newsletters, functional nutrition consultations, and even high fives. Our game is to create a healthier energy for you, so you can live the best version of yourself.
One of the other reasons I loved visiting the farm is because of the game they are playing and how well they care for their employees. Here are some of the employee benefits (even with a staff of over 300 people):
1) Free chiropractic care on-site
2) Massages for only $6/20 minutes on-site
3) Discounted acupuncture on-site
4) $450 worth of supplements each month
5) Free gym membership with classes and challenges
6) Subsidized daycare by the company
Standard Process highly values its employees and their personal fulfillment and health. After all, the better the workers play the game and become part of the company’s vision, the better the outcome for everyone involved. 
My hope for you is that you look at your life (not judging it good or bad) and determine whether you are hanging out in the comfort zone or playing a bigger game for humanity. At times, we have a tendency to stay in this comfort zone, and I am guilty of doing so, as well. However, if you let yourself venture into the experience of playing a bigger game, you might just find that you get uncomfortable in the comfort zone very quickly because your life is set on a different (and oftentimes more exciting) path.
When John F Kennedy told our country, he is going to put a man on the moon in 10 years, he did not know the “HOW”. He was a visionary willing to play a big game and lo and behold, a man gets to the moon. If you know the “HOW” behind your game in life then your game may not big enough.
I would love to hear any feedback and help you find out if you are playing a bigger game in life.
If you play sports and are looking for how to choose a sports chiropractor, this article is for you! If you’re looking for a chiropractor who specializes in sports then it is important to think about your goals. Most of the athletes we care for have 2 goals:
We take these goals into consideration and use our resources to help each patient achieve those goals.
The first thing to look for in a chiropractor who specializes in sports is one who plays sports and is fit themselves. Personally, I have been an athlete my whole life competing in marathons, Ironman’s, crossfit competitions, and other local weightlifting events. The worst advice someone can take is from someone who is not athletic and has no idea on how athletes function.
One of our best athletes Emily Bridgers, top female crossfitter in the Southeast, says “I don’t know how someone who works out regularly does not get adjusted”.
Emily came in feeling great but, upon further review of her hips, she had imbalances and one hip was higher than the other. Through our specialized corrective techniques she was able to balance her hips naturally and is now competing at her highest level while feeling her best.
On July 25th – July 27th she will compute on ESPN in the Crossfit Games in California.
We tell all of our athletes: “If you want to train at an elite level then you must take care of yourself at an elite level.”
This is why chiropractic is a staple for a healthy body as well as adding in other tool such as massage, foam rolling, yoga, and acupuncture. The key to sustained health and longevity is being proactive and taking steps to betterment BEFORE pain shows up.
What are some of your favorite sports to play? Leave comments below!
As the summer months approach many people will be leaving Atlanta and heading to the beach. As much as an advocate I am of traveling and refreshing, it’s important to make sure you are actively caring for your body. So, for this article we’ll discuss how to take care of your spine while traveling.
Many of you who have been through our corrective care program would like to not destroy your spine so here are some simple steps to use while being on that plane and sleeping in hotel beds.
1) Before you get to your hotel request a cervical or memory foam pillow. If your hotel does not have this than it is important to bring your own. These pillows help support the neck while sleeping and maintain its proper curvature, especially for those of you who have corrected their spine at our office in Atlanta.
2) Before leaving your house for the airport make sure to drink a bunch of water and bring healthy snacks. When traveling at high altitude our body becomes dehydrated. It’s important to keep our internal system hydrated and well nourished. Airplane food or convenience store food, for those driving, is not “real” food and has usually been created by man. If it has been artificially created then there is a strong likelihood your body does not know how to process this.
3) Bring lacrosse balls or grab Yoga Tune Up balls from our office and sit on them regularly. Place them on your gluteus muscle and make sure it does not get too tight. It will be uncomfortable for a bit but this means that it is working. Also, place those balls on your back while flying on the plane or driving.
4) Personally, when i travel I like to do at least 1 yoga class while on vacation to help stretch my body and improve energy. There is a great free app for your phone called Omfinder, which tells you where and when all the classes are in the location you will be staying and about the class.
Also, check out YogaGlo.com for videos you can do at your hotel while traveling so you don;t have to leave your resort. However, even though it is convenient to not leave your hotel, it is nice to try new yoga classes such as Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga or Yoga On The Beach or in the mountains.
5) Whether traveling by car or plane, please make sure to create movement in your body and either stop to stand up and stretch or walk around the plane to increase circulation.
Where do you plan on traveling this summer?