08.28.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:08 pm by Last
The new yellow pages came out in our area last week, so as usual, I took a spin through to check out the competition. To my surprise, some of the newer practitioners in the area had chosen not to advertise. Our area is pretty thick with chiropractors, and the number of naturopaths and TCM practitioners is on the rise, too, so I was curious why a new practice would overlook this choice. A yellow page ad is relatively inexpensive here.
I've always been a fan of the yellow pages. You can find a list of good reasons
here, as well as a list of negative aspects
here.
My favorite reason has always been that the yellow pages are how *I* find things. Even for a company I regularly patronize, I don't tend to use the white pages. And if you happen to be a holistic practitioner with a hard-to-spell name, the yellow pages are critical - it may be the
only way your patients can find you.
What can be challenging, once you've decided to use the yellow pages, is how much to spend. The most useful piece of information for helping you with this choice (or any advertising choice) is your
average annual revenue per patient. To find this, take your total revenue for a year, and divide it by the
number of active patients in that same time period. I find this is a handy number to have in mind for many expenses. It seems so much easier to make decisions when you can say, for example, "Okay, all I need to do is get two new TCM patients this year from the yellow pages, and the ad is paid for." It puts things in concrete terms.
If you
track your referral sources, you'll also be able to tell how many new patients came through the door in a given year as a result of your yellow pages listing. Using your revenue per patient number, you can then easily tell if your ad was worthwhile, and whether to go bigger or smaller the following year.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:08 pm by Last
The new yellow pages came out in our area last week, so as usual, I took a spin through to check out the competition. To my surprise, some of the newer practitioners in the area had chosen not to advertise. Our area is pretty thick with chiropractors, and the number of naturopaths and TCM practitioners is on the rise, too, so I was curious why a new practice would overlook this choice. A yellow page ad is relatively inexpensive here.
I've always been a fan of the yellow pages. You can find a list of good reasons
here, as well as a list of negative aspects
here.
My favorite reason has always been that the yellow pages are how *I* find things. Even for a company I regularly patronize, I don't tend to use the white pages. And if you happen to be a holistic practitioner with a hard-to-spell name, the yellow pages are critical - it may be the
only way your patients can find you.
What can be challenging, once you've decided to use the yellow pages, is how much to spend. The most useful piece of information for helping you with this choice (or any advertising choice) is your
average annual revenue per patient. To find this, take your total revenue for a year, and divide it by the
number of active patients in that same time period. I find this is a handy number to have in mind for many expenses. It seems so much easier to make decisions when you can say, for example, "Okay, all I need to do is get two new TCM patients this year from the yellow pages, and the ad is paid for." It puts things in concrete terms.
If you
track your referral sources, you'll also be able to tell how many new patients came through the door in a given year as a result of your yellow pages listing. Using your revenue per patient number, you can then easily tell if your ad was worthwhile, and whether to go bigger or smaller the following year.
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08.18.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:26 pm by Last
INTRODUCTION TO FUNGUS NAILS
Fungus nails is a unsightly condition which can be difficult to treat. Many patients become very conscious about a fungus nail condition and refuse to wear sandals and have their feet seen in public. It is caused by microscopic organisms called Dermatophytes. Dermatophytes grow in the nail bed, beneath the nail and live off keratin, the protein in the nail. The condition usually begins towards the far end of the nail and may start with patches of white or yellow discoloration. If the condition is left untreated, it will proceed to the base of the nail. It will attack the nail root (matrix) and cause the nail to grow very thick and deformed. The big toe is usually the first nail to be affected with the condition spreading to adjacent nails. In rare cases this condition can also affect the skin surrounding the nails.
APPEARANCE OF FUNGUS NAILS
- At an early stage, the nail may have white or yellow patches of discoloration. There may also be yellow horizontal streaks in the nail.
- At a later stage, the nail will grow thick, deformed, discoloured and have a foul odour (musty smell). It may also split and start to crumble.
Above is a picture of a fungal nail infection in its later stage.
SYMPTOMS OF FUNGUS NAILS
- The nail may become brittle and split in to several pieces.
- The actual condition is not painful. However, if the nail becomes thick and deformed it may grow into the skin at an angle and become an ingrowing toe nail.
- In severe cases, inflammation may arise from an ingrowing toe nail which may result in a secondary infection.
- It will affect a patients day to day activities as the pressure from the nails against the shoes causes discomfort.
- If the condition is left untreated for along period of time, the nail will become very brittle and the patient may experience episodes of total removal of the nail followed by re-growth.
CAUSES OF FUNGUS NAILS
- There are many types of fungus present in our environment. Most are harmless, however, a group of fungi called dermatophytes can affect the feet. Dermatophytes thrive on warm, moist conditions.
- Sweaty shoes and moist socks can be a contributing factor.
- Most people may have the fungus present on their feet. However, a nail fungus infection may be caused due to the fungus invading the skin. This can be due to injury to the nail, inflammation from a ingrowing toe nail or inappropriate nail cutting.
- Individuals with a lower immunity due to Diabetes, H.I.V and patients with poor circulation.
By drfoot.co.uk
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Posted in Uncategorized at 2:26 pm by Last
INTRODUCTION TO FUNGUS NAILS
Fungus nails is a unsightly condition which can be difficult to treat. Many patients become very conscious about a fungus nail condition and refuse to wear sandals and have their feet seen in public. It is caused by microscopic organisms called Dermatophytes. Dermatophytes grow in the nail bed, beneath the nail and live off keratin, the protein in the nail. The condition usually begins towards the far end of the nail and may start with patches of white or yellow discoloration. If the condition is left untreated, it will proceed to the base of the nail. It will attack the nail root (matrix) and cause the nail to grow very thick and deformed. The big toe is usually the first nail to be affected with the condition spreading to adjacent nails. In rare cases this condition can also affect the skin surrounding the nails.
APPEARANCE OF FUNGUS NAILS
- At an early stage, the nail may have white or yellow patches of discoloration. There may also be yellow horizontal streaks in the nail.
- At a later stage, the nail will grow thick, deformed, discoloured and have a foul odour (musty smell). It may also split and start to crumble.
Above is a picture of a fungal nail infection in its later stage.
SYMPTOMS OF FUNGUS NAILS
- The nail may become brittle and split in to several pieces.
- The actual condition is not painful. However, if the nail becomes thick and deformed it may grow into the skin at an angle and become an ingrowing toe nail.
- In severe cases, inflammation may arise from an ingrowing toe nail which may result in a secondary infection.
- It will affect a patients day to day activities as the pressure from the nails against the shoes causes discomfort.
- If the condition is left untreated for along period of time, the nail will become very brittle and the patient may experience episodes of total removal of the nail followed by re-growth.
CAUSES OF FUNGUS NAILS
- There are many types of fungus present in our environment. Most are harmless, however, a group of fungi called dermatophytes can affect the feet. Dermatophytes thrive on warm, moist conditions.
- Sweaty shoes and moist socks can be a contributing factor.
- Most people may have the fungus present on their feet. However, a nail fungus infection may be caused due to the fungus invading the skin. This can be due to injury to the nail, inflammation from a ingrowing toe nail or inappropriate nail cutting.
- Individuals with a lower immunity due to Diabetes, H.I.V and patients with poor circulation.
By drfoot.co.uk
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Posted in Uncategorized at 2:12 pm by Last
What is an ingrown hair?
An ingrown hair is a hair that curls and penetrates the skin with its tip, causing inflammation. Ingrown hairs are more common among people with very curly hair. Most ingrown hairs occur in the beard area.
What are the symptoms of an ingrown hair?
The most common symptom of an ingrown hair is inflammation of the skin, followed by pus formation. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. The symptoms of an ingrown hair may resemble other skin conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.
How is an ingrown hair diagnosed?
Diagnosis of an ingrown hair can be confirmed with a medical history and a physical examination.
Treatment for an ingrown hair:
An ingrown hair often heals on its own. However, in the case of chronic ingrown hairs, treatment may include:
- allow the hair to grow longer
- depilatory (to remove the hair)
- electrolysis (to remove the hair)
By healthsystem.virginia.edu
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