Category: Off Topic

Chiropractic Gift Ideas, Chiropractic Gift Recommendations, Chiropractic Gifts, General, Off Topic, Random Thoughts, Reviews

Chiropractic Gift Idea: The Inkless Metal Ink Pen

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So today I stumbled across the Inkless Metal Ink pen. I thought this was perfect for most Chiropractors because even those D.C.s in a paperless practice still need a great pen on a daily basis.

Half of the time I can’t find my ink pen and then when I do…it doesn’t write! This sweet awesome pen solves both problems. It features an endless supply of metal “ink” and writes in extreme positions and conditions. It even writes under water!

The fact that the metal ink material is smudge proof sealed the deal for me. Being left handed I cannot tell you how tired I am of smearing things and being covered in ink or pencil whenever I have to write for an extended period of time.

You can get a sharper point on this pen simply by rolling it at an angle on some sandpaper or a nail file. Too cool! This great Chiropractic gift idea retails for only $27.95!

Watch the video below or click on the images below for more info or to get yours.

The Inkless Metal Pen The Inkless Metal Pen
$27.95
The Inkless Metal Pen features a special metal alloy tip. As you write, tiny amounts of this metal are deposited onto the page. The silvery markings may resemble pencil, but they are permanent and completely smudge-proof. Because it doesn’t require sharpening or refills, the Inkless Metal Pen is an amazing gift for artists or doodlers. Its “ink” is solid, so it will never leak, and it can be used upside down or under extreme conditions. The Inkless Metal Pen works on most any writing surface and features an anondized aluminum (rust-proof) barrel.
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Chiropractic Gifts, General, Off Topic, Reviews

Think Chiropractic Geek: Chiropractic Relevant Products at ThinkGeek.com?

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Last night I experienced something I very rarely have the pleasure of experiencing: free time. My son decided he was tired and wanted to go to bed early (an even less common occurrence around here). I decided to seize the moment and start some online Christmas shopping. Yes I know it’s not even October yet but the truth is I just won’t have many opportunities to shop between now and the Holiday season.

Being a single dad with a busy schedule means I don’t have the luxury of browsing through brick and mortar stores without my son with me very often. That’s why I do the huge majority of my holiday shopping online.

My son has become a HUGE Star Wars fan so I decided to visit a site I haven’t visited in a few months: ThinkGeek.com.  I first discovered this site a few years ago because I’m a bit of a computer and tech nerd. Big surprise there right? On my first visit I was surprised to learn this site offers much more than computer hardware and accessories. They have all kinds of cool prank and witty novelty gifts. They have also recently started carrying all kinds of unique and harder to find Star Wars gifts. They are also now producing their own zany and original products.  If you have an intelligent slightly geeky person in your life with a wicked sense of humor, then ThinkGeek.com is definitely a great site to shop!

I know what you are thinking. “What the HELL does this have to do with Chiropractic?” Well stick with me because while I was browsing their site I came across some pretty cool gifts that really struck my funny bone as a Doctor of Chiropractic with a good sense of humor.

One of the first items I stumbled across were “Microbe plushies”. These cute and cuddly plush stuffed animals represent many common germs and microbes.

Now whether or not you, as a Doctor of Chiropractic, subscribe to the germ theory isn’t my concern. Regardless of your stance, giving someone herpes or varicella has never been funny . . . until now! I was pretty blown away with the huge selection they have. These aren’t just your typical common microbes. You have to check out the amazing selection for yourself.

If giving that special someone in your life a nasty microbe isn’t your cup of tea then maybe you could simply pick up a neuron plushie instead! While not for everyone, these plushies definitely got my attention and are worth checking out for a good laugh.

Giant Plush Microbes


Giant Plush Microbes - We infectz u!

I also came across a cool new version of something I currently use in my Chiropractic practice: the Dynaflex Powerball Gyroscope. For those of you who don’t know, the Dynaflex powerball is basically a handheld gyroscope. The inside of the ball spins at high revolutions and creates a very dynamic rehab tool that is very effective for treating conditions like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. At higher speeds the ball is challenging to hold on to and actually makes for a great wrist and forearm workout. This never version lights up in a cool blue LED glow. The best part? It does NOT require any batteries!

Dynaflex Powerball Gyroscope

I also discovered a couple of books I thought were very cool. One is entitled
The Complete Manual of Things that Might Kill You: A Guide to Self-Diagnosis for Hypochondriacs.

The Complete Manual of Things that Might Kill You
This humorous book appears to be a guide to inducing panic in hypochondriacs by describing various events and activities that might kill you. I’m still desperately trying to resist the urge to buy this and place it on the coffee table in my reception area. Although most of my patients get my sense of humor, I fear some still might be offended.

The other book is entitled,  Why There’s Antifreeze in your Toothpaste: The Chemistry of Household Ingredients.

Why There's Antifreeze in your Toothpaste

This book aims to demystify common myths and misconceptions regarding common household chemicals and explains the use and purpose of many chemicals contained in many household chemicals and products.

The last product I want to mention is something that could be of benefit to all of us and our Chiropractic patients. It’s a little gadget called the UV monkey.

UV Monkey
The UV Monkey is a nifty little device to measure levels of Ultraviolet light exposure. When it is exposed to sunlight, the center of the device will turn to a purple color. The differening shades of purple indicate increasing levels of UV light with the darker shades equating to the means highest level of UV exosure. The UV Monkey is capable of indicating 4 different ranges of the UV Index (Index 1-2, Index 3-5, Index 6-8, Index 9-11). What a great way to protect your skin and your health!

There are plenty of other very cool gifts and products available on this site. These were simply the Chiropractic relevant ones that jumped out at me during my visit.  I personally love the site and recommend checking it out since it pretty much has products for everyone. If you have some intelligent friends and relatives with a different sense of humor then ThinkGeek.com is a great place to shop for gifts.


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Chiropractic Art, Chiropractic Gifts, ChiropracticPR News and Updates, ChiropracticPR.com News and Updates, Off Topic, Random Thoughts

New Chiropractic Art and More!

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Hello everyone! We have been insanely busy here at ChiropracticPR.com and over at ChiropracticArt.com.

The past couple of weeks we’ve been busy catching up on a backlog of our custom spinal decompression marketing kits, designing Chiropractic yellow page ads, and writing and submitting several Chiropractic internet marketing articles for our Chiropractic clients.

In between we’ve also found time to release some new Chiropractic art and gift products both at ChiropracticArt.com and in our Zazzle store.

Perhaps our favorite new product is our set of 3 Framed Chiropractic cervical X-ray prints shown below.

ChiropracticArt.com: Framed Cervical X-ray prints

ChiropracticArt.com: Framed Cervical Chiropractic X-ray Prints

This incredibly popular design of ours is a set of colorful variations of a standard lateral cervical x-ray print. This design has been available in a smaller frame and on a variety of posters and coffee mugs in our Zazzle store. Many customers have requested a slightly larger and economical framed print version and this is our answer!

Each 8.5″ x 11″ print is done with the highest quality ink on high quality name brand gloss photo paper.  It is then mounted under glass in a sturdy gloss black frame measuring approximately 9″ wide x 11.5″ tall.  Each frame can be wall mounted or display free standing using the pull out stand on the back.

They are currently priced at $38.99 for the 3 print set. Check them out over at ChiropracticArt.com.

We’ve also recently designed some new chiropractic posters and coffee mugs over at our Chiropractic_4Health store. Check those out in the photos below.

As always thanks for reading and feel free to let us know if there is a Chiropractic design or Chiropractic artwork idea you’d like to see brought to life. We just might be able to make it happen!

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Chiropractic Internet Marketing and Advertising, Chiropractic Marketing and Advertising, Chiropractic Tips, Tools, Products, and Resources, Free Chiropractic Marketing Tools, Off Topic, Reviews

Vistaprint: Chiropractic Business Cards, Signs, Marketing and More!

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FREE SHIPPING & 25% Off Sitewide!

It’s review time again!  For those of you who haven’t been following along, we often come across a Chiropractic related website, product, or service we want to rant or rave about.  It’s a great way to break the monotony around here while spreading the word about things that may (or may not) be of benefit to your Chiropractic practice. Today we’ll be looking at VistaPrint.com

My first experience with Vistaprint.com was while attending Palmer College of Chiropractic.  When we finally entered student clinic nearly everyone, including myself, got free business cards from Vistaprint to help us network and get patients.  Having a real business card as a student extern was one of the first times you begin to feel like an actual Chiropractor.

At the time of this writing you can still get 250 free business cards. You only pay for shipping and processing and for any upgrades you choose.  Although free business card customers are limited to choosing from about 42 free designs, there is surely something to fit your needs.  The cards are great quality and the only real downside is they feature the phrase “Free business cards at VistaPrint.com” or a similar phrase in small print on the back of the cards. These business cards are ideal for a Chiropractic practice starting out on a budget or even for use as appointment reminder cards.

Although the free business card end of VistaPrint.com hasn’t changed much, I am amazed to see how the site has expanded in the last 5 or 6 years. They now offer a huge range of products and services.

In addition to business cards the site offers anything you could imagine or desire in the world of office related stationary. You can design custom Chiropractic envelopes, labels, folders, brochures, pamphlets,  postcards, mailing labels, rubber stamps and much more.  Need custom business checks? They do that! Want to design a Visa credit card with your own design? You can do that too.

Vistaprint also offers professional signage solutions. From banners to magnetic car signs and window decals, they are a complete signage provider. You are sure to find something to fit your Chiropractic signage needs.  If one of their pre-made Chiropractic sign designs doesn’t suit your tastes then simply design and upload your own. This site puts you in control of designs with their very easy to use design interface.

The site also offers solutions for all of your Chiropractic practice promotional items.  Check out their coffee mugs, T-shirts, pens, keychains, luggage tags, mousepads, magnets, and much more.

That’s not all! VistaPrint.com also offers business marketing services such as email marketing, postcard and other direct marketing services, websites, online search profiles, and much more.  They are a one stop shop for your Chiropractic print and practice promotion needs.

I was surprised to see you can even purchase a toll free 800 telephone number through their site. You can sign up for a free 30 day trial and after that the base plan is only $9.99 a month with an annual commitment (or $14.99 if you choose to be billed monthly).  I know what you are thinking, but there are no setup fees either! I never realized obtaining a toll free 1-800 telephone number for a Chiropractic practice could be so easy and affordable.

I have been a VistaPrint.com customer for years and I still see something new on their site every time I visit to place an order. They offer quick turnaround, great prices, and high quality on their print pieces. As you can tell I dig VistaPrint. Afterall, any company that saved me money during Chiropractic college and still saves me money in practice holds a very special spot in my heart.

Here’s a lot of what I like, and the little I don’t:

What’s Hot

  • Tons of Free Products: You can sample the quality of many products and try many services absolutely free for 30 days. I highly recommend you stop by and check out their free pens, free business cards, free website, free logo design service, and much more.
  • Great Prices: The site offers pretty amazing prices and great promotions to save you even more of your hard earned cash. In fact they even offer a low price guarantee on their Postcards, Business Cards, Brochures, and Folders.
  • Package Deals: Save even more by taking advantage of package deals on matching sets of business cards and related stationary. For instance you can save 50% with the mid level “Standard – Business Package Deal”.  This one is my favorite and truly an amazing deal if you ask me. For just $49.99 you get:
500 Premium Business Cards
140 Return Address Labels
10 Letterhead
1 Car Door Magnet – Large
1 Large Stamp
1 Metal Business Card Holder
  • Easy to Use Design Interface: Customizing one of the existing designs or making your own from scratch is easy, quick, and painless.  You can design your own Chiropractic logo, business cards, and matching stationary in minutes.
  • Environmentally Friendly Company with Green Choices: Choose recycled materials for your print products and help protect our environment.

What’s Not

  • Too Few Chiropractic Specific Designs: The ready to go Chiropractic designs on the site are a little bland and Chiropractors could really use more choices.  Since you can make changes or upload your own designs this is really only a minor issue.
  • Pricey Upgrades: Glossy business card stock, premium 100-lb matte  paper, foil accents, or other upgrades can end up costing you a decent chunk of change, but this is true at any business card or print site.
  • Distracting Lineup of Interesting Products: Once you start poking around the site you tend to get sidetracked and start browsing through cool products you never intended to buy!

As you can tell, there isn’t a lot to complain about with this site. I frequently recommend it to Chiropractic clients, friends, and colleagues. Don’t take my word for it. Head on over to their site and check out some of their free products. Through our affiliation with VistaPrint we can even hook you up with a discount on any paid order.  Simply click the link below to save big on your purchase!


Save up to $40 Off Your Purchase at Vistaprint!

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General, Off Topic, Random Thoughts

Make Each and Every Day Special

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Lately I’ve come to realize with our busy professional and personal lives we spend many days “just going through the motions.” With errands, tasks, and daily responsibilities we often spend our entire day just getting things done.

Yesterday I spent the entire day driving around with my son running errands and getting things done. I had to do some household shopping, make a trip to the library, do some shopping for my Chiropractic practice and a ton of other errands. Although it did allow me time to have some great conversations with my son, we still spent a lot of time rushing from spot to spot in order to get things on our list done.

At the end of the day we had time to watch a movie together, but all of the rushing around still left a hollow feeling. Any time spent together as a family is better than no time, but I still felt like the day was wasted getting minor things done. In the long run, these things we had to devote an entire day to don’t really matter all that much.

I reflected on this a lot this morning and I actually talked with my eight year old son about doing more to make each day special. It’s an idea I’ve tried to live by in the past, but it’s nothing I’ve openly discussed. It’s also something we can easily lose sight of.

The very same thing easily and often occurs within the confines of a chiropractic practice. We spend so much time focusing on procedures, and getting patients treated efficiently we often get lost running the through the motions. At the end of the day we may have met all of our deadlines and goals but what have accomplished beyond that? What have we done to improve ourselves, benefit our family, and support our community?

I’m not implying that daily errands and treating Chiropractic patients aren’t important and beneficial…but these are also our jobs. We should ask ourselves what we can do above and beyond these daily tasks to make each and every day special and meaningful.

Raising a young son as a single father I am beginning to realize just how short life really is. We need to seize the opportunity to make each and every day special and meaningful. Dedicating even 10 or 15 minutes out of each and every day to do something special for family, friends and community doesn’t seem all that difficult. It’s certainly a small price to pay to make the world a better place!

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Chiropractic Tips, Tools, Products, and Resources, Off Topic, Reviews

Relax the Back: Solutions for Back Pain

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Relax The Back Logo Banner 120x60
Once again (thanks to  the internet and our ever growing network of friends, clients, and colleagues) I was introduced to another back pain related site I never knew existed.  An associate recommended I check out Relaxtheback.com.

Let me clarify a few things.  Although new to me, Relax the Back is nothing new.  Since I am in the Midwest I’d actually never heard of them, but they’ve been around since 1984 and have over 100 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Unfortunately the closest store is about 70 miles north of my home in a town I’ve only been to twice. Just thought I’d point out I haven’t been living under a rock. . . well ok maybe a small one.

Relax the Back is dedicated to helping their customers treat and prevent back and neck pain. They provide a wide variety of products, posture supports, and self care solutions to help them achieve this goal.

Their website offers 7 main categories. These categories are an interesting blend of products such as ergonomic workplace seating and accessories, recliners, mattresses and pillows, massagers, zero gravity recliners, self help books, Dvds, inversion tables and more.  According to their website their physical store sales associates go through rigorous training in areas such as posture and ergonomics in order to gain the knowledge needed to  best serve their customers.

According to their website Relax the Back has experience working in harmony with many Medical and Health Care practitioners.  Overall I like their co-care approach and patient self-help philosophy. Rather than advocating their clients use their products as an alternative to professional healthcare they advocate a symbiotic relationship.  They also do a great job of advocating the fact that there is more to your healthcare than the treatment you receive in a Chiropractor’s or other provider’s office. Patients need to realize they can take a proactive approach and protect their spines while they are at rest and this site does a wonderful job of driving this point home.

Since I’ve never set foot in a Relax the Back store I’m planning on taking a short road trip up north this weekend with my son to check out their nearest location.  I’ll try and post an update when I do.

Even though there isn’t a physical store within about 60 miles of my Chiropractic practice I plan on picking up and/or ordering some copies of their print catalog to keep around the office. I’m sure many of my patients would like the idea of ordering some of their unique products online. I like to provide my patients with alternatives to the products I carry in my practice as well as a way to easily shop for large products I can’t stock.   Relaxtheback.com is a perfect fit for those purposes.

All in all I really like their site.  Check out my quick summary of my likes and dislikes below.  As I’ve done before I wanted to point out some interesting products I found in my visit to their site.

What’s Hot:

  • Physical store locations with trained employees
  • Print catalog
  • Unique product offerings
  • Ergonomic work stations and office chairs
  • Zero gravity recliners
  • Live chat available online
  • A very non-cluttered and easy to use site. All products are grouped into 7 manageable categories.
  • Gift cards available
  • A price match guarantee policy
  • Back and Neck Health information provided by SpineUniverse.com

What’s Not:

  • No stores close enough to my Chiropractic practice!
  • Free Shipping provided on orders over $300. (I’d like to see free shipping offered at a slightly lower purchase price).

As promised here are just a few of many products from their site that I was drooling over:

  • iJoy Board (SKU# MAIH161): This thing is pretty awesome and I may just end up picking one up for my home and office.  This motorized board helps build core strength, coordination, and stability. Simply grab the infrared remote and hop on the board. Try to maintain your balance while it simulates the motions of surfboards, skateboards, or snowboards in action.  The iJoy features variable speeds and difficulty and pre-programmed 15 minute run times. What a fun alternative to your Chiropractic practice’s wobble board!
  • Inversion Tables: They currently offer three inversion tables and I can’t pick just one!
  • Zero Gravity Recliners: They have tons of these recliners and I’m having a tough time picking just one!
  • Outdoor Zero Gravity Recliners: Relax in comfort outdoors!
  • Lumbar Extender Plus (SKU# SMCI002): A nifty new revision of the standard lumbar extender featuring a “trigger point massage top”. An affordable way to restore and maintain lumbar curve and prevent low back pain.

Relax The Back Logo Banner 120x60

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