Chiropractic News

Chiropractor Email Account Hacked

planetc1.com-news — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:44:00 GMT

By Daria Belov

A chiropractors e-mail account was hacked early Monday morning, resulting in an emergency e-mail request for money being sent to his family, friends, colleagues, and even clients. The perpetrator requested that funds be mailed to Nigeria. It's unlikely that this was the only individual targeted and people are urgently advised to be on the lookout for similar looking e-mails.

It was early this morning when an e-mail arrived at the Planet Chiropractic office e-mail address from a Yahoo account owned by a practicing chiropractor in California. The title of the e-mail read "Emergency!!!" and the body of the e-mail mentioned the sender reportedly having lost all their money while traveling to an AIDS education seminar in Africa.

The e-mail includes poor spelling and grammar (but that's nothing new on the Internet) and a request for money to be sent via a Western Union Money transfer. It should be noted that e-mail scams like these almost always involve a request for funds via wire transfers. We've posted copies of actual e-mail attempts and many e-mails related to classified ad fraud, but this is the first I've seen of this nature.

Below is a full copy of the e-mail that was sent after the chiropractor's account was hacked...
====================
Emergency!!!

How are you doing and i hope this email find you well. I notice i didn't inform you about my travelling to Africa for a seminar called Empowering Youth to Fight HIV/AIDS and Bringing HIV /AIDS Education to Health Care,the seminar has already taking place in three major states in West Africa which are Yamoussoukro, Freetown and Ibadan.

I need your help urgent because i forgot my little bag in a Taxi where my money and my ticket were kept. I want you to help me please now because i am having a little problem with the hotel management due to the hotel bills and i have lost all my money including the money i burget for the hotel bill, and i have to solve out the hotel bill before i leave, I am now owning the hotel bill of $1,600 and the hotel management want me to pay the bill fast.
Please i want you to help me with the hotel bill payment and i will also need an extra money of $1,200 to feed and to help myself back home.

Please i need your help on time before the hotel management decide on what to do. I will be happy if you can help me with an amount of $2,800 and i will pay you back when i return.

I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and you can help to send the money through western union money transfer to the information below and let me know when you send the money so that i can have all the information from you that i needed to received the money at western union. Please understand how urgent i need your help.

Receiver Name :-- (chiropractors name)

Address:--- 88, Jakande Road, Isheri
City:--- Lagos
Country:-- Nigeria
Zip code:-- 23401

Regard,

(chiropractor first name).
====================

By using the chiropractors name in the e-mail, it may have appeared legitimate to those reading it. Also, the fact that the account was owned by a healthcare professional, who very likely could be traveling for a health-related seminar, makes the e-mail appear almost legitimate.

Are hackers targeting chiropractors and health-care professionals or are random e-mail accounts being used for malicious purposes such as this one? We don't yet know the answer to that, but I'd suspect those attempting to get money sent to themselves in Nigeria are not too particular as to whose e-mail account gets hacked. That being said, chiropractors and other health-care professionals are advised to pay particular attention to the security of their e-mail accounts, in hopes of not becoming part of fraudulent e-mail attempts being sent to those on their mailing lists.

Has your e-mail account been hacked?

Vaccine Freedom Rally & Lawsuits: Saving the Children

planetc1.com-news — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:52:00 GMT

by Barbara Loe Fisher (NVIC)

Yesterday morning (Oct 9), New Jersey Moms Louise Kuo Habakus and Claudine Liss of the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice appeared on Fox News (Fox & Friends) to talk about the vaccine freedom rally next Thursday (October 16) in Trenton in support of conscientious belief exemption legislation giving New Jersey parents the legal right to follow their conscience when making vaccine choices for their children. After the show, Louise and Claudine were invited back for an informal, spirited discussion about the epidemic of chronic disease and disability and the recent flu vaccine mandate instituted in New Jersey for all children.

Smart, sincere, passionate, and articulate, these two Moms are what the vaccine safety and informed consent movement is about and their call for freedom of choice echoes the one that has been made by parents of vaccine injured children for nearly three decades. For more information about how to stand with Louise, Claudine, Larry Palevsky, M.D., me and more than 500 parents registered to rally in Trenton next Thursday and make your voice heard for vaccine freedom, contact the NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice at www.njvaccinationchoice.org.

On Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court issued a unanimous appeals court ruling that opened the door for families of vaccine injured children to sue vaccine manufacturers for vaccine design defects that lead to injury and death. The next day a Missouri Appeals Court upheld an $8.5 million judgment against American Cyanamid for injuries suffered by a man who contracted vaccine strain polio from a live oral polio vaccination as a child. Both civil court decisions rightly hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for failing to appropriately test and improve vaccines they sell to the public so that health risks from using the product can be eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

When Congress passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which was historic societal acknowledgment that vaccines can injure and kill and that the vaccine injured should be compensated even as vaccine availability should be protected, it was clear in both the legislative history and clarifying language accompanying the Act's passage that Congress never intended to give blanket, exclusive immunity to drug companies marketing vaccines for public use. Until this week, too many federal judges have misinterpreted the spirit and intent of the 1986 law. Hopefully, the Georgia decision will ultimately give parents of vaccine injured children the legal ability to hold drug companies accountable in a civil court of law for failing to reduce the reactivity of their products.

Whether holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable in the judicial system or petitioning legislators to allow Americans to follow their conscience and exercise informed consent to medical risk taking, vaccine educated citizens in America are standing up for their civil rights in larger numbers. It is a good sign, a beacon of hope that the business of saving our children from a lifetime of chronic illness and disability has become a priority for more than a small minority of citizens. Saving our children is everyone's business and standing up for freedom of speech and conscience is the first order of business in a democratic society.

Whether you live in New Jersey or another state - I hope to see you at the rally in Trenton on Oct. 16 and two days later on Oct. 18 at the Natural Living Conference in Mahwah sponsored by the Holistic Moms Network.

www.NVIC.org & www.StandUpBeCounted.org

Smarter Marketing in 2009 with Call Tracking

planetc1.com-news — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:11:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Regardless if you run an orthopedic center, a doggie day care clinic, or a chiropractic office, this is a good time of year to get your 2009 marketing plans on your mind. There's no doubt that what's taking place in our US economy is going to effect business incomes during the next several months. It's an important time of year to remain focused and keep moving forward in attaining your business goals. Too few chiropractors I've spoken to have become masters of tracking where their marketing dollar is working best. Again, it doesn't matter what kind of business you're in, keeping track of what's working (and what's not) may help you save essential advertising dollars in the upcoming year.

Consider adding call tracking to your marketing plan in 2009. Businesses that rely on people picking up the phone and making a call have been around as long as we've had telephones. Think pizza delivery, plumbers, home termite inspectors, locksmiths, automotive detailing services, pet grooming, and many others. These are businesses that people traditionally had researched in yellowpages books, coupon books, and local newspapers, until the popularity of the continually growing Internet.

While consumers continue to use all these mediums (and more) when finding information about local businesses, the use of the Web (particularly via search engines) continues to show steady growth. While a traditional web site would measure traffic to a page using standard website statistical log software, businesses counting on people to pick up the phone to initiate contact can benefit greatly from adding a phone number that measures how many calls a particular line receives.

The graph of the left shows information related to a call tracking program employed by a chiropractor in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California. The data is for the year 2007 and the calls coming in were measured for a single phone number. That phone number was made visible on a particular website, where consumers seeking chiropractic services could find it. Notice how many calls were made?

Depending on the type of service business someone is in, 348 answered calls can be a great number, or a figure that tells us a particular marketing plan is not working as expected. In the world of chiropractic, nearly 350 leads to a chiropractic office from a single webpage, is a sign that this particular program is working well, and should be continued.

If this service had been provided by a company that used sales agents, sharing reports like these (when the results are good) can provide significant evidence that a particular strategy is working as well is expected.

Here is another graph also for a chiropractor in the same general area. The offices are about 15 miles apart and this chiropractor ran a near identical campaign to the one shown above. Again, the data is for the year 2007, and this chiropractors log report shows 357 answer calls for that period.

There are more benefits to using call tracking services than just what's shown here. Total number of calls made in a one year period is great for studying year-end marketing reports, but businesses have access to those numbers on a daily basis. Some of the better call tracking programs provide online interfaces where users can login and view reports of all kinds of details related to calls their business is receiving. Imagine being able to know what time of day was the most common time for a new client to call (and having a one year chart to review that data)? Besides that, imagine the benefit of viewing what day of the week was the most common time that potential new customers called your business. Information like that can really come in handy if your business is closed on Saturdays and you discover there's a significant amount of potential new clients trying to reach you during early morning Saturday hours.

Who's answering the phones for your business and how are they doing? Many call tracking services offer ways to record calls for quality-control and training. There is great value in being able to listen to incoming calls to determine if your staff (or even yourself) are doing the best job they can in making sure the needs and inquiries of potential new clients are being addressed.

So whether you are placing ads on billboards and bus benches, yellow page advertisements, newspaper ads, listings on web sites, or distributing fliers in your community, consider the benefits that can be gained by adding a call tracking phone number towards your marketing efforts in 2009. Add that to your list of surefire small-business marketing tips in you'll be good to go in the coming year.

Attention Chiropractors: the October intensive marketing event includes best practices and strategies related call tracking. Watch for a chiropractors marketing intensive near you in 2009.

Recipe for New Graduate Failure

planetc1.com-news — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:06:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

What's already been a standard concern for many young chiropractors graduating from school and opening new practices, is likely to be intensified in the coming months, thanks to the credit crunch and downturn in the US financial markets. It's tough enough starting up one's new chiropractic business, with the situation were currently faced with in the US marketplace, and the mindset many businesses and consumers are currently in. The last thing you want to get sucked into is Satan's sale pitch, better known as adding gadgets to your practice.

If you're a new chiropractor, the fastest way to ensure your failure in practice, is to buy into the mindset that your hands and intelligence are not sufficient enough to get the job done. I don't know what kind of techniques you were taught at your chiropractic college, but I pray you paid attention, and have focused on developing your skills to the best of your current ability. If not, confidence may quickly erode, followed by the sucking of your brain, as vendors, manufacturers, and even the general public, put pressure on you to provide non-hands-on services.

Think about it, did you attend all those years of schooling to become a technician that relies on mechanical gadgets, potions, and multi-level marketing schemes? Is that how you expect to pay down umpteen years of student loan debt? Conning your friends, family, community, and former classmates into buying the latest berry juice that comes from somewhere far away from where you live? Maybe you did. For those of you that got into chiropractic looking for something else, I can tell you that there's nothing easier (and more rewarding) to invest in than solid palpation skills, and proficiency in at least one hands on chiropractic adjusting technique.

Of course you have to develop other skills, like being able to successfully run your business in varying economic times, but that's not what I'm addressing here today. Chances are you have two hands and were taught how to use them sometime during your clinical curriculum. Focus on developing your skills, and resist the temptation to rely on gadgets, in providing your services. Don't fear if you feel you're not get the master adjuster that you know you could be. Talents like these take time, and the time you invest will widen the gap between you and the barely proficient practitioner, oftentimes referred to as your local competition.

Vendors of therapeutic items and gadgets will tell you otherwise. They'll tell you these are modern times that require modern approaches. All the more reason it's important for you to develop your hands on skills, so you can touch people, skin on skin, showing your community and the world that you are different. You are not a technician, you are not a button pusher, and you're not easily replaceable, not if your adjusting abilities are on par with the great chiropractors that came and served in your community before you.

It's not the easy road, it's not the path of least resistance, if it were there would be no point, since the majority of your colleagues would be doing the same thing. This is not a time to be looking for shortcuts and easy routes to multimillion dollar pie-in-the-sky dreams.

In this time of economic uncertainty, you'll find no greater return on investment, then the one made investing in yourself.

Miss Muscle Beach 1948 Receives 60 Year Anniversary Award

planetc1.com-news — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:37:00 GMT

By Daria Belov

Muscle Beach in Venice California is the home to a yearly bodybuilding and fitness competition that takes place during the Labor Day weekend. Fitness, gymnastic, and bodybuilding related events have been taking place there since the 1930s. The original Muscle Beach was located just south of the Santa Monica pier, and now it's along Ocean Front Walk, just north of Venice Boulevard. This past Labor Day, an Ironman sponsored event took place, and a local fitness enthusiast received an award celebrating 60 years since she held the title as Miss Muscle Beach.

Sara Clark (left) holds 60 year anniversary award along with blowup photo of her with 1948 trophy. A 2008 fitness contestant stands to her right.

Sara Clark was 17 years old in 1948. She was an active gymnast and spent many summer days on the Santa Monica Beach. That summer she entered a Muscle Beach fitness competition, taking home first prize, for her gymnastic abilities and lean muscular physique.

60 years later Sara received a commemorative award honoring her dedication to fitness and health. She continues to maintain a positive attitude and exercises regularly at a local gym in Los Angeles.

Video cameras were rolling when Sara gave a shout out to her chiropractor. She told the crowd that chiropractic care has played an important role in her life in helping to maintain optimal levels of fitness and keeping the "crinkles" in her spine to a minimum.

Asked about the fitness competitions, Sara replied that they were much different in her day. Her parents were apparently unhappy about the short and skimpy bathing suit she wore the competition, which was exceptionally modest compared to what contestants were wearing for the 2008 event. She also stated that you have to have significant gymnastic abilities to win such a competition, you couldn't just look good. Skills such as stunts on balance bars, the rings, performing handstands, and cart wheels, were all standard fare for local fitness talent.

Congratulations to Sara and the Muscle Beach Venice community. The next Mr. and Mrs. Muscle Beach muscle and figure competition is expected to take place on the 4th of July, 2009.

Thursday Thoughts and Thank You's

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:51:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Looking at an earlier post today regarding classified advertisements I noticed an address being used was similar to one I'd seen in the past. In fact, it turned out to be the same exact address I'd seen used before in the United Kingdom. Thanks to those that have continued pushing forward.

A news article from earlier today regarding separating people from their money with classified ad scams, had me thinking about an address I'd seen before in the United Kingdom. After performing a quick search I found the post I was looking for, Community Minimizes Classified Ad Fraud Activity, which included a name and address of an individual involved in suspected scams targeted at people selling items online.

(photo: chiropractic assistant holding an Eee box PC from ASUS - very cool product)
The previous post was from July and the individuals name in question was Tom Marley. E-mails being sent to people selling products on classified ad systems included that name and the address: Flat 62 Reward Rd, 12 Monsal Court E 05 JJ, London UK. I noticed today that the address was identical to one being used in posts sent to users on our website early this morning. After further investigation it appears the e-mail template was also the same. The only thing that changed was the IP address and e-mail address used by the sender. In previous scam attempts they were using a yahoo.com e-mail address but have recently switched to a gmail.com account. While this all may seem rather ho-hum it's a fairly big deal to a number of people.

Thankfully a number of chiropractors had been e-mailing me during the previous months with complaints and concerns regarding attempted e-mail scams. Even though I've reminded people more times than I can remember that scams like these are a regular part of the Internet (they happen on every popular classified ad web site I am aware of) there's always someone that's going to want to believe these e-mails are legitimate, which gives the scammers enough motivation to continue pursuing new targets.

What was fortunate for us was a great number of chiropractors that remained steadily active in reporting any suspicious activity related to anything they've posted to the Web. It was more work for us, but it was motivating to work on developing new features that better identified who was using the services, and which users to the site were most likely to engage in fraudulent activity.

The result has forced potential scammers and spammers to jump through additional hoops when trying to contact those that have items posted for sale. Our work is by no way done but it's been getting more exciting, since we're committed to continuing to provide a valuable service for the chiropractic industry.

There's been added unexpected bonuses for the work we've been doing. Other webmasters and administrators for classified ad networks across the globe have been in contact sharing their IP blacklists, names of suspected scammers and fraudsters, and other tips and advice on better serving a classified ad community. We've also received a number of e-mails from individuals that took the simple extra step and typed in names, phone numbers and addresses of those parties wanting them to send product or funds (or both) overseas. Those e-mails have been rewarding since people told me they nearly shipped their laptops or other valuable merchandise but had an innate sense to investigate those they were mailing items to before doing so.

So thank you everyone that's been active in participating, buying, and selling items via the chiropractic classifieds. Congratulations to those that have found new chiropractic practices thanks to the classified ad system. Congratulations to those that have landed new jobs as a result of ads that were posted. Congratulations to those that hired new employees that have become a perfect fit for the office. Thanks also for the great stories I've been hearing when attending chiropractic conferences. I think I like those most of all.

A Surefire Way to Separate You from Your Money

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

By Daria Belov

Regardless of what's going on in the US economy, an activity that has not changed much is the practice of 419 phishing scams, e-mail attempts that target individuals with the goal of separating them from their money and personal belongings. If you buy or sell items online (using any website) this post may be important to you. What may appear as an innocent e-mail from someone wanting to purchase your Schwinn bicycle, Mac Airbook, or other item, is more than likely a fraudulent attempt to motivate you in shipping your product overseas, in hopes of a fast and profitable sale.

Don't get duped! We are covering this exact topic several times a month at www.planetchiropractic.com and we continue to receive e-mails from people doing research online regarding e-mail and postal addresses included in fraudulent replies to classifieds placed throughout the Internet.

The most recent one seen on our network came through this morning from an IP address based in Italy. Sender IP logs showed that IP address 83.137.60.106 was e-mailing people on our web site that had chiropractic products listed for sale. A Whois Record lookup for more information returned and IP location of Savona Italy. Interestingly the individual sending out the e-mails claimed to be in London (United Kingdom) and was expecting to ship items to Australia.

Below is a copy of the e-mail sent to nearly all individuals selling products. It's highly likely the same e-mails were sent to other classified ad networks and web sites as well.

======================
Posted To: Chiropractic Classifieds

Hello Seller,

In response to your item posted for sale. I am an agent interested in making an immediate purchase of it.

After several consideration over the advert placed on the website, my client who has really shown interest in it and would want to issue the payment.

But before I proceed on this transaction I will like to ask some question as follows.

1. Is the condition of the item what you have describe it to be ?

2. What is the final asking prize you can go at last ?

3. Do you accept a certified cheque/money order as a mode of payment ?

4,Can the picture send to me via email for proper view?

Also I would like to restate clearly that this item will be shipped to Australia and I have a shipping agent who would take good care of this. You are to cash the Check you will recieve and deduct the funds for the sales of your item and please have the excess funds sent to the shipping agent in order to schedule the pick up of the item.

All neccesary transfer papers will be dully signed by the shipper on behalf of my client when the shipping agents comes for the pick up of the item .

I will be willing to entertain more of your questions that might arise, please provide your

FULL NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS :
PHONE NUMBER :

So that I can have it forwarded to my client for immediate payment issuance
Looking forward to hear from you.

Regards.

MIKE RAPP
FLAT 62 REWARD RD,
12 MONSAL COURT E 05 JJ,
LONDON UK.
+447031866761
+447031879451
======================

Anybody selling or buying products using any classified ad website is advised to be on alert for any correspondence involving the below name, mailing address, and or e-mail address.

Mike Rapp
Flat 62 Reward Rd
12 Monsal Court E 05 Jj
London UK. 447031866761
mikerapp.rapp01@gmail.com

The body of the e-mail, which is shown above, is a classic example of money order or check fraud scams. Do your homework before ever shipping items to people who are interested in purchasing your stuff. If you receive e-mail such as what's been shown above, it strongly recommended that you forwarded to the administrator or webmaster for the website you are using to list your classified ads.

Here are some resources worth checking if you're concerned at all about online scams and fraud.

Chiropractic Classifieds - Watch out for Scams

Actual Email Attempt - Chiropractic Classifieds Scam

Chiropractic Community Still Kicking Butt on Fraud

Use Common Sense When Buying and Selling Online

Community Minimizes Classified Ad Fraud Activity

Classifieds Category Blog

Chiropractors Money Donated to Congress

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:20:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

A top 20 list of political contributions being made to members of Congress in 2008 shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as receiving the most funds from chiropractors.

The graph to the left displays the top 20 members of Congress receiving financial donations from individuals designated as doctors of chiropractic.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tops the list with financial donations of $33,095. In the number two position is Democrat Hillary Clinton with an amount of $19,875. The first Republican on the list shown financial donations from chiropractors is Ron Paul. The medical doctor from Texas received $18,993 in donations.

Among the states represented by those members of Congress that received donations are New York, Texas, Arizona, California, Minnesota, Nevada, Hawaii, New England, New Jersey, Michigan, Maine, Montana, and Missouri.

The numbers presented in the graph are based on contributions from PACs and individuals giving $200 or more. All donations took place during the 2007-2008 election cycle and were released by the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, September 02, 2008. Donation data is provided by the Center for Responsive Politics.

From what I've been witnessing in chiropractic discussion groups, you'd think there is still a Ron Paul Revolution taking place. Chiropractors continue to distribute information and share video links about the Texas Congressman on a daily basis. Ron Paul on Immunization and Vaccines includes one of many videos featuring Ron Paul.

While the chiropractic profession continues to be Addicted to Ron Paul, the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign Website Success Secrets is the Democratic presidential candidates most popular article on Planet Chiropractic. The article was focused on the structure behind presidential candidate web sites and how they were potentially viewed by search engines.

We took a look at the chiropractic vote back in May of 1998, and shared a graph showing Top 10 Health Professionals Contributing to Federal Candidates and Parties 2008 in March of 2008. That list was topped by the American Dental Association, and neither the American Medical Association or the American Chiropractic Association appeared in the top 10.

The graph on this page is different from one we showed on March 10th earlier this year. That graph, which featured Chiropractors Top 11 Presidential Candidates 2008, showed Democrat John Edwards receiving the lion's share of financial contributions from chiropractors. At that time, his donations totaled at $61,150, with Barack Obama reportedly having only received $8,555.

A report for May 17, 2008 shows Chiropractors Long-Term Contribution Trends, dating back to 1990. That report was updated this past week with data that shows Chiropractors Donations to Democrats in 2008 exceeded donations made to Republicans.

Parker College of Chiropractic Appoints New Position to Dr. Gilles Lamarche

planetc1.com-news — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:22:00 GMT

Parker News

October 8, 2008 (Dallas, Texas) � After spending more than 30 years as a Parker Seminars attendee, Dr. Gilles Lamarche is now on the other side, having recently accepted the position of Vice President of Seminars and Development at Parker College of Chiropractic. Dr. Lamarche will oversee Parker Seminars, Community and Donor Relations, Parker SHARE Products, and the Office of Alumni Relations.

"Parker to me is my second family," said Dr. Lamarche. "It�s what guided me to have a successful practice. This is like coming home."

Dr. Lamarche was exposed to chiropractic at the age of 12, and after experiencing amazing success, he began to develop what has now become his life�s passion. Even before becoming a doctor of chiropractic, he attended Parker Seminars to gain as much knowledge as possible.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Lamarche operated a successful chiropractic practice in Hearst and Timmins, Ontario. Throughout the years, he has received numerous honors and accolades, including "Chiropractor of the Year" in 2004. Dr. Lamarche credits his success to the mentorship of Dr. James W. Parker, founder of Parker College of Chiropractic and Parker Seminars. "It was Dr. Parker that taught me his philosophy�loving service, my first technique," said Dr. Lamarche.

In that spirit of service, Dr. Lamarche served as a pioneer partner during Parker College�s beginnings and was one of the early contributing donors. In 2006, his service continued after Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, president of Parker College of Chiropractic, asked him to assist with the Parker Seminars program, and he has been doing so ever since. "I want to support the vision of Dr. Parker to really bring chiropractic to the world," said Dr. Lamarche. "By serving our attendees, vendors, sponsors, exhibitors, and all of those we work with to the best of our abilities, we are creating additional success for everyone."

Dr. Lamarche�s ultimate goal fits well in line with that of Parker Seminars�to have chiropractic recognized worldwide as a viable profession that enhances health and healing. "Through his service to Parker College and Parker Seminars, Dr. Lamarche is continuing to have a profound impact on the entire chiropractic profession and the lives of people around the world," said Dr. Mancini. "I am certain that Parker and chiropractic will continue to grow, prosper, and benefit from his contributions."

About Parker College of Chiropractic
Parker College of Chiropractic, located in Dallas, is one of the country�s leading educators of healthcare professionals with an international student enrollment. Founded in 1982, this private, non-profit educational institution prepares men and women to become doctors of chiropractic. For additional information about Parker College of Chiropractic, visit the college�s website at www.parkercc.edu.

Chiropractors Donations to Democrats in 2008

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:55:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

For the first time since the 1994 election cycle, donation records show chiropractors gave more money to Democrats versus Republicans. Bill Clinton was president of the United States in 1994 and chiropractors political donations for that year showed 65% going to Democrats versus 34% going to Republicans. But for the following six election cycles (1996 through 2006), records show chiropractors made the majority of their political donations to Republicans, and it appears now 2008 is a time for change.

The chart below shows long-term contribution trends of political donations made by chiropractors. The first election cycle recorded is for 1990 and figures include donations made as of September during this year's 2008 election cycle. The left side of the chart shows individual donations, political action committee donations, and soft money. The right side of the chart shows donations made to both the Republican and Democratic parties. Three election cycles that stand out are 1992 and 1994 (with majority of funds going to Democrats) and 2004 (with majority of funds going to Republicans).

Chiropractors: Long-Term Contribution Trends

I covered a breakdown of chiropractic money in 2008 politics and elections back in January of this year, and there hasn't been much change in donation patterns since that time. The year 2000 was the only time chiropractors show a 50-50 split with equal donations being made to both parties. I guess that year the industry wanted to be on both sides of the fence. Following the 2000 election cycle chiropractic contributions tended to lean towards Republican candidates. A different picture is painted for 2008 with 57% being shown going to Democrats versus 43% going to Republicans. There is still two months of donation data to collect, we will revisit those numbers when the data comes in.

In order to display all the data, one chart was split into two parts. This first chart to the left shows the election cycle, total contributions, contributions from individuals, and contributions from PACs. In the industry of chiropractic, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), is the top contributor to political candidates.

According to the chart, there has been a decline in contributions made to both parties since the 2004 election cycle. Those numbers may change after donation data comes in for these final two months (October and November). Data for the current election cycle (released by the Federal Election Commission) shows political action committee contributions totaling $242,290.00. That's about $15,000 shy of what was seen during the 2006 election cycle.

Contributions from individuals currently total at $508,253.00, which is about $12,000 shy of the $520,000 and change contributed by individual chiropractors during the 2006 election cycle.

The 3 election cycles marked with a * do not include donations of "Levin" funds to state and local party committees. Levin funds were created by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Soft money contributions to the national parties were not publicly disclosed until the 1991-92 election cycle, and were banned by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act following the 2002 elections.

Picture this chart to the left side-by-side with the chart above. It shows soft-money contributions, donations to Democrats, donations to Republicans, and percentages to both Dems and Repubs.

A note on methodology: the numbers shown are based on contributions of $200 or more from PACs and individuals to federal candidates and from PAC, soft money and individual donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. While election cycles are shown in charts as 1996, 1998, 2000 etc. they actually represent two-year periods. For example, the 2002 election cycle runs from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002.

Political donation data is provided by the Center for Responsive Politics. Data for the current election cycle were released by the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, September 02, 2008.

Here's a brief background on what the Center for Responsive Politics has to say on the chiropractic industry...

Chiropractors: Background
An industry that has strongly supported Republican candidates during recent election cycles, chiropractors now join other health care professionals in efforts to halt payment cuts resulting from recent changes in the Medicare system. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), a top industry contributor to federal candidates, committees and parties, has urged Congress to require that the Department of Defense make chiropractic health care available to all active duty military personnel and to increase chiropractic care for veterans.

Chiropractors lobby in Washington on health care and insurance issues, but that's not all this industry cares about. Often, chiropractors also lobby the executive branch of government to ensure that chiropractic care will be included in federal employees' medical benefits.

A Holistic Health Care Organization Worth Supporting

planetc1.com-news — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:19:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

With all the popularity of chiropractic care for headaches, back pain, and neck pain, the general public often misses out on care that addresses the needs of children and their families. We see the television reports regarding research studies showing upper cervical chiropractic care for the lowering of blood pressure, we hear testimonials from world class and Olympic athletes as to the benefits of them receiving regular chiropractic adjustments, we can even view online videos of TV hosts like Montel Williams giving testimonials on chiropractic care for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, but let's not forget the kids.

(photo: icpa logoed luggage tag from a recent fund-raising event)

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), a non-profit organization of chiropractic family practitioners, is dedicated to advancing public awareness and attainment of the chiropractic family wellness lifestyle. I've been working with the ICPA for several years now and it's no secret that I'm a big supporter of their movement and mission.

This past weekend I was in Dana Point California (for a poker tournament fundraiser), and I had an opportunity to discuss what's been going on in the world of chiropractic pediatrics, with ICPA executive director, Dr. Jeannie Ohm.

I've written before about the growth this international chiropractic pediatric association has continued to go through and I'm happy to say they haven't slowed down since.

The organizations Pathways magazine continues to educate and inspire. Autism activists Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are featured in the fall issue. I was pleased to see education for chiropractic care and children being provided to all attendees at the weekends autism fundraiser event. Turns out the ICPA is regularly involved in events such as this, getting the message of wellness outside of the chiropractic box, and embracing groups and like-minded individuals such as moms raising kids naturally, midwives, doulas, and holistic pediatric practitioners.

Performing a brief search through planet chiropractic news archives I located ICPA related articles on topics such as infant sleep positions and SIDS, articles discussing chiropractic and pregnancy for greater comfort and safer births, news regarding pediatric research studies and kids receiving chiropractic care, and articles discussing chiropractic adjustments in the reduction of nervous system stress.

The ICPA is growing strong, and they continue to maintain a 501-C3 status, meaning all donations made to the organization are tax-deductible. Chiropractors are welcomed to visit their web site at www.icpa4kids.com and parents can learn more about chiropractic care for kids (as well as locating pediatric chiropractic practitioners) by visiting www.icpa4kids.org. The pathways to family wellness magazine can be found at www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org.

Alumni Association Lifetime Chiropractic Membership

planetc1.com-news — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:08:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Chiropractic schools and alumni associations require funding in order to stay in operation and for less than a $100,000 investment chiropractors can show support for the chiropractic college they graduated from. Even if you don't have a spare 100K to donate to your favorite chiropractic institution, there are a number of things you can do to show support for your alma mater.

(photo: a plaque outside the Cleveland Clinic in Los Angeles displaying names and graduation dates of lifetime alumni)

I'm a graduate of the Los Angeles campus of CCCLA, which is today located on Vermont Avenue off of the 101 freeway. I graduated in 1998 and have taken several continuing education programs at the same campus since graduation. While at the school yesterday for a relicensing program I noticed a plaque outside the clinic entrance which listed lifetime alumni association members for the Los Angeles campus of Cleveland Chiropractic College.

Not all chiropractic schools are the same and I believe it's important to support the ones you feel provide the best education for future generations of chiropractors. I was visiting the Los Angeles campus this past Thursday when Dr. Carl Cleveland III reminded me that DD Palmer himself was on faculty at Ratledge Chiropractic College (which became Cleveland Chiropractic College in the 1950s) back in 1912. There's an awful lot of history associated with the Cleveland schools of chiropractic.

I took some photos of the lifetime members board and recognized chiropractor names such as Dr. Ernest Anrig who graduated in 1969, Dr. Brian Porteous who graduated in 1981, Dr. Brian Miller graduated in 1985, Drs Claire O'Neill, Donald Bolt, and Bryan Haas who graduated in 1995 (I was attending at that time), and Dr. Marvin Lee who graduated in 1998 (same year as myself). Looking at the plaque you can see that there are spaces for more lifetime association members names to be added. Will one of those names be yours?

Just so you know, it's not going to cost you $100,000 in order to get your name on the plaque, although I am certain the alumni Association and the Cleveland's wouldn't turn down such generosity. The lifetime alumni membership idea was started only a few years ago and it's an amazingly affordable $500 to become a member. Having one's name on a plaque is nice but there are other benefits as well. The most valuable I've experienced so far is the free continuing education for life program. Not only did I get my state licensing hours taken care of yesterday, I was provided breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the presentations were fantastic.

There were several graduates in attendance that were students when the chiropractic college was located in the purchased property of American boxer Jack Dempsey. That "campus" was on Olympic Boulevard in West Los Angeles. The school moved to its current location in the 1970s. Talking chiropractic history with old-time graduates was a fun experience.

If you are a chiropractor, I'd recommend you check to see what sort of alumni programs your school offers. Regardless if you are a graduate of Palmer, Life, Life West, National, Sherman, Cleveland, or other chiropractic college, stay in touch and see what you can do to get reconnected with those that came before you and those yet to come.

It was inspiring yesterday to see how many Southern California-based chiropractors are loving their lives in service to humanity. It's important to keep that fellowship connected so we don't lose sight of the big vision.

Armstrong & McCarthy Host TACA Dana Point Poker Tournament

planetc1.com-news — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:34:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Hundreds of people came together in Dana Point (Orange County), CA last night to raise money and awareness towards curing autism. The star studded swanky event, which featured numerous celebrity guests and participants, was MC'ed by Jenny McCarthy and 7 time Tour de France winning Lance Armstrong. The chiropractic profession was well represented with event sponsorships being provided by Planet Chiropractic and the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).

(photo: professional road racing cyclist Lance Edward Armstrong and planetchiropractic.com founder Michael Dorausch)

On October 2nd, 2008, parts of the St. Regis Hotel in Monarch Beach (Dana Point) California was transformed into a casino style venue which featured a poker tournament and other Vegas style playing games (blackjack, roulette, and craps) for the Friday night fundraiser. Participation by World Cycling Champion Lance Armstrong and Hollywood Celebrity turned Autism Activist Jenny McCarthy added an extra level of excitement to the evening, which also featured a long red carpet entry and paparazzi like photo shoots taking place on entry.

Besides gambling, there was food, libation, a silent and live auction, and lot's of celebrity elbow rubbing (especially at the 10 poker tables) taking place. Auction items included signed prints and sports memorabilia from sources such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Tony Hawk, Ryan Sheckler, and Lance Armstrong himself.

The Ante Up For Autism event had many sponsors with a products and gift bag sponsorship coming from the ICPA and poker straight sponsorship by Planet Chiropractic. All attendees received recent copies of the chiropracticly created Pathways Family Wellness Lifestyle Magazine (Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are featured on the magazines cover in this falls upcoming issue).

Host Jenny McCarthy had some time at the tables during the nights poker playoffs. The ten tables were not filled by celebrities alone, several professional card players (like Michelle Lau and Kristi Blakey) were in attendance.

Jenny was quite the host, her introduction early in the night was inspirational, as she talked about the reasons why we were all in attendance. Autism in America is a serious issue, with as many as 1 in 150 kids per year being diagnosed with the dis-ease that many in the world of medicine claim has no cure. Thanks in part to moms like Jenny, there is an international movement of scientists, physicians and parent-volunteers researching the causes and treatments for autism and mentoring thousands of families in recovering their children from autism.

Congratulations to TACA for putting on such a spectacular event!

Some chiro-related trivia... Did you know the birthday of Lance Armstrong is September 18th? That should be an easy date for chiropractors to remember being that it's the same date DD Palmer gave an adjustment to Harvey Lillard back in 1895.

Palin-Biden Who Won The Vice Presidential Debate

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:34:00 GMT

By Daria Belov

Who won tonight's vice presidential debate between Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden?

Much to my dismay there was no discussion about the importance of chiropractic care and how I believe it could solve much of this nation's health crisis so instead I put together a list of news sites and blogs covering after reports of tonight's vice presidential debate. The big question many are asking is: who won the vp debate?

The newcomer, the newbie, the woman that can see Russia from her state of Alaska, was largely expected to be skewered tonight in the vice presidential debate which took place at Washington University in St. Louis. How did she do? Did Biden win? Check out the sources below for feedback from tonight's event.

From the blogs of the Wall Street Journal... Washington Wire
Washington Wire
Political Insight and Analysis From The Wall Street Journal�s Capital Bureau

From the blogs over at Forbes... Trailwatch
We at Trailwatch want to know what you think. Who was the big winner in tonight's debate? Sarah Palin or Joe Biden? Tell us what you think by taking our poll.

From California newspaper San Luis Obispo Tribune... The Tribune
Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin squared off Thursday night in St. Louis for the first and only vice presidential debate of the campaign.

From CBS news RAW... During the sole official 2008 vice-presidential debate, Democratic running mate Joe Biden took a swipe at Republican rival Sarah Palin's infamous "Bridge To Nowhere" claims.

From myFOX Kansas City... Viewers Rate The VP Debate

From the Press Association... Biden and Palin play it safe

From across the pond in the UK... Times online
Sarah Palin vs Joe Biden: and the winner is the Democrat

From MSNBC... Early Thoughts: No Train Wreck

Who do you think won tonight's vice presidential debate?

Don't Watch the Vice Presidential Debate and Don't Vote

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:36:00 GMT

By Michael Dorausch, DC

The consensus among popular Hollywood celebrities is that voting is absurd, voting is ridiculous, and you should not vote. Continue playing Scrabble, online poker, watching porn, or whatever it is you do while at your computer. Don't believe me? Think I'm making it up? Check out this video and tell five of your friends.

Please, just don't vote, don't vote. Seriously what's the point? Don't vote really. This is one of the biggest financial disasters in American history. Why would you vote? Who cares? The economy is in the toilet, who gives a shit? Voting is absurd. That's the words of Hollywood celebrities Jonah Hill, Forest Whitaker, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dustin Hoffman, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Courteney Cox, and others, in getting the message across that voting actually is important and reminding you that you have only days left to get registered to vote (if you haven't already done so).

Watch the video and share it with 5 friends...

Google maps has set up a module for you to easily check out more information on voting in your area. To find your voter registration information and more all you have to do is enter your home address on the left hand corner of the map interface.

Don't vote unless you care about health care, gun control, women's rights, rising gas prices, Social Security, welfare, minimum wage, the US economy, gay rights, abortion-rights, polar ice caps, the right to choose, to the right to life, offshore oil drilling, the war on terrorism, financial bailouts, mandatory vaccination programs, government spending, and a number of other topics you might not find as important as playing online Scrabble.

Here is the map link again: maps.google.com/vote

And if you do decide you're going to watch the vice presidential debate it airs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time (that six o'clock for those of you in California). Democratic VP nominee, Sen. Joe Biden, and Republican VP nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will be seen in a televised debate taking place at Washington University in St. Louis. The Palin Biden debate is being moderated by Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS's Washington Week, and senior correspondent for NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Tags: www.maps.google.com/vote, palin biden debate time, vp debate 2008 time, 5 friends, vice presidential debate, don't vote

Palmer Receives HRSA Grant Award to Establish Practice-Based Research Network

planetc1.com-news — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:24:00 GMT

Palmer College of Chiropractic News

(Davenport, IOWA) The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a grant for $310,479 to the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR) to establish a practice-based research network to assess complementary and alternative medicine models of pain management. This is a collaborative research project, with Palmer sub-contracting for half of the grant amount ($155,239) to the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa.

The purpose of this project is to develop the infrastructure for a comprehensive descriptive database for a variety of pain management approaches, to test data collection protocols, and to establish a network of participating practices, clinicians and patient populations. "The long-term goal is to establish a large, pain-focused practice-based research network of complementary and alternative medicine providers who systematically collect health outcomes assessments from their patients and track outcomes," said Principal Investigator Maria Hondras, D.C., M.P.H., who is a faculty member at the PCCR. Other Palmer researchers involved in this project are Co-Investigator Christine Choate, D.C., Ph.D., executive director for research at the PCCR, and Biostatician/Co-Investigator Cynthia Long, Ph.D., who heads the Office of Data Management & Biostatistics for the PCCR. Co-Investigators from the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine are Daniel Monti, M.D., and Joel Edman, D.Sc.

The PCCR Office of Data Management & Biostatistics will serve as the Data Coordinating Center for the new practice-based research network (PBRN). The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine (JMBCIM) will collaborate to co-develop the protocols and oversight mechanisms to sustain the practice-based network efforts. PCCR and JMBCIM investigators have built collaborative relationships with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) leaders from a variety of disciplines who will serve on the CAM-PBRN Steering Committee.

Steering Committee members from Portland, Ore., include: Carlo Calabrese, N.D, M.P.H., National College of Natural Medicine; Mitch Haas, M.S., D.C., Western States Chiropractic College; and Richard Hammerschlag, Ph.D., Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Patricia Herman, N.D., Ph.D., from the University of Arizona, and Wendy Weber, N.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., from Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash., round out the committee. "All of our Steering Committee members have exemplary track records for conducting CAM research at their respective institutions," said Dr. Hondras.

"This project is significant because one of the most common complaints seen in complementary and alternative medicine and integrative medicine practices, especially chiropractic practices, is low back pain," added Dr. Hondras. "While there is a growing collection of both clinical trials and population studies examining the use of CAM by the general public, very little is known regarding the actual clinical practice of CAM modalities in either small clinician practices or in integrated health systems. Our goal is to establish a CAM-PBRN including providers in chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, naturopathy, osteopathic manual medicine and integrative medicine. We look forward to this multi-disciplinary collaborative effort."

Contact: Lori Leipold, Media Relations; Palmer College of Chiropractic; phone (563) 884-5726; fax (563) 884-5225
College web site at www.palmer.edu