Featured Client: ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic
Introducing ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic
With an aspiration to restore hope, function and quality of life, ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic, a Wichita, KS based clinic’s backbone of its care consists of Chiropractic, Soft Tissue Therapy, & Rehabilitation. Using this triage, they provide care for a wide array of sport-related injuries to pediatric & postpartum care, always taking the time to fully assess each patient's movement patterns to identify the source of their symptoms instead of chasing pain. ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic’s goal is to get you moving and feeling better so that you are able to prevent further injury.
Owners Dr. Keith Sparks and Dr. Rachel Girrens were inspired to open ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic to progress the current healthcare model in regard to musculoskeletal pain and treatment. They both wanted to be instrumental in improving the health and quality of care to the greater Wichita, Kansas community by providing an alternate option. Believing patient education is something that is lacking in most healthcare today, Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel hope to inspire each patient to be involved in bettering their own health!
Getting Started on the Right Foot
According to Drs. Keith and Rachel, “Igniting Business has helped us through a trifecta of services including: marketing, website, and IT needs. We have an amazing website, beautiful cards and brochures, and continue to learn more about S.E.O. The results left us utterly impressed! We have referred others to Igniting Business as well, who have provided the exact feedback: Top notch. There is not a question we have asked the team that they have not been able to answer.” ICT’s new website is a great resource for others to use to learn the details about each of their services, and various marketing materials provide information on specific conditions and treatments.
Chatting with Dr. Keith Sparks and Dr. Rachel Girrens
IB: As a young, new chiropractic company, what goals do you have for the future?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: Survive to thrive. We want to grow our practice to incorporate other functionally minded, healthcare professionals including: chiropractors, personal trainers, nutritionists, etc. We want to be a one stop shop for all things wellness. Our goal is to provide preventative care and educate the community about its importance in their lives. In the end, we want to reach as many people as possible to let them know, they do not have to accept the status quo of the medical world.
IB: Health and wellness practices seem to change and evolve throughout the years. How do you stay current with your practices while implementing the most effective treatments?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: By forever staying nerds. Reading the latest studies, listening to podcasts, and forever reading materials from multiple sources and disciplines. Also, we are fortunate to have a strong, collaborative, mentorship circle. Having and following functionally-minded practitioners who are not solely focused on chiropractic, but incorporating it as a service within a collective tool belt, allows us to look at the broader picture of health, while staying current and implementing effective treatment and care day-in and day-out. We recognize that research is ever-adapting; what was once thought of as beneficial, might be de-bunked tomorrow and we would be doing our patients a disservice if we closed our minds to new ideas.
IB: What does a typical day look like at ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic? How do you incorporate technology in your practices?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: As a new practice, each day varies in what we are tackling. We wear multiple hats and try to prioritize situations and needs as they come. We do not currently have any staff, so we have to tackle bookkeeping, deal with insurance billing, and attend networking events. Of course, treating patients is the best part; each is like a puzzle that we must figure out. Each day involves adapting to our environment, which constantly changes, and creating systems to maximize time efficiency.
Incorporating technology is obviously huge, especially outside the obvious answers such as EHR and dealing with insurance. Where we find ourselves incorporating technology the most is through blogging and social media. Human beings are constantly flocking to social media. One out of every five page views in the United States is on Facebook: Enough said.
IB: What advice do you have for small business owners who are just starting out?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: Be honest with yourself and embrace the fear. Failing is a possible outcome. However, if your why burns so deep inside of you that it wakes you up at night, and you want to tackle your passion that second, then I believe you will succeed. Ideas are a dime a dozen, where you will win is through execution day-in and day-out. It's that simple. Execution is the name of the game.
IB: How can busy small business owners incorporate exercise and healthy eating habits into their hectic workdays?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: By stopping making excuses. Ask yourself if your health is in the top 5 priorities in your life. If not, you will never make health a habit. Trust me, it is a habit. Adding things into your life is easier than taking things out. Try small steps that are manageable; the key is to make it a part of daily life for the long term.
I, Keith, have recently started a foam rolling series on our social media pages where I promise to foam roll every single day, while posting helpful tips every Friday. I stated this online for the world to see. I needed to hold myself accountable. Even if no one ever watches or reads the blogs and videos, I put the statement out to the world to call me out. Talk about the need to execute! My advice: find a way to hold yourself accountable, and then execute.
IB: Headaches and migraines are a common issue small business owners face daily, what are a few simple preventative measures they can take to prevent them?
Dr. Keith and Dr. Rachel: Identify the triggers: Is it while exercising? Seasonal? Sitting? Stress? Poor eating patterns? Taking the time to pay attention to the triggers, gives you a blueprint on how to execute. Often, during a migraine episode, secondary headaches such as tension headaches, can proceed or occur simultaneously. Performing periodic neck stretches to the side and backward can help aid in decreased tension. Often with Desk Jockeys, we will see Forward Head Posture, or rounding of the neck due to looking down constantly. This causes the muscles in the back of the neck to neurologically tighten. The brain lays down trigger points in order to bring the head and neck backward into a better resting position. Overtime, these trigger points become irritated, leading to pain. Incorporating lacrosse ball self-myofascial release techniques directed at the base of the skull, along with foam rolling the midback can both help alleviate and prevent headaches. The ultimate preventative measure to self-treating headaches and migraines is to identify the trigger and focusing on eliminating that trigger.
Contact ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic if you're looking for a chiropractor in the Wichita, KS area or just interested in learning about the chiropractic process.
