Chiropractic Blog Problem Solved

I've been blogging for chiropractors since 2006. Since then, I've probably made over 1,000 chiropractic blog posts covering the many facets of the chiropractor-patient relationship.

Naturally, if you're in private practice, your chiropractor blog will tend to cover chiropractic topics interesting to current and prospective new patients.

It surprises non-blogging chiropractors that the most difficult part of blogging is not the actual writing.

"That's easy for you to say, you're a writer."

Fair enough. However, you can easily (and relatively cheaply) hire freelance writers, even your patients, to write blog posts for you. Or you can simply record your thoughts as a voice memo on your smartphone and have it transcribed and edited. Problem solved.

No, the greatest challenge to chiropractic blogging is… drum roll… coming up with chiropractic topics to blog about.

Which is a problem I'm about to solve for you.

Seven Reasons to Have a Chiropractic Blog

But first, why blog? Do people even read blogs these days?

Of course. You're reading one now.

But maybe you don't regularly read blogs.

It's tempting to project our own Internet browsing habits onto others. However, blogging is quite mainstream. And one of the keys to a successful chiropractor blog is not necessarily the size of your audience, but the value of the content you post. Post relevant content and you'll attract readers. Even loyal readers. Even from competitors. Who often become new patients. Plus, your blogging may even reactivate former patients.

There are many reasons for a chiropractor to regularly blog. Here are the most important:

1. A Contemporary Form of Self Expression

The value of clarifying your thoughts and articulating your personal and professional philosophy is probably even greater than the other benefits listed below.

There are at least three types of self-expression to consider:

1. Informative - This type of blog post falls under the category of patient education. The key is to make it informative but interesting enough to coax someone to read it.

2. Persuasive - You needn't be heavy-handed. Simply explain your reasons for embracing a particular point of view, health habit or wellness overture.

3. Inspirational - Maybe you've recently completed an especially interesting case. Or helped a patient go on to greater accomplishments because of their health restoration. Blog posts like these can inspire prospective new patients.

2. Attract Your Tribe

Your chiropractic blog gives you an opportunity to take a stand on topics that can resonate with the types of patients you especially enjoy serving.

Naturally, that means you must risk offending or repelling those who hold an opposing belief.

When you plant your flag, you invoke the Law of Attraction. Rest assured there are plenty of people in your new patient drawing area who share your beliefs about everything from dairy and vaccination to circumcision and a keto diet. The key is to reveal your worldview so your posts can affirm those who share your beliefs.

3. Answer Frequently Asked Questions

Since chiropractic is one of the most misunderstood health disciplines on the planet, there are dozens of questions you could answer as ideas for single-topic blog posts.

Have your front desk assistant record the questions that he or she is asked. You may be surprised. (Worse, you'll probably be shocked by how poorly these questions are being answered!)

Crafting the answers to questions about missed appointments, insurance deductibles, Medicare maintenance care and everything else supplies multiple chiropractic blog post topics. Plus, you automatically have an important part of your chiropractic assistant training curriculum practically written for you.

4. Improve Your Website's Google Ranking

Without getting too technical, your chiropractic blog can dramatically improve your prospects of getting new patients. Granted, such results won't happen overnight. Nevertheless, there is ample proof that consistent blogging can win you favor with Google in at least four ways:

1. Larger site - All other things being equal, more blog posts mean more pages. And a website with more pages is usually granted greater authority and trust. But your blog must reside on your website, not on some independent blog hosting server such as WordPress.

2. Target new patient keywords - Keywords are the words or phrases that people enter into a search engine to find what they're looking for. As a blogging chiropractor, you can create content to match likely search terms used by those in your new patient drawing area, such as "Back Pain Relief in Mytown."

3. Attract local inbound links - Consider blogging about your favorite gym, health food store, MRI facility, vegan restaurant, personal injury attorney or other local health-related establishment. No need to pander, just share your thoughts, experience and recommendations. Post it and then share it with the target of your affection, suggesting that they link to your post or share it on their social media accounts. The resulting non–Google-produced traffic often causes Google to take notice, figuring you must be up to something.

4. Increased time on site - One of the many metrics Google uses to rank websites is the length of time that visitors spend browsing your site. Relevant, high-quality blog content increases how long people linger. In Google's eyes, the longer they do, the more value you must offer. Which produces a better ranking. This is why your chiropractic blog posts should be at least 300 words. But longer is better. In fact, blog posts containing over 1,500 words are more likely to be shared on Twitter and liked on Facebook. (Incidentally, this blog post is a little shy of 2,000 words.)

4. Avoid Repetitious Explanations

Similar to fielding commonly asked questions is making blog posts that explain various home care procedures.

Consider how many times you've explained when and how to use heat or ice. Or your cancellation policy. Or how your decompression table works.

Assign regularly referred-to blog posts with short, easy-to-remember names. Like www.yourdomain.com/ice.

Ultimately, this is about systematizing your patient and prospective patient communications. Putting it in writing on your blog saves time and makes your explanations consistent. Plus, it creates new opportunities for internal linking within your website, which also delights Google.

6. Present Yourself as an Authority

With the proliferation of "fake news," Google has faced increased pressure to separate the wheat from the chaff. In 2019, they released a major update to their search algorithm referred to as YMYL (Your Money or Your Life).

Since then, websites in the financial management and health care spaces have come under greater scrutiny. Which has produced the EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) formula for page quality.

When your blog post shows that a doctor wrote the content (with a link to your biography), not only does it suggest greater trust, it presents you as an authority. Writers are authors, and authors are authorities.

Being a regular blogger presents you as a thought leader. Which can lead to interviews and other types of free publicity for you and your practice.

7. Because Your Competitors Won't

In the grand scope of things, a chiropractic website with a blog is a small thing. Especially compared to the size and traffic afforded an Amazon, Wikipedia or eBay. One way to outshine other local chiropractors and dominate your new patient drawing area is to blog regularly.

How regularly? Daily is probably too big of an ask. Weekly might be possible. Twice monthly is probably sufficient. Especially if you plan your content calendar in advance and get some help with writing.

Too much work?

That's what your competitors are thinking. Let them. Meanwhile, you're eating their lunch and dominating your new patient drawing area!

101 Chiropractic Blog Post Topic Ideas

Here's a list of chiropractic blog topics and ideas. Some are distinctly chiropractic-centered. Other suggested topics have more of a natural health slant. A mix is sure to engage your audience and keep them interested:

1. Are all patients adjusted the same way?
2. Are chiropractic adjustments safe?
3. Are standing desks a good idea?
4. Are your feet causing your back pain?
5. Backpack safety
6. Boil, steam or microwave?
7. Can children get subluxations?
8. Can I adjust myself?
9. Can I have chiropractic care after back surgery?
10. Can patients with osteoporosis enjoy chiropractic care?
11. Can subluxations clear up on their own?
12. Can the bones be moved too much?
13. Chiropractic and your insurance company
14. Chiropractic first, drugs second and surgery last
15. Common factors that affect the speed of your recovery
16. Compensation reactions
17. Could adjustments make my spine too loose?
18. Different types of imaging technologies
19. Do I have a pinched nerve?
20. Double crush – spine, shoulder, elbow and wrist
21. Emotional causes of pain
22. Five reasons to see a chiropractor
23. Five types of headaches
24. Five ways to avoid catching a cold
25. Gallup Poll uncovers chiropractic benefits
26. Good fats and great fats
27. Headaches: common but not normal
28. Health care versus sickness care
29. Heart rate variability
30. High heels and your spine
31. How do I know if I have a subluxation?
32. How do you get subluxations?
33. How does chiropractic work?
34. How long will I need chiropractic care?
35. How many adjustments will it take?
36. How our decompression table works
37. How safe is chiropractic?
38. How to choose a great chiropractor
39. How to post your five-star review
40. How to refer others
41. How to use heat and ice
42. How to win over a skeptic
43. Is chiropractic scientific?
44. Is chiropractic the solution to the opioid crisis?
45. Is it safe for pregnant patients to have chiropractic care?
46. Is organic produce worth the extra cost?
47. Is there such a thing as growing pains?
48. Laughter is the best medicine
49. Massage and chiropractic
50. Mattress matters and pillow talk
51. Mediterranean? Paleo? Keto?
52. My favorite chiropractic college
53. My most challenging patient
54. My most difficult (and rewarding) case
55. Nervous system basics
56. Our visit cancellation policy
57. Pre-natal chiropractic care
58. Primary and secondary subluxations
59. Proper lifting
60. Recommended exercises and stretches
61. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store
62. Side-effects and adverse effects
63. Sleeping your way to better health
64. Some recent (and surprising) chiropractic research
65. Surface EMG and chiropractic
66. Text neck and forward head carriage
67. The 30 names for sugar
68. The critical cervical curve
69. The difference between an adjustment and spinal manipulation
70. The differences between chiropractic and medicine
71. The doctor is in: You
72. The greatest stress on the planet (gravity)
73. The falsely named "slipped disc"
74. The most complete examination you've ever had
75. The most stressful month of the year
76. The problem with most diets
77. The three types of stress
78. The truth about pain
79. Today's chiropractic licensing requirements
80. Vaccination and artificial immunity
81. What does an adjustment do?
82. What does an adjustment feel like?
83. What does chiropractic cure?
84. What happens if you miss a visit?
85. What if chiropractic doesn't work?
86. What is spinal stenosis?
87. What to do after a car accident
88. What you should know about the intervertebral disc
89. What's the difference between maintenance and wellness?
90. When a stomach problem is actually a nerve problem
91. Where does the weight go when you lose it?
92. Why golfers love chiropractic
93. Why I chose my particular adjusting technique
94. Why many patients see us monthly
95. Why we recommend supplementation
96. Why we recommend three visits at first
97. Why we use X-rays (Why we don't use X-rays)
98. Why would a newborn get chiropractic adjustments?
99. Will I ever be normal again?
100. Will I receive any medication for my pain?
101. Your body's silent cry for water

If All Else Fails

These 101 chiropractic blog ideas should spark additional topics based on your philosophy and practice style.

You may also want to set up some Google alerts on subjects like natural health, alternative health and chiropractic research. Each day, Google will send you a digest of new Internet content on the subjects you choose. Many will offer blogging ideas that you can adapt. Or will at least get your creative juices flowing.

Also consider subscribing to the chiropractic blog channel on Feedspot and see what other chiropractors are blogging about.

Happy blogging!