My first chiropractic experience was NOT a positive one: my Mom made me go in for some back pain I was having, and the first thing the staff tried to do was plunk me down in front of an x-ray machine! No one had taken my history or given me an exam, and I hadn’t even met the doctor yet! I got hustled from room to room, from one staff member to the next, as if I was on some kind of chiropractic assembly line: x-rays, history, exam, UNpleasant first adjustment (he was really rough), electric stimulation, massage, another adjustment, and lots of sales pitches and mumbo-jumbo. No one, including the doctor, answered my questions or addressed my concerns; they seemed more focused on shuffling me about and rescheduling me as soon as possible, for as many visits as possible! Needless to say, I declined, and vowed NEVER to see a chiropractor again; I just learned to live with my pain.

It was about 4 years later, when I was experiencing some sharp upper back pain, that I got talked back into seeing another chiropractor. My friends swore this guy was different, that I’d love him. I went in with my skepticism set at full blast, but they were right: he was a great guy. He ran a small office, offered one-on-one attention, took the time to answer all my questions, and even solved a frustrating problem I’d had for several years. My wrist had started hurting right around the time I started college, and the university health care center was boggled: “Wear this brace all summer” was their first idea (great fun in the Florida heat and humidity!), then when that didn’t work, they suggested “We could try some surgery,” even though they admitted that they didn’t know what was wrong! My chiropractor felt the bones in my wrist, made a slight adjustment to one, and the pain was gone! My wrist felt better than it had in years. I asked him why they hadn’t known that something so simple could fix my problem, and he smiled ruefully, saying “There are lots of things they don’t know.” This opened my eyes for the first time that there were lots of different ways of thinking about the body, learning how it works, and working with it to fix problems, rather than just covering up symptoms with painkillers or undergoing risky surgery.

I attended the University of Florida for my Bachelor of Science degree (watch out for my orange and blue during football season!), and the National University of Health Sciences (near Chicago, Illinois) for my second Bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Chiropractic degree. I received my postgraduate acupuncture training through the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and studied Rehabilitation of the spine and extremities through the Southern California University of Health Sciences’ diplomate program. More recently, I have become a Licensed Massage Therapist, and am in the process of becoming a certified Muscle Activation Technique practitioner. This broad-based education has really been a blessing when treating patients who come in with more than just low back pain and are excited to learn all the things I can really help with.
Ok, plus I am a GIANT nerd, in case you couldn’t tell.

My philosophy is simple: To partner with the patient to maximize their wellness and life enjoyment. I give to each patient the opportunity to experience optimum health and vitality in the shortest time possible. Anyone who has felt neglected in their care in a large practice does well with the Micro-Practice model. Within my practice you will find you always get one on one attention from me, and we will come up with solutions for your healing together. Some people come in to the office with misconceptions about chiropractic or acupuncture, or they come in fearing one or both. I love getting to the bottom of their concerns and showing them that ‘going to the Doctor’ can be educational, productive to health, and, believe it or not – fun! I also enjoy helping patients heal pain that they have been told to “live with”, or told that they need surgery to heal an injury. It’s the same as my experience: you may not need surgery, nor to “live with” anything; maybe you just need ears to listen and hands to help.