JJ's Chiropractic Story

JJ has been setting up interviews with different docs in the places we are checking out and its interesting but some of the docs have asked JJ to send in his "Chiropractic Story" along with his resume. He wrote it today and I was rather impressed.....


My Story

I grew up in a family where exercise, healthy diet, and a balanced lifestyle was encouraged. Home remedies or giving the body time to heal itself were used commonly as opposed to going to the doctor for sicknesses. I guess you could say we lived the chiropractic lifestyle without having been exposed to chiropractic. I wasn't adjusted until I was a senior in high school because my back was hurting while playing football. I got adjusted but didn't know what was going on and only went once. I felt a little bit better but had no clue what chiropractic was.

A few years later I was in a career development class and looked into chiropractic and loved the fact that you could be a doctor and treat people without using drugs or surgery. Up to that point I was considering being a nutritionist or a physical therapist because I already knew the benefits of exercise and nutrition. I also loved sports and wanted to do something where I could work with athletes when I realized that my dream to play in the NFL was going to have to stay a dream or be lived through one of my kids. So I was also considering becoming a strength and conditioning coach or an athletic trainer. Another one of my passions is I love to learn, teach, and motivate, so teacher and motivational speaker were also on the list. The problem with each of these professions is their limitations. I did not feel settled helping somebody through nutrition or exercise alone when I knew that the cause of somebody's sickness would vary with the individual and could very well include many factors. After job shadowing a few chiropractors and doing some informational interviews, I gradually realized that this was a perfect fit where I could not only help sick people feel better, but I could help them to obtain their highest level of health possible and coach them through the process. I knew if I was a chiropractor I could teach people how to exercise properly and help athletes maximize their performance. I could teach people what foods to eat to enhance their health and motivate them to be their best self. I loved the profession without knowing any more than as a chiropractor I could use all these tools to help the body heal itself and somehow an adjustment played a role in that.

So I enrolled in Logan Chiropractic College and have loved the experience! I've been able to experience firsthand the power of an adjustment and its even more powerful influence when combined with rehabilitation and nutrition. I loved learning the physiology of the adjustment which inspired me to use that topic for my literature review. I've attended every club the campus has to offer multiple times and apply that knowledge in my treatments. I've attended multiple seminars of various topics but with a special emphasis on rehabilitation, pregnancy, and pediatrics. Because of my love for sports I participated in the Masters program in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and worked on the sidelines at athletic events and developed and carried out workout programs for local colleges. I also loved going to seminars and learning how chiropractic can help people who have been to many other practitioners without success. I've experienced the benefits of chiropractic and have seen its influence in my wife and kids, as well as the patients I've treated in the clinic.

I know I can't be an expert at nutrition, exercise and every chiropractic technique out there at this time and have been warned against being a "jack of all trades". So I've focused mainly on mastering a combination of diversified, MPI, and gonstead adjusting and rehabilitation, stretching, and soft tissue work (ART) where appropriate. Having said that, it is my goal to be a lifelong learner and to continue the path I'm on to be the best doctor I can be.