What is a chiropractor? An interview with Dr. John H. Park

Published: 2009-09-12 16:32:07
Author: Dana Feldmeier | Examiner | August 18, 2009

Dr. John H. Park is the founder of Progressive Spinal and Sports Rehabilitation, P.C.   Below is an interview about chiropractic care as well as integrative therapies.

1) Please describe what chiropractors do, and explain your personal mission.

Chiropractors have traditionally been known as neck and back specialists with their primary tool being the chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulation. Most chiropractors are trained to assess and treat all neuromusculoskeletal disorders. My personal mission for our practice is to be progressive and proactive in our approach to health care and wellness. We recognize the value of traditional and alternative health care practices and try to combine an integrative approach to treating our patients. This includes chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture along with nutritional and lifestyle counseling. Patient education is also a very important part of our practice. We try to teach patients why they are having problems and how to take care of themselves.

2) What is your background and what lead you to this business?

Sports have always been a part of my life, and I’ve had my share of injuries. It was always the conservative treatments like massage and physical therapy that got me better and allowed to stay active. The traditional allopathic model has placed more emphasis on the treatment of symptoms rather than the causes. I found that prevention and rehabilitation were very important to staying active and injury-free. This is what lead me to pursue my studies in chiropractic, physical therapy and rehab.

3) What makes your business unique and sets you apart from your competition?

Our integrative approach is what makes our practice unique. If chiropractic care and physical therapy doesn’t solve the problem, we can try to incorporate more manual therapies like deep tissue massage or Active Release Techniques. If that doesn’t work, we can try incorporating acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine into the picture. Sometimes, we know that a nonconservative approach will not solve the problem so we will refer patients to an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, or other specialist. Our bottom line is if we can’t fix you, we can send you to the right people who can.

4) Do chiropractic services work for everyone?

The chiropractic adjustment is a very important therapeutic procedure, but it is just one of many effective treatment modalities. Just as you wouldn’t use one tool to fix all your home repairs, there is a time and place for everything. This again is why the integrative approach is so important.

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