In the 15 years since he finished school and opened a practice in Mishawaka, Dr. Steve Obert has seen a growing acceptance of chiropractic based on scientific studies that show success in solving medical problems beyond the usual muscle pains.

“I am pretty much a general family practitioner, treating anything from neck pain and back pain to things people don’t think to go to a chiropractor for,” he says. “A lot of the things we’ve been talking about for years are starting to get some solid research behind them.”

While mainstream physicians typically send patients to chiropractors only for muscular-skeletal problems, the approach has broader use that can help avoid medications.

A recent study from the University of Chicago, for example, shows that spinal manipulation can actually help lower blood pressure, Obert says.

“People go to the chiropractor because it helps them feel better in general,” he says. “That’s basically because we’re manipulating the nervous system. Basically, your spinal cord houses all the nerves that travel everywhere in your body – not just those that go to your muscles.

“If you’re keeping your spine moving well, it’s going to help avoid any problems in the nervous system,” and with the organs the muscles serve such as the stomach, so chiropractic can help with some digestive trouble.

“As time is going on, a lot more studies show that it works,” Obert says. “As more of that happens, you’ll see more of the mainstream shift over and consider it a modality they can use.”

Among other things in his practice, Obert focuses on treating issues such as carpal tunnel and other conditions that require adjustments to the extremities, including planter fasciitis that shows up as heel pain when you get up in the morning.

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