Q: Tell us about yourself and what you do.
A: As a Chiropractor, I help people get out of pain and live healthier lifestyles. I take a whole body approach, which means I don’t limit myself to just the spine. I think the muscles and other joints of our bodies play a large role in our health so I am excited to work with the whole body from head to toe. It’s one way that I ensure I don’t miss anything that could be contributing to the problem.
Q: What brought you to your calling?
A: I started seeing a Chiropractor when I was in high school. I was dealing with low back pain whenever I ran over half a mile. I was a young and healthy athlete, so it seemed odd that I was having low back pain. My Chiropractor helped me so much with his adjustments and teaching me the best stretches to do after workouts. I was so impressed with this wonderful approach of allowing my body to heal naturally, and I was drawn to this fantastic profession. I’m still grateful for the encouragement I received from my Chiropractor through my journey.
Q: What is your favorite part about working with clients/patients?
A: My favorite part of working with patients is getting to educate them. My approach to healthcare is based on helping patients get out of pain, but also inform them of many ways that they can improve their health and quality of life.
Q: How common are things you heal or cure?
A: The things that I help patients with are extremely common. The first thing to understand is that the patient’s body is what does the “healing” through the innate mechanisms that we all have. I help to make sure that your body is in the best shape possible to handle the stress that it is under, so that the healing is more efficient. Pain and stress on our body happens for everyone even if the kinds of stress are different. For instance, some of my patients deal with low back pain from pushing themselves in workouts, while others may have low back pain because they sit for long hours at work. That being the case, I create better movement of specific joints and body areas to increase the patient’s ability to live pain free.
Q: When someone should someone consider seeing you?
A: Chiropractic works just like anything else in health so it is always best to be proactive as opposed to reactive. Unfortunately about 95% of my patients come to be with some degree of pain. And while I am happy to have the opportunity to help them, I always hope to get patients to come in before they are in pain. It is easier for me to keep patients from having pain rather than getting them out of pain. Many times the problem does not start overnight, but has been building for some period of time before the painful symptoms arise.
Q: How many sessions might you need to feel a difference?
A: At the beginning patients usually come in 1-3 visits a week depending on how much pain they are in. Just like working out, we will see results faster when I see patients multiple times a week initially. Once patients start to develop more muscle memory and proper biomechanics they will start to “hold” adjustments longer and we can start to space visits out more, until we get to wellness or maintenance care. How fast they are able to make the transition to wellness care really depends on the patient and how well or quickly their bodies heal. Home exercises and/or nutritional suggestions can also help with speeding up this initial phase of care.
Q: What does the maintenance period look like?
A: My goal for all of my patients is to get them to wellness care where they are feeling great and have a fulfilled quality of life. While every patient is different, my typical goal is to get patients to 1 visit a month. I think this is attainable for most of my patients, but typically more visits are needed at the beginning to get patients to the point where they are functioning at their highest level. With feedback from patients we are able to determine what the right frequency is for that person, because even though my goal may be 1 visit a month, some patients find that their activity level or lifestyle requires something different than what my initial goal is.
Q: What are common myths & truths in your field?
A: The idea that you go to a Chiropractor only once you have pain is a huge myth that I run into. Pain relief is one part, but in wellness care is where the true benefits to your health start to be realized by patients.
Chiropractors in the past have been unfairly criticized for our education, but most of that skepticism has trended away. A Doctor of Chiropractic degree has equivalent credit hours as a Medical Doctor degree program just focused in different areas. For instance Medical schools spend more time on pharmaceuticals, while Chiropractic schools spend more time on neurology and radiology because those are the things that we use every day.
The biggest myth about Chiropractic is that it is aggressive and rough on your body. There are many Chiropractic techniques that can be very gentle and safe for anyone from the beginning of life to the end of life. My approach is usually based on starting more gentle and if necessary we can progress to a more aggressive technique as I get feedback from patients about what they need and are looking for.
Chiropractic care is accepted as an effective treatment for neck and low back pain. We are effective at helping headaches, pain in extremities, and help with stress that our bodies deal with. Chiropractic is safe and effective in helping deal with pain during pregnancy and helps in preparing a women’s body for birth.
Q: What do you believe are some of the most pressing health issues today?
A: We need to start by reframing how we look at health. Instead of looking for the cure to a symptom we need to look for the cause of the problem. That being said, inflammation is the biggest health problem that we face. Almost every progressive disease is either caused by or worsened by repetitive inflammation. Anything you can do to minimize inflammation in your body will help with how it functions and therefore improve your health. The other big problem that needs to be discussed is candida overgrowth and the many health issues that can follow.
Q: What can we all start doing today to feel better?
A: The first thing that most of us can do is start moving. If you don’t already exercise start with something simple and work up to where you want to be. Even 20 minutes of walking is a cardiovascular activity. I usually suggest that patients try yoga, and as a Chiropractor I feel that if all of my patients did yoga on a regular basis they would hold their adjustments better. The other thing we can all do to start feeling better is eat more real food. The less something looks like it did when it was grown the less nutritious it is.
Q: Why is it important to come visit your office as early as possible?
A: Being proactive with your health is almost always the best thing you can do. In my experience, the amount of pain and suffering that you go through can be greatly minimized by having biomechanical problems discovered before the problem gets worse.
Q: How can someone find you: directories, website, social media etc
A: drzackedmonds.com is my website. Patients are able to request an appointment on our site, find information about what to expect in our office and informational articles, and contact us with any concerns.
843-508-8185 is our office number
My Facebook page is Facebook.com/drzackmobility and has some really great articles to go along with the content on our website.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering Chiropractic?
A: Choose a doctor who explains everything to you and makes you feel comfortable with the treatments utilized. I’m a firm believer that you should feel confident and comfortable with any care you receive.
Q: What makes you stand out from others in your field?
A: What makes me different is my approach looks at your entire body and how the different areas work together. What I do isn’t limited to the spine and adjustments. I also do a lot of muscle release and rehab with patients at each visit to help them get faster results that last longer.
Q: What is your favorite thing to hear from a client/patient/family?
A: My favorite thing to hear from a patient is that they are feeling great. If they are coming to their appointment and we are discussing them living their best life because they feel great, then I know I am helping them. Then we get to reduce how frequently they are getting adjusted, while maintaining a high quality of life. It’s bittersweet because I enjoy seeing my patients, but my ultimate goal is to see them less because they are feeling great and are out enjoying their lives. That’s what truly makes me happy and why I consider myself lucky to do what I do.
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