DCs in the News: chiropractic solutions for community problems

DCs provide chiropractic solutions for local community members during the holidays

The holiday season is a favorite for James E. Starnes, DC, of Oakhurst Family Chiropractic in Oakhurst, Calif., who traditionally uses the holiday to give to the less fortunate while encouraging new patients to try chiropractic solutions for their injuries and ailments. New patients, in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy (minimum $15 value), from Nov. 16-Dec. 14 received all first-day initial in-office procedures, including office evaluation, orthopedic exam, neurologic exam, and if possible, first-day treatment. “A special joy of mine for the holiday season is collecting toys for the underprivileged children through the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program,” Starnes told the Sierra News Online. “I have been involved with them for the past several years, this being our 30th year!”

Nevin Ramona, DC, during COVID-19 is also offering marriage counseling and coaching to clients after seeing the stress that the pandemic is putting on patients and their relationships. The La Jolla, Calif., DC has been in the personal and relational development world for 10 years with a degree in psychology and a focus on counseling, and she went back to school to receive certification in marriage coaching and become professionally certified as a marriage coach through the International Coaching Federation. “I heard everything that was happening behind closed doors, and things were changing for people now that they are stuck together all the time instead of going to work during the day and having that time apart. I wanted to help and offer sound advice in that area,” she told the La Jolla Light. “This is my wheelhouse. With my chiropractic practice, I know what stress they have in their body, and to be able to tackle it from both sides has been awesome. I know the issues they have because it’s what they talk about, so to be able to outline action steps to move them forward and help resolve those issues has been great.”

Riggs Chiropractic in Columbus, Kan., got patients (and potential patients) moving by hosting a pickleball clinic at a local park, hiring instructors to teach the game to the uninitiated and also offering free spinal screenings while donating to local foster families. “If anyone books an appointment then we give that back to the foster closet cooperative here in town and it aids area foster families with any needs that they may have when they get placements,” said spokesperson Rebecca Dobyns.

Complete Chiropractic Health in Cranberry, Penn., went on a shopping spree worth $10,000 in December, buying toys for the local Toys for Tots group to make sure local families had gifts under the tree. “I would just like to say how grateful we are that we could do something like this and give back in such a hard year,” Gina Agostino-Manes, DC, told CBSN in Pittsburgh. As a follow-up, Complete Chiropractic Health announced plans to grant two wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

It was a happy Thanksgiving for many of the less fortunate in Asheboro, N.C., when Darin DeNamur, DC, and HealthSource Chiropractic donated 130 turkeys, the 11th year that the local chiropractic office gifted turkeys to patients in need. “Now more than ever, our community needs gestures like this,” said DeNamur, who has gifted more than 1,500 turkeys over the 11 years, speaking to the Courier-Tribune. “This is a good way for us to show how much we care about them. We are grateful for the support we have received in the community for the last 24 years … I want HealthSource to be a place where they not only get relief from that physical pain but a place where they feel cared for and appreciated.”

Matz Family Chiropractic in Missoula, Mont., held its first food drive in October, offering free chiropractic services for each bag of non-perishables brought in for the University of Montana Food Pantry. Su Su Oo, a chiropractic assistant at the business, said she was pleased to see so many donations. “I didn’t expect this much to come from the community, and that’s really awesome,” Oo told the Missoulian. Four generations of the Matz family have taken on providing chiropractic solutions and care in the town. “As a college student, I can kind of understand the struggles that some people [have] getting food on the table,” Oo said.

Sandra A. Licata, DC, of Licata Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Batavia, N.Y., through selling homemade face masks and matching fund donations, raised $1,000 for Crossroads House, a nonprofit hospice residence. Licata and business partner Michael Grasso, LMT, have been providing chiropractic solutions for patients for 22 years. “Material, thread and elastic were hard to come by at first,” according to The Batavian. “Through connections and donations [they] came up with enough to make some masks. Initially, [they] made 37 masks and said, ‘That’s enough.’ But now they’re at 245 and counting!”

The Association of New Jersey Chiropractors (ANJC) announced that Jordan L. Kovacs, DC, of Eatontown, N.J., was named the 2020 Chiropractor of the Year, recognizing the recipient’s high standards in the practice of chiropractic, as well as being a role model for his peers. Kovacs has served as an ANJC board member for eight years, most recently serving as president of the association the past two years. He is beginning a second two-year term as president. He is also a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, a board-certified neurofeedback practitioner, and a Diplomate in the American Academy of Medical-Legal Professionals.