Welcome

We are pleased that you have come to our website and hope you will find it informative.  After checking out a few medical and chiropractic websites, I found most very professional, but rather impersonal. I am intentionally trying to personalize this site so that you will have not only the information you are looking for, but an "intuitive feel" for the office which will hopefully allow you to decide whether to allow us to help you with your health issues.

Early Experience with Chiropractic
In the Fall of 1957, a sophomore at Athol High School (MA), my neck sustained trauma from a "blow" to the head playing football.  After treating with the team physician on 5 consecutive visits with no sign of improvement, my wise mother put me into the car and drove to New Hampshire (chiropractic was illegal in MA at that time).  One treatment by the chiropractor made me like new and I was back practicing the following day. 
That made a great impression on me. Despite advise to the contrary from my guidance counselor, a decision was made in my mind that my life's work would be practicing the conservative healing art of chiropractic.  It was safe, natural and had the potential for doing much good.  Regardless what organized medicine was saying at that time about chiropractic, I knew in my heart one truth:  it rescued me in a time of great need.  How many other people were out there in desperate need for similar care and didn't know the truth and didn't have access to it?

History of the first years in Culpeper
While in my final year at the National College of Chiropractic (1972), I sent a letter to the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce and asked them for information about Culpeper.  I had never been in the state of Virginia, but I selected the state because of the mildness of climate  and beauty that I associated with this state. Culpeper was the one and only town written to because of its small size, great location and the fact that I could find no evidence of a chiropractor practicing in the community.  But I was wrong.  The Chamber of Commerce wrote back that, indeed Culpeper did have a chiropractor:  Dr. Bradford McCoy.   Culpeper, so small, I didn't imagine a need for two, so I travelled to Portsmouth and joined with Dr. Purser in a large inner city practice in February of '73.  I found this practice too busy, not allowing enough time for adequate patient treatment.  Then in May, less than 4 months later, came an unexpected opportunity.  Dr. Mc Coy had died and there was an immediate need to take over the Culpeper practice.  Was this coincidence, good luck or Providence? There was little doubt in my mind that God had directed my steps to this community.   My first day of practice in Culpeper was May 15th, 1973.  Since that date, Culpeper has become my home and many of the people of this warm, family community, my friends. 

Some important developments in the practice
Throughout the 32 years of practice, chiropractic manipulation has been the foundation of the practice. But two modalities have also been of great value to my patients: ultra sound and electrical currents.   Since then, many other office developments and technologies have been discovered and added to the practice. 
   In 1984, my wife Nona, a registered nurse, resigned her position as nursing supervisor at the Culpeper Memorial Hospital and became the office manager of our practice.  In 1988, we built an office facility onto the front of our home and moved the practice to 605 Old Brandy Road, where it is presently located. 
   In 1985, orthopedist, researcher, Robert Becker published his book, Body Electric, which contributed greatly to our understanding of how the body heals itself.   His research revealed that an integral mechanism of healing in the body involved the flow of tiny direct electrical currents (microcurrents).  Early microcurrent units became available and while there was some immediate implementation of microcurrent therapy in the office, it would not be for a decade later when it would reach a fuller application with acupuncture. 
    In 1986, the chiropractic profession introduced a motorized distraction table designed to treat disk bulges and small herniations.  The Leander table was purchased and used in this office to help the many patients dealing with lumbar disk protrusion problems.  
    In the early 1990's it became obvious that the medical world had greatly underestimated the value of active stretching and strengthening exercise in the recovery of musculo-skeletal injury.  Indeed, exercise in combination with good nutrition seemed to be the keys to maintaining ones health.  We therefore purchased fitness equipment and made the upstairs over the office into an exercise area for our patients.
   In 1994, the Activator adjusting tool became available to this office which allowed elderly patients to be adjusted safely with manipulative procedures that were capable of reproducing the same force vectors on each visit.  This tool also is used effectively with younger patients and people who require a softer more gentle adjustment.
   In 1996, the FDA recognized the large body of scientific evidence amassed by Dr. Bruce Pomeranz, Ph.D.,M.D. who at the bequest of the Canadian Board of Medicine provided him with millions of dollars for research into acupuncture.  He presented the Board with 46 papers providing the scientific evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture and wrote his now classic book, The Basics of Acupuncture.  As a result of this work by Pomeranz, acupuncture was officially accepted by the medical community.  In that same year,  I began the 200 hours the state of Virginia required for physicians to be licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine to practice acupunture and in the Spring of 1997 incorporated into my chiropratic office the practice of medical acupuncture.  In 2001, 200 more hours of medical acupuncture were added and a certificate of Fellow was conferred by the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture (F.I.A.M.A.).       
   In 1997, Theodosakis' book, The Arthritis Cure, began a major breakthrough in treating degenerative joints with natural products that reduced joint inflammation without side effects, unlike the commonly prescribed medications (Celebrex, Vioxx, Bextra).  Of course, we now know that these Cox 2 inhibitors pose some serious threats to our health. Many patients have returned to Motrin (Ibuprofen, Advil) and Naprosen (naproxen, Aleve) which are caustic to the stomach and have the potential to cause ulcers. But are there also cardiovascular risks from these over the counter drugs?  Some early studies seem to raise serious questions about long term use of Aleve.  Natural products like glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, MSM and the amino acid SAM-e have all greatly contributed to the way in which we now advise our patients dealing with pain syndromes due to degenerative joint disease.
   In the summer of 2003, the use of low level lasers used successfully in Europe for the past 10 years were on the verge of FDA acceptance for carpal tunnel syndrome.  A low level laser was purchased and used in this office as a research instrument for the treatment of TMJ, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendonitis of the hand and as well as plantar fascitis of the foot. 
   All these developments over the years have shaped the way we now practice to help meet the needs of our patients. From the beginning, it has been our foremost desire to practice health care delivery which follows the admonition of Hypocrites: "Primum non nocere",  "First, do no harm." 

                     Call 825-8867 For An Appointment.