This really is about “as good as it gets.”  I have been going to physical therapists, massage therapists,  and receiving chiropractic treatment on and off over the decades on both coasts, and I have never been to a place where the level of professionalism is as high as this, coupled with a true community atmosphere of friendliness — I would even say kindness — throughout the entire office.

I first started going there a few years ago with a shoulder injury, and I was immediately struck by the approach of Dr. Ken Erickson, who takes a remarkably intellectual approach combined with a natural curiosity, plus a dogged determinism to get to the bottom of any given issue.  He is not only a chiropractor, but a master of what is known as Active Release Therapy, which is a remarkable set of techniques that work so very well when you “pull” this or that muscle, or joint.  He has an almost uncontrollable urge to communicate precisely what he knows — this is rare in the medical profession — and if you take an active interest in the mechanism of your body, and like to learn, you will really appreciate this approach.

I’m the kind of guy who still, at this late juncture of life,  thinks he’s not much older than his 12-year old and so I find myself crashing here and there on skateboards, or surfboards, or rock-climbing with a little too much enthusiasm – all leading to the periodic injury.  The latest escapade was a surfing accident on hard sand that resulted in an extruded disc, causing pretty severe stenosis — in English this means that disc is broken and the gel-like substance inside leaked out and up my spinal column, pinching the heck out of the main nerve.  Ouch.  Seriously.  Dr. Ken pointed me in the right direction on the very first visit, wasting not a moment, and when the MRI came back it was clear what had happened and where the pain was coming from.  I was truly debilitated – I could barely walk.

Instead of surgery I opted for what is known as spinal decompression.  This is something I had tried about a decade or so ago for mild degenerative disc disease, and it helped remarkably.  This time it has worked wonders.  Without any surgery at all — just chiropractic treatments three times a week followed by spinal decompression, I am pain free. It doesn’t seem possible – especially when you look at my MRI, but it’s true.  I feel some tightness here and there, but nothing like it was about two months ago.  I think I’m about 3/4 through the treatment, and it’s just amazing.

But outside of my own personal story, I just have to say that you cannot do better if you have typical orthopedic issues, and seek immediate, as well as long-lasting relief. With respect to the entire office itself, and the people in it — just a great group of people all around.  Everyone in the office pitches in to help people.  You can’t get better than that.  I highly recommend it in every respect.