A Dream Fulfilled
In a previous post, I mentioned that I had the opportunity this past spring to speak at my alma mater—Life University, School of Chiropractic, in Marietta, Georgia. The following summarizes the message I had for the students:
If you have the courage in life to take the risk and follow that deepest thing in your heart that drives you to live, then doors will open up for you and you will find your greatest happiness.
And when you have your happiness, you have served life’s purpose.
Back in 1995, when I was still a student of Chiropractic, I dreamed of creating a medical facility where patients with a variety of health concerns could find all of their treatment needs met under one roof—whether they were seeking a medical doctor, chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc. I dreamed of gathering a team of medical professionals which would include only the highest quality practitioners available—men and women with integrity, professionalism, and most importantly, those who shared my dream.
Every day that I come to work, I am gratified to know that I am helping people not only to live healthier, higher quality lives, but also that I am contributing toward extending the lives of our patients. I did the math recently, and realized that I have performed over 100,000 treatments on patients since I became a Doctor of Chiropractic. And yet, I was just as excited today to be helping a patient as I was when I first started.
I am even more excited this week because my 15-year-long vision of creating a multi-disciplinary facility is coming to fruition with the addition of a Medical Doctor to our staff. In addition to Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and Massage Therapy, patients now have access to non-surgical Medical Services.
Introducing Medical Services at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center
I am pleased to introduce our new Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Mejia, D.O. Dr. Mejia is board certified in Physiatry, a medical specialty also known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or PM&R. This type of medical doctor is an expert in diagnosing and treating pain. The philosophy behind Physiatry is to treat the whole person, not just the problematic or painful area. This viewpoint epitomizes the approach to all conditions at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center.
Dr. Mejia works under the paradigm that ‘less in more’; this conservative methodology allows him to help patients reduce the need for invasive and often unnecessary surgeries. The Hippocratic Oath contains the phrase, “First, do no harm.” However, patients with any number of painful conditions are often over-treated with drugs or invasive procedures from the start, without consideration for the many proven treatment options available that are non-invasive and drug-free. With the addition of Dr. Mejia, we’re offering our patients a way to avoid over-treatment and to see results without damaging the body.
Ending the Confusion: Better Results through Collaborative Treatment
I think that pain management and rehabilitation can be a confusing process for many patients. In some cases, a patient will visit a Medical Doctor, who will then refer them to a physical therapist in another office. Yet another office visit is required for those seeking acupuncture treatments, chiropractic care, or massage therapy. In this situation, the patient has a team of healthcare workers, but the team is disjointed and lacks a particularly crucial element to success—communication.
The treatment model at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center is completely different. All of these services—Medical, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Massage Therapy—are offered under one roof in our Red Bank, NJ office. Because we believe that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, each part of our practice works in close collaboration with one another.
This leads to better results, including:
- More effective pain management (in many cases, this helps patients avoid unnecessary surgeries and/or drug use);
- A clearer focus on both the physical and emotional aspects of treatment; and
- A less stressful pain management and rehabilitation process for patients.
If you are interested in learning more about our Medical Services, or any other aspect of our multi-disciplinary facility, feel free to contact our Monmouth County office, or visit our Web site.
