Dr. Jonathan Chung of Keystone Chiropractic has been helping patients for 6 years. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Micro Molecular Biology then Life University in Atlanta with his Chiropractic Degree. Although he was trained in traditional Chiropractic methods throughout Chiropractic school, his final year of school led to his discovery of a style of Chiropractic called NUCCA, which took his training a step further. This deeper scope became a motivation and foundation for his success with helping people and separates him from many traditional Chiropractors.
Tell us about the your style of Chiropractic?
We provide Chiropractic care in a completely different way. Even though I did start out with the traditional way. I discovered NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) procedure during my last year at Chiropractic school. The NUCCA procedure got me really excited about Chiropractic care because I was able to help a lot of people that had not been able to get help from other methods. So it was helping people with things like Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s Disease, TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) syndrome, and a lot of chronic pain issues… A lot of people were not obtain help through more traditional methods were going to NUCCA Doctors had discovered they were able to help relief. That was something that really stood out to me, so I dove into the NUCCA procedure, learned everything I could about it, and trained in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale for 2 ½ years to master the technique. Then I decided to open up my own practice in Wellington. I’ve been here for about 3 years.
Dr. Chung is 1 of 300 doctors in the country trained and proficient in the NUCCA protocol for structural correction. Could you explain more about NUCCA?
NUCCA is a style of Chiropractic that is very low force and gentle. There is no forceful manipulation. There is no cracking or popping but it is very precise. We use very precise 3-D X-Rays to obtain the information we need so we can do an adjustment that is very gentle and deliver a greater outcome for the patient.
NUCCA goes into the health of the brain and central nervous system. With NUCCA, by getting the head and neck into the exact position that it needs to, you are able to help people recover because it helps enhance the functioning of the brain. By improving the functioning of the brain you have the opportunity to improve the functioning of the entire body.
Would you consider this innovative?
This isn’t necessarily new but it has been a form of Chiropractic care that is not been practiced by a lot of Doctors because it is challenging. It is very difficult to practice this way because a lot of people will come in with, for example, Sciatica, really bad back pain, and the procedure is low force and gentle. I’m barely touching the person on the side of the neck and the patient is going to obtain relief and improve from that. When you try to explain the procedure to someone from the outside, it can be difficult to wrap your head around that. It is difficult to practice and difficult to explain to people but the results that you obtain from the care are significant.
Why aren’t more Chiropractors adopting this style?
It takes some extra work and training to be proficient at this so a lot of people going through Chiropractic school just want to get out and get started in their practice. It took most of us a couple of extra years after school to get a really strong hold of this procedure and to be good at it. In the State of Florida there are less than a dozen Chiropractors doing this and less than 300 in the U.S.
Since you specialize in something quite rare, how do people find out about this?
We generally attract people who have made the journey to other Doctors, other Chiropractors, acupuncture, or through a lot of different treatments and have not been able to get the results they wanted. In many ways we have been able to help people take that step forward.
NUCCA.org is a listing and directory of Doctors in the area that offer this treatment. Other friends or family have had their life change as a result of this procedure and they want to share it with others they know are suffering.
In 2007, there was a study on high blood pressure where it was able to show the NUCCA procedure helped people with high blood pressure, lowering their blood pressure to the same level as two blood pressure reducing medications. It was published in the Journal of Human Hypertension (a major medical journal) and was featured on Good Morning America, and also on the Discovery Channel. So we had a surge of awareness as a result that study.
What are signs and symptoms that someone may need a Chiropractor? We often think of only the back but what could be other correlated concerns?
Whenever people have issues with headaches, attention issues, balance problems, numbness, tingling – those are key signs. You can also notice this by a person’s posture, one shoulder higher than the other or the head tilting toward one direction. This is an indicator that their brain is not communicating properly with their body.
Is there a preventive side to Chiropractic?
There is definitely a preventive side because people can have an unhealthy spine and not feel the effects of it. For people that have spine problems, instead of letting it linger for decades before their spine finally gives out, we can detect it early and prevent it from becoming a major problem later on in life.
You mentioned people come from all over to see you, Is this mainly NUCCA or your reputation?
It’s a combination of things. They may travel from far away because they do not have a NUCCA Doctor near them. We also are big on treating our patients like family members. I think people are often missing that in today’s traditional Doctor/patient experience, where people feel like they are just a number in the office. We built a high level of trust. Based on that trust, people are willing to travel great distances to see someone that they trust and know that we will do everything we can to take care of them. I work with a lot of athletes especially in the CrossFit community. I also see a lot of high school athletes, particularly football players…I have another niche- I help a lot of people with concussions and post concussion syndrome particularly in the Equestrian field where there may be head injuries. When people suffer head injuries, what they also underestimate is that they may suffer a neck injury. By correcting the neck injury, you can actually help a lot of people with concussion symptoms like headaches and dizziness to get better. So that has been a small niche we carved out for ourselves here in Wellington. I also teach continuing education to Chiropractors about head injuries and concussions and how to best manage them.
What are you most proud of as a Doctor? What health advice could you give that would be your mantra or how you live your life?
The biggest thing I always tell people is that your body is stronger than we could ever imagine it to be. It means that we have to take care of it and do it from a perspective that we were designed to be healthy. We have to eat well, move well and think well in order to solve most of the problems that affect our health in this country. My favorite quote that I live by is Gandhi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
How can people learn more about you or schedule to see you?
We consult with people at no charge. Then if they feel the need to see us for an exam we do a postural exam, X-rays and whatever is needed to address the patient’s problem. We can make that recommendation. For appointments, visit our website ChiropractorWellington.com or call the office at 561-247-0044.
Thank you Dr. Chung for being living proof of that quote both in your career of helping others and through your personal activities. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and for sharing your story and knowledge.
