Monday thru Friday 9 am to 9 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm
(see this month's calendar for any changes)

Bruce Godfrey and Jim Riley
Practice Members of the Strauss Chiropractic Center
since 1968 and February 1973, respectively

In our ongoing effort to talk with people who have been coming to the Strauss Chiropractic Center for significant periods of time, we had the pleasure to interview two friends who had each been coming to the office for nearly thirty years. Both gentlemen were introduced to chiropractic by their families at relatively young ages. Jim Riley’s stepfather brought him to the Strauss Chiropractic Center after a 400-lb guy fell on him while playing sandlot football. Bruce Godfrey started as a child in Connecticut when his parents hoped to avoid surgery for him due to a congenital condition in his spine. Both continue to come many years later because they understand that the spine is directly connected to every part and every function of the body.

We talked a bit about how we could explain the need for chiropractic to people who know nothing about it. Both men agreed that it’s difficult to get people to understand that the adjustment is good for them when they may not see or feel anything that they can identify as being beneficial. Fortunately or unfortunately, the benefits of chiropractic are often not something that are tangible. How do you know if your body chemistry is better balanced or if your organs are functioning better or if your improved bowling score has anything to do with chiropractic? As insurance agents, both gentlemen understand the dilemma clearly. Both admit that “subluxation” (the million dollar word in chiropractic that refers to the situation of a bone of the spine being misaligned in such a way as to interfere with the nerve system) is not a term they use in conversation with their friends. Their attempts to share chiropractic with others are focused on the fact that a little thing can make a big difference. So despite the fact that you may feel fine you may still have a misalignment in your spine, and that misalignment, no matter how slight, can result in major differences, changes and possibly even problems in your body.

Jim commented that many people he talks with aren’t skeptical about chiropractic as much as they are afraid of the “crunching and being hurt.” Inevitably, one visit to our office quickly resolves those fears. We often hear comments like “Is that it!?!” and “Wow, that felt great.” Bruce added that he really appreciates that adjustments help him manage stress. He noted that he is a diabetic and stress puts additional sugar in his blood. They agreed that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease but a sensible, practical, logical approach to helping your body work as well as it can.

As our discussion drew to a close Dr. Joe came in and reminisced a while about Bruce’s parents who were among the very first practice members at the Strauss Chiropractic Center. It turns out that Bruce’s mom once had the pleasure of cleaning Dr. Joe’s first daughter’s dirty diapers at the original office, which was in his home on Primrose Lane in the Pinewood section at the time while Bruce’s father was among the first people to fall off the table during an adjustment. Imagine, these two people not only continued to come regularly but also brought their 3 sons one of whom some 30 years later says if there was a chiropractor right next door he would still come to see Joe. Both Bruce and Jim continue to refer their friends and family to the Strauss Chiropractic Center. Yes, partly because Joe is a genuinely nice person and yes partly because Joe provides them with a means of having their spines adjusted whenever they want in an affordable fashion but mostly because they realize a little thing like the adjustment can make a big difference in somebody’s life. Thank you Jim and Bruce for your delightful natures and your words of wisdom. We love being your chiropractors.

 

© Strauss Chiropractic Center 2003