As I look back on the 18 years I have been in practice, I feel a warm satisfaction at the sheer number of people I’ve been able to help. I often think of how many people might still suffer from pain and limitations if they had not been able to see me. Hopefully, many would have gone on to see someone else and felt improvement in their condition.
And yet, still others may never have received treatment. For me, the biggest tragedy of life is unfulfilled potential. That includes the physical realm. We will never know how many people live their lives in a limited manner because they never knew about chiropractic. Their lives may be limited physically because of pain. They may also be limited in their relationships and home life due to physical pain.
I practiced my 1st year out of chiropractic school in Atlanta. But I am originally from the Bay Area and wanted to return. Although I grew up in the East Bay, I chose to set up my practice in Marin County, more specifically San Rafael. The reasons were partly self-motivated and partly altruistic. Personally, I was attracted to the natural beauty of Marin County. This is where wanted to live.
At the same time, I knew that Marin held an active population of people for whom hiking and mountain biking and staying active was a normal part of their lifestyle. I knew that this was a place where I could make a difference. People who have enjoyed good health and an active lifestyle are particularly taken aback when they can no longer exercise or can no longer go through life the way they once did because of physical limitations. These can come from injury or sometimes even age. I knew this was where I could help. As I think about it, I suppose a part of me was also self-motivated in that I wanted to take on challenges such as helping a middle-age athlete recover from an injury or helping someone push themselves physically in a way they thought would never be possible again.
Either way, as I drive home at the end of the day and look at the beautiful San Rafael hills, I hope that there are hikers and joggers on those trails that would not be there if had not set up my clinic in San Rafael. I also look forward to another couple decades of helping the people in Marin County live their lives to the fullest.