Discover practical insights, effective treatments, and tips for enhancing your overall well-being.
I’m from Florida and I really wanted to be back home… what better place than Fort Myers and Lehigh to start a practice.
We work very closely with other providers that have the best equipment because to me it’s important that a patient has not only great treatment but they have diagnostics that mirror what we’re doing.
I think it’s clear to see that we have invested a substantial amount in the latest technology, finest equipment available. My father always told me if you are going to do a job, do it right or don’t do it at all.
No two patients are identical. Their conditions are not identical and so we can’t use a cookie cutter approach, that’s not fair… they deserve a very tailored, custom designed treatment program.
Our clinics have the best spinal decompression machines that you can buy… DRX9000 and the AccuSpinas, those are the top two machines available. Besides that we have high powered laser… radial pressure wave… chiropractic tables.
When it comes to education, we’re constantly doing seminars. I’m a member of the National Spine Management Group. This is a group that incorporates other disciplines. I’m getting training from all these different disciplines to find out what’s the latest, what’s the greatest techniques.
We had found that we had patients driving two hours, actually, to get to our clinic and we wanted to be able to offer services to more people.
We have what I believe is great holistic pain management… it’s us. It’s our clinic. it’s our staff, it’s our equipment. Our knowledge base.
The non surgical approach should be the first approach because it’s the safest approach.
I’m very fortunate to have Jamie as my partner… If I focused on all of that it would take away from the level of care that I’m providing my patients. A great team is important.
When I ask a patient how did you hear about me? They say my next door neighbor, my brother, you worked with my mom, my cousin. That is awesome because that means we’re doing something right.
It’s amazing to see how many patients can improve by just some small tweaks to what they’re eating or some of their habits of what they’re doing throughout the day.
There’s times I need to refer to a neuroradiologist, orthopedist, internal medicine… I pride myself in seeking out the best doctors to refer my patients to.
Absolutely. First of all, patients will meet with Dr. Ivan to have a discussion of their past history, their current condition and diagnostics if any. I ensure a thorough read of their MRI reports and images to make sure nothing’s been missed. We then tailor a custom approach based on their unique condition. We then embark on initiating treatment and as mentioned before, we have our periodic re-evaluations to see if we’re meeting our goals. Remember, no two patients are exactly the same.
Thus far, our clinic is exceeding expectations. It was a great decision to stretch service to the South Fort Myers area and to the people affected most by Hurricane Ian.
Typically, the first visit will last approximately 1-1½ hours. This includes a one-on-one consultation with the doctor, an examination and x-rays if needed. The doctor will explain the results of the examination and x-rays and then formulate a plan of care. It also includes the first treatment. It’s a pretty comprehensive visit.
By showing patients their actual x-rays, their actual MRI images and by using anatomical models, I feel we really help patients grasp a mental picture of what’s truly going on inside. Then we demonstrate how the equipment in the office is designed to alleviate their pain and increase their function.
You know, this world in which we live is so results driven. And because of that, people have become impatient. This is where it gets scary for me. This is where the rubber meets the road. In our clinic, we utilize MRI as the gold standard for spinal and joint conditions, and as an assist to the design of our treatment programs. I always view the MRI images when available. Most chiropractors only rely on what the radiologist puts in the report. I’ve called the radiologist personally and asked them to review the films with me. It’s vital that we have an open line of communication to improve a patient’s outcome.
Obviously, neck and back issues and headaches top the chart. Knees respond very well to our Knee-On-Trac decompression, while hip and shoulder pain respond very well to shock wave and laser therapy. These modalities are utilized at major universities, pro sports teams and research clinics. It’s truly amazing as to what therapy can accomplish.
Every patient meets with Dr. 1st and is encouraged to give a full comprehensive account of their unique condition. As treatment begins, we have periodic re-evaluation’s to ensure that we are meeting our treatment goals and the patient expectations.
In my opinion it’s very important that a patient take the time to look at all conservative treatment methods available to them. If they’re even considering going to a chiropractor, Look around… Take a look at the doctors website… How much have they invested in that clinic? Again, no 2 Chiropractic clinics are the same either. Trust me, there are plenty of doctors offices that I’d never step into. I feel very confident that anyone who steps into 1 of our facilities, will “feel the difference”. This place didn’t just happen by chance. They can tell that everything and every inch of this space has a purpose. And that purpose is to help them improve their health!
Wow, that is an interesting question because I think we’ve had many success stories and yet most of them revolve around being able to keep people out of surgery. Yet there are times, it’s important to get them to “the right” surgeon. I have discovered several cases of potentially life threatening conditions that were missed by other medical centers. We’ve been able to get them steered in the right direction before it’s too late. You can imagine how that felt for all of us. Amazingly satisfying.