Conquer Health Chiropractic in St Johns, Florida has been a life-changing experience for my wife and me.

I am now in my late 40s, no longer as thin as I once was, and have a resume of office and physical jobs throughout my lifetime. For years, I have been dealing with constant pain in my life. Pain from being on my feet. Pain from sitting in a chair or driving too long. I would experience pain from lying in bed too long. Even pain from pushing a shopping cart through the grocery store. Some of life’s simplest tasks had me laid up for days, if not a week, from the pain I’d be in. My back would blow out every 4 to 6 weeks from just normal body movement, and I would not be able to carry anything more than a glass of water for days.

Less than 5 years ago, I was running 5Ks and lifting weights. People would often mistake me for 10 years younger than I was. How did I become this fragile old man? In my early 40s, I was strong and lean. I had days that hurt, but they were never THIS bad. How did this slow and steady march into being crippled up with virtually no activity sneak past me? No activity meant weight gain. Carrying more body weight meant more pain. This caused a repeating cycle to slide further down. I started to feel ashamed of how I looked. Faith and I took fewer selfies together. When camera phones came out at social gatherings, I’d make a point to step out of photos or try to stand behind Faith. Looking at pictures of the man I was not all that long ago, versus what I’d become, led to depression and anxiety piling on top of my situation.

What caused me to fall apart so quickly?

While TnF Farms was still an animal farm, I tried going to a rheumatologist. He couldn’t help me and offered no other suggestions. I wondered if I had Lyme disease. My regular doctor insisted that I didn’t, and it wasn’t worth checking. So many people told me to deal with it because I was getting old. Or it was genetics, or I wore my body out from all the weight lifting, being overweight in my 30s, and hard work. Many times, I tried to push through, but the pain would win again, and I’d give up a little more of who I once was. I’d take more and more over-the-counter pain meds. I’d go to the doctor and get stronger prescriptions just to try to function. For a lot of years, I accepted this mantra, and my life was going to conclude with me being lethargic and plump. One evening, I tried to do an easy lift in the gym. By the next day, I was in such pain, I couldn’t lift my right arm. I had had enough, and I was going to resist my apparent inevitability. Something was definitely wrong. It had been 8 years since I was seen by a chiropractor. If this wasn’t the solution, at least I could check it off my list.

I needed the right kind of professional help

Conquer Health was a top result when searching for Chiropractors in St. Johns, Florida. I filtered by reviews and reached out to the top 3. The first place never answered the phone and never called back. Contacting the second chiropractor’s office yielded a person who couldn’t answer basic questions and was only able to schedule me for an appointment over a week out.

Conquer Health had a perfect rating according to Google. It was either suspicious or these guys really knew what they were doing. They had not yet opened for the day, so I started by filling out a form on their website. I later received a call from a kind, very high-energy person named Kyanna. We discussed what I was going through, and she told me what to expect from Dr. Craig’s technique. Dr. Craig specializes in Gonstead chiropractic treatment. Kyanna did not promise that I would feel like I was 20 again, but she assured me that Gonstead chiropractic care would remedy a lot of the pain I was feeling.

Finally! Somebody not only listened, but they heard me!

I didn’t get the litany of reasons like you’re just getting old and take more pills to attenuate the pain. That call shined a spotlight into my despair, and I finally had hope that I could eventually confiscate my old life.

Time passed so slowly for that initial appointment at Conquer Health to come. In reality, I filled out the website form on Friday morning, they responded that afternoon, and scheduled me for the following Monday morning. My wife Faith was intrigued and decided she wanted to tag along just to see what everything was like. Conquer Health is a busy office. Kyanna helped me out, squeezing me in ASAP. Our first walk into Conquer Health, we knew we had stepped into a place that was special. The entire staff, including Dr. Craig, was in the reception area and welcomed us. My wife and I loved the beachy, chill vibe of the place, and everyone seemed truly genuine. Kyanna introduced herself and gave us a tour of Conquer Health. I appreciated that they didn’t have a million-dollar-looking office. The office included private treatment rooms and a healthy snack and refreshment area. I liked seeing the aquarium and surfboard in the waiting area. We found out later that it’s not just a decoration; on the weekends, Dr. Craig takes that very surfboard out and rides it!

Data collection and health assessment

My first visit was X-rays and some other equipment used to collect data on my body’s condition. Dr. Craig would later review that data and put together a plan to get me back to the best version of me possible. This plan came in the form of a personalized video. Is the video YouTube entertainment quality? No. It’s a single take of Dr. Craig analyzing the X-rays and data. He explained what’s going on with my body and his plan on how he can fix it. I have no medical training. Seeing the condition of my back in the X-rays revealed that aha moment; yes, this is why I have felt the way I have felt.

Finding out that I wasn’t going to get an adjustment at my initial consultation was a bummer. Dr. Craig’s wanting to analyze the data was a justification I understood. However, requested to start ASAP due to the pain I was in. Dr. Craig’s staff was very amicable and was able to get me started in my customized treatment plan later that day. From that first adjustment, I knew this was what my body needed. My wife saw it too. She had also succumbed to her aches and pains that came on from wrestling goats and working so hard on TnF Farms. This serves as proof that Faith is tougher than I am. All this time, I had complained about my pain. Instead of telling me about her pain, she stayed silent and helped me along. Seeing my improvement on day one prompted Faith to make an appointment for herself.

Faith is getting chiropractic care, too

Our appointments are scheduled together. Every week, Faith and I can feel the setbacks that held us down crumbling with every treatment. Many of our improvements snuck right by. We simply started living our lives again without the pain. Faith realized she could work in the garden for hours again. Getting up from a sitting position without a struggle happened so naturally, she forgot it used to hurt. I’m taking on bigger and bigger projects around our home. I went for a walk on the beach and logged 27,000 steps on sand, not even giving it a second thought. Before starting Gonstead chiropractic care with Dr. Craig, 5,000 steps on sand would have had me off my feet for days. Reclaiming the ability to move without pain, we’re both losing weight and have a more positive outlook on life.

Conquer Health Chiropractic has certainly earned its perfect rating on Google

I’ve been to a few chiropractors in my lifetime. Dr. Craig put together a plan for me that started with visits twice a week, which then tapered to a visit every few weeks. My treatment plan actually has an end date. Some of the chiropractors I’ve seen never did X-rays and just cracked my back every other week until I cancelled. But where Conquer Health is different, Dr. Craig’s treatment plan concludes with me living a normal life without pain in less than a year. I can keep coming if I want to, but Dr. Craig is confident I’ll be back to the old me. I’m less than 2 months into my treatment plan, and I believe him.

My wife and I have been surprised by how we’ve been treated (in a positive way) by all of the staff. They took the time to remember us, and we get greeted by name when we walk in. Dr. Craig is a genuinely warm person who takes a little time to be social with his patients. Faith and I really appreciate that he’s not some stuffy doctor who hides in his office and tries to interact as little as possible with patients. Instead, he kicks off our appointments with a smile and a fist bump like that friend you know you can count on.

If you are anywhere near the St. Johns, Florida area, Conquer Health Chiropractic can start you on a path to becoming the best you again, too!