Diet and Health

Posted On: June 26, 2014

I am Dr. David A. Johnson and I am licensed as both a chiropractic physician and as a physical therapist in Illinois. I am the owner and Director of Clinics at North Shore Spinal & Sports Rehabilitation located in Highland Park and Lake Bluff.

For years I have been teaching people rehabilitative exercise for various musculoskeletal conditions. The multimodal approach which combines chiropractic manipulation, myofascial release and therapeutic exercise for patient’s with lower back pain and neck pain has helped thousands of patients in my clinics.

I have become a specialist in the conservative management of orthopedic conditions. Years ago I got board certified in orthopedics as a chiropractic physician and got selected as a fellow by other practicing chiropractors. Being a specialist has it’s benefits, but also it’s draw backs. People typically present to my practice looking for specific answers to various musculoskeletal conditions. This has pigeon holed me into being a specialist and kept me away from the more general practice of holistic medicine.

To remedy this problem, I enrolled in a Masters Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice at the National University of Health Sciences (formerly the National College of Chiropractic). In this course I got reintroduced to general medicine taking courses in pharmacology, nutrition, pediatrics, geriatrics and physical diagnosis. The course was awesome and I learned some things, but what I learned the most was about diet.

I have always felt that I ate in a pretty healthy fashion, but I was wrong. Our instructor Dr. David Seaman a chiropractor introduced me to the work of Cordain and the paleo diet. This diet eliminates all sugar, wheat products, trans fats and dairy. It allows you to eat veges , fruit, nuts and meat. You basically eat like a caveman. He also suggested supplementing with vitamin D3, magnesium, omega III fish oils and good probiotic.

I have adopted this diet for myself, except I cheat and use some dairy products and I can tell you I have never felt better. I get virtually no joint pain and now am sporting a 180 pound body, which was my weight entering college. I lift weights and have more energy than guys half my age. Now that I have thoroughly researched and practiced this type of diet I am going to start suggesting to patients that they look into this as healthier alternative to the traditional American diet. By doing this I am hoping to help people not only with their musculoskeletal complaints but also to help them lead healthier lives, returning me more to my holistic roots as a chiropractic physician.

To learn more about our practice visit us at www.northshorerehab.com. To schedule an appointment, please call our Lake Forest, Lake Bluff office at 847.295.0920, or our Highland Park office at 847.432.4077.

You may also use our online Request an Appointment form.

Our Services

Physical Therapy

Massage therapy

Chiropractic Care

Conditions

What our patients are saying

North Shore, Dr. J and the staff were great. I started out with a pinched cervical nerve which was causing extreme pain and numbness in my arm. Surgery had been ruled out by the neurosurgeon after an MRI. My physical recommended a regimen of physical therapy which I undertook with NorthShore in November. At that time I had consistent pain in the range of 8-9 out of 10. I had trouble sleeping, driving and performing most normal daily activities due to the constant pain. I have now been through two series of physical therapy sessions with North Shore over a couple of months and the pain and numbness are completely gone. Based on my experience I would highly recommend North Shore for physical therapy treatment and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful as a bonus! Jon Heintzelman

Jonathan Heintzelman

All aspects of the rehab program were done with professionalism. Intake evaluation, exercise program, massage therapy and exit evaluation were all excellent and yielded excellent results for me. All of the staff are friendly and efficient. Dr. Johnson, Jeannette, Cyprian and Mary are friendly and make an otherwise difficult experience much more tolerable. I have gone to them on two occasions over the last several years for different injuries and, in both instances, my problems were resolved. I highly recommend them.

Lee Eddy

I was a patient 6 years ago, with lower back pain and herniation. My PT was excellent and I was back to exercise and resolution of pain and herniation. Recently I have had hip pain and and tingling down my leg. My evaluation with DR Johnson was very thorough and spot on. The PT with Dre was incredible. I am now pain free with a resolution of the tingling as well. I will definitely return for any future problems that may arise!

Barbara Bank