The latest technology in pain management is on full display in Dr. Gregory Chapman’s ProAdjuster Chiropractic Clinic, but it is his deep passion for helping all who walk through the door that has brought devoted patients into his office for over 40 years.
Dr. Chapman and his wife Jill moved to Missoula in 1984 upon his graduation from the National College of Chiropractic. He wasted no time opening his practice and has been a vital part of Missoula’s therapeutic medical community ever since, all while he and Jill raised an active family. His interest in the practice of chiropractic traced back to his own childhood while growing up in Minnesota. “My dad and my uncle were chiropractors. It was in our family and in our blood,” he says. “I knew I wanted to do this when I was in the seventh grade. I saw what my dad did in his office and experienced chiropractic treatment myself. It was absolutely amazing what he did. He was very talented in his field.”
Dr. Chapman chose Missoula as the place to set down roots also at an early age. When he was in high school, his class came out to Glacier National Park on a field trip. Unfortunately, he was unable to go. “I stayed home to work and missed out on the trip, so I always was intrigued by Montana. I ended up being the only one from my class who moved out here. Everyone else stayed back home,” he laughs. “We’ve been in Missoula for 41 years now and raised six children here. We just love the community and it provided an awesome environment for our kids to grow up and become contributing adults to our society.”
Throughout his lifetime, Dr. Chapman has seen the chiropractic field progress, especially as far as technological advancements, but he is aware that some people’s impression of the methods he uses can remain stuck in the past. He says, “The concept that most people have is popping and cracking bones. That’s not nearly the only thing I do. My treatments have evolved significantly over the years that I’ve been in practice.”
As a patient of Dr. Chapman, you will take comfort in the knowledge that his main goal is to help get you through a traumatic time whether that stems from a single injury or debilitating chronic pain. He always begins with an initial consultation to discuss what is causing your complaint, how long your pain has lasted, its severity, and how it effects your daily life. “I want to know everything I can about why you’re here,” he says. “The more I know about my patients, the more I can help them. I take the time to listen and understand their problems so we can devise a plan.” This focused personal approach, along with the help of extensive cutting-edge technology like thermal scans of the spine and galvanic skin response, which indicates stress levels, helps him to know what all the nerves of the body are doing.
Dr. Chapman explains that the field of chiropractic is rooted in the philosophy that the brain controls the body, and that the only connection between the brain and body is the spinal cord and the nerves that branch out from it. Our nerves affect everything that goes on with our bodies from pain to digestive issues to mental health, so if there’s interference in the nervous system it will alter or effect how the body functions.
Overall health and wellness are Dr. Chapman’s end goals for every patient. “Half of my practice involves a series of diagnostic tests. The other half is developing and providing a treatment plan based on what we found,” he says. “I don’t like to go into long extensive treatment plans. I devise a plan that might be only 10 or 12 treatments that last 45 minutes to an hour that are in nature more therapeutic and rehabilitative.”
Every treatment session begins with laying on a water table which helps to relaxes the muscles and prepares them for the more focused treatments. “It’s like being in a hot tub without getting wet,” says Dr. Chapman. He will then go on to use a variety of both hands-on and electronic treatments.
Far Infrared Light Therapy addresses skin conditions such as acne as well as stimulates metabolism to aid in weight loss. The Magnesphere helps alleviate pain, reduces inflammation, and improves circulation. The large machine and can look intimidating at first, but even the most nervous of patients will feel relaxed as you lie back in the Magnesphere’s comfortable chair and sweet Molly the one-eyed chihuahua hops up and falls asleep in your lap during restful sessions.
One of the most impressive tools at Dr. Chapman’s disposal is the ProAdjuster 360 which measures the motion in individual joints to help him see how the joint is moving. It then sends pulses into the joint to reduce spasms and restore motion. He discovered this treatment personally when he injured his wrists. “It was a silver lining in a dark cloud in my life and helped me to continue to practice,” he says. “If I can provide relief without the popping and cracking and the twisting and turning by using technology, then I can take all the fear out of chiropractic. Chiropractic isn’t dangerous, but if you think it is then that fear is real to you, and I respect that. If I can take that fear away by using a different technique, we can accomplish the same goals and have an even greater effect.”
“I want to know everything I can about why you’re here. The more I know about my patients, the more I can help them."
Second pull quote for Flex Page:
"Chiropractic isn’t dangerous, but if you think it is then that fear is real to you, and I respect that. If I can take that fear away by using a different technique, we can accomplish the same goals and have an even greater effect."