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Spine and back docs gaining respect, clienteleBy Barbara Brown Dr. Pete Wurdemann decided he wanted to be a chiropractor when he was about 12 years old. But, he did not even know what chiropractors did until a seventh-grade basketball injury left him with a stiff neck. He couldnít turn his head straight from the right-facing position into which it had become tensed. After a week of missed school, ìbecause if you have anything wrong with you in seventh grade, the kids will just slaughter you,î Wurdemannís mother suggested that the young man visit a chiropractor. Wurdemann said he was so amazed by the chiropractorís care and the fact that his neck was moveable when he left the office ñ as opposed to being given pain pills by his regular physician ñ that he walked away from the visit telling his mother that becoming a chiropractor was his lifeís goal. ìI just thought, ëThis is cool,íî Wurdemann said. ìI canít imagine doing anything else.î Several years later, many of which were spent in school, Wurdemann said heís never regretted his career choice and that heís never had a bad day professionally. Now Wurdemann has two offices. The one in North Branch opened last fall and his office in Oakdale has been open about eight years. Chiropractors have been gaining the respect of people who have back, spine or neck pain over the years. Not only have client bases increased, but attraction to the field has raised the respect of other medical professionals. Chiropractic medicine is the second most popular practice in the field, Wurdemann said. Chiropractic care is for just about everyone, Wurdemann said. In any given week, the doctor can see patients aging from newborn to well into their 90s. The birthing process can put 60 pounds to 90 pounds of torque on the newborns spine, Wurdemann said. Many mothers are seeking check-ups by chiropractors to ensure that the spine is aligned properly after birth, he said. Wurdemann even adjusts the alignment of his wife of 12 years, Lisa, and his three children. ìIt sort of sounds like popcorn popping,î he said of the adjustment process. ìIt doesnít hurt.î Wurdemann said stress, illness, complications from trauma and even cancer can sometimes show up in a chiropractic evaluation before other medical procedures find evidence. Wurdemann said chiropractic care is not necessarily a long-term commitment. For some people, he said, adjustments and care will take longer depending on the patients goals from the chiropractic visits. Other patients, Wurdemann said, may only be interested in immediate pain relief and come to him once or twice. Wurdemannís consultations are complete with computerized diagnostic equipment. Using computerized scanning equipment, Wurdemann can determine what parts of the patientís back need attention. Colored bars appear on the computer screen over a rendering of a human back. The different colors, which range from yellow to red, tell the doctor the severity of the patientís nerve stress. Wurdemann said it doesnít take much pressure on nerves to disrupt the flow of vital information through the nervous system. He said the weight of one quarter on a nerve ending can be a detriment. Wurdemannís Elm Street office is open Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Call 651-674-2700 for appointments and information. ©ECM Post Review |