Dear Practice Member,

NUCCA changed my life. I can't imagine where I'd be today, let alone in 20 years, if I hadn't made a trip to Dr. Ray Marshall's office in Tulsa, Oklahoma in September of 2001.

I grew up under traditional chiropractic care. I've been adjusted since I was born. Why? Because my Grandmother is alive today due to a chiropractic miracle over 50 years ago. She was pregnant with my father, and was told that she wouldn't make it out of the pregnancy alive because of a heart condition. Needless to say, she did, and is one of the healthiest 87 year old women that I know. As she tells me today, her dad urged her to see a chiropractor and she didn't understand why. She hesitantly went, over 50 years ago (when chiropractic was still illegal to practice in many states!). Her life changed, as did the lives of her children and grandchildren. My grandmother is the only 87 year old person I know that is not on any medications! See, the body needs no help, just no interference!

Chiropractic has therefore been a part of my life since birth. Unfortunately, during my high school years I used it as pain management and not as wellness care. I would see my chiropractor during the migraines I suffered with... not before to prevent the migraines! I also suffered with horrible seasonal allergies throughout my teenage years. I even went to my medical doctor's office every week for allergy shots. When I went away to undergrad at Grand Valley, I lost touch with the chiropractic lifestyle, and continued to suffer with migraine headaches and seasonal allergies.

I then moved to Davenport, Iowa to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic, the Fountainhead of Chiropractic. I finally understood chiropractic as a part of a wellness lifestyle. I got adjusted weekly, and my allergies disappeared! So did my migraine headaches! I didn't get sick very often! I had more energy! I felt great!

I felt so great, I started to train for the Portland Marathon in the summer of 2001. As I started running miles and miles, I started to develop knee pain. Not any type of knee pain, but excruciating knee pain. The pain was so bad that I could no longer walk up or down stairs at Palmer. I was only 23 years old. I had the best chiropractors in the world adjusting my knee. I was in physical therapy for my knee to rehabilitate my knee. But to no avail. I gave up on the idea of running the marathon; I struggled to run 10 miles with the pain, and I couldn't even imagine running the 26.2 miles. My intern at Palmer and my rehabilitation doc told me that I may need surgery.

It was then that one of my friends urged me to check out NUCCA. I couldn't understand how an atlas adjustment could help my knee. But, reluctantly, with two friends at my side, we drove the 10 hours to Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 13, 2001 to get adjusted by Dr. Ray.

And let me tell you... I was skeptical. But as I sat in the recovery room that day, I noticed a strong pulling on the right side of my middle back. And I was extremely tired. I slept almost all weekend! We all laugh now, saying how boring Tulsa Oklahoma was! Needless to say, we didn't realize that our bodies were healing while we slept.

Once I got back to Iowa, I started to run. The knee pain was gone! I could walk up and down stairs without any problems for the first time in months! Then, one day, the pain was back. I had lost my adjustment. But as soon as my spine was re-corrected, the knee pain went away. The knee was my indicator for a while, but then things started to change. As the months went on, I realized that as long as I was in alignment, my vision was crisp and clear. But as soon as my adjustment would stress, my right eye would get blurry. I started to sleep through the nights, but as soon as I lost my adjustment I'd wake up in the middle of the night. These are some of my indicators that I use to this day to know when I'm in or out of adjustment.

So, what was the "pulling" sensation I had in the middle of my back the day of my very first NUCCA adjustment? I've had a slight curvature in my spine for years. All I can figure is the body was trying to straighten my spine. I had x-rays taken recently of my thoracic area, and, lo and behold, the curve has decreased significantly! Granted, it's been almost five years, but think of where it would have been if I never found NUCCA. "Mild curvatures" in spines do not stay as a "mild curvature"... they do turn to a scoliosis at some point. But by keeping my body in alignment, the body is able to correct the curvature!

As fate would have it, I became an associate doctor at Marshall Spinal Care in Tulsa following graduation. I saw many more students make the drive from Iowa to Oklahoma, in search of answers to upper cervical care. And, to this day, we all have become part of a very small group of doctors that practice NUCCA. Why wouldn't we? We see miracles everyday in our offices!

Thanks for being a part of our office, and helping us in our mission of helping and serving humanity. We're changing lives... a spine at a time.

Dr. Lisa

• I have been under Chiropractic care since the 1970's. My husband introduced me to chiropractic shortly after we were married because of a chronic indigestion problem. Chiropractic had been part of their family health care since he was a child. It was their first choice for health care. I was familiar with the concept of an adjustment because I had always been under the care of an Osteopath, but manipulations were only performed when you had back pain.

I was having chronic indigestion and nausea every evening and so I sought chiropractic care in October of 1974. The indigestion subsided after one adjustment. I continued with regular chiropractic adjustments for not only the indigestion problem but for health maintenance.

In 1998 I tripped and fell onto my right knee. This eventually caused severe hip socket pain. Pain which was so intense that it woke me up from sleep during the night. This throbbing pain which radiated to my knee made it impossible to fall back into a sound sleep. I continued to see my traditional chiropractor who would adjust my pelvis each time the hip pain became unbearable. I also had an area of stabbing pain between my shoulder blades that at times, would take my breath away.

I was introduced to the NUCCA care concept in 2001. I started with NUCCA adjustments and immediately noted a difference in the pain between my shoulder blades. After routine adjustments I no longer have pain in my mid back or in my hip. I now hold by adjustment for 3 - 4 weeks at a time. I now sleep throughout the night without being awakened with radiating hip pain. NUCCA Chiropractic put me to sleep!

Thank you Dr. Lisa!!

Sherrie L.

• After reading Dr. Lisa's announcement of her move to Chelsea, I was impressed by her credentials. After my first appointment, I was convinced that the doctor -with her technical expertise, sophisticated equipment and modern facilities were the real thing. As time progressed and my back felt better, my wife, daughter and granddaughter also became patients. We consider Dr. Lisa to be first class in all respects. She has modern technical skills coupled with an obviously high level of personal intelligence. Add all that to the fact that she is a good citizen as evidenced by her interest in civic and community affairs. She is, plain and simple, more than an excellent doctor. She is a plain good person that any family could be proud of. We are all pleased with the improvements in our health and with the young lady that made that happen.

Bill B.