Review from Sean M.
Source: Google | Feb 27, 2024
Imagine your physician recommending that you schedule an appointment with a chiropractor.
Stop laughing, I'm serious.
The truth is, that doesn't happen. Chiropractic care doesn't align with Western medical practices. For a back-related ailment, you'll instead be prescribed some muscle relaxants and sent home. You may even get a referral for physical therapy or a pamphlet for self-exercises.
I got the pamphlet and was told to look the exercises up on YouTube to see how they were done.
My doctor missed the mark on the severity of my pain and mistook my good nature for me not being serious about wanting to jump off a cliff.
Dr. Tatone, however, had no problem referring me to someone outside of his specialty when it was the right choice.
I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it's defined as "...a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower part of your back."
According to me, it's a pain worse than childbirth. Keep in mind that I'm a guy who has been told to not use that comparison around women who may have actually given birth.
Dr. Tatone has been my chiropractor for many years. Up until the condition that quite literally crippled me for a couple of months, my visits were merely to address the occasional sore neck or aching back.
I went to Dr. Tatone for what felt like a pinched nerve that wouldn't stop pinching.
It was in between visits to him that I attempted every other means of getting this baby out of me. My PCP also referred me to a massage therapist. They, too, were dumbfounded when every trick up their soft, warm, comfy, though slightly undersized towel didn't seem to resolve the issue.
I chose to stop messing around and scheduled another appointment to get that magical chiropractic adjustment.
Dr. Tatone can quickly size up what's causing the discomfort that brought the visit on. There was concern on his face when I told him about my escapades while trying to figure out what would fix this glitch in my system.
After a few simple tests to check my nerve response, he politely refused to adjust me again without X-rays and an MRI.
Almost in the same breath, he explained how far back surgery had come and that it was no longer done with a hatchet and a fork and knife. I'm paraphrasing, I think he left the fork part out.
My chiropractor had just recommended that I may need to seek the help of a spine surgeon.
Yikes.
I figured I was on my own at that point.
I've experienced a few iterations of Dr. Tatone's office. After years with several staff members assisting him, it's now just him and his wife Maggie. It's by far my favorite iteration. The two of them work in tandem. I'll let them say which of them is the brains and which is the brawn, but I've seen them both play each respective role when necessary.
I can't even begin to explain how both John and Maggie advocated for me throughout this process and not only pointed me in all the right directions but also continuously followed up with me afterward.
It's been 11 months since my back surgery. I've been back for a few adjustments, with the approval of my surgeon of course who chopped me up and put me back together nearly a year ago.
He was spoken highly of by Dr. Tatone and Maggie as well. When I told him that my chiropractor had ultimately led me to seek his services, he asked for their name. When I said John Tatone, his response given with great conviction was, "He's a fine chiropractor."
I later learned that neither of them had ever met. It was through word of mouth about the care that they each had provided for their patients that instilled the respect that they clearly showed for each other.
We all need to be fixed or taken care of at some point. Rather than treating the symptom, Dr. Tatone seeks to address the underlying cause.
For me, it's a two-hour round-trip for the opportunity to have whatever I put out of place put back into place and the chance to catch up with two people who show sincere concern and care for my well-being.
I'd make that trip any day of the week.