Cianci Chiropractic Center Success Stories

Nagging physical problems — some relatively minor, one potentially life-threatening – seemed to follow her around.

But Peggy Dooley of Denton dealt with them as they occurred and she recalls them now in quite a matter-offact way. She has been introduced to chiropractic care and obviously feels more comfortable about her life, less threatened by an aging body, less dominated by pain and discomfort, and comfortable in the knowledge that she has some idea of what makes the human body tick.

Peggy Dooley is a teacher, trained in special education. She applied those skills to the education of youngsters in the Talbot County school system for 30 years. It was, as a teacher, that she met a boy named Chris, then 4 1/2 years old, a boy for whom in 1988 she became a foster parent and whom when he was 7 years old, she adopted as her son.

Today she teaches at the Benedictine School in Ridgely and Chris works at the Caroline Center Inc., also in Ridgely. It wasn’t until the turn of the century – Peggy puts in somewhere in 2002 – that physical problem became an issue in her life.

First, it was painful bone spurs in her heels, which improved with medical attention and physical therapy; then the right knee began to lock up. That required arthroscopic surgery, and later, in 2004, first what she described as “partial knee surgery” and then, in 2005, total knee replacement at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore.

But the journey was not over. In the summer of 2006, Peggy said she noticed a puffiness in her neck. The subsequent search for the cause included a CAT scan which revealed an aneurism in her brain. It was repaired in an operating suite at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore on Nov. 6, 2006.

Shortly, Peggy resumed her life and returned to work at the Benedictine School. Then enter Dr. Christopher Cianci, Easton chiropractor. Peggy had begun to experience what she described as “a stiffness” in her hips and legs.

It was, she said, both uncomfortable and a major nuisance. And, in a way, a bit scary.

“I was having problems even getting out of the car. I was like a 100-year-old lady. I couldn’t straighten out … I couldn’t get my feet moving.” Peggy said she knew nothing about chiropractic care but had become familiar with Dr. Cianci’s chiropractic center through his columns in the local newspaper.

It was January 2012. She made an appointment for a consultation. During his extensive pre-treatment examination, Dr. Cianci suggested that Peggy attend one of his mini-seminars – he calls them health enrichment workshops – which he conducts periodically in his office. “It was wonderful. It was an education. He is a great teacher,” she said.

Dr, Cianci explained that patient education gets a high priority at the Cianci Chiropractic Center. Research shows that patients who understand more about their care tend to get better quicker and easier, he said.

“So we place a real focus on patient education here. That starts on the first visit to our office. All new patients see a sevenminute video that will briefly outline what the first visit will be like.”

When patients are familiar with what will take place in the office they are able to relax better when they are informed. Generally., Dr. Cianci said, a patient’s medical history is taken, some specialized nerve tests are performed and generally spinal x-rays are taken.

“This visit is about us gathering the information we need to thoroughly evaluate each patient as an individual,” he explained. “I generally will study the exam and x-ray findings that evening when I won’t be interrupted. We hope to have the patient come back as soon as the next day so we can answer the following questions. What’s wrong? Can we help? How long will it take? And how much will it cost?”

The education of the patient continues with another video, this one nine minutes long, that explains x-rays in an easy to understand format. After that Cianci explains the patient’s own x-rays in an easy-to-understand format.

On top of that, as Peggy Dooley mentioned, Dr. Cianci offers his health enrichment workshops. Each patient is required to attend at least one. Non-patients are invited, indeed encouraged to attend as well. Often a patients’ anxiety, questions, or remaining concerns can be handled by attending a workshop, the Easton chiropractor said.

These workshops are offered twice per month on Wednesdays. Non-patients just need to call our office to register, 410-820-4070.

“Our approach and our success with difficult cases stem from the approach that we don’t just tell patients what to do, instead we share information with them and they tend to choose how to approach it from an empowered, that is educated, point of view,” Dr. Cianci said. “Peggy Dooley is a great example of that.”

Peggy Dooley, who says the stiffness and discomfort for which she sought Dr. Cianci’s care is almost a thing of the past, stresses how important has been his workshop talks and ongoing chiropractic education during her adjustments.

“I am amazed,” she said, “that people do not pay more attention to the impact regular spinal care can have on the entire body function. Chiropractic care is not just about the back. It’s about the whole body,” she said.

She added that her regular adjustments have even improved her sense of smell. But that’s a story for another time.

Cianci Chiropractic, located at 8737 Brooks Drive in the Easton Industrial Park can help keep you on a healthy path.
Contact Cianci Chiropractic at 410-820-4070. You can also find Cianci Chiropractic online at www.drcianci.com.