Pain in my low back, hip, and glute stopped me from running, hiking, kickboxing, and playing volleyball after 35 years--I'm 47. I had already seen my sports medicine doctor (MD) a couple times, two physical therapists, two other chiropractors, massage therapists, and a pain management doctor (MD) before a gal from my gym recommended John (Dr. Ball) to me. All the professionals I had already seen essentially spent 10 minutes with me, gave me their "one size fits all" spiel, and sent me on my way. And both prior chiropractors insisted on cracking my back upon arrival because I guess that's their treatment for most issues. None was able to find a reason or long term solution for my pain.
When my gym friend recommended yet another chiropractor, I was definitely skeptical to say the least, but I was desperate plus she said that she and several other triathletes from our gym went to him with good results so I figured it was worth a shot.
Even when I first walked in the door, it felt different than other chiropractic offices that I've been in because the other patients were primarily young or middle-aged athletes not geriatric couch potatoes. Plus his office decor definitely gives off the vibe that his practice caters to athletes.
The first time I met him, I was surprised at how young he was but I found him to be a good listener, well spoken, and patient. It was immediately evident that he was interested in partnering with me to figure out what my issues were and how he could be a part of the solution. Unlike my experience with other chiropractors, John only did what he felt I needed which was soft tissue work at that time. He took the time to explain in detail what was causing my pain. After having countless other professionals fumble with working on my back/glute, I could immediately tell that John was experienced with running injuries just by the way he knew exactly where my knots were and how to work them out. He also showed me how to minimize my need to visit him by using a foam roller and lacrosse ball. The manual work he did on me was painful but I felt immediate relief of many of my symptoms after the first time I saw him.
That was about three years ago. I have seen John off and on in the interim with various other issues and he, more than any of my MD's, has been an invaluable resource to have because of his passion for evidence-based solutions, his willingness to partner with and refer to other health care providers, and because he has his ego in check which I've found can be difficult to find in that industry. Plus he's just a real nice guy who genuinely cares about his patients.
He's not cheap but he's worth every penny. His staff is great too. I've referred several friends to him just because I don't want anyone to have to be in pain if there's a "hidden gem" resource like John out there that can help. read more