Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Borer III.
Hi Robert, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I can remember the moment I decided to become a chiropractor. It’s a bit disconnected with when I actually became a chiropractor. But it was definitely the moment my life shifted and moved forever in that direction. I was in the middle of one of my life’s bucket moments. I was windsurfing the Gorge on the Hood River in Oregon, the windsurfing mecca of the USA, or attempting to at any rate. I had rented a full windsurfing rig and was in the middle of the Columbia River having a hard go of it. It was a windy day, as it usually is at the Gorge. In fact the very reason it is such a desirable destination – consistent, amazing wind created by the funnel of mountains on either side of the river and the junction between wet to the west and dry to the east – perfect wind conditions. Well it is sometimes hard to judge the size of sail you should rig up with. Too small and no fun, too big and overpowered and in the water a lot. Well I was in the water a lot. At some point I had to just rest, sitting on my board realizing that this was a total fail. And as I slowly drifted down the river trying to determine the best location to paddle to shore before I was swept out into the Pacific Ocean it dawned on me, how many more opportunities will I have to check something off my bucket list, much less ever get the opportunity to take another crack at this one? After all I was at the time an engineer with barely 2 weeks vacation to my name, and opportunities to get to places like the The Gorge were few and far between. I realized this was my one shot at the Gorge,… and I blew it. I would never get another chance. Something in that realization made my fierce drive to have more control over the shape of my future kick into full blown conviction. It was at that moment I decided to become a chiropractor. Prior to this moment I was a complete fan of chiropractic for my own health and holistic view of healing. Chiropractic had resolved my chronic mid back pain that I thought was due to my physical activities filled my weekends such as mountain biking, weight lifting and.. you guessed it windsurfing. I discovered that in fact after a few visits to my chiropractor that my pain was due to misalignments in my back and that once corrected my back could keep up with my active and demanding lifestyle just fine. So I was already a fan. Combine that with the fact that my wife had recently decided to become a chiropractor herself. The plan up to that point was for me to land engineering jobs here and there and for her to hang up her shingle in the towns where we were living. Now the new plan was for us both to become chiropractors and to hang up our shingle together. The rest of the story was mostly just following through on the many steps to obtain a degree and a license and begin helping people with grumpy backs. One of the most influential phases of both my wife Sherri’s and my development was interning in the office of Dr. E.L. Crowder’s, a man in his 80’s when we met and a 50 year veteran and specialist in the Upper Cervical Protocol. It was in his office that I gained an appreciation of the impact the top neck bone in the spine, the one your skull is resting on has on the entire body’s function and vitality. It was in his office multiple times a week for 2 years that Sherri and I were tested and challenged to understand how to apply what we learned in chiropractic college into technical competence and clinical decision making. Dr Crowder’s mentorship was a gift and a blessing and shaped who we are as chiropractors to this very day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth sailing is something you know you’re not signing up for when you become a chiropractor. It is rather refreshing how well accepted chiropractic is currently and how mainstream going to a chiropractor is now. But 25+ years ago when we started our practice, old incorrect views of our profession were widespread and continually stoked by a jealous rival profession that did everything it could to put not just our office, but the entire profession out of business. I’m talking about the medical profession as a whole. In fact the AMA lost a lawsuit in the 80’s that proved their agenda was to put chiropractors out of business. This is no conspiracy theory, look it up Wilk vs the AMA (as in the American Medical Association). Well guess what the underdog won! But old habits die hard. The AMA continued to try to put us out of business in ways they were able to legally such as influencing insurance reimbursement to make it hard for chiropractors to financially make a living. But despite all of this people kept walking in our doors. The most common story we have heard over the years is that people are sick and tired of taking drugs as a solution to their pain and were looking for a natural way to address the cause of their pain to make it go away for good. Once we got people feeling better the word spread and we had lifelong fans. At least half our patients stick around for regular visits long after the initial crisis is resolved. They love feeling great and want to keep it that way to continue to enjoy their active lifestyles. No time to let pain slow them down again. At this point the vast majority of people that walk through our doors have been referred by a family member, friend or coworker. We now see patient’s kids, who were just kids themselves when they first arrived in our office. Really amazing to see multiple generations benefiting from keeping their spines lined up.
We’ve been impressed with Borer Family Chiropractic, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Precision and accuracy as opposed to brute force is the hallmark of the care delivered at Borer Family Chiropractic, with an emphasis on the importance of getting the alignment of the top bone in the neck, the Atlas bone, just right. When the atlas bone along with the other bones in the spine are aligned with precision great improvements can be made in ones quality of life that far exceed most peoples expectations for what is possible. While the doctors at Borer Family Chiropractic are skilled and accomplished at helping a wide range of problems involving virtually every joint in the body, what truly sets the doctors apart is the deep and comprehensive skill, understanding and experience at aligning the atlas bone. Our diagnostic protocols including digital x-ray analysis of misalignment down to the degree as well as daily thermal testing to detect the presence of nerve pressure to increase certainty and objectivity in determining the course of action for every visit to our office is where our doctors truly excel. Close monitoring of progress and frank assessment of future improvement can always be expected. A scan of our google reviews will give a sense of what is possible for those seeking help. Each google review is a heartfelt expression of the joy at the resolution of years of suffering. Each google review is thoughtfully written and lengthy, not some canned response from a service that badgers clients to leave reviews. Each google review was left with intentionality, after receiving an improvement in ones quality of life that was as meaningful to the doctor as it was to the patient.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The chiropractic profession as a whole has a bright future. Over the past 20+ years of being in practice we have seen the profession from one of being viewed with skepticism to one that is fully accepted and sought after. In the early days of practice people needed detailed descriptions and explanations of what our profession was all about and what it could do for their health improvement. Nowadays, while some details about methodology or approach may be needed (there is quite a lot of variation and diversity within the profession) most people know in general what to expect and that our profession is a solid and reliable option when considering solutions to their problems.
The future looks even brighter with a very pro-natural health administration currently in office. RFK Jr is making big strides to reign in big-pharma and big-medicine and level the playing field for “alternative” or more natural approaches to health and healing.
Given a level playing field our profession will excel and continue to grow in adoption and popularity. Most people when given a choice and are not limited by economic factors favor a more “non-invasive” and more “natural” approach to healing. Very few people actually want to take more medications or have more surgeries if they have a reliable, cost-effective and convenient alternative that helps them avoid those options. Chiropractic delivers this solution and fills this need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://borerchiro.com
- Instagram: @drrobborer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BorerFamilyChiropractic/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobborer
- Twitter: @drrobborer
- Youtube: @BorerChiropractic
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/borerchiro/
