About
Hello, and welcome. I’m Dr. David Martin, a Gonstead Chiropractor in South Durham, North Carolina.
My approach to chiropractic can be described in six words: Find the problem. Fix the problem.
Every day I see people in my office who are sick and tired of temporary “solutions” that only mask the pain, but do not get to the source of their problem.
That’s what I love about chiropractic — particularly the Gonstead technique I’ve been practicing for 20 years. As a Gonstead chiropractor, my objective is first to find the precise location in your spine where the problem is coming from (which is not always necessarily where you feel it hurting). Then with careful, manual adjustments, we fix it. Sounds simple, right?
You’d be surprised… I see people all the time who have “tried it all.” They’ve been to medical doctors, taken painkillers, done physical therapy, stretched, iced, exercised, in some cases even had surgery. And they’re frustrated because all the treatments just focused on the symptom (the pain) but did nothing to actually FIX the underlying problem. I get it. I’d be frustrated too!
That’s the key difference you’ll notice here. We find and fix the structural cause.
If you’re dissatisfied with symptom care and ready to fix the problem once and for all, I invite you to come in and sit down with me for a complimentary consultation. In my office, the consultation is a conversation not a commitment. I’ll be honest with you and tell you if I think I can help you. If not, I’ll tell you that, too, and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction. Either way, your first step is to come in. Give the office a call at 919-794-4455 or schedule online.
How I Became a Chiropractor
I used to wrestle in high school, and one day at practice I hurt my neck. At first I ignored it, even though I was experiencing headaches and neck pain almost every day. But after a while, it got so bad it was hard to sleep. My neck hurt every single morning when I woke up. My parents took me to see a chiropractor, and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt after just a few adjustments. It made such a strong impression on me that I decided I wanted to become a chiropractor myself.
What’s Distinct About My Practice:
X-ray-based treatments: I think it’s irresponsible to adjust the spine without an x-ray. Best-case scenario, the adjustment is not as specific as it could be. Worst case, it’s dangerous. More than once in 20 years of practice, I’ve discovered hairline fractures in a person’s spine. If that person had gone to a chiropractor who adjusts without an x-ray, it could have been a major problem. Every time something like that happens, it confirms one of my core beliefs as a doctor of chiropractic: To see is know. To not see is to guess. (Aside benefit of taking before and after x-rays is that you can see improvement with your own eyes.)
Manual adjustments: Some chiropractors use instruments like an activator or impulse adjuster. For a small percentage of people, these kinds of instruments make sense, and I have them on hand in case we need to use them. But no instrument is as sensitive as the nerves in the human hands. I use my hands to find the problem, and after confirming it with an x-ray and thermal scan, I use my hands to make the adjustment.
Precise adjustments: I don’t do regional adjustments. My goal is to move the right bone, at the right angle, just the right amount. No “pop-and-pray” adjustments here. If you’ve been to a chiropractor before who treated you without an x-ray or adjusted general regions of your spine, you will be amazed when you feel the difference a precise Gonstead adjustment makes.
Education, Training & Experience
2015 – PRESENT
Founder / Owner
Precision Chiropractic, Durham NC
2012 – 2014
Founder / Owner / Senior Doctor
Bella Vista Family Chiropractic, Philadelphia PA
2011 – 2012
Managing Doctor Quirosalud Borjesson, Arequipa Peru
2000 – 2014
Founder / Owner / Senior Doctor
Martin Family Chiropractic, Johnson City NY
Doctorate of Chiropractic
Palmer Chiropractic College, Davenport IA
Bachelor of Science
Moody Bible Institute, Chicago IL
Gonstead Technique for Spinal Care
200+ post-graduate hours
Memberships
International Chiropractic Association
International Pediatric Chiropractic Association
North Carolina Chiropractic Association
Past President of NY Chiropractic Council District 12