Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Pace.
Brian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I guess my story begins during my childhood. I used to love watching Marcus Welby, MD and Dr. Tim Johnson on TV. I couldn’t get enough of anything medical or having to do with how the human body worked. My reading for enjoyment would be a biology text from the library to learn how the heart worked or some other aspect of human anatomy and physiology. Although I didn’t always understand it at an early age, I was still fascinated by it. When I was in high school, I thought that it would naturally be the plan to go to medical school. I got my first job in the healthcare field as an orderly in a couple of local hospitals. It was through those amazing experiences that I realized that as wonderful as the medical field is, it was not congruent with who I was. At that same time, my father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and was predicted only a short time left to live. The pain of his condition and the side effects of his treatments led us to try things we had never tried before – one of which was Chiropractic. Right from the start, the chiropractor and the profession made a big impression on me. The chiropractor let me spend a day here and there following him around in his office as he treated his patients. There were times when my brother and I would have to almost carry my father into his office for a treatment, and he would almost always be able to walk out on his own. The chiropractor told me about the natural healing capacity of the body, and that although chiropractic is not a cure for cancer, it provided more pain relief than the morphine injections that we were instructed to give my father whenever he wanted in order to make him comfortable. My father said that the morphine just made him spacey. As I learned more about the human body and physiology, and the more I learned about chiropractic, I came to realize that delivering Chiropractic care to people as a means of improving overall health was much more congruent with who I am. I attended Boston College and graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology in 1981. I then went on to Palmer College of Chiropractic, the birthplace and fountainhead of Chiropractic located in Davenport, Iowa. I graduated in 1985 with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and worked for six months as an associate in the office of the chiropractor who took care of my father. I opened my own practice in Saugus, and have been there since June of 1986. I am so thankful for the support of my loving family that helped me get to where I am today, and to the wonderful people in and around Saugus where I practice. I have met such wonderful people along with way that have become friends and patients. My patients are a blessing to me and I cherish each and every one of them. I have come to realize that as much as they may come to me for my services, they also give back to me something so dear to me – a true purpose in life that is bigger than myself, and that I am so honored and humbled to be able to provide.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey had its challenges to overcome. My father passed away during my time at Boston College. When I went on to Chiropractic college, I remember packing up most of my belongings in four old beat up suitcases kept closed with rope because the latches didn’t work well, and then getting on a plane to take me to the Quad Cities. I didn’t have any idea the way, but I figured once I arrived at the airport, I could hire a cab to take me to the college – which I did. I had to find roommates and housing by the end of the day in order to have a place to sleep. It all worked out because all of us students were in the same boat. We spent the years studying together, growing to become physicians together, and in a lot of cases becoming very close friends who became part of each other’s weddings.
Then, when I decided to open my own practice, acquiring the funds necessary to equip and run the office was another challenge. I was fortunate enough to make some valuable connections that led me to meeting more people and getting the word out that my practice existed.
The ongoing challenges today in private practice are with regard to compliance and technology issues. When I first entered practice, there was almost none of it. Over the years, they have both increased, one could argue, for the better. Over the past few years, however, the requirements in order to maintain compliance and keep up with ongoing changing technology have become burdensome and expensive.
Pace Family Chiropractic – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My company is called Pace Family Chiropractic. We have been located in Saugus since 1986. We provide chiropractic care to people of all ages. I have taken care of infants, adolescent athletes, seniors, and everyone in between. I specialize in posture correction. I will typically take a posture picture of a patient in front of a grid when they first begin. The patient can actually see for themselves their posture in the beginning and as it improves. Perhaps their head may have protruded forwarded or they may have some restricted movements in their lower back. A very common problem for most people today is what’s commonly referred to as Forward Head Posture. It is caused mainly from our lifestyle today. We live on our hand-held devices. We sit at a desk, at a computer, or in our car way too long. It actually changes our posture. We have always referred to our spine as our “backbone”. When we change the shape or alignment of our backbone, it sets us up for all sorts of health issues. Our weightbearing changes, which places increased stress on areas that aren’t optimal. It can also put pressure on nerves that can negatively affect the function of the organs, glands or body parts supplied by those nerves.
I have an “Our Patients Speak” binder in my office which is full of unsolicited testimonials from my patients that were excited about the results that they achieved at my office, and they wanted to tell others so that they might benefit as well.
One of the services that I offer that very few chiropractors offer is that I perform physical examinations for the Department of Transportation (DOT). I am a National Registry provider, which is a federal certification. What that means is that any driver with a commercial driver’s license or a driver needing a workplace physical exam, which is a yearly or biannual requirement, need to have their exam performed by a physician that is on the National Registry. It’s satisfying and I get to meet a lot of great people that may not necessarily want to receive chiropractic care at that point.
I don’t think it necessarily sets me apart from my colleagues, but I can tell you that I absolutely love what I do and I love helping people. I respect people enough to give them what they want, and not push my beliefs on them. I have a passion for educating people about living a healthy lifestyle through chiropractic care which involves the importance of spinal care, nutrition, rest, exercise, and a positive and grateful attitude. Some patients may not be quite there yet on their journey in life…and that’s OK because I always respect their decision and part with them on a good note. Many of them return sometimes years later, and it makes me feel good about the way that I have chosen to operate my practice.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but there have been so many over a 30 year career that it is hard to choose just one. I’ve had several female patients over the years who were unable to get pregnant through all of the usual methods, and then heard that chiropractic might be able to help. They began receiving chiropractic care at my office and then became pregnant. Another proud moment was when a treated a six year-old boy who was a bed wetter. His poor mother was up every night changing sheets at least once and often times twice during the night. He had been treated at the Enuresis Institute in Stoughton, MA for six months. He was seen by neurologists, urologists, and psychologists to determine the cause and help the boy, but unfortunately achieved no success. I treated him for one month and he completely stopped wetting the bed. I received a letter from the Enuresis Institute requesting information regarding my diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractic care changed the life of that little boy and his mother. I don’t want to give the impression that I can help everyone that comes through my door, but I’m proud to be a source of hope and a chance for a better life for many in the community.
I’m the first one in my office in the morning turning on the lights and unlocking the door, and I often times ponder in amazement what I have been able to accomplish over the past 30 years. I have a beautiful office of which I am so proud. The phone rings, and there’s an energy and vibrancy to what I have created, and I feel blessed to have created it from scratch.
Pricing:
- The DOT physical exams cost $79
- Most insurances are accepted, however if there is no insurance coverage, the first visit generally costs around $180 and then each visit thereafter is around $45. We do offer some prepayment discounts when extended care is necessary.
Contact Info:
- Address: 558 Lincoln Ave.,
Saugus, MA 01906 - Website: www.pacefamilychiro.com
- Phone: (781) 231-3492
- Email: brianpacedc@comcast.net
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