Kittatinny Chiropractic blossoms into community wellness center

Dr. Jesse Burrini discovered chiropractic as a football player at Lenape Valley High School.

“My chiropractor would meet me at 7 a.m. in Byram before football games,” he said. “He helped me so much and, ultimately, going into a naturopathic field became my calling. I wanted to help people the way that he’d helped me.”

Dr. Stuart Levin grew up in Bergen, N.J. During his high school years, he’d experienced some bad neck pain. Chiropractic was the solution.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, and it was my chiropractor who had saved me from going down the route of taking pain medicine and possibly an operation, who urged me to pursue a career as a chiropractor,” he said. “He really believed in me and I thought, ‘If I can do for others what he had done for me, that would be pretty awesome.’”

On the campus of Life College of Chiropractic, in the city of Marietta, Georgia, Dr. Burrini and Dr. Levin became fast friends. They shared the same vision: bringing relief from pain, and understanding human architecture to curtail illness and improve the immune system and overall health.

How about building a practice together?

“It was a great vision,” said Dr. Burrini. “We were young, energetic, and eager, and talked about jumping in and starting our own practice.”

“But we realized there was one problem,” said Dr. Levin.

They had the enthusiasm, but not the experience.

“We needed to take the time to work under other, seasoned chiropractors and learn from them first,” Dr. Burrini said.

They did. And although their business partnership didn’t pan out back then, they remained friends. Such good friends, in fact, that after visiting Dr. Burrini with his family in Fredon enough times, the Levins decided 17 years ago to move to Fredon.

Dr. Levin went on to obtain certifications in Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA), Klinesio Taping and strapping, electro-diagnostic, diagnostic imaging. He is also a certified chiropractic claims reviewer.

Dr. Burrini possesses additional certifications in diagnostic imaging and interpretation of spinal traumas with MRI. He is also certified with the American Academy of Manual and Physical Medicine in electrodiagnostics.

Each worked separately, for others and then in their own individual practices. Four years ago, they decided they had the experience needed to open a joint practice. Kittatinny Chiropractic and Wellness Center was born, and has blossomed into a community health hub.

“We treat the whole person with a proactive verses the reactive approach of traditional medicine,” Dr. Levin said.

Enter Dr. Spellman

In its four years, Kittatinny Chiropractic has expanded to include a massage therapist and, a few months ago, a third chiropractor. It treats athletes of all ages, and lends its expertise to area high schools.

“We’ve helped athletes involved in just about every sport stay healthy and achieve their goals,” Dr. Burrini said. “In addition, Kittatinny Chiropractic treats patients with musculoskeletal disorders, sports injuries and are certified in treating trauma cases.”

The third chiropractor in the office, Dr. John Spellman, is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College and has been treating patients throughout New Jersey for more than 30 years. Over the past 15 years, he has also been involved in genetic and drug research and was a member of the teams responsible for the recent Hepatitis C cure as well as several protective vaccines for the U.S. Military during Operation Desert Storm. He was one of the first group of doctors in New Jersey certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia.

“I believe in proper ergonomics when stressors — be it from work, life, relationship whatever — put your body in a compromised state,” he said. “These can be either physical or chemical influences that basically put your body out of sorts.”

A longtime lecturer, Dr. Spellman sees chiropractic as a modality that keeps the body in check with greater immunity to sickness and disease.

“Chiropractic isn’t just mechanical,” he said. “It’s about aligning mind/body function. Most diseases are brewing in your body long before you feel symptoms. If the body is at the highest function structural and physiological level that it can be, often it can fight off disease.”

Dis-ease

The three chiropractors like to use the term “dis-ease.”

“Dis-ease means your body is not functioning at its optimal potential,” Dr. Levin said. “Your nervous system needs to be free of nerve interference in order for your body to achieve good health.” Or maybe your body is missing something — “something that needs to be restored in order to help your body become normal again and that’s what chiropractic care aims to do.”

“When your body is free of dis-ease, it’s functioning 100 percent normally and is in a state of well being,” Dr. Spellman said. “Consequently, it’s as strong as it can be.”

Kittatinny Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at 222 High Street, Suite 201B. Call 973-300-5667 or visit kittchiro.com for further information or to make an appointment. Visit facebook.com/KittChiro to see specials and updated information.