Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucas Perlik.
Hi Lucas, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was 15, I developed migraines. The migraines were debilitating, causing me to have to stay in my room for much of the day because light and sound both increased pain and I was experiencing extreme nausea as a result. I began by seeking traditional medical care- I went to my primary care doctor at the time, who prescribed a pain killer and muscle relaxers as well as physical therapy. At the time, I had already been exercising for a number of years, so at the PT clinic, it was deemed that there was nothing they could do to help me. The pain meds and muscle relaxers didn’t help, either. I tried massage, rest, heat, ice, whatever I could do to alleviate the pain, and nothing provided any relief. I returned to my primary care doctor, who ordered an MRI and told me there wasn’t much that could be done, so I would likely have to start a life of pain killers. My cousin recommended going to a chiropractor- at the time, I didn’t even really know what that meant. I saw a chiropractor near my home and, after explaining what was happening, we began care. After about 2 weeks, I was around 50% improved. I stayed with him for his entire plan of care and, ultimately, my migraines resolved. It was at that time that I decided I wanted to be a chiropractor. I herniated a disc in my lower back about two years later which resulted in a long battle of pain management and ultimately surgery. While the surgery was successful, it left me with scar tissue and nerve pain. Again, through chiropractic care, I was able to resolve the residual pain from the operation and reduce the pain I was feeling in my leg as a result of the nerve irritation.
As far as my educational journey, I attended Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and pursued my degree in exercise science. As someone who had been in the gym since I was eight years old, I naturally gravitated to this field for my undergraduate studies. After SRU, I moved to Missouri and attended Logan College of Chiropractic, where I earned another bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences and my Doctorate of Chiropractic. Over the years, I have obtained a number of certifications in soft tissue manipulation, rehabilitation, and coaching/personal training.
I originally began seeing patients out of JD’s Gym, a local fitness center in South County, STL, while I was working towards opening the office that I have today. On February 21, 2017, I opened the doors at my current clinic, where we have been ever since. Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to see great success stories from our office, but also form a relationship with those seeking care from me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I am today hasn’t always been the smoothest. Uncountable hours of work and study went into getting through chiropractic school as well as amounts of caffeine that one person should probably never consume. Upon graduation, I made the decision to stay in St. Louis instead of returning to my hometown in PA and open my office. It turns out, banks don’t get super excited about offering someone fresh out of school with a lot of school debt a loan to open a business, so I went to over 20 banks before I was able to, with my parent’s help by putting their home up as collateral, obtain the funds needed to open my office. There have been plenty of bumps along the road, as school prepared me well to see patients, but not necessarily to operate a business, and trial and error is cost and time expensive. I think one of our biggest challenges, however, is that many people don’t know that chiropractors can do a lot more than adjust the spine, but we have done our best over the years to makes sure that our community is aware that we do provide options that aren’t drugs or surgery, but are still very effective.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Wellness Solutions Chiropractic Center?
As a chiropractic office, we obviously manage things like back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Our approach is comprehensive, including various soft tissue modalities (myofascial release, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, cupping, flossing, etc), spinal decompression, dry needling, laser therapy, ultrasound and electrical stimulation, and rehab. We don’t only treat spinal conditions, however. I see a ton of athletic injuries ranging from sprain/strain to partial tears, knee pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, plantar fasciitis- if it has to do with the musculoskeletal system, I probably see it in my office. We are able to do this because our approach is not focused only on spinal manipulation or adjustment, but on how the body moves as a whole and works together. I tend to not just look at the area of pain, but also, the areas that can contribute to pain. We also use movement assessments during care to monitor the issues we are working toward improving.
I would say that, in my office, I see more chronic pain than anything. I have had a number of failed past chiropractic or physical therapy experiences come through and we are often able to help even in those cases. Many of the patients I see have been dealing with pain for months or years and are at the end of their rope with trying to figure out how to feel better. Every new patient encounter begins with a thorough history and examination so we can best determine what we can do to help.
We believe heavily in making bodies more resilient and stronger. Goal one is always to decrease pain, but we also have a studio gym in my clinic that our patients often take advantage of. The idea of this was to create a bridge between pain relief and fully functioning again. So often, I hear stories of people that improve with PT or chiro care, but they aren’t fully back to “normal”. The in office gym, which we call The Strength Project, is our answer to that. We provide individualized training in either small group settings or one on one settings to help reach our member’s fitness goals, but also, continue to improve the reason they came in in the first place. We also see non-patients in our gym because it is a private setting, something many people desire when beginning their fitness journey.
I would say (or at least my patients have said) that something that sets me apart is how I listen to patients in my office. I always like to explain that care has to be a team effort- I am guiding the process and delivering treatment, but I need to know what you are feeling and how care is going. Musculoskeletal conditions aren’t always black and white, so there is a bit of an investigatory process that takes place during care as we uncover more and more, which requires input from both parties. With my own injuries, I have been to plenty of doctors that don’t want to take the time to listen to what’s going on. I never want that to be the experience in my office.
I would want the readers to know that we aren’t your typical chiropractic office. Generally, we have to see people over time to get the results we want. In that time, we try to make it as enjoyable as we can. Our office is laid back- you aren’t coming into a stuffy, white coat doctor that can’t relate to you. Everyone who works at Wellness Solutions lives the life we preach. We always strive to provide the best care we can and get results as fast as possible and routinely work with other health care providers to take a team approach because, at the end of the day, getting the person on the table better is what’s important, and sometimes, more heads together can create a better outcome.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think I generally surprise people with how gentle I can be when it comes to the work I do. I don’t generally look like someone who would have light hands, but chiropractic care is about skill, not necessarily force. I often hear from my patients after they get to know me that they would have expected that care would be more painful or that I would be rougher with delivering it and while it is sometimes necessary to be more forceful, I rely on technique much more than anything else. Also, I like ROM-COMs and reality dating shows. This has nothing to do with my work, but you should see people’s faces when I (a bearded and tattooed guy) start breaking out the reality TV gossip.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wellnesssolutionscc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wschiropracticcenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellnessSolutionsCC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wellnesssolutionschiroprac4981
