Business of the Week: Marino Chiropractic

When most people think about heading to a chiropractor, they tend to have misconceived notions of bone-cracking and a lifetime of adjustments. Chances are, these people have never been to a chiropractor.

The chiropractic profession was founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer. He discovered how spinal joint misalignments placing pressure on nerves can affect the body. Through a spinal adjustment, he restored a patient’s 20-year deafness.

Since then, chiropractic manual therapy has been used to treat all sorts of ailments, from headaches and joint pains to pneumonia and fibromyalgia.

Dr. John A. Marino, owner of Marino Chiropractic in downtown Bath, describes chiropractic as a healing art, one that doesn’t deal in drugs or medication.

The basis of chiropractic healing stems from problems of neurological interference between the brain and the spine, according to Marino.

“Our job is to remove that interference and let the body heal itself," he added.

Marino wasn’t always set on becoming a chiropractor; he was bound for med school, but after a year of doctor-hopping, chiropractic healing is what helped him through a football injury -- the main reason why chiropractic is now a passion.

“I love what I do because it’s so gratifying when someone has been everywhere else without results, and then they come to our office, and [chiropractic] is the answer," he said.

Marino, who is originally from Connecticut, attended the Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa. After an externship near Pittsburgh and a associateship in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Marino settled in Bushkill Township and opened his office in Bath, where he’s been for nearly 15 years.

Inside the Bath business, partitions rather than walls separate adjustment tables, which allows the doctor to keep an eye on the entire office even when with a patient.

According to Marino, most chronic pain issues stem from musculoskeletal conditions, particularly in the spine, from a body being overused or overworked. People often turn to pain medication for the answer, but it’s a short-term solution, according to Marino.

That’s where chiropractic work comes in. Marino’s practice deals in rehabilitation and adjunctive therapy services, treating conditions like sports injury, work-related injuries and automobile injuries. Chronic pain from musculoskeletal disorders that cause a variety of symptoms like chronic headaches and pain in the neck, back and joints are also treated.

Marino specializes in ergonomics and job injury prevention. He has been contracted in the past by companies such as Essroc, United Airlines and Sunoco International, to name a few.  He actively trains employees on how to properly stretch, bend, pick heavy items up and more.

Marino Chiropractic also employs a nationally-certified massage therapist, Rose Kohl, who specializes in deep-tissue massage that works trigger points and targets muscle pain.

The office manager, Cheryl Marino, started the group Women in Nazareth Networking, or WINN. She noted that the practice has been a member of the since it opened in 1996.

She outlined some of the charitable works of Marino’s center.

“Every year at Thanksgiving we do a canned food drive for the Bath [Area] Food Bank," Cheryl said.  "We are the largest donation from a single source. Our patients really come through.”

She also explained that every year at Christmas, the office chooses a family in need and supplies them with food and gifts for the holiday season.

Marino Chiropractic is located at 364 S. Walnut St. in Bath. The center accepts most forms of health insurance and generally works on referrals. The center is by appointment only.

Hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and closed on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (610) 837-2022.