Dr. Steven Read’s patient feels fine, but he could die within minutes. After taking x-rays of his new patient’s lower back, the chiropractor spots an aortic aneurysm, a thinning along the aorta’s walls that can lead to rupture. The patient, taken aback, agrees to go to the hospital, but stops to see his primary physician first. The doctor disputes Read’s diagnosis, claiming there’s no way an x-ray could spot an aortic aneurysm. Still, the patient checks into the hospital, where surgeons confirm the aortic aneurysm and immediately prep the patient for surgery. After the successful treatment, the patient sends Dr. Read a thank-you card, saying his surgeons confirmed that had the aortic aneurysm ruptured, he would have bled to death in three to four minutes.

Such episodes, though dramatic, don’t surprise Dr. Read, who discovered the power of chiropractic medicine as a college wrestler in need of help overcoming his injuries. Now, with a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic—among the oldest chiropractic colleges in the United States—Dr. Read helms a team of physicians that integrates therapies such as chiropractic adjustments, hormone replacement, and anti-aging treatments. Through relieving spinal subluxations and bringing the brain and nervous system into harmony, the doctors treat conditions that range from back pain and muscle spasms to numbness and the inability to laugh at slapstick comedies.