meet the team

The ER doctor said I was lucky, the scabbing and road rash would heal. But as time passed, symptoms arose that no one could explain. Headaches slowly started, which turned into migraines. I would lie in my dark bedroom fantasizing about drilling a hole in my head to let the pressure out. Years earlier, my father had suffered from a brain tumor so the doctors ran tests to rule out that scary possibility. My mother would rub my legs at night to help relieve the pain and cramping. Knee pain and limping became normal and surgeries soon followed. I had to stop all sports and spend the rest of my school years in the library during Physical Education periods.

Other strange symptoms kept appearing. Everything I ate upset my stomach. At random times throughout the day my heart would start racing. The doctors were not sure what caused the erratic heartbeats, but told me to lie down when it happened. I’m sure it seemed suspicious to some that I regularly left my Math class to go lie down in the nurse’s office, but in my mind I truly began to suspect that I might die young. My medical file had grown and I had been examined by every profession possible. The school administrator called my parents because the dramatic change in my grades, my focus and my motivation led them to wonder if I was taking drugs.

My parents were desperate to find a solution. This desperation led us to a little cabin-like Chiropractic office in the mountains an hour away.

Looking back, probably the hardest part of these years was the hopelessness and depression that took hold. My journey during these years was not just a physical journey, but a spiritual one as well. I wish now I had trusted that the Lord had a plan, but instead, bitterness toward Him took root in my heart. One day I would be able to have a different perspective. I would later recognize one of the Lord’s gifts to me in the midst of pain and despair was that while I was unable to participate in physical activities like my peers, I was miraculously able to ride a horse with no leg pain. This is where my passion for horseback riding began. The other result of this painful journey was that my calling and future career became clear.

Having been to the top facilities in Los Angeles, it was quite the contrast walking into this tiny Chiropractic office in the mountains and meeting Dr. Chase for the first time. He was casual in his appearance, having retired from a big city office, but there was something special about him to me.

After taking x-rays, he explained what all of my seemingly random and inexplicable symptoms had in common, the nervous system. My spine was not aligned or moving properly and it was interfering with my nerve function. He told us that it would take time, but he expected me to respond well to Chiropractic treatment. His treatment of realigning my spine had results that were nothing short of miraculous. I went from being resigned that I would never be able to do sports or other physical activities to becoming a 5th degree black belt and eventually owning my own martial arts studio.

One day during my senior year Dr. Chase asked me if I ever thought about becoming a Chiropractor myself. He had been praying for me and wanted to talk to me about the possibility. It was a mountain I did not think I could climb, but he assured me I could and he would be there to encourage me along the way. I attended Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and graduated in 1996.

Having been a Chiropractor for many years now, and having the privilege of inspiring several others to join this amazing profession, I’m reminded of a famous quote in Chiropractic by one of its founders BJ Palmer:

“ You never know how far reaching something you may say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow…It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness.”

Dr. Grochowski has been a licensed Chiropractor for over 25 years. Before relocating to Charleston, he owned Grochowski Chiropractic in southern California where his office was voted “Best Chiropractic Office” in the largest county in the U.S.

In his free time he is an avid horseback rider, enjoys hunting, boating and spending time with his wife, Melanie, and their adult twins, Garrett and Madison.