Empowering Women in Chiropractic - ICPA 40th Anniversary Celebration!

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Hello everybody. I'm Monika Buerger, and this is Elizabeth who's my sidekick. And I am super duper excited today to hang out with somebody that I have got to know a little bit better over the last year or two that I so fully admire. And I'm so, I'm so thankful that I got to know this person on the road.

Traveling, doing our gig. So I'm gonna cut, I'm gonna cut Elizabeth, actually, Elizabeth is gonna take a nap right now. And she's gonna take a little rest while I introduce to you the amazing Justin Ohm, who is the president of ICPA. How you doing? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.

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And yes, it was, it was great to connect. We find ourselves you know, a number of the same. Conferences over the year past couple years. But I know you from way back when when you were instructor for ICPA when I went through the program. So I trained under you back then and but yes, it has been great to get to know you better.

Yeah, it was, it was a minute or two ago, I think that was, I don't know, I'm old. It was like I started by like 2 0 0 3 or 2 0 0 5, or it was, it was early 2000, mid two thousands. Yeah, it was and you're still a baby, right? It seems like yesterday, but no, I am, I am gray and definitely not a baby anymore.

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Although I think we all have that perpetual image of ourselves, of, you know, forever young, which I think is healthy, so. Exactly. Well, I, I got to know you and I, I wanna tell everybody, Justin, is, if you guys have ever seen that movie when Harry Met Sally. There's the famous scene of Meg Ryan in the restaurant with Billy Crystal.

Did you see that movie? Oh, of course. Okay. And so then after that scene a, a woman who actually was Rob Reiner's, I think mom in, in real life said, I want what she's having. Oh, what she's having. Yeah. Well, Justin, Justin is this cool, calm, collected, steady energy, and I'm like. I want that. Like do you ever get frazzled like you're, I do get frazzled and if I can give you, like, I have a very kind of definitive point in my early life when I feel like that clicked for me.

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Like, oh, the ups and the downs we can mitigate this. And it was actually kind of, it's a really intense story. It was the last day of school when I was 16 years old and I had one of my only friends that had a license. I was borrowing my parents' minivan. And you know, school's out for summer, you know, tearing ass out of the parking lot and we're heading down the road.

And you know, the energy was so high and if you, you know, have a family practice, you can kind of, or kids, you know, when that energy is getting to that kind of level, something's about to break something's, something's gonna happen, someone's gonna get hurt, you know, that energy. And that's the sine wave reaching.

Its. It's peak and it's about to collapse back down. So I'm racing down the road and everyone's having fun in the back and the music's blasting. And next thing I know, I had lost control of the van and we rolled, and now I had six passengers in the van with me. And everything slowed down and I had a up close view.

It was the most surreal thing of every single friend in that van. Oh wow. Eye to eye. And it was like, I went one from one to the next to the next. We're okay, we're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay to the next one. And somehow nobody was injured and we all walked away from this and I rolled the minivan.

It was like it was a terrible accident. Wow. And that really changed me. Lasting. Like that's a fundamental imprint for me. And I now am very keen to stay even keel because I think what goes up must come down. And that's, you know, that's a Liv, I'm a living example of that and I, I just don't understand why I was given that second chance where we all were able to walk away from that.

But we were, wow. What a story. I hadn't heard that before and I thank goodness you did walk away, but I do want. That's a different perspective for me. I'm like, yeah, I want what he has, but I don't want it the way you got it. Wow. Wow. Okay. And you're, you've been doing this work literally since before you were born.

You've been, since you were in the womb because your mom was a legendary genome. And your dad's a chiropractor talk. Is, is your dad still practicing? Yeah, we we practice right next to each other in the same home office that I was, you know, born and raised in. And so my dad's still practicing and, you know, he has his light schedule, his regulars, and, and, and I have my light schedule because of other responsibilities now at the ICPA and I have an associate, which has been, you know, a godsend as well. So yeah. But we're practicing together and I, I really value that I've been able to work with my, my dad for, for so many years.

Oh, huge. Tell him I said hi, by the way. He was, he would always pick me up. When we'd have the classes at at your house, and he was just always saying steady. Kind of steady Eddie, kinda Tom. Yeah. So you have been born into this life basic and, and, and you've got a huge, a huge load on your shoulder. A huge responsibility of carrying the torch in pediatric chiropractic.

And we, for reminding me, we the practitioners, all the practitioners really. I don't care if your family practice musculoskeletal practice or whatever. Oh, this gentleman a, a huge debt of gratitude. 'cause you've done amazing carrying that torch forward. So you have a big birthday celebration coming up with ICPA, right?

Tell us a little bit about that. Yes. We have the 40th anniversary, so every two years we do A-I-C-P-A gathering. It's like a membership meeting. This, this one is the 40th anniversary of the ICPA. Larry Webster started the ICPA way back in 1986, so, the ICP has really, really grown since that early time.

And you know, we're set to have just a big party and, and you'll be there, you're one of the presenters at this. We have a wonderful lineup. So this is coming up in May, down in Reston, Virginia, which is just outside of DC Yeah, you got a killer lineup. So I think you'll maybe drop the link or something if people wanna sign up.

'cause I mean, the lineup you have is, is phenomenal and I hope you're gonna be speaking right. I will be. Yeah. Yep. So Justin was at the wave in 2024, I think it was, and he closed the day and it was like a mic drop presentation. Literally it was boom, killer stellar. So you, you guys gotta hear this, this awesome guy.

So what was it like being born as a chiro kid in the world of Jeanie and Tom? You know, and, and how do you find, do you find that that experience has prepped you for changes you're seeing in the peds chiro world now? It's it's such a weird question because, you know. Everyone has this image of mom.

'cause she was such a, you know, big voice in chiropractic and rightfully so. But she was also just, you know, she was away a lot on the weekends and she would come home and she was just mom, you know, for me. And she was driven. And she was you know, wild. And that wasn't like, you know, a lot of people, you see their stage persona or their interview persona or whatever, and it's like, oh, that's not the person that I knew, you know, or know off the stage.

But she was kind of just like wild like that all the time. Like she was like that around the dinner table, you know? And and ICPA has always just been such a big part of our family. I remember in high school, you know, her kind of like cornering me and, and some of our friend, my friends over there, and you know, we've got a big mailer that needs to go out on Monday and everybody line up.

You just be, watch it, watch me do it like this. You pick up this one, fold it, then this one, then this one. Go around the whole table, get everything, put it in the envelope and we're gonna do this mailing. We're gonna get it done real quick. And, you know, and then it's me and you know, a couple of friends and our girlfriends, you know, stuffing envelopes.

This is, this is how it was done back in the day. And and then, you know. Knowing and getting to know the board and, and getting to know all the instructors and, and then going through the classes. But how has it prepared me? That's kind of, I, I got a similar question when I started chiropractic school and we're like diving into the Green Books and, and Learn and you know, friends would've been like, oh my gosh, you know, your mom's genie om, so you, you know, teachers were saying that to me, like, you already know all this stuff, don't you?

And I'm like. No, I don't know any of this stuff. I, I, they didn't read us the green books to bed, you know, like it was, this is all new to me too, like, but you know, you get this, I guess, credit as a result of you know who your mom is. So, but yeah, I mean, obviously it helped me and it created. And I think a lot of chiro kids are, you know, kind of raised with an inherent trust in their body and and, and kind of looking at how, how right their body responds.

And, and, you know, oh, if you have, you know, a fever, it's not a bad thing. You know, I really kind of believe that. Like I've never known anything other which is wild. Then going through the past few years. And just ke kind of seeing the fear that became so pervasive and still is, I guess it was always there and it just became obvious that it was there.

And so that was kind of hard, you know, like, oh wait, I thought what? You guys don't trust your body. Oh, okay. That's. That's a shame. So that's kind of I think that's the biggest foundational thing that you bring, you know, having grown up with, with chiropractors as parents. Yeah, just natural too. Can I put you on the spot?

There was one of the conferences, we were out together, I think it was in. Nebraska, I can't remember, but you told the story and it just sticks with me to this day, and I, I don't remember the specifics. It was somebody that works at ICPA or you or something, but they, they were in the apartment, I think behind your house or your dad's house, and she was in labor and having a difficult time.

And you and the midwife had a little powwow. Can you just recap that story a little bit? 'cause it was so beautiful and the way you handled it gave me the goosebumps. I just think it's so profound for the world to, to hear the story. So I'm the oldest of six siblings and so we had kids first. My wife and I had kids.

First we had four home births and then, you know, my younger brother, Jesse, he started having kids. They had two home births and then the next one down Paul, he had four home births and now we're getting down to my brother Timmy. And they're, you know, pregnant with their first, so they're having their first home birth.

And then two weeks after that, my youngest sibling, my sister Tia, is set to deliver as well. And the the tricky thing is like, we're raised with a certain mentality or certain attitude and trust in the body, but then, you know, you bring people, women, you know, your partner with a very different experience.

And so I just felt like Timmy's mic Michelle Timmy's partner was. She was kind of holding that fear and it was blocking things from progressing. So I'm checking on her and adjusting her and, and really kind of selling it. Like, oh my gosh, that was such a good adjustment. You really needed that. Things are gonna open up now.

'cause I think we need to have that. Sometimes we need that trust. Kind of just like put like, you got this now. And, but then I, you know, I left, I gave her some, some space and I went outside and the midwives had just come back from getting coffee. And they were looking kind of like, well, yeah. And I'm like, so what's going on?

You know, and this is a midwife that we, we used for our birth too, so I know her quite well and she's like, yeah, I just, you know, I know birth and this feels like one that's gonna need to transfer. And I'm like, oh, boy. Okay. Can we. Not say that to Michelle though. Can we kind of just lie to her for the time being?

'cause I really think she's about to break through on this. And at that moment my wife came out and the midwives are like, all right, well let's go up, let's see how she's doing now. And I'm like, actually, let's give Melissa my wife just a few minutes with Michelle. I'll here, I'll, I'll show you the house or you know, let's, I'll bring you inside.

You want a snack or something. And I kind of like stalled. As my wife went up and connected with Michelle on a woman to woman basis, and, and so I don't know. Well, I do know it was the connection, it was the connection that she made with Melissa that you have to do this regardless of where you're gonna do it.

Whether you do it here, you transfer to a hospital, you're gonna have to do this thing. But I'll take a little bit of credit. Maybe that adjustment was, you know, a, a key factor as well. But no, it's the connection. Seeing, oh my gosh, this is possible. And then realizing, being empowered into the place of like, yes, okay, I have to do this.

This is me and the baby working through this process. And that's the kind of empowerment that I like to kind of create that aha moment when possible in practice too, because I think that's what's missing. You know, that's really what's missing in you know, obstetrics. But certainly modern medicine in general is like.

We gotta do that empowerment thing. We've gotta give you know, women, moms moms to be permission to be successful. When, when they hear over and over again, everything that's going wrong, it's really easy to kind of fall into that rut and follow that path then. So, but yeah, so that was my niece. It was such a beautiful story.

I just, and I think that, that you hit, you hit it. It's, it's the adjustment, but it's the connection. And I just got a paper the other day on touch on, on preterm births and touch. And I think, you know, I have a thing about preterm NICU babies and it's just kind of my. My deal the last 10 years or so, helping those babies.

But what they did was they gave, they, they had a inter inter intervention group and a non-intervention group, and they taught the parents, particularly moms, this pattern of touch, starting with the head, neck, shoulders, body anyway. And they did that for 35 days, twice a day and. They show that those little fiddle farts.

Preterm kiddos ended up having a better latch, better growth, better head circumference, better feeding. They figured that the better growth was because they had a better latch and they were eating, they bonded with moms, and the neurodevelopmental outcomes were better. And they talked about. This touch and this connection between mom and baby and those outcomes and enhancing parasympathetic control regulation during mm-hmm.

Through touch and also how the moms suffered less postpartum depression. But that's ex for me, that's exactly what you're saying is this connection. And, and as chiropractors, we, we use our hands, we have this, we tend to have this. Compassion and this connection, and I think that's, that follows through in the adjustment.

So I just, yeah, that's a beautiful story you had and I think everybody should hear that. So with that said, if you were to, if you would want a chiropractor out there that's gonna question number one, chiropractor's out there. And the second part of that, parents are parents to be. What's the one thing you would tell each of those groups and it might be the same or not, that you want them to get outta chiropractic, that the chiropractic message?

Well, I think for you know, for the chiropractors, I think, I hope. That we can continue to move in a direction as a profession, or maybe not as a profession, but certainly as a discipline within chiropractic, seeing families, seeing families for wellness based care seeing kids that we continue in the direction of taking care of kids.

For the purpose of adaptability. In other words, not just because there's a suspected tongue tie or just because there's latching or just because there's frequent ear infections. But we start to. Move in the direction of this kind of more salutogenic approach to care. And that is to say that we're not trying to fix something per se.

In fact, that symptom constellation, that that is presenting to our office that we call a condition or label a diagnosis. That is simply the body adapting brilliantly, perfectly, really, if you think about it to the set of circumstances that it's been exposed to up to that point in time that you see them, that they're experiencing that.

And to remind to remind docs that I think we are at a point where trust in the kind of mainstream model of. Diagnosis and fear-based care is eroding, and what they're looking for is not a slightly more alternative doctor who, you know, finds this other scary thing that could be going wrong in your spine called a subluxation.

Like, do you know what I mean? Like we could really do well to remind ourselves that the the key unique offering. That chiropractors, I think, can offer is a different perspective about health and that symptoms aren't necessarily something that's bad. It's just a window in into what's going on and how the body's adapting and to frame our care not as a solution to those things or even a fix.

We are not fixers, you know, of the subluxation per se, but we are supporters of the nervous system. In so far as that, as we, you know, get under, and we've seen that we all know this, like we do know this. Families get under chiropractic care. They're more adaptable, they're more resilient, you know? So I think that framing of care and then, you know, for, for the parents, for, you know, especially young parents or soon to be parents the flip side of that coin is.

You can trust your body. I know you've been told over and over again that you can't, that this thing, this pregnancy that you're going through you should be afraid of. But I, this line stuck with me from a, I can't remember what, you know, midwifery based documentary, but it goes something like this, that.

There's a pivotal time during a birth when a woman can realize that the power, the majesty, the intensity of that birth process is not in fact something that's happening to her, but it is something that is coming from her. And so the power of birth is, is the mom. It is that person. It is that woman. Creating that power and wow, isn't that a cool, empowering, you know, message and, and applying that. Then I think, I think if we can get that message to moms during pregnancy, it can change how she responds and reacts and raises that child. Is it in a fear-based model where every symptom needs to be suppressed 'cause that's what we do?

Or is it in a trust-based model? And I think that trust-based model is where we should be stepping into. I think that's where people want to be heading. And they just don't have the terminology for it yet. But like, you know, people are doing physiological hacking left, right, and center. People are you know, jumping in ice baths and doing all the stuff because, not because they're treating a symptom, they're trying to squeeze out a little bit more adaptability, a, a higher degree of function, you know, from their body.

So people are like looking in that direction and all we have to do is like, open the door, be like, and the nervous system dictates it all. So come on, we gotta make sure that that's functioning, you know, at its best. Beautiful, that 100%. In fact, the talk that I'm doing in May at the Gathering is, and I, I kind of quivered at, at saying it this way, but is the beautiful mal adapting nervous system, and I don't mean that in a negative way, it just really fits what you've outlined is when, when people present of all ages, little fiddle farts on up.

Their, their presentation is just a window into their neurological integrity, and it's beautiful actually how the nervous system is so innately wise to adapt. The way it needs to. So it's gonna be fun. And again, what dates is that? May May 15th and 16th. It's 40th anniversary, ICPA gathering. It really has a feeling of coming home.

If you're a family chiropractor, like the, these are your people. If you haven't been to one it has a different vibe. And and yeah, you can read more about it on our website, i cpa for kids.com. That's the number four. And then up in the corner you'll see the gathering and you can click on that.

Well, I can't, I can't wait. And thank you for having me. It was this is just, you know, I-I-C-P-A is near and dear to my heart, and this is it's like a coming home for me. So I can't wait to, I can't wait to be there and see steady Eddie, Justin, but now I know the story behind that. Now it's a, a little different perspective.

Wow. Yeah, I didn't I didn't intend to go there, but you know, like there's a re like, I, I, I just reflect back to that often. And anyway, yeah, it was it was, it was kind of impactful. And then years later I remember, you know, reading or listening to Demarini, John Demarini and he talks about collapse the wave.

And that's, you know, you can, because we have positive charges associated with certain things and negative charges associated with that. And we carry this baggage around with us and like, you gotta collapse the wave. And I'm like, oh, that speaks to me. Yeah. Yeah. And is, but isn't that kind of about the adapting nervous system too, though?

Being able to recognize those events and how do you regulate your nervous system so you don't end up on that up and down wave all the time. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Can you stay? I hate to use the term immune to it, but like and, and can you stay aware of it, like present? I think, I think chiropractors do a really good job.

Oftentimes successful ones do anyway of being present, and that's really so key. Just the other week in the office you know, adjusting kids are like, you know, they're getting wild out in the waiting room. I can't remember if they were waiting or if I had already seen them, but like, you know, multiple families were there and the kids were starting to run around and I'm like, something's about to break.

And then the lamp, you know, they knocked over a lamp and I'm like, yeah, I should have, you know, because I felt it. 30 seconds before that, and I should have walked out and been like, all right, get in the playroom. Enough of this running around, you know, I should have like played that role and they would've like stopped and listened 'cause you know, i'm, I'm not very stern in the office, if you could imagine. Oh, that's great. That's great. Well, thanks for hanging out. I can't wait to see you in a few months. And you guys, if you haven't been to an ICP event, get your bums over there. A zillion g Great speakers, great information. And thanks for, I know you're busier than a wet He, and but I appreciate you hanging out and it was, it was great to learn a little bit more about you now.

Thanks. It was great. Always great chatting with you and thanks for inviting me on and I can't wait to see you as well. All right, we'll see you guys there. Again, I'd like to thank ChiroSecure me and Elizabeth. Appreciate them having our backs for, for the profession and for us to help spread the words on kiddos and chiropractic, and shine the light on healthier, healthier spines, and healthier lives.

We'll see you next month.

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