Dr. Chip Shemansky
1)How has your childhood impacted your practice today?
I grew up in central Illinois, in a moderately size town, surround by cornfields and the John Dear Headquarters. All were genuine and hard working individuals. People knew the value of their labor, no matter how sophisticated or simple their jobs were. When someone seeks your expertise, you delivered it with compassion, respect and with all you’re worth. I had a wonderful childhood with three amazing brothers and parents who were both teachers who loved us unconditionally. My mother was always driving one of us around to and from sports practice and our house was where all the neighborhood kids would hangout playing basketball after school. My father was the high school baseball and football coach. They always told me that anything in life was possible if you work hard and keep your eye on your goals. So a successful practice and life to me weren’t just the accomplishments you amassed but more importantly, it’s how you traverse through life that determines your worth. I might not be able to alleviate every patient’s pain and solve every case that enters my practice, but you know I will do everything possible to assist my patients achieve that results they seek.
2) Is it true you set a world record?
Yes, I did set a Drug Free Powerlifting World Record when I was in my teenage years. I was always younger, shorter and smaller while playing sports. Powerlifting enables me to better compete with my peers. It instilled in me patience, dedication, and great work ethics I still carry with me to this day in my practice. It has also given me a different perspective, insight and approach toward my patients’ exercise regimen and their recreational activities. I am able to assist them with weight training programs, differentiate between what types of training or exercises they can or can’t tolerate, and more importantly given them the knowledge and encouragement that they can weight train at any age without fear of injuries or exacerbating their condition.
3) What is a typical day/weekend for you? Do you have any hobbies outside your practice?
A typical weekend is pretty uneventful for most people, but for me it’s the best hobby in my life. I spend a lot of time watching my son Preston’s baseball games and football games. I loved playing sports myself, but the joy I have had watching my son excel in sports have been the most fulfilling and enjoyable time. With year round travel baseball added to his already full varsity sports schedule, we attend over 300 games and practices yearly! However, if I’m not at a ballgame, I do enjoy spending time on the water. We are so blessed to have some of the most beautiful scenery and fishing in the country. We are called ‘Paradise Coast’ for a reason! It was one of the primary reasons I chose this area to open a practice. My grandparents had a house on Sanibel Island, and every summer I’d jump on my bike and grab a fishing pole and head down to the pier. I’d spend the entire day fishing and couldn’t wait to get up the next morning and do it all over again. My love for the sport really opened up when I got my first flats boat and I could really enjoy exploring the waterways and all the ecology this area offers.
4) What skills or expertise would you consider that makes a great chiropractor and sets you apart from the rest?
I have been trained and educated well like most of my peers in the Chiropractic Profession; yes, we all focus in certain things more than another colleague, but we are all very competent chiropractic physician. What I’m trying to say is that my expertise isn’t unlike most other chiropractor. The only difference might be the effort and time spent one on one with each patient to diagnose and treat each patient for his or her specific needs, without regards to time restrictions. I average 15 or more minutes hands on contact with each patient. You are not a number in a room or on an assembly line waiting to be snap and pop in 3-4 minutes. There are quite a few of those wonderful practices with those kind of expediency for your needs, but our office isn’t one of them.
Fun Facts
I was blessed to have had a state of the art education from Palmer Chiropractic. I chose Palmer since it was the first and largest chiropractic college as well as being globally recognized for producing the Best chiropractic doctors in the world. When I was sixteen years old, I sustained a shoulder injury during a wresting tournament. I was taken to Dr. Higgins, a well respected chiropractor in Pekin, Illinois. I was amazed how his specialized adjustment promoted self healing of my shoulder. From that point on, I fully embraced this wholistic profession that focused on the body’s ability to self- heal and improves overall health.