1980. A Georgia peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter, was president. There was no internet. Cable news was in its infancy. Michael Jackson was the biggest act in music. And – we sure do remember this – the Philadelphia Phillies were on their way to winning their first-ever World Series.
On March 30 of that year, Dr. Mark Kemenosh earned his chiropractic license.
“It was kind of serendipity,” Dr. Mark recalls. “I was always an athlete and had been seeing a chiropractor myself. He set up a bus trip to visit a chiropractic school. I thought that might be interesting, because I always wanted to be in healthcare,” he says.
The more he learned about it, the more intrigued he became. He found his calling and the rest, as they say, is history.
He opened his practice June 1, 1980. A lot has changed. “When we started out, chiropractors weren’t mainstream and not taken seriously, especially by the medical community. It was considered strictly alternative and insurance didn’t cover it,” he explains.
Dr. Mark’s wife and business administrator, Barbara, has been part of it since day one. “Today, we work hand-in-hand with doctors, athletic trainers, physical therapists and other experts. Medicine has always been multidisciplinary, a team effort. Nowadays, chiropractors are welcome members of that team,” she said.
What changed? A combination of information and reputation. Although people had been benefiting from chiropractic treatment for years, it wasn’t well understood in the medical community. And some subscribed to the idea that chiropractic could cure anything – further alienating other providers.
As in any other profession, things have evolved, dramatically. And pioneering chiropractors like Dr. Mark helped shatter that old stereotype, by aggressively pursuing and adopting new ideas. He and his associates embrace evidence-based practice – techniques and strategies proven by research that get real results.
And it doesn’t hurt that Dr. Mark and his team insist on integrity. “We’re straight up and honest with our patients and their doctors. We don’t need to see you 50 times, long term. There’s no sales pitch. If we can’t fix the problem in six or eight visits, we have a great network of doctors, therapists, nutritionists and others we call on for whatever our patients need to get better,” he says.
That philosophy has made Mark Kemenosh and Associates among the most respected chiropractic providers in the Delaware Valley – especially among young athletes. As demand has grown, Mark and Barbara expanded the practice beyond its original Laurel Springs location to Haddonfield, Mt. Laurel, Washington Township and Somers Point.
The game changer was ART, Active Release Techniques®. Dr. Mark says ART revolutionized the practice and made treatment more effective, for more people. “In the old days, we were focused on spinal manipulation. We didn’t give connective tissue much thought. But we’ve since learned that connective tissue, especially the fascia, is the secret to dramatic results,” he explains.
The knee is a perfect example, especially IT band syndrome – inflammation of the iliotibial band, the most common cause of knee pain among runners and other athletes. “IT band doesn’t respond well to surgery. The orthopedic surgeons we work with know our techniques can make a real difference and we get a lot of referrals. And when we fix a runner and they can run without pain, that makes us very popular in the running community,” he says.
The story has repeated over the years, with coaches, trainers, therapists, pediatricians and other specialists recognizing the benefits.
Dr. Mark is quick to share credit for his 40-year legacy. “The doctors that work with us are fantastic. All at the top of their game. And I trust them to make good decisions, I don’t micromanage. That’s a big part of our success. We have a strong network of other experts we can call on when needed. And we have always had great patients,” he says.
Although Dr. Mark and Barbara have seen a lot in four decades, the COVID-19 shutdown was unprecedented. “We used the downtime for education and advanced certification. We’re starting to see patients again and I know we’re going to come out of it even stronger,” he says.
Dr. Mark’s practice has come a long way. One thing hasn’t changed. Like all healthcare professionals, they work every day to help their patients overcome injury and pain to live life to the fullest.