02/16/2026
At 16 years old, I sat alone in a locker room fighting tears because I could not bend over to untie my own skates. The pain in my back was overwhelming. I was the last kid left in the locker room, stuck on the bench, waiting for my coach to help untie my skates. I remember thinking how wrong that felt. This should not be happening to someone my age.
I had dealt with back pain before. My parents took me to the pediatrician. X-rays were taken and came back negative. I was told to take it easy for a few weeks. I rested, felt better, and went right back to playing hockey.
That decision landed me right back on that locker room bench.
My parents knew something was not right. I saw multiple doctors. More imaging. More X-rays. A bone scan. A CT scan. Eventually, they found the real problem. A fracture in my L3 vertebra.
The recommendation was rest and physical therapy. That meant missing the rest of the season. The same season my team went on to win the Michigan state title for our division. After that, I stopped playing hockey completely.
Years later in college, classmates decided to start a club hockey team. I joined, excited to play again, convinced the injury was behind me. After the first practice, the back pain returned and forced me to stop.
At the time, I was premed and planning to go to medical school. I was skeptical of chiropractic care. My sister had started working for a chiropractor back home and encouraged me to give it a try.
Reluctantly, I did.
After a few visits, everything changed. The pain eased. I was able to play hockey again without fear. Without limitation.
That experience changed the direction of my life.
Chiropractic did not just help me get out of pain. It gave me my life back. It allowed me to keep playing the sport I love, even now in my 40s. It is the reason I became a chiropractor.
Conditions like low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, and headaches are not random. They are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Ignoring them can slowly pull you away from the things you love.
That brings me to a special invitation.
For a limited time, we are offering a free consultation for patients in Centreville and the surrounding areas. This is your chance to finally get answers and understand what is really going on.
We have helped countless patients with chiropractic care and other non invasive therapies, and we would love to help you too. Visit HealthRehabChiropractic.com or call 703-877-0787 to schedule your consultation.
Appointments are limited. We intentionally keep our schedule from being overcrowded so every patient receives the time and attention they deserve.
If pain has been holding you back, this may be the moment to do something about it.
Yours in health,
Dr. Brandon Czekaj, D.C., CCSP
