Charge Health and Chiropractic

09/15/2025

The Late Dinner Wake-Up Call

Another week, another opportunity to get better!

Lets talk some general health stuff today, because its always the stuff that you don't notice until its "too late."

A few nights ago I ate dinner late: bigger meal, some carbs, and yes, dessert. I crawled into bed feeling full but wired. When I woke in the morning, my mind felt fuzzy. Coffee didn't quite clear the fog. My energy was sluggish, and I felt achy where I usually feel strong.

That brain fog, sluggishness, and discomfort aren't isolated incidents. They're signals. When blood sugar spikes late in the evening, insulin has to work overtime. Over time, those spikes train the body to resist insulin's signals, meaning it takes more of the hormone just to get nutrients into cells. That resistance affects everything: pain recovery, sleep quality, immune resilience, muscle building, and fat loss.

How We Got Here
For much of human history, our meals were timed by daylight and necessity. Our ancestors ate when food was available, often earlier in the day, with natural breaks between meals. Sugar in highly refined forms was rare, and late-night eating was uncommon.

Fast forward to recent decades: processed sugars, refined carbs, constant snacking, late dinners, and eating in front of screens. These shifts have pushed our metabolism out of sync. Current research shows that it's not just what we eat, but when, how much, and how our body responds over time. Insulin sits at the center of that equation.

Simple Changes, Powerful Results
What if tweaking a few everyday habits could sharpen your thinking, ease pain, help you sleep deeper, protect your immune system, and make muscle and fat changes easier without resorting to medications?

Improving insulin sensitivity does exactly that.

Four Evidence-Based Strategies
Here are actionable changes you can implement daily that help improve insulin sensitivity:

1) Time-Restricted Eating and Early Meal Timing
Research involving men with prediabetes who followed early time-restricted feeding (eating all meals within a 6-hour window early in the day, finishing dinner by 3pm) for 5 weeks showed improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, oxidative stress, and appetite even without weight loss. In short, try to limit eating at all times of the day and build enough self control to say "NO" to the night time snacks.

2) Post-Meal Movement
I ask most of my personal training clients to do a 20min PM walk for this reason exactly. Light activity after meals can blunt blood sugar spikes and help your muscles take up glucose without requiring as much insulin. Walking 10-15 minutes after dinner is simple and research-backed.

3) Sleep Quality and Timing
Poor, fragmented, or insufficient sleep increases insulin resistance. Going to bed and waking up at consistently at the same time, helps reset insulin responsiveness.

4) Strategic Meal Composition
Starting the day with protein and fats opposed to carbs will limit that blood sugar spike. (bread, fruit, cereal, etc.) Meals combining whole fiber sources (vegetables, legumes, whole grains), lean protein, and healthy fats help moderate blood sugar rises. Dietary patterns like Mediterranean or plant-based approaches show strong evidence for improving insulin sensitivity.

Our Clinical Approach
I always try to keep my antennas perked up for ways to help you guys feel better without touching you while addressing health systematically rather than just treating symptoms like pain, fatigue, or sleep trouble. We assess not only joints and nerves, but hormone and energy systems. We help patients build sustainable habits around movement, meal timing, sleep, and nutrition so the body can heal and rebuild from a strong foundation.

If you've been dragging in the mornings, letting pain linger, or struggling with stubborn weight or brain fog, ask about what training with us looks like and how we can upgrade your current care to tie all this information together.

Have a great Monday!
Dr. Dom + Team

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09/08/2025

There's always a way

Morning everyone!

Im so happy you guys have been finding these emails valuable. I am having fun writing them and promise to do my best to continue to educate and support y'all through these words.

Something I heard in office a lot last week was: "My whole right side is jacked up!"

Have you ever noticed that? Maybe one shoulder is always locked up, one ankle keeps rolling over, or one hip feels stiffer than your morning personality no matter how much you stretch it. It feels random, but here's the thing: your body doesn't do random. More often than not, it's compensating for old injuries and lost capacity on that same side, playing a very calculated game of biological chess.

This isn't some new-age revelation. Thomas Myers shook up the anatomy world with Anatomy Trains, challenging the outdated notion that muscles work as isolated units.

Instead, he revealed how fascia and tissue create interconnected highways throughout your body, like an intricate subway system where delays at one station create chaos three stops down the line. An ankle injury doesn't politely stay put in your ankle. Years later, it might resurface as hip pain, rib tightness, or that mysterious neck stiffness that makes you look like a confused owl.

My own body became a case study in this domino effect. It started back in high school with a right hamstring avulsion fracture that left behind massive scar tissue and hip mobility issues I was too young and stubborn to fully appreciate. But my right side wasn't done collecting injuries like unfortunate souvenirs.

A severe high ankle sprain followed, then a rib fracture, and most recently a meniscus tear during jiu-jitsu. Each injury wasn't happening in isolation; they were all connected by that original loss of capacity in my hip, creating a predictable cascade of compensation patterns. My right side became the overworked employee of my musculoskeletal system, while my low back and neck tightened up in solidarity, locking me into protective patterns.

Here's the encouraging truth: even after years of setbacks and your body's creative attempts at self-sabotage, you can rebuild capacity! Mobility can be restored, tissues can learn new tricks, control can be captured, and when these starts align, that same ripple effect that worked against you suddenly becomes your greatest ally!

Think of every joint as needing a full toolkit of movement options. When you lose motion in one spot, like I did in my hip, your body suddenly becomes like a handyman working with half his tools missing. That's when compensations kick in, and over time, those workarounds become the new normal. The overworked tissues eventually become strained and that pain shows up to file a formal complaint.

The solution isn't to just stretch the tight side until it surrenders or beat up the painful area until it submits.

Smart rehabilitation means going back to where capacity was originally lost and rebuilding the foundation. That requires restoring tissue quality, developing strength/control through full ranges of motion, and giving your movement system the variability it craves.

Occasionally, the brain itself drives one-sided dominance, especially after concussions or vestibular issues, but that's a whole different can of worms for a different day...

I'm not sharing this as theoretical knowledge pulled from textbooks. I've lived every frustrating moment of this process. After years of right-sided injuries stacking up, I've systematically rebuilt enough tissue capacity to not only rehabilitate my own knee and calm down my rebellious low back, but to lace up my running shoes and cover ten miles yesterday without my body filing any complaints.

This is not bragging... And it's not luck or good genetics; it's proof that intelligently restoring capacity after major injuries and surgery is possible!

This approach forms the foundation of everything we do at Charge. We don't play whack-a-mole with pain symptoms. Instead, we investigate the bigger picture, trace problems back to potentioal origins, and rebuild foundational qualities your body needs to stay resilient long-term.

Think detective work meets rehabilitation, and the results speak for themselves.

If you're exhausted from watching one side of your body constantly break down while the other coasts along, it's time to elevate your floor and chase some sort of balance.

Book an Empower session today and we'll map out your movement patterns, identify the capacity gaps that have been quietly undermining your system, and start building back the foundation your body has been missing all along.

Have a fantastic week!
Dr Dom + Team

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09/02/2025

"I try to keep my shoulder back..."

Good Morning!

Ever had this happen: you're reaching for something on the top shelf, and "oh sh*t!" that familiar shoulder twinge hits. You think, "Great, my shoulder's acting up again."

But what if I told you the real culprit might be hiding 12 inches below, in a place you'd never suspect?

Your rib cage is the secret puppet master
Most people see their ribs as this rigid cage protecting vital organs. But here's what blew my mind when I first learned it: your rib cage is supposed to be able to stretch in a 360 fashion, expanding and contracting with every breath. When it gets locked up and stiff, your shoulder blade loses its dance partner.

Think of your shoulder blade as a surfer trying to ride waves on a frozen ocean — it just can't flow the way it's designed to.

A quick trip to history class
The ancient Greeks used the word pneuma to describe both breath and spirit. They understood that how we breathe shapes how we live. Fast forward to today, and modern movement science shows us the rib cage isn’t just a stack of bones protecting your lungs; it should be a very flexible system that plays a MAJOR role in our movement patterns. When that system stiffens, it limits the way your shoulder blade can glide and your arm can move

My "aha" moment (and why I was doing everything wrong)
Back in my linebacker days, I was basically a walking brick wall. Chest pumped out, shoulders locked back; I thought that was "good posture."

Plot twist: I was creating my own shoulder prison.

Constantly striving for an "upright shoulders back" posture literally uses your shoulder blades as the slammer doors, closing off the upper backs ability to fill with air, never giving it a chance to stretch/expand, leading to even tighter traps and necks.

Back then I'd ice, stretch, and do band exercises until I was blue in the face, but my shoulders stayed cranky. It wasn't until after a broke a rib and saw the immediate worsening of shoulder mobility did I make the first connection.

A smart PT asked me to simply breathe into the area that was causing me issues and the difficulty/rigidity caused everything to click. After some practice, my shoulders had room to move again. It felt like someone had unlocked a door I didn't even know was closed.

Why this changes everything
Here's the game-changer: your body is basically one big, connected chain. When your ribs can't expand properly:

- Your shoulder blade gets "stuck" on a rigid foundation
- Every arm movement becomes a struggle against restriction
- Your neck starts compensating (hello, tension headaches)
- Even your core stops working efficiently

But when your rib cage moves like it should?

Magic happens. Your shoulders glide, your posture improves naturally, and that nagging pain often just... disappears.

The 2-minute shoulder reset that actually works
Forget complex stretches. Try this tonight:
Lie down, knees bent, one hand on chest, one on belly. Here's the key part everyone misses: instead of just breathing into your belly, imagine your ribs are an umbrella opening to the sides as you inhale. Exhale like you're slowly fogging up a window.

Do this for 5-6 breaths and pay attention. Many people tell me it feels like their shoulders "drop" and relax for the first time in months.

Real results, not just theory
David came to us last month, frustrated after six months of traditional shoulder PT that wasn't sticking. Instead of hammering the rotator cuff, we spent most of our time teaching his rib cage how to move again. Three weeks later, he texted me a video of him reaching overhead pain-free for the first time in over a year. No fancy equipment, no painful stretches — just better breathing mechanics.

This is why we do things differently at Charge
We've learned that chasing symptoms is like playing whack-a-mole. Fix the breathing, unlock the ribs, and watch how many "separate" problems start resolving themselves. Your shoulder pain, that tight upper back, even some lower back issues — they're often all connected to this one foundational system.

Ready to experience the difference?

If you're tired of treating the same shoulder pain over and over, let's look at what's really driving it.

Book an Empower Visit and lets equip you with some drills to address your rib cage function and start chipping away at those achy shoulders.

Have a great week,
Dr. Dom + Team

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08/25/2025

Comparison & Connection

Sending this to y'all from Reston VA!

Yesterday and today still, I am at a Mastermind event, surrounded by awesome people doing BIG things... Former professional athletes, current world renowned doctors, accomplished body builders, massively successful businesses owners, etc.

And you know what struck me? How easy it is to create your own suffering in those settings.

We put people on pedestals. We convince ourselves we're behind, not good enough, not ready yet. We let anxiety creep in and cloud the truth: that most of the people we admire are dealing with the same human problems we are.

The Ancient Wisdom of Comparison

This tendency isn't new at all.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus, who lived nearly 2,000 years ago, understood this human trap when he wrote, "How much trouble he avoids, who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does."

Even King Solomon, considered the wisest man of his time, warned against the futility of comparing ourselves to others, noting that such comparisons often lead to envy and discontent. The biblical concept of "running your own race" appears in 1 Corinthians 9:24, reminding us that each person's journey is unique and meaningful in its own right.

My Own Journey with Performance Pressure

I've felt this my whole life.

As a walk-on Division I football player, I was always chasing the next rung of the ladder, always trying to prove myself through performance. Don't get me wrong, hard work and persistence absolutely created success for me. But I also learned the hard way that there's a threshold where more work doesn't automatically mean more success and definitely not more happiness.

What I was reminded of this weekend is that: Everyone has gaps in their life, even the people we think "have it all together."

Confidence doesn't come from eliminating those gaps, it comes from taking action to close them one step at a time.

The ones who inspire us most aren't immune to stress, doubt, or failure. They're just choosing to keep moving forward in spite of it.

A Clinical Perspective on Progress

Most of you are hard-working, disciplined individuals. But being a hard worker doesn't make you bulletproof against the physiological and psychological impacts of constant comparison.

When we examine the stress response system, chronic comparison triggers the same cortisol pathways as physical stressors. This creates a cascade effect that impacts everything from sleep quality to immune function to decision-making capacity.

If you feel insecure about an area of your life (your health, your fitness, your career, your relationships), the answer isn't beating yourself up for it. The research-backed approach is to:

Take small, consistent steps to improve it!

Neuroplasticity research shows that incremental changes create lasting neural pathways more effectively than dramatic overhauls.

Keep your purpose in mind, which almost always comes back to connection with the people who matter most to you. Viktor Frankl's work in "Man's Search for Meaning" demonstrated that purpose-driven action sustains us through difficulty better than external achievements alone.

The Historical Pattern

Throughout history, the most resilient individuals weren't those who never faced challenges, but those who understood that struggle is universal.

Marcus Aurelius, while leading the Roman Empire, wrote extensively about his own doubts and fears in his "Meditations." Even at the pinnacle of worldly success, he recognized that inner work and authentic connection mattered more than external validation.

Success without purpose is empty.

And hard work without connection is just noise.

So here's your reminder this week: stop putting people on pedestals. They're human, just like you.

And you already have what it takes to close the gap. You just need to take action.

The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't a reflection of your worth. It's simply information about your next steps forward, and it's my mission at CHC to order your steps in a systematic and repeatable way to get you there.

Don't limit yourself to just feeling less pain, allow your purpose of connection to fuel your physical and mental efforts towards better health long term.

Let me know what you think!

Have an awesome week,
Dr. Dom

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08/15/2025

If you’re one with constant neck tension, do yourself a solid; don’t be stubborn, read, learn and apply!

08/14/2025

The power of doing the right exercises and using eye drills to reduce stress related postural changes

These two pics were 30min apart, using just TWO exercises!

Charge is far more than just another Chiropractic office.

Fort Wayne’s Elite Healthcare Facility.A combination of relief and strength based visits like never seen before. We help those in pain feel more comfortable and empower them with active tools for self sustaining progress. schedule a visit ! Chiropractic Adjustments. Restorative Solutions. Dr. Domi...

08/12/2025

📣 We have a couple openings Wednesday afternoon! If you’ve been thinking about getting in, here’s a good opportunity!

A funny but true life reenactment of Dom & Alexis

8871 likes, 35 comments. “ ”

08/11/2025

Consistency Breads Confidence

Morning Chargers!

I want to share a personal experience around knee pain that may change the way you approach yours...

Last Thursday evening, my left knee decided to remind me that concert floors and hours of standing, dancing and walking don't always play nice together. After a weird "pop" and some noticeable swelling, I found myself dealing with sharp pain during deep knee bending.

The kind of situation that typically sends people straight to the couch with ice and Netflix.

But here's what years of consistent training teaches you: movement, when applied intelligently, often becomes your best ally in recovery.

Understanding Recovery Language
The confidence to train through discomfort doesn't come from recklessness. It emerges from understanding your body, respecting its signals, and knowing the difference between productive challenge and harmful stress. Consistency in training builds this intuitive knowledge over time.

Strategic Movement Selection
Rather than avoiding movement, the very next day, I chose exercises that would support recovery while respecting the current limitations.

The approach was methodical.

Pre-fatigue Protocol
Starting with machine leg extensions and leg curls at higher repetitions (3x15) created moderate muscular fatigue before progressing to bigger/compound movements. This strategy serves multiple purposes:

1. Reduces joint compression forces during subsequent exercises
2. Increases local blood flow to the affected area
3. Creates a neurologically safer environment for deeper ranges of motion

From there, I moved to front-foot elevated split squats using the Smith machine for stability. The deeper range of motion challenged the joint appropriately, but the pre-fatigue work had reduced protective muscle guarding, allowing for more comfortable movement.

The Science of Exercise-Induced Recovery
Neurological Adaptation
Your brain maintains a constantly updated map of each joint's capabilities. When you move a joint through controlled ranges of motion, you're essentially updating this cortical map with current, accurate information. This neural feedback tells your brain "this movement is safe," which reduces protective tension that can actually amplify pain perception.

Anabolic Signaling and Anti-Inflammatory Response
During muscle contraction, particularly when reaching moderate fatigue levels, your muscle fibers release a cascade of beneficial signaling molecules. These exercise-induced chemicals act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents and recovery promoters. These signals create a biochemical environment that actively supports healing rather than simply managing symptoms.

The 48-Hour Transformation
Saturday: Sharp pain eliminated, swelling significantly reduced.
Sunday: 6.5-mile run completed without issue.

Building Movement Confidence
This experience reinforces a fundamental principle: consistent training builds more than physical strength.

It develops trust in your body's capacity to adapt and recover. When issues arise (which they always will), you're equipped with knowledge rather than fear, strategy rather than avoidance. The goal isn't to push through every discomfort, but to understand when movement serves recovery and when rest is truly needed. This discernment comes from experience, consistency, and understanding your body's individual patterns.

Moving Forward Strategically
If you're currently managing an injury or dealing with movement limitations, consider that strategic exercise selection might offer more benefit than complete avoidance. The key lies in understanding which movements support your recovery goals which more times than not, they are age old simple movements vs. the trendy ones on your feed.

Every body tells a different story, and every recovery follows its own timeline. The most effective approach is always individualized, but what most hold true for ALL is the requirement of consistent effort.

Let's get serious about a nagging issue you have and work together to develop an approach that honors both your goals and your body's current abilities.

Have a great week!

Dr. Dom + Team

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08/04/2025

Rethinking Fear, Reality & Healing

Happy Monday!

We had a great weekend at Jellystone with the kids, the last go of the summer! It was a great one overall but we're ready for some fall weather and football! (duh).

Today Id like to touch on a topic a bit different than usual but no less important.

Quick bit of context: I treat a lot of stressed out people. I see it on their faces, feel it in their muscles, hear the fear/anxiety in the choices of words to describe their day to day. So I like to learn about different causes of stress and then equip myself with insight and tool to help guide in the right direction.

Now this may be kind of "deep" but one large one is folk living in an extreme reality they created for themselves... Just keep reading...

There's a question that's been stirring in both science and spirituality for centuries: what if the reality we experience isn't the full truth?

Recent research by cognitive scientist Dr. Donald Hoffman suggests something taking note of. His interface theory of perception proposes that what we see, feel, and fear isn't necessarily reality itself, but rather a "user interface" our brain creates, so more of a simplified version of the world shaped not for truth, but for survival.

Think of it this way: your brain works like your computer desktop. When you click on a file, you're not actually manipulating the complex electrical patterns on your hard drive. You're using a simple interface that lets you interact with what you need without overwhelming you with unnecessary technical details.

AKA Your perceptual experiences don't exactly match properties of whats really happening, but instead provide a simplified, person-specific user interface to that world.

That means many of the signals we interpret as danger — like fear, pain, or anxiety — may not be accurate reflections of what's truly happening. They're alerts designed to keep us alive, which is incredibly helpful in life-or-death moments. But when it comes to everyday challenges like starting a new exercise routine, facing uncertainty, or dealing with chronic symptoms, this survival-based
filter can become a prison.

Why This Matters for Your Health
When you're stuck in this fear-driven loop, your body follows right along. Here's what happens: chronic anxiety increases stress hormones like cortisol. These elevated stress levels alter your breathing patterns, shift your posture, disrupt your digestion, interfere with sleep quality, and even heighten pain sensitivity.

Your amygdala, that ancient alarm system tucked deep in your brain, doesn't distinguish between a charging lion and a difficult conversation with your boss. It triggers the same physiological cascade: increased heart rate, shallow breathing, muscle tension, and a flood of stress chemicals. Over time, this constant state of alert can create or amplify physical symptoms, even when nothing shows up as "wrong" on imaging or lab work.

In the office, I regularly see patients chasing relief for symptoms that don't fully resolve until their nervous system calms down. The prefrontal cortex, your brain's executive center responsible for rational thinking and perspective, gets hijacked by the emotional centers when fear takes the driver's seat. That's not just mindset work — it's pure biology. And it starts with perception.

A Different Perspective
Dr. Hoffman's work, much like ancient Christian teachings, points to something even deeper. "Love your neighbor as yourself" isn't just moral advice. It may be literally true — your neighbor is yourself, through a shared universal consciousness.

That means you are not alone, not disconnected, and not broken. And you are not your fear — you are the awareness experiencing it.

Your insula, the brain region that integrates bodily sensations with emotional awareness, can actually help you observe these fear responses with curiosity rather than being consumed by them.

Scripture tells us, "Perfect love casts out fear." What if fear isn't something to fight, but something to see clearly and walk through with deeper trust?

You cant control every variable in your life or your body. But you can control how you see it. And that changes everything at a neurological level.

Your brain's neuroplasticity means it's constantly rewiring based on your experiences and perspectives. Each time you choose curiosity over fear, compassion over criticism, you're literally reshaping your neural pathways.

A Question to Reflect On:

What would change if I believed my fear isn't always the truth — just a message to question?

We're diving deeper into these questions with our Courage Catalyst content this month. Keep an eye out, and when you're ready, we're here to help you reconnect with your body from a place of curiosity, not fear. Your nervous system is remarkably adaptable, and with the right understanding and support, you can train it to be your ally rather than your adversary.

Thanks for your time and attention to this one. Let me know what you think!

With love,
Dr. Dom + Team

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04/28/2025

Why “Life Balance” Might Be Holding You Back

Morning!

I've had something on my mind for a bit and Id like to share.

We're constantly told to chase this mythical "balanced life" – work, family, exercise, self-care, all in perfect harmony. But here's what I actually see every day working with real people in rehab and training: Real progress almost always disrupts balance.

Progress Means Breaking Patterns
When you're trying to overcome chronic pain, rebuild strength, or fundamentally change how you move, you're asking your body and brain to rewire established patterns. As the highly regarded Pat Davidson powerfully states:

"New adaptations only happen when the system is challenged enough to break its old patterns."

This means life might feel temporarily "unbalanced" – and that's not only normal, it's necessary.

I see this play out with clients daily:

- You choose to stay after work for those 20 extra minutes to nail your rehab protocol
- You skip that second glass of wine because you've learned it correlates with next-day stiffness and pain
- You drag yourself out of bed 30 minutes earlier for those loaded stretch routines that finally got your knees working again
- You commit to "boring" breathing drills instead of the endorphin rush of cardio because your ribs, back, and core need that foundation first

Practical Steps You Can Implement Today:
1️⃣ Choose one non-negotiable for the week. Pick a single element—one exercise, stretch, or movement practice—and protect it fiercely regardless of what chaos life throws your way.

2️⃣ Create a dedicated 10-minute window daily. Not an hour – just 10 focused minutes can initiate pattern disruption. Connect it to an existing habit (morning coffee, evening wind-down, brushing teeth) for better adherence.

3️⃣ Anticipate the inevitable dip. There will absolutely be messy, imperfect weeks. This doesn't signal failure – it signals adaptation. Track consistency over perfection.

We Build Plans for Real Humans, Not Idealized Ones
in the Charge Ecosystem, we work with people who have actual lives—not Instagram-perfect ones. We don't expect you to magically conjure 10 extra hours weekly. We adapt the plan to fit your life, never the reverse.

We'll determine what's realistically achievable this week, not what's theoretically ideal. We'll develop personalized accountability systems that survive life's messiness And we'll continuously reinforce: Perfect balance isn't the goal. Consistent effort is what transforms.

If you're ready to make meaningful progress on your terms, we're here to guide that journey.

Talk soon,
Dr. Dom & khi (He wanted to help dad write this morning

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