Dr. Thomas Wachtmann knew at an early age that he wanted to go into the healthcare field. With a family history that includes a pioneering great-grandmother who was one of the first female chiropractors and a brother—ten years his senior—that is a practicing chiropractor, it was not a huge stretch for him to pursue a doctorate of chiropractic. Wachtmann graduated from the Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1996 and now works at two local offices: the Link Chiropractic Clinic, in Fleetwood, and Need A Hand Chiropractic, in Breinigsville.

“My decision to become a chiropractor boils down to a desire to fix problems rather than just relieve symptoms,” explains Wachtmann. “I want to help give patients true health and wellness and improve their lives at a higher level.”

Wachtmann achieves this by using both traditional chiropractic techniques and functional diagnostic medicine—which focuses on finding and treating the cause of diseases, rather than just suppressing symptoms. His diagnostic tools include nutritional analysis at a metabolic level, a comprehensive exam of the body, laboratory testing and consultations with other healthcare practitioners, if needed.

“Some patients come in and just want a chiropractic adjustment, which I provide. However, if a patient mentions another disorder or disease that they are taking medicine for, I discuss functional diagnostic medicine with them and see if it is something that they may be interested in,” explains Wachtmann. “People come in with a wide array of problems and I can provide a comprehensive consultation with them to address these problems and really get to the root of what is causing them.”

Wachtmann provides an individual treatment plan based on each patient’s lifestyle, symptoms and level of activity. He uses whole food nutritional supplementation, detoxification protocols, oxygen therapy, brain-based therapies and non-surgical spinal decompression to find the cause of the problem and fix it.

In addition to scoliosis, spinal issues, neuropathy, tingling, numbness and pain—all traditional reasons to visit a chiropractor—Wachtmann’s functional medicine capabilities allow him to address thyroid disorders, adrenal dysfunction, digestive disorders, autoimmune conditions and many other issues.

“I see a lot of people who go to specialists or multiple doctors that aren’t fixing the problem, just suppressing symptoms,” explains Wachtmann. “Many times I have more success treating these conditions than the specialists they see because I am not focused on symptom suppression. I do my best to be a skilled medical detective, discovering the problem and fixing it by addressing the basic origin.”

In addition to his work in functional diagnostic medicine and traditional chiropractic, Wachtmann specializes in healthy and safe weight loss. He also offers brain-based therapy work for people who suffer from depression, attention deficit and other disorders.

“We [chiropractors] are not just doctors who relieve back pain. We fix the dysfunction of the spine, allowing the body to communicate effectively with the brain,” states Wachtmann. “Many of my patients have been to a multitude of healthcare professionals, seeking answers and help, but they are just getting targeted symptom relief. I want to do more for my patients by getting to the original source of the problem and fixing it from the inside out.”

Locations: Link Chiropractic Clinic, 3130 Pricetown Rd., Ste. H, Fleetwood. 610-944-5000. Need A Hand Chiropractic, 628 Twin Ponds Rd., Breinigsville. 610-841-3395. For more information, visit DrWachtmann.com.

Julianne Hale is a freelance writer and editor. Connect with her at [email protected] or AnotherGrayHair.wordpress.com.