Introducing Staten Island Chiropractor Dr. Chris O'Connor

The chiropractic team at O'Connor Sports & Spine Chiropractic knows that a healthy body is achieved through a healthy spine, nervous system, muscles and joints. In the physically demanding environment of New York City, the team at O'Connor Sports & Spine Chiropractic is here to make sure you stay healthy and fit. For the athletes, we combine a healthy nutritional approach together with a chiropractic plan to enhance athletic growth and performance. We do this for athletes of all ages.

I, being a native of Staten Island, was first introduced to the chiropractic philosophy of natural healthcare while still in high school. As a baseball player, I put a great deal of physical stress on my body, and suffered numerous injuries from doing so. Often disappointed with the “shake it off” attitude of my athletic trainers, I was drawn to the chiropractic concept of enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself. After discovering chiropractic, not only did I keep my name off of the “walking wounded” roster, I also experienced significant gains in my performance level. My chiropractor attributed these gains to the improved balance, coordination and agility that is the hallmark of optimal function.

I was born in Staten Island, New York in 1978 the son of a corporate executive father and a homemaker mother. When I was four years old I developed a keen interest in sports, specifically baseball. I took this interest to P. S. 22 Elementary School and I. S. 51 Intermediate School. After receiving an academic grant to attend Moore Catholic High School, where I captained the Junior Varsity and Varsity baseball teams, I was exposed to my first chiropractic treatment for shoulder tendonitis. Successful treatments allowed me to continue playing baseball and further excel in this sport. The Empire State Games and Junior Olympics are just some of the many tournaments and baseball symposiums I was selected to play in. From Moore Catholic, I ventured off to Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA majoring in Sports Medicine. After only one semester at Ursinus and wanting to broaden my horizons even more, I spent the next year and a half at Waynesburg College where I continued my health education and was a starting pitcher for the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets. During the course of my schooling, I realized that my interests centered in the areas of nutrition, sports, and holistic health in general. After receiving early acceptance into the University of Bridgeport Chiropractic College, I finished my Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Natural Science while beginning my Chiropractic Schooling in December 2000. I immediately became excited with the great possibilities of a primary health care discipline that was based on scientific principles and involved an element of art. This was indeed what I had been seeking and obtained my Doctorate in Chiropractic in May 2002. While attending UBCC, I became further certified in Basic Life Care Skills and completed an accelerated Masters in Nutrition Program in August 2001, as well as being certified by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

After graduating from the University of Bridgeport Chiropractic College, I still felt there was something very important I needed to learn before starting my chiropractic practice. Mainly, how to zero in and define spinal problems associated with sports, intrusive methods, and x-radiation used on the patient. In other words, how to be very simple, and yet, very accurate in defining a person’s spinal dysfunction and applying the appropriate care for an injured athlete.

To learn a manual system of such intricate exactness, I traveled to New York Chiropractic College to receive my Certificate in Chiropractic Nutrition, then two years later, became a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner after completing a year long program at NYCC and passing the American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians National Certification Exam. And by passing the International Sports Science Fitness Trainer Examination, I am also a Certified Fitness Trainer.

In addition to the chiropractic qualifications, I also became New York State certified science teacher and successfully passed the state examinations to be a Physical Education Teacher as well. Assisting as the Junior Varsity Baseball coach at Wagner High School put me on this education path. My eagerness to teach kids grew as strong as my passion to help others. After completing the NYC Fellows program and receiving a Masters Degree in Education, I currently teach High School Regents Science and Intermediate Science to suspended students at MT. Loretto, Hylan Blvd where I take on the challenge of restoring children who have strayed from a traditional educational path. Between teaching children and coaching baseball pitchers, I still manage the time to focus on improving the quality of life for my patients. All this activity can, I hope, be translated into a better quality care for all of my patients. I look forward to our relationship, and being part of your health care.

Imagine this: when you get here it’s all about you. You’re “it”! The entire visit with Dr. O'Connor is centered around giving you an experience uncommon in today’s impersonal medical world. After all, you are a dignified human being with specific needs that require talented people who truly care, delivered in a spa-like environment that is first class in every respect.

Our goal at O'Connor Sports & Spine Chiropractic is to markedly improve your life. Pain relief is usually the first step. Restoring your human potential and optimizing your health is next. We continuously ask ourselves the question, “how can we best serve your health needs?” We live in that question. And the answer, in short, is always the same: a commitment to excellence in everything we do. Excellence is the answer. It’s what we value most. As such, our staff is continuously upgrading their knowledge base in order to give you the best.

I receive chiropractic care on a regular basis, even when I am not in pain. I work out 3-5 times a week at the Ballys Total Fitness and you can find me running through the neighborhood streets on nice days. Recently, I am learning the game of golf, from a sports perspective and from a biomechanical perspective. My goal is to be able to help golfers improve their mechanics as well as improve my scores as well. This routine helps me prepare for the work week and provides me with the energy to complete many tasks and think clearly. So if you see me out there, do not hesitate to say hello.

Thanks for visiting our site. I look forward to meeting you in person and learning how we may be of service to you. Give our office a call, or email me using the link below and let’s arrange a time to explore your options.