Bridging the Gap with San Diego Sports Chiropractor, Dr. Corey Lichtman
Dr. Corey as a serving board member for the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners. His role was to aid in legalities, legislation, licensing, and regulations. The mission of the Board is to protect consumers by overseeing practicing chiropractors in California.
This week’s blog features San Diego Sports Chiropractor and owner of our practice, Dr. Corey Lichtman.
“Dr. Corey” has been serving the greater San Diego population for over 15 years through sports chiropractic, injury rehabilitation, and wellness care.
On top of owning Solana Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic, Dr. Corey is the team chiropractor for the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League, serves as a traveling chiropractor for X-Games USA, has been appointed medical coordinator for Exposure Skate Events, but most importantly he is a father and husband.
Dr. Corey recently finished his term as a board member for the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Dr. Corey has owned and operated Solana Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic since 2009.
After attending San Diego State University (SDSU) for his undergraduate education, Dr. Corey earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from the Los Angeles Chiropractic College (LACC), now known as the Southern California University of Health Sciences. His first exposure to the chiropractic profession was in high school, however. “Playing tons of sports growing up, I was in and out of rehab with a plethora of injuries. I was always drawn to problem solving, building models, scientific subjects - but I liked seeing the progression of rehabilitation and I wanted to help people. A friend of mine’s parents were chiropractors and I’d been adjusted a few times, and my high school even sent us to LACC’s cadaver lab which REALLY peaked my interest. To make a long story short, I knew I wanted to go into healthcare so I enrolled in San Diego State’s pre-med program.”
After a semester at SDSU, Dr. Corey changed his emphasis from pre-med to kinesiology. Kinesiology, the study of human movement, is a common emphasis of study for individuals looking to join professions such as physical therapy, chiropractic, physicians assistant, even personal training or physical education. “I thought about maybe going the surgical route. I was always excelled with fine motor skills and worked well under pressure. After spending more time in physical therapy and chiropractic offices, I wanted the progression and face time with the patients. As a chiropractor, I could do anything under the sun, except for prescribing drugs and breaking the skin, so I chose to go to chiropractic school.”
Dr. Corey pictured with one of the many national championships won by the San Diego Sockers. The Sockers have been named national champions 14 times since 1982.
Because the scope of chiropractic is quite large, it’s rare that two chiropractors think alike. Dr. Corey and I think very similarly in the way we practice, the way we interact with patients, and the functional goals that we set with each patient.
“The goal of what we do is to resolve pain, restore function, and strengthen the structure. That’s the paradigm. The way we do that is through sound diagnostics - telling people what’s going on. Most people go to a chiropractic office and they hear one word - that’s it. People need to be on the same page if you expect them to trust you, listen to your recommendations, and follow a care plan. People are different. They need different options and you can’t force a particular intervention on anyone. The only thing we require in our office is the desire to get better. This is a diagnostically sound, sports and rehab based practice.”
In this day and age, a diagnosis can go two ways. It can be stamped on be molded into one’s identity, or it can offer answers and guidance to make a plan to recover. Dr. Corey hasn’t always practiced in this kind of environment, however. When asked to touch on new chiropractors and job options, Dr. Corey had this to say:
“It’s tough for new doctors out there. Tuition is high, interest is high, and you don’t often get jobs making six figures like other professions out of school. New docs are impressionable, they take jobs that may not fit their philosophy because of a paycheck. I worked in those kind of environments - high volume, adjustment only, several thousand dollar packaged care plans. I found ways to carve out my philosophy and offer interventions that resounded with me, but kind of knew how I wanted to practice. That’s not the case for a lot of new docs with little experience outside of school.”
After a few years of high volume practice, Dr. Corey moved to San Diego and began building his practice. Knowing he wanted to work in sports, he described his first few years as the following:
“I really busted my ass when I started up here in San Diego. I took every gig I could get. Semi-professional football, pro and amateur dancers, giving back to San Diego State, X-Games - pretty much anyone who was open to working together. One of the hardest things, especially to new clinicians, is just reaching out and being comfortable as part of the team. With the Sockers, I spent time with the team, worked on the guys and the staff, and built out my role and the role of medical as we went. Like with anything, it’s important to understand roles. Yes, respect other providers and professionals, but earn your spot. The easiest way to earn that spot is by knowing your shit and putting in good work. At the end of the day, no matter how many degrees and certifications you have behind your name, you need to know your shit. Know the injuries, know the mechanisms, and spent time in the environment until uncomfortable becomes comfortable”
Dr. Corey with his family on the field after a San Diego Sockers game. One of the most challenging things he describes about being a chiropractor is the work-life balance. According to Dr. Corey, the biggest priority of all is family.
When asked for any last remarks, Dr. Corey had this to say:
“Working on the Board of Examiners, my experience really reaffirmed my intentions of protecting and helping the population. There is a lot of separation in the profession, but the focus should be on the people we are trying to serve. From a multidisciplinary approach, we need to look for further growth and further acceptance and the only way to go about that is through ethical, evidence-informed practice. There shouldn’t be competition between chiropractors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, medical doctors, etc., there is enough room and enough need to go around.”