The "Real" Margo

Your Chiropractic Physician

Glenn F. Gumaer, BS, DC established Applegate Valley Chiropractic in 1996 to offer chiropractic services to the rural community of Ruch, Oregon. Dr. Gumaer graduated from Western States Chiropractic College in 1991, after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology. He was licensed in Alaska, Oregon and California after successfully passing their respective state board examinations. In addition, he passed national board examinations to become certified by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

Dr. Gumaer was born in the Territory of Alaska in 1955 and reared in North Pole.

He is an avid athlete who enjoys competitive sports. He is a long-distance runner, road and mountain biker, alpine and Nordic skate skier, motorcycle rider and golfer. In 1966, at the age of eleven, he completed the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks, Alaska -- the second-most difficult race in the nation.

He dabbled in many disciplines before settling into his lifelong interest in health and the human condition. The son of a carpenter, he labored in all facets of home building. He was an automotive mechanic; biological sciences storekeeper for the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; photojournalist; heavy equipment operator in Alaska’s oil pipeline; a photographer trained at the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography, in Santa Barbara, California; a personal fitness trainer; and a financial public relations agent prior to matriculation in chiropractic college in 1988.

Dr. Gumaer draws upon his broad education and background to better understand and empathize with patients in his practice. Applying his professional training and years of involvement in athletics, he has become an authority on nutrition, vitamin supplementation, and exercise. His training in photography enhanced his proficiency in x-ray exposure and diagnosis. Also, he collaborated with the authors of the chiropractic textbook, Atlas of Chiropractic Technique, by producing all of the photography of adjusting techniques for the book.

Dr. Gumaer is dedicated to provide patients with a better understanding of chiropractic and how adjustments help to maintain or restore health. He offers primary care for acute and chronic complaints, and provides thorough physical examinations. His clinic is equipped with the latest high-frequency x-ray machine that produces detailed images with less radiation to the patient. He also provides laboratory analysis (blood studies, urinalysis, etc.) for diagnostic purposes, and management of simple fractures with casting. His treatments are directed to optimize patients’ recuperative response to any illness.

 

Nutritional Supplementation Guidance

There are many natural remedies available to help you regain, or maintain optimum health. Knowing which supplements are effective for any given condition, at what dosage, and when to take them varies by condition, person, and supplement. This site is made available to provide you with information regarding vitamin, mineral, herbal and other nutrient supplementation used in support of your body's natural restorative processes. Your individual need for specific nutrients will be determined, based upon a doctor's analysis of your personal data. Armed with this information, you will be able to limit your supplement purchases to those products that may provide the greatest impact on your current condition. You will no longer have to rely on the well-meaning but erroneous advice from your neighbor, drug store clerk, pharmacist, or medical doctor.

What does a Chiropractor do?

Chiropractors are trained as primary care physicians. They evaluate patients’ conditions by listening to complaints and taking a detailed history. They perform  thorough physical examinations, which may include orthopedic and neurological exams, x-ray, blood, stool, and urine studies. They reach a diagnosis based upon information provided by the patient and the physical examination and review their findings with the patient. They consult with the patient on treatments available to them, including referral to an appropriate specialist when necessary. They recommend a treatment plan and obtain consent to begin treatment.

The primary treatment provided by a chiropractor is an adjustment. An adjustment is performed by placing the patient in a position that gaps specific joints of the spine that exhibit abnormal motion, then applying a quick stretch to those joints controlling the direction, speed, and depth of the adjustment. These scientifically supported chiropractic adjustments restore joint motion, reduce inflammation and pain, and restore function to nerves that are adversely affected by the abnormal joints. Adjustments are unique to the chiropractic profession and distinctly separate from the manipulations and mobilizations performed by physical therapists, osteopaths, and medical doctors.

In addition to the adjustment, the treatment plan may include chiropractic physiological therapeutics such as hot and cold packs, therapeutic ultrasound and electrical muscular stimulation. Also included are rehabilitative stretching programs, controlled exercises, lifestyle and nutritional advice as therapeutic support and prevention of future recurrence.

 

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is based upon manually restoring joint motion to improve function of the musculo-skeletal and nervous systems. As a simple illustration, consider what happens to an arm or leg put into a cast after a bone fracture. The arm or leg shrivels and wastes away (atrophies) because motion of the elbow or knee joint is restricted. When the cast is removed, joint motion is restored and the limb comes back to life. Similarly, chiropractic adjustments restore motion to joints in the spine and have a dramatic effect on the health of the surrounding tissues. Included in the surrounding tissues are the nerve roots of the spinal nerves that link the brain to the rest of the body. Because these spinal nerves are the conduit over which the brain controls the function of every cell in the body, it is imperative to the health of every cell in the body that the spinal nerves be healthy. That is why the joints of the spine need to be adjusted – to keep them moving fully and freely. Chiropractors are the only doctors trained to diagnose and treat bio-mechanical  dysfunction of the spinal joints by means of an adjustment.