Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Richard Ezgur.
After suffering from low back pain and chronic headaches, Dr. Ezgur discovered both chiropractic and homeopathy to be effective forms of treatment and decided to dedicate his life to helping others with pain and other health problems. He strives to provide a high level of professionalism along with quality, patient-focused care. He designs specific treatment plans unique to the individual needs of each patient. Utilizing a pragmatic, common-sense approach, he emphasizes active patient participation and education, which helps his patients recover more quickly and return to their activities sooner, heal more completely, and decrease their chances of relapse.
Whether you’re acutely injured or suffering with severe, chronic pain or disease, Dr. Ezgur will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that delivers real results. He practices truly comprehensive natural healthcare, utilizing chiropractic, physical therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, and cold laser therapy. He will spend as much time with you as needed. He won’t stop searching for solutions until you get the results you’re looking for. He treats patients of all ages, including infants, children, adults, and pregnant women.
Recognizing the importance of integrating natural healthcare into mainstream medicine, Dr. Ezgur works closely with medical doctors when referrals and/or co-management is appropriate. He is also contracted with several area hospitals and HMOs to accept referrals from medical primary care physicians.
Dr. Ezgur founded Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center in Chicago in 1996, and chose the name “progressive” based on its definition:
An inclination to advance forward, improve, and evolve – to innovate.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Dr. Ezgur went on to earn his Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from the National University of Health Sciences, or NUHS, (formerly the National College of Chiropractic) in Lombard, Illinois. While enrolled at NUHS, he attended over 450 hours of seminars on topics including orthopedics, sports injuries, physical therapy, acupuncture, and nutrition. During his internship, Dr. Ezgur completed rotations at Edgewater Hospital, NUHS, and Salvation Army Clinics. Since graduating, Dr. Ezgur has continued to train extensively with Dr. Andre Saine and the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy completing a four-year, 500-hour advanced post-graduate course leading to the FCAH status (Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy). He also completed a three-year postdoctoral program through the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, leading to board-certification in chiropractic sports medicine rehabilitation. He continues to attend chiropractic, sports medicine, physical therapy, and homeopathy seminars around the world. Dr. Ezgur is passionate about mastering new techniques and adopting new technologies so that he can continue to remain on the cutting edge of the art & science of practice. Continuing to search for techniques that will improve patient outcomes is his ultimate goal.
Aside from maintaining his private practice, Dr. Ezgur has also been active in teaching. In 1998, he accepted a part-time faculty position at NUHS, teaching rehabilitation and physical therapy. In 2000, he also began teaching weekend sports medicine rehabilitation seminars to other chiropractors, through the postgraduate division of The Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. Dr. Ezgur is a trained instructor of the American Red Cross “Protect Your Back” program, and of the American Cancer Society “Fresh Start” stop smoking program. He is also the lead instructor and founder of CAHSG (Chicago Area Homeopathy Study Group), which educates people on how to use homeopathy for themselves and their families.
Dr. Ezgur has also been an active member of the community. He served as the manager of the Chiropractic Crew for the Twin Cities-Chicago AIDS Ride from 1996 to 1999, and participated as a rider in 2000. He has also donated his services to numerous athletic and charity events, including: Leukemia Society of America’s “Team in Training” Advisory Council for the Chicago Marathon, AIDS Walk Chicago “CARETEAM,” Chicago Smelts “Swim Your Heart Out,” Mrs. T’s Triathlon, Chicago Frontrunners’ “Proud to Run,” WCAA’s Men’s Basketball League, and MSA’s Fall Classic Men’s Volleyball Tournament. Dr. Ezgur also served as the Co-chair of the Board of Directors of Team Chicago Athletics, Inc, and as the company chiropractor of the Luna Negra Dance Theater. Dr. Ezgur has also donated his time and/or financial support to the following organizations: National MS Society, Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association, Ride for AIDS Chicago, Gerber Hart Library, AIDS Walk Chicago, Howard Brown Health Center, Aids Alternative Health Project, Windy City Performing Arts, Chicago House, The LAM Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.
He has been an active member of the American Chiropractic Association and the Illinois Chiropractic Society and has participated in their annual “Chiropractic Feeds the Hungry” food drive. Dr. Ezgur formerly served on the Board of Directors as secretary of the IHMA (Illinois Homeopathic Medical Association). He was selected by Dr. Andre Saine of the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy to be one of several international team leaders of the International Materia Medica Project, which is extensively reviewing the scientific and historic literature in order to create a modern, updated materia medica for the homeopathic profession.
Dr. Ezgur is a competitive tennis player and enjoys health-promoting cooking, gardening, travel, swimming, cycling, running, weight training, yoga, and Pilates.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have experienced slow, steady growth since 1996. One of the biggest challenges, but also the most rewarding, is keeping up with both the rapidly evolving technological and clinical changes in health care. In keeping with our mission of being progressive, we strive to keep current with clinical advances in the realms of chiropractic care, sports & spinal rehabilitation, as well as homeopathy & natural medicine.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center story. Tell us more about the business.
The definition of Progressive is to innovate – to advance forward, evolve, and improve.
Since 1996, we have practiced in a progressive way.
We listen to each patient and have learned what each patient values most and needs to achieve optimal results.
Based on our experience, we formulated 6 key principles that define our unique approach to caring for patients and why patients tend to choose our practice:
1. Care Is Focused On Our Patients: Most Patients Respond Best To Individualized Treatment Plans.
An assembly line, “cookie-cutter” approach no longer works in today’s modern healthcare environment. Regardless of your condition (acute sports or work injury, chronic health problem, or back or neck pain), our chiropractors will formulate an individualized treatment plan, customized to meet your unique needs, goals, and lifestyle so that we can help you overcome your unique health challenge.
2. Care Is Comprehensive: Our patients can select from a wide array of different types of treatments.
We go way beyond the scope of most other chiropractors in Chicago. We offer a unique combination of sports medicine & spinal treatment to provide decreased pain and improved athletic performance, but also a wide array of natural treatment options to solve complicated chronic health problems and promote wellness and optimal health. In order treat patients with a vast array of even the most complex, pain-producing, persistent conditions, we offer natural healthcare that is truly comprehensive. We receive many referrals from medical doctors, other Chicago chiropractors, and other health professionals due to our good success in treating these types of patients.
As is the case with most chiropractors, we do get great outcomes treating our patients with low back and neck pain, and headaches. However, due to our expertise in sports medicine and physical therapy, we also see patients with a vast array of sports injuries and other neuromusculoskeletal conditions such as injuries and pain of the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee, hip and ankle. Also, since we also provide natural medicine & homeopathy and also acupuncture, we see excellent results when treating patients with many other conditions including: allergies & asthma, arthritis, migraines, sciatica & disc problems, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, , fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, eczema & psoriasis, GI conditions, infertility, pediatric & women’s health issues, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and much more.
During your first visit, we’ll have a conversation about which blend of therapies would be best for you. This way, you’ll be able to make an informed decision regarding your treatment, which could include any combination of the following: chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy & sports medicine, homeopathy & natural medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, cold laser therapy, other myofascial release therapies including ART (active release technique) & Graston and Webster technique.
3. We Treat The Cause Of The Problem: For treatment to be most effective, it should remove the underlying cause(s) of the problem, and be holistic.
To attain true cure in the long run, it is crucial to discover and address the key cause(s) of your problem, and not just suppress your symptoms with a “quick fix”. Health problems do not develop without a reason. Symptoms are signs that your body is attempting to heal, but symptoms are not the cause of health conditions. Disease tends to be caused by a variety of factors which may include physical trauma, structural & biomechanical problems, muscular imbalance & joint instability, poor ergonomics, poor diet choices, stress, genetics, and a vast array of other lifestyle and environmental factors. As doctors, we need to investigate the underlying cause(s) of your condition and then select treatments that addresses these root causes, instead of just trying to suppress your symptoms. In doing this, we treat you holistically, as a whole person, and not just temporarily palliate your symptoms. This is the idea behind holistic treatment which considers your body to be an integrated whole.
4. We Provide Useful Self-treatment Recommendations: Our patients are instructed in techniques to be more independent and help prevent future relapse.
Our doctors believe that if by educating you about your health problems and instruct you in helpful self-treatment measures, you will recover more quickly and be better able to prevent future problems. We constantly endeavor to empower you to take control of your health. To this end, we created a Patient Resource Library, to provide you with helpful advice for home exercises, self-treatment, prevention, nutritional information, and health-promoting recipes. Armed with this information, we facilitate a healing environment in which you are empowered to take more control over your health, and not be over-reliant on your doctor. Because of this approach, although some of our patients choose to receive ongoing care for their chronic conditions, most recover within a few weeks or months, without the need for ongoing treatment.
5. We Practice First Doing No Harm: The gentlest, safest, and least-invasive options for treatment are always proposed first.
After arriving at our diagnosis, we discuss your variety of options for treatment with you. These treatment options include natural treatments (chiropractic, physical therapy & sports medicine, homeopathy & natural medicine, acupuncture, massage, cold laser therapy, etc.) and also traditional medical interventions like drugs and surgery. In our wellness center in Chicago, we provide hands-on techniques and other natural treatments to impact the underlying cause(s) of your condition and decrease side effects and other risks. It is our belief that if a safer, less-invasive treatment option with no side effects is an appropriate option, it should be given first consideration. If, however, your health problem is beyond the scope of what our office provides, or if your preference is more of an integrated approach taking advantage of both traditional and alternative treatment, then we would refer you to and/or help to co-manage your health problem with the appropriate medical specialist(s) or other practitioner.
6. Before We Talk, We First Listen To Your story And Your Concerns: We believe in taking the time necessary in order to provide care in a respectful, empathetic, compassionate, and non-judgmental fashion.
Our doctors and staff have created a comprehensive wellness center that we ourselves would choose to visit. We provide the same type and style of treatment to our patients as we would prefer if we ourselves were the patients. We are committed to taking all the extra time necessary to really listen to you, in order that you will have ample time to explain your problem(s) with as much detail as needed, and to get all your concerns & fears addressed and have any questions answered to your satisfaction. We won’t rush you and if we need more time, we will schedule you accordingly. This aids our efforts to make an accurate diagnosis, and come up with a treatment plan individualized to solve your unique health problem(s).
These are some additional reasons that patients choose our wellness center:
Our doctors are available for appointments in the early morning, evenings, and Saturdays.
Our clinic offers free valet parking at the parking lot next to our office building.
Our doctors and staff take great pride in providing excellent customer service.
It is our expectation that you get friendly-yet-professional and efficient-yet-personalized customer service at our wellness center. Your calls will be answered by a live professional, (either Chivette Mitchell, our office manager, or one of our chiropractic assistants) who will be prepared to assist you with your billing, scheduling and other questions.
7. We Do Not Subject Our Patients To Long Wait Times At Our Wellness Center.
Our doctors and staff respect your schedule and we do not make “double-booked” appointments. We know it may sound strange for a doctor’s office, but we are actually almost always prompt and run precisely on time. While emergencies do occasionally come up, it is very rare that you would ever have to wait in excess of 5-10 minutes.
8. Our Doctors And Staff Work Alongside Other Specialists And Providers In Order For You To Receive Appropriate Healthcare.
In the event that your problem is outside of the scope of our clinic, or your preference is a more integrated approach of both traditional and alternative medicine, then we will gladly refer you to or help to co-manage your case with the right specialist or practitioner. We often work cooperatively with MD’s and other practitioners, and have developed a large network of professionals to refer to, throughout the neighborhoods of Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and throughout the city of Chicago.
9. Our Doctors And Staff Do Not Believe In Using High-Pressure Salesmanship
Our focus is on providing education to you about your health problem as well as your options for treatment, in order for you to reach a well-informed decision about the style of treatment that you will ultimately receive. We don’t pressure you into receiving unnecessary treatment and we don’t sell pre-paid treatment plans that may or may not be medically necessary. All of our plans of treatment are customized to address your unique healthcare goals. Any imaging studies, tests, and procedures that we recommend are only those that we believe to be medically necessary, evidence-based, and ultimately in the best interest of our patients.
10. You Will Not Have To Keep Seeing Us Forever
Many different factors need to be taken into consideration when designing your individualized plan of treatment. These may include how severe your problem is, how long you’ve had your symptoms, the choice you make regarding your lifestyle and dietary choices, as well as the degree of stress that you are under. Each situation will differ, but most of our patients will start to improve during the first 2 weeks of treatment. We always endeavor to resolve your condition permanently, whenever possible. Since we rely heavily on patient education, our patients become as independent and self-reliant as much as possible. Some of our patients suffering from chronic, ongoing health problems decide to participate in ongoing maintenance care, and others decide to have periodic tune-ups in the form of follow-up visits, but the vast majority of the patients at our wellness center tend to get fully better within several weeks or months, and have no need for ongoing care.
11. Your Insurance Is Accepted And Billed For You By Our Office Manager.
Our doctors are participating providers in most insurance plans. Even your doctor does happen to be out of your plan’s network, your insurance can still be billed by us on your behalf, and we can still await payment from your insurance company. Since 1998, Chivette Mitchell, our office manager, has been overseeing our in-house insurance billing department. She will make sure that your insurance benefits are verified any that your visits are pre-authorized, prior to your first visit. This way, you will be aware of what your share of each visit will cost, before you begin treatment. If you do happen to have a plan with a high deductible or if you don’t have health insurance that will pay for the services that we offer, Chivette will be happy to discuss with you how we can make your care more affordable.
12. We Do Not Pressure Our Patients To Have Any X-Rays, Tests, Or Other Procedures Which May Not Be Medically Necessary.
The plans of treatment that we design for you are all customized to address your unique goals and needs. Our doctors recommend only those tests and procedures that we deem to be medically necessary, evidence-based, and in your best interest. Our doctors don’t routinely recommend X-ray studies for every patient. In fact, we find that the vast majority of our patients don’t need X-Rays. Our doctors will order whatever diagnostic and/or imaging tests that we deem necessary and that you agree to from among the best facilities that are located in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and the rest of the city of Chicago.
13. Our Doctors And Staff Will Reply Promptly To Your Emails and Phone Calls.
Most emails and telephone calls to our staff and our doctors will be replied to within just a few hours, and almost always within 24 hours. We encourage our patients to ask the doctor whenever you have any concerns or questions.
14. Our Doctors Always Offer a Free Initial Consultation.
This free initial consultation is a no-obligation appointment which will give you the chance to meet one of our doctors prior to choosing to schedule your first actual visit. During the course of this consultation which lasts about 20 minutes, you will get the opportunity to have all your questions answered. One of our doctors will also talk with you about your various options for any further diagnosis and/or types of treatment.
These options may include some of the many types of care that we provide at our wellness center, and/or a referral to a different practitioner. You may arrange for your free initial consultation to take place in our clinic or alternatively, it could be done by telephone. Either way, the consultation does not include any examination or treatment. The exam or treatment would only be done after you choose to schedule your first visit.
15. All Of Our Doctors Perform Gentle “Low Force” Adjustments Upon Request.
While the majority of our patients choose to get traditional manual (“hands-on”) adjustments (spinal manipulation), our doctors also perform “low force” adjustments, which are delivered by a highly advanced instrument. Some chiropractic patients are already familiar with some of these instrument adjustment techniques. These commonly go by the names of “activator”, “pro-adjustor”, or “impulse adjustor”. Regardless of the exact brand name of the tool, these low-force adjustments tend to be quite gentle and precise. The experience of our doctors has demonstrated that this type of instrument adjustment technique tends to be especially effective when it is performed in conjunction with manual adjustments. However, in some other cases, adjustments delivered with an instrument can be carried out as an alternative to hands-on adjustments. As is the case regarding all of the varied treatment options that we provide, our doctors will gladly talk with you and take the time to explain which type of adjustments would be most appropriate to help resolve your particular healthcare problem.
At Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center, our doctors and staff are sincerely committed to providing an environment which facilitates healing. One in which we practice progressively, adopting an approach consistent with all of the concepts as described on earlier. Through various means including attending seminars, keeping abreast of the latest research, and utilizing evidence-based practices and advanced treatment techniques, our doctors and staff are always striving to get better results for our patients and to deliver fast pain relief and long lasting results.
Our doctors and staff invite you to explore the wide range of services that we offer in our efforts eliminate your pain, help you to achieve peak athletic performance, and help you reach all of your health-related goals by facilitating your optimal physical, mental, and emotional health. In summary, we look forward to working with you to help you achieve total wellness.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Minimal. I believe that what most people consider luck is just preparation meeting opportunity, and that opportunities are created through a positive outlook and hard work.
Contact Info:
- Address: Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center
2835 N Sheffield Avenue, Suite 411,
Chicago, IL 60657 - Website: www.ProgressiveChiropractic.com
- Phone: 773-525-9355
- Email: drrick@progressivechiropractic.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveChiropracticWellnessCenter/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/progressive-chiropractic-chicago-2
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