by Denise Massie
WINAMAC — Cherie Goble and Mark Heal work with the spinal cord and nervous system on a daily basis.
As chiropractors at Goble-Heal Chiropractic in Winamac, the two aim to help people get healthier every day.
Heal lists one thing he enjoys most about his job.
“Just working with people and having those experiences, when you see them get well without drugs or surgery,” he said.
Goble agreed.
“Seeing people’s overall life improved and knowing I was an instrument in helping them,” she added.
Early life experiences helped to lead Goble and Heal to the same career. Both had been treated by chiropractors.
For Heal, his journey began when he was 5 years old.
He had a neighbor who was a chiropractor, he said, and his neighbor helped him with ear aches.
Goble said her need for a chiropractor happened while she was in high school.
“I actually had a swimming pool diving accident my senior year of high school,” she said. “I had hit my head and a chiropractor helped me out of that.”
After the accident, Goble said she became interested in the philosophy of chiropractic care.
Goble has now worked as a chiropractor for 22 years, while Heal has been at the job for just over 18 years.
When working with a patient, the chiropractors check to make sure the person’s spine is working properly with the nervous system, Goble explained.
“That seems very simple, but it obviously affects a lot of things when talking about the nervous system,” added Heal.
After college, both doctors attended seminars to become trained in the Gonstead system.
Goble said the system was created by Dr. C.S. Gonstead.
“It’s a very specific and precise way to examine a spine,” she said.
Heal said the key to the system is the doctors adjust only the joints that need to be adjusted and not the entire spine.
The adjustments can take place while the patient is lying down, kneeling or sitting down, depending on the area needing adjustment.
The number of patients seen during the day varies, according to Heal.
Goble said some visits take longer than others. It all depends on the person’s individual needs.
The chiropractors work with patients of all ages, from newborns to the elderly.
“If they have a spine, we’ll take care of them,” Heal said.
In addition to her time spent working in the office, Goble also teaches on the Gonstead staff and was the first and only female to do so.
She has been teaching pediatric adjustments as well as serving as a technique instructor, which consists of teaching others how to adjust a patient using the Gonstead system.
Goble described the job as rewarding.
“My fist love is taking care of patients,” she said. “Obviously teaching is very rewarding. Your students learn and grow.”
Both chiropractors say they are sometimes frustrated by the misconceptions they encounter.
“One of the things I think people don’t realize is the education,” Goble said. “A lot of times, people have an idea chiropractors aren’t real doctors or don’t have training experience, when our training and experience is as much as a medical doctor.”
Overall, both Goble and Heal have enjoyed the career path and stay focused on one goal.
“We focus on the patient and people end of it,” said Heal. “That’s why we got into this business — to help people.”
Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com
