Dr. Mark Yeager: A Trusted Chiropractic Physician

In business for more than 24 years, Yeager Chiropractic & Wellness is led by Dr. Mark Yeager:

He is a board certified Chiropractic Internist. Dr. Yeager received his Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Internists (DABCI) following 4 years of additional study after chiropractic school. The DABCI program is one of the leading post-doctoral programs in the United States for training in modern medical diagnosis, functional medicine, clinical nutrition, and natural therapeutics.

A man with a stethoscope around his neck.

Dr. Yeager’s Story as a Young Patient

I was always very active participating in sports at every opportunity. However, at 12 years of age I experienced low back pain that radiated to my leg. In the 8th grade, I injured my lower back in a fall during a soccer game at school. The timing of this injury was especially inconvenient as I was a first string guard on our school basketball team and was selected to compete in the League’s All-Star game. Unfortunately, this injury prevented me from participating and was a huge disappointment.

My parents took me to my pediatrician who referred me to an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist. I underwent their exams including x-rays in the standard lying position. They found nothing and could offer no diagnosis. Their prescription was to take aspirin around the clock for 30 days and see if it would relieve the pain and give my body time to heal from the injury. A month later with no improvement in my condition, I returned to the orthopedic surgeon. He re-examined me and concluded he would need to take another x-ray of my spine after injecting radioactive material into my body. He found nothing, still had no diagnosis and his only solution was for me to rest and avoid strenuous physical activity for the summer.

As my high school freshman year began, I saw wrestling season fast approaching and I was still in pain with severe limitations with back movement. The orthopedic surgeon offered no diagnosis, direction or hope for improvement. His response to my continuing pain and movement restrictions was that sometimes it takes a few years! At 13 years of age and just starting high school, resting and avoiding physical activity was not an option for me.

Why Dr. Yeager Became a Chiropractor

My father had seen a Chiropractor in the past and we decided to try that avenue. The Chiropractor took a full history, performed a physical, orthopedic and neurological exam and took weight-bearing x-rays of my back and neck. Within the first ten minutes of the physical exam, he performed and orthopedic test, which I now know as Adam’s Test, held my hips and lower back firmly and had me bend forward. To my amazement, I could touch the floor with no pain. He had isolated the problem! He told us he wanted to review the results of the x-rays, analyze information from the history and exam, and scheduled a follow up appointment with us to go over his conclusions and recommended treatment.

The next day at our appointment, he sat down with my mother and me and reviewed the results. He gave us a diagnosis based on the orthopedic tests he performed during the physical exam, x-rays and my history. He discussed the treatment plan, the duration, and expected a complete recovery. He also showed us the structural dysfunctions on the x-ray that were causing my pain. Concerned with my physical activity restrictions, I asked what he thought about me returning to physical activities. He told me that I could be completely active as soon as treatment started. Within 2 weeks, which was the beginning of wresting practice, I was on the mat going through the drills and finally realizing that I would be a fully competitive member of the team. I went on to wrestle for all four years of high school, including competing at the state level.

I was impressed that the chiropractor spent so much more time with my history and physical exam than the orthopedic and neurology specialists did and that he was able to diagnose, treat, and correct my condition that was so debilitating. A lasting impression arose from a side issue not related to my injury. In the course of the extensive history he pulled from me, I relayed the problem of daily headaches for as long as I could remember. I never complained about them because I had them every day for so long at a young age I thought it was normal and everyone had them. My chiropractor continued to ask detailed questions about the headaches and examined my neck to look for the origin. He not only found a structural problem in my neck that was causing the headaches, but he relieved them.

This experience had such a strong impact on me because I never thought I could live without pain at the age of 12. It was so valuable to me and made such a major difference in the quality of my life that I wanted to help others in the same way. It inspired me to become a chiropractor so that I could offer the same hope to others with a return to a healthy, pain-free life. Each patient presents an opportunity for me to make a difference in the quality of their life and nothing gives me greater joy.

His Education

National University of Health Sciences (Chicago, IL)

D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic)–1996
B.S. in Human Biology–1994
Diplomat of the American Board of Chiropractic Internists (D.A.B.C.I.)–2008

University of Florida

B.S. in Psychology–1992
Golden Key National Honor Society – 1992

Acupuncture Certifications

Fellowship in the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture (F.I.A.M.A)–2012
Acupuncture–National University of Health Sciences–1996

His Chiropractic Experience

1996-1998 in Sydney, NSW Australia
1998–Present in Charlotte, NC

From 1998 to 2004, Dr. Yeager experienced a multidisciplinary approach to practicing where we worked with a family physician, a neurologist, and five internists. He has treated and supported many difficult cases such as: