In March we welcomed Dr Marcin Dochnal to our team. Find out more about Marcin, how he came to work in Chiropractic and why he loves cake Wednesdays in this interview.
Marcin, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in Poland and lived there until the age of 7 before my family moved to Canada, where I grew up and studied. I hold dual nationality, which comes handy when travelling and I still have family in both Canada and Poland today.
I first became interested in Chiropractic at the age of 16. I suffered a back injury during a football match and was in a lot of pain for three months as general practitioners, consultants and physiotherapists tried to solve the problem. I was finally referred to a chiropractor and after two weeks I was as good as new. It was this that left me intrigued with the profession and when it came to applying to Graduate school, I chose to pursue Chiropractic.
I studied at university for 8 years, leaving with a degree in Science and Chiropractic. In that time I also worked in real estate and taught English.
As well as speaking English and Polish fluently, I have also learnt to speak Mandarin.
What made you choose to apply for a role with Milton Chiropractic?
I chose to work at Milton Chiropractic because I had heard good things about it from colleagues in the healthcare profession. It is an open-minded place, well established within the community, and it has a good reputation with other clinicians in the area – mainly because of the results achieved here.
What have you found to be the most enjoyable aspect working at the clinic?
There is a very diverse patient base at Milton Chiropractic. We see everyone from athletes to families, university students to military personnel coming through our doors. That makes every day interesting and different.
I’ve also learnt a lot about horses in the short time that I have been here. There are many people in the area who either ride with horses or work with them.
The other great thing about working here is the people. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without the considerable help and support of the management and reception staff. They make Milton chiropractic a very pleasant place to work – particularly on ‘Cake Wednesdays’.
What do you enjoy most about your line of work?
My work brings a new challenge and a new puzzle to piece together with every patient. Although there are patterns to recognise, no patient is the same and each experience is a personal one for both the patient and the clinician. The most rewarding thing is the appreciation that people have when they have been looked after well.
What would you say are the most common complaints you see day-to-day?
The most common complaints are musculoskeletal issues either in the back or neck. These are typically caused through injury or have manifested over time due to poor biomechanics.
What are the most challenging injuries or complaints to treat?
The most challenging complaints are the ones that have been left untreated for a very long time and become multifactorial issues. They just take a bit more time.
Would you say that Chiropractic and healthcare in general has changed in recent years?
I think the great thing is that there has been an increased collaboration between health professionals in recent years. I have had the pleasure of experiencing great collaboration with dentists, massage therapists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, dieticians, psychologists, GPs and consultants.
With the right people onboard it is an absolute pleasure to tackle challenging cases together to achieve results for our patients.
How would you describe your style of patient care and your manner?
My style of care is one that I must credit to chiropractors and clinicians who have shared their experience with me and given me an opportunity to learn.
Patient care starts with taking the time to understand the drivers behind the complaint and helping the patient to understand what it is I’m looking for. Over the course of a consultation I will look from head to toe, examining biomechanics and neurology. Once all of the variables have been identified, we can begin to address them and work towards achieving optimum health and performance.
What interests do you have away from work?
In my spare time I enjoy travelling, surfing, and catching up with close friends and family over good food – which is another one of my passions.
If you would like to book a consultation with Marcin or any of our resident chiropractors, please just ring the clinic on 01223 864444