Dr. George Kosmides, DC
Integrative wellness for Los Angeles and the Valley
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'Chiropractic, nutrition and acupuncture saved my life'
Dr. George tells how he turned his pain into a life's work
I grew up in Canton, Ohio. At age 13, I began feeling quite weak for no apparent reason. I started putting on weight.
I was so self-conscious that I never went out without wearing a baggy shirt. I would even swim wearing a very large T-shirt, hoping that would somehow help.
When I was 16, we relocated to Las Vegas, where my family was in the hotel entertainment industry and law enforcement.
Like most kids, I had some acne on my face but I also suffered from severe breakouts on my back and shoulders.
"First I am fat and now I have acne all over my back. ..." It was like this throughout my teen years. Dermatologists had no answers, other than this is what teenagers have, and, "You will grow out of it."
At 19 years old, I was rear-ended in an auto-related accident that left me in hospital for four days -- half the time I was semi-comatose.
After two months in physical therapy, I began to lose the ability to control my bowels and bladder. Again, the doctors had no answers.
My orthopedist, a great guy, said these problems probably were not a result of my injuries. There may be some psychological pressure from the accident, he said, and you should seek out a psychiatrist.
I did. I needed help. I didn't care where it came from. I was placed on a couple of anti-depressant drugs, which left me extremely lazy (more so than I already was), sleeping 10 to 16 hours per day. This went on for weeks, until my father told me that something was not right.
He wanted me to seek out a "bone setter" (this is what my father called doctors of chiropractic). "They might be able to help you," my dad said. "No one else seems to be able to."
A doctor in Las Vegas, Timothy Francis, did just that. ...
Dr. Francis is a Doctor of Chiropractic and a Clinical Nutritionist as well as a Kinesiologist. Within a few weeks, he was able to help me regain my bowel and bladder control. I began to gain strength and felt less tired.
Dr. Francis and his staff began to educate me in body's important workings, and how the chiropractic adjustments and applied kinesiology I was receiving were helping to restore my health potential. The daily diet modifications seemed reasonable and were working. This all began to ring true to me.
Keep in mind that I was a devout skeptic at the age of 19 -- and I am even more so now, in my mid-40s.
The damage to my lower back was so bad that if Dr. Francis hadn't been successful, the next step would have been major back surgery -- removing the disc and fusing my fifth lumbar vertebrae.
Although my disc is not fully "cured," I am fully functional. I receive regular adjustments and acupuncture treatments. I use whole-food supplements to maintain and improve my health.
And so, like you, I have had challenges both physically and emotionally. I persevere.
The body's ability to overcome health obstacles and the pain they bring is truly amazing. We all have the ability to heal. To improve.
These are the beliefs I hope to instill in readers of my story.
Perhaps reading about my experiences can be a catalyst in your search for safe, effective methods of regaining and keeping your health.
-- Warmly, Dr. George