Dr. Landon Amonette. Not all heroes wear capes, but some chiropractors do.

When our family moved to San Diego from Washington State in July of 2009, we went through the usual adjustments: getting accustomed to new weather patterns, finding our place in a new community, and of course, dealing with new environmental allergens. People talk about the light in Southern California, but what about the air? I know people who sneezed for a year after arriving here from the East Coast

As the months flew by, we embraced our new home, including its wide range of restaurants and grocers. The holidays came, and in typical Smith fashion, we cooked, we baked, and we ate until our bellies ached. Unfortunately, mine never stopped aching. Ah, I thought, that’s what you get for being gluttonous, Karen. I made my usual New Year’s resolutions, promising my poor guts that I would take better care of myself, eat healthier food, and all the rest of it. But the pain persisted, and began to wear on me.

I confided in — well, complained to — a new friend, and she told me I should consider visiting Dr. Landon Amonette at Awesome Family Chiropractic. I was naturally skeptical; the pain was in my gut, not my back or my joints. She told me that Amonette employed a holistic approach. I remained skeptical: I’d heard stories of people getting in over their heads with the purchase of “lotions and potions” that never really worked as they watched their bank accounts dwindle. But all I said was, “I dunno.”

My friend told me that Amonette’s whole-person approach included nutrition. That, plus the promise of no needles or other sorts of invasive treatments, convinced me to at least pay the man a visit. I found Dr. Amonette’s manner gentle, caring, and patient. And his approach was simple: treat the person as a whole, with total dignity, and with respect for their wishes, limitations and goals regarding their health.

I learned so much at that first appointment, starting with how spine alignment is crucial to the way in which the digestive, reproductive, circulatory and central nervous systems work. Dr. Amonette told me that if I removed the toxins (physical and emotional) from my body, put in whole nutrition, and adjusted the spine, I would begin to have more restful sleep and more energy, and I would feel better overall.

We began with a lengthy, but much needed questionnaire about health. Then some muscle testing: placing a small vial containing things like gluten, dairy, legumes, etc. in the palm of my extended hand to see if it “weakened” in the presence of that substance. Again, I was skeptical, but couldn’t argue with my experience of it working. Dr. Amonette was able to tailor a treatment plan for me — and eventually, each member of my family — including natural supplements to fill in what was lacking in our general nutrition, gentle adjustments, and lots of just plain old listening.

Of course, the “detoxification” — ridding the body of the bad stuff — is probably the hardest part. But it was worth it. The unhealthy weight and bloat began to disappear. My son, who’d been on an inhaler, is now free if it. My daughters’ health (and demeanors) began to improve. Today, the whole family looks forward to their adjustments. In some ways, that was the kicker for me, the thing that convinced me to try Dr. Amonette’s approach: my kids’ reaction. We’ve had some not-so-great doctors, and those are the ones the kids tend to remember; as a result, they can be skittish around medical professionals. But right after my first appointment at Awesome Family Chiropractic, my kids asked when we were going back.