Dr. Stephen Gangemi, DC: Natural Health Care Doctor

I am a doctor who uses various holistic methods to get a person healthy again. I have been trained in the fields of functional neurology, biochemistry, acupressure meridian therapies, applied kinesiology, and dietary and lifestyle-modification methods. If you could sum up in a few words what I do, the most apt definition would perhaps be “complementary medicine,” or “holistic health care”. I don’t use the word “alternative” because for me, my family, and many of my patients, this type of health care is not alternative; it is the only one we follow. Conventional medicine is our alternative – there if/when we need it in times of crisis only. Because my practice is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the range of people who come to me include software engineers, professors, housewives (and their kids), professional hockey players, professional dancers, and athletes and coaches from Duke and University of North Carolina. Many of my patients also travel from other states to see me in my office.

I’m often the guy who they end up seeing after all the other conventional and usually over-priced treatments have failed. I’m much more interested in the cause of the health problem or injury than just merely addressing its symptoms. I like to tell patients I’m going to diagnose the health process that has gone awry, not just the symptoms. For example, an aching knee might be due to something else taking place, distant to where the actual pain is felt. An imbalance of the muscles of the leg and foot could be the cause of knee pain in one person; for someone else, the knee hurts because of improper footwear; or for another sufferer, the knee pain might be associated with too much stress from a poor diet and overtraining, which can often result in fatigued adrenal glands. Compared to conventional therapies which offer treatment of the symptoms via drugs, surgery, and physical therapy, dealing with the cause provides a more effective, faster, and rewarding remedy, not to mention it’s often much less expensive. You’d be surprised how quickly injuries and other health problems can be resolved when they’re dealt with on a cause-oriented, individual level.

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I earned my doctorate degree in chiropractic and bachelor degree in nutrition from Life Chiropractic University in Marietta, GA. I am constantly staying up-to-date with current health research and information while managing a full-time patient practice. Merging functional neurology and nutritional biochemistry into mainstream natural health care is the essence of what I do. It’s a very patient-individualized practice!

I am certified in applied kinesiology and am a Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology. You can click on the link to the Research Papers to see the many techniques I have developed and advancements made in the health care field. I utilize manual muscle testing (MMT), it is the art of the technique used to tap into the nervous system to scientifically figure out how to get a person well. The intricate link between your muscles and your nervous system with your entire body makes it an invaluable too. I am a member of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association and a board certified chiropractic physician here in the state of North Carolina. Currently I am in my 13th year of practice.

I really enjoy racing – triathlons, road bikes, and especially trail races over rough terrain. I am a six-time qualifier and finisher of the Ironman Hawaii World Championship Triathlon – the world’s most prestigious triathlon. I have competed in 20 Ironman races as well as countless other triathlons, as well as bicycle races and trial races. I’ve been an All-American Triathlete twice, in 1997 and 2004, and I am still very competitive to this day, often placing or winning my age group in races. So you may say I have a unique perspective makes me quite qualified to treat and train athletes, from weekend warriors to elite competitors. Currently I am using a lot of MovNat in my training.

My wife MaryBeth, and kids Makayla, Ava Mae, and Paxton Fox, and I live in Chatham County, North Carolina. We have two dogs, three cats, a lot of chickens, and a couple rodents (pets) in the kids’ rooms. We grow our own vegetables, eat the eggs from our hen house, and live in an energy-efficient home. We eat mostly organic, never any trans fats or anything artificial, and sugar only on occasion. We eat raw honey from local farmers and currently are beekeepers with three hives.

Read more about applied kinesiology here.