Dan Zucker, D.C.

Dr. Daniel M. Zucker, DC, feels a special affinity for the aches and pains of golfers. Each time they swing at the ball, they torque their lower backs - a movement that presents a supremely high risk for injury. It’s the same kind of injury risk he faced as a college baseball player at the University of Miami (UM).

Born and raised in Bayside, Queens, NY, Zucker attended UM in the hope of gaining a spot on that school’s varsity baseball team as an intermediate step in his quest to become the draft pick of a major-league team. “I chose Miami because at the time it had the number one–ranked college baseball team,” says the still-avid ballplayer. “I figured my chances of being scouted by the majors were greatest at UM.”

But during tryouts for the team, he took a swing packing so much force that he threw out his back at the spot below the L-5 vertebra. Bedridden for days afterward, friends recommended he seek treatment from a Doctor of Chiropracty. Zucker did so and was amazed at the relief he obtained on the very first visit. “By the fifth visit, I was back at 100% of my old self,” he says.

During his period of rehab, Zucker engaged in a brutally honest self-assessment and came to the conclusion that, much as he wanted to be a pro ballplayer, he lacked the athletic prowess to ever realize that ambition.

Crestfallen, but not crushed, Zucker realized that his true calling lay in helping other athletes achieve their highest physical potential. He could best do that, he decided, by becoming a chiropractor.

After graduating from UM as a pre-med student, he enrolled at Cleveland Chiropractic College. (He says he chose to attend a school in Los Angeles because family was there; and he loved the climatologically blessed city’s opportunities for participation in every manner of sports year-round—as he puts it, in the morning you could be surfing at the beach and, in the afternoon, snow skiing in the nearby mountains.)

With his pro-ball aspirations behind him, the path held the opportunity that would soon again see him slamming low-hanging curves and sprinting around a diamond. It happened that a well-known television actor who had befriend Zucker invited him to play on a softball team manned by people in showbiz.

In 1997, this led to an offer to play softball in the Maccabi Olympics in Israel, from which Zucker returned home wearing a bronze medal. Two years later, he was welcomed to the US men’s softball team in the Pan-Am Maccabi Games held in Mexico City. There, he and his team won the gold. At both events, Zucker served as the Games’ official chiropractor.

Greg Vanvakaris, C.S.C.S., Q.M.E.

Dr. Greg became engrossed in the study of anatomy and physiology to improve his performance as a competitive athlete (kick-boxing, outrigger-racing, surfing, swimming, beach volleyball, all-terrain running, cycling.) As his knowledge base grew, he made this the focus of his college studies (Physical Education major with an emphasis in Exercise Science). While in his senior year at Cal State University Northridge, he was working in the Adaptive Therapy Lab (working with stroke, Parkinson's, Muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Joint injury patients) and did his internship in Cardiac Rehabilitation at the Veteran's Administration Hospital. At the same time, he began personal training, working with athletes and celebrities at the prestigious Sports Club L.A. where he was chosen "Program Director/Personal Trainer of the Year". He and his team were also awarded the title of "Best Personal Training Team" by City Sports magazine.

Dr. Greg suffered a debilitating low back injury after an outrigger canoe Iron-man race. Luckily, one of his teammates was doing an internship in chiropractic school and treated him back to health. He had always felt that he was in great shape but was given a more in-depth understanding of neuro-musculoskeletal rehabilitation from his friend's work and was back racing in three weeks for the California Iron-Man Championships. It seemed like a miracle to him and it was all achieved without the use of drugs. He decided to investigate the doctorate programs in Chiropractic and soon realized that he could make a much larger impact on himself, his family and society. He wanted to teach as many people as possible about the prevention of disease, the promotion of health and how to enjoy the pleasures of life with greater energy and an absence of pain. He wanted to learn how to push his physical limits within a safe realm and how to improve his health making sure that injuries didn't become a hindrance to his performance.

Dr. Greg studied at Cleveland Chiropractic College in L.A. for his Doctorate. He spear-headed a rehabilitation center in school and attended numerous seminars in Applied Kinesiology, Sports Injuries, Nutrition in Athletes and Massage techniques. Dr. Greg was appointed to the Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, was on the National Dean's List and graduated Magna Cum Laude in April 1997. While in school, he continued to personal train clients in their homes, on movie sets and in the gym. Since graduating he has continued his education in Sports Injuries, Worker's Compensation and Personal Injury. Dr. Greg is a Qualified Medical Examiner . He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is also an active member of the American Chiropractic Association and California Chiropractic Association.

Dr. Greg cross trains regularly and believes wellness is a product of balancing mind, body and spirit. It is achieved by incorporating exercise, stretching, proper nutrition, massage, meditation, proper rest, periodic vacation, social interaction and, of course, chiropractic adjustments.