Quite frankly I had no idea I would be a doctor when I was growing up in a blue collar home in the Chicago suburban area. And while my parents were great, let’s just say they didn’t encourage their six children to go to college…they were very loving and supportive, I just don’t think college ever entered their minds. So because I loved and admired my father, I did what he did and finished high school and then entered the Marine Corp (had my 18th birthday in boot camp!) which I served for 4 years.

It was during my service in the Marine Corp that I had my introduction to the world of alternative health care, getting relief from low back pain and hip pain caused by miles of forced marches with 70-100 lbs. of combat gear. At this time, I was also very interested in diet and nutrition because of my “hobby” of long distance running and the “new” sport of triathlon. When I learned of the emphasis that chiropractors placed on diet and nutritional therapies that made me all the more interested in it as a profession.

So with the new found discipline and confidence that the Marine Corps gave me and with a fascination for the power of alternative health care and the self -healing power of our bodies, I decided to pursue a career in alternative health care. Along with receiving my Doctorate of Chiropractic Degree (Cum Laude) in 1994, I also became certified in Acupuncture and Applied Kinesiology (A.K.) Within the field of A.K., it was the emphasis in nutrition that most interested me, and so when the world of “Functional Medicine” began to grow, I was all over it, taking numerous post-graduate courses in

• Functional blood chemistry analysis
• Mastering the Thyroid
• Neurotransmitters and the Brain
• Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry
• Functional Endocrinology
• Mastering Brain Chemistry

With this training in functional medicine, I’ve been very blessed to be in a position to help many people who have suffered for years on prescription drugs for conditions that are not helped with such medications, or almost just as bad have been told, “You’ll just have to learn to live with it”! With a functional medicine approach, the actual underlying cause is identified and addressed rather than simply treating the symptoms with “XYZ” drug. I’ve also helped hundreds, who, because of inadequate labs and/or improper evaluation of their labs, have been mistakenly told, “everything is normal”… when it really wasn’t.

Now a Little More Personal Stuff…

I’ve been married to my beautiful, yet “Viking tough” wife, since 1991 and we have 6 children, five of whom were natural home birthed (I told you she was, “Viking tough”!). We are down to only our youngest at home (Virginia, or “Choo Chee” as we call her since she is the caboose of our family train), and after years of her pleading to be home schooled, my wife has taken on that labor of love. My wife and I are unabashedly Christians, and as such we continuously strive to focus on the “beam” in our eyes and not the “mote” in everyone elses.

As for myself, I’ve always loved and felt energized being outdoors and have enjoyed camping, hiking, fishing and hunting over the years. After competing 50 plus mid-distance triathlons from my early 20’s to mid-30’s, I pursued (at the age of 47) my dream of completing an Ironman Triathlon. This is generally considered to be the most difficult- one day endurance event and consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a full marathon (26.2 mile) run…all completed back-to-back. To date, I’ve successfully completed 5 full distance Ironman events. So my patients can be rest assured that with me, they have a doctor who “walks the walk” when it comes to healthy living.

As you can see, I approached this, “About Dr. Beyer” differently than most doctors because I have learned over the years that it’s important for people to know not only how I practice but a little about me personally if we are going to effectively work together. I tell all my patients that it’s best if we approach regaining your health and happiness as a “team”, with me guiding the process. I sincerely consider it an honor and privilege that so many people over the years have entrusted me with guiding them back to health and happiness.