Chiropractor and Sports Kinesiologist - Dr. John Manning, DC

Give us a brief background about yourself

Firstly, thanks much for the opportunity to connect here with the great group of natural practitioners who are part of the Real Mushrooms family.

I’ve had the absolute privilege of practicing Applied Kinesiology chiropractic for almost 35 years.  Injured in a hockey game after my 1980 graduation from Boston College, I spun my wheels for three months in “traditional” medical care.  When an orthopedic surgeon actually offered “EXPLORATORY NECK SURGERY”!!), I’d finally had enough. I took a chance on chiropractic.  All I knew was that a number of Olympic athletes were raving about chiropractic care despite strong discouragement by the U.S. medical team.  It sounded good to me!

My initial chiropractic experience was miraculous (the doc happened to specialize in Applied Kinesiology).  Three treatments and I was sold.  Back to school I went and earned my degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in December 1985.

In your practice, what conditions do you address the most?

My practice has been evolving for 35 years, and I expect it will continue to do so until I’m finally planted in the proverbial rocking chair.  A little perspective – Applied Kinesiology is a system of diagnosis and treatment using manual muscle testing as a functional neurological tool.  I had a better handle on the immense power of A.K. on my thousandth patient visit than on my first… and logarithmically more on my 175 thousandths.

Consequently, as my “functional” understanding of the anatomical, physiological, energetic, and neurological interconnectedness of ALL of the body’s systems grew… my ability to harness its almost limitless capacity to find balance, to heal, and to maintain homeostasis grew as well.  This would have been utterly impossible for me without Applied Kinesiology.

A.K. makes my chiropractic practice 10x more powerful.  Freeing the nervous system to communicate unencumbered via appropriate spinal manipulative therapy and various soft tissue modalities, is incredibly powerful on its own … but Applied Kinesiology allows accurate assessment of endocrine, digestive, immune, cell detox, and energetic pathways, as well as the SPECIFIC nutritional holes to fill in order to turn on the body’s repair mechanisms.

So – Manning Chiropractic & Sports Kinesiology has evolved from a largely musculoskeletal based practice (athletic injuries, low back pain, headaches, shoulder separations), to one which includes patients suffering from a wide range of physiological disruptions… IBS, Crohn’s, chronic constipation, heart disease, asthma, eczema, diabetes, and arthritis… the list goes on.

What do you find are the primary causes of these conditions?

That’s an easy one.  Nutrition and lifestyle choices. Hands down!  Hint: Think SUGAR and wheat gluten.  Chronic degenerative processes are at the root of every one of the top causes of death in America.

And the common thread? -- chronic inflammation.

The biggest obstacle in a patient’s road to vibrant health is the Western Medicine sickness care model that has been ingrained (by design) since birth. Roughly 70% of Americans are on one prescription drug; half take 2, and 20% are on FIVE or MORE prescriptions!

This is a national disgrace.

Drugs can be positively life-saving, but only NUTRIENTS heal tissues.  Mother Nature designed it that way, and the rules haven’t changed.

How do you typically use Real Mushrooms with your patients?

Applied Kinesiology is a powerful assessment tool.  I’m able to take a “systems” approach with each patient, with a goal of identifying overly taxed organs/glands and most importantly, the lowest rung on the functional ladder.

For instance, is a patient’s chronic lung congestion really a “lung” problem?... or something else?  A subclinical heart involvement perhaps?

In my experience, these kinds of things are commonly missed in the traditional medical model.  Chances of successful outcomes rise dramatically when we address the issue from the bottom up.

Interestingly, and AMAZINGLY… Real Mushrooms’ products are applicable in virtually all situations!! 

I do not use “amazingly” lightly.

I’ve tested literally thousands of nutrients over the decades.  Not more than a small handful have tested as universally positive as the “medicinal mushrooms” supplied by this company.  Even an actual, locally grown “organic” Reishi mushroom supplied by a patient failed miserably!  I regularly screen all of the products, and strongly recommend these potent immune and cell supporters to many patients.

What is your recommended dosage for your patients?

I screen all Real Mushrooms products against the major “blown circuit breaker” on each patient.

A.K. will demonstrate the most appropriate of the group.  As an aside, muscle testing shows that Chaga, while beneficial, tends to perform least effectively than the others.  For mushroom “rookies”, I recommend a quarter teaspoon 2x/day (or 2 caps) to start.  I always prefer powder over capsule, as I want to stimulate the tongue’s lingual receptors, and thus inform the brain what’s on the way.  I’d like to double that dosing within a few weeks if possible.

My muscle testing bears out my belief that there’s a powerful healing synergy to combining the various products.  So, if a patient will rotate around all of Real Mushrooms’ selections through the week – so much the better.

Have you found other products, herbs, or supplements that work well or have good synergy with mushrooms?

I have access to, and nearly 500 different supplements for screening patients.  Again, my testing can get very specific. I may use a particular supplement with one patient for a period of time (until muscle testing demonstrated that it fails to be useful)… and not find a need for it on another patient for 8 months.  It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, really.  It makes for interesting inventory problems from time to time.  The Real Mushroom.

How do you personally use mushrooms? (capsules, powders, in drinks/foods, why?)

I add ½ tsp of powder to each of my 2 daily coffees.

Always ¼ tsp of Reishi… plus ¼ tsp of any of the others in no particular order.  I simply want to get a mix of all of the products into my system over the course of the week.

Where can we learn more about you? (website, links, self-promotion, etc.)

My YouTube Channel: John Manning Jr DC

Facebook: manningchiro