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The following profile looks at one of several Chamber members featured in the summer edition of our INSIGHT Magazine promoting health and wellness

Very few people discover their true calling at a young age and Dr. Mark Guker happens to be one of them.

The experienced Cambridge chiropractor was first introduced to his future profession at the age of nine while trying to navigate a seemingly endless cycle of illness.

“I was sick a lot as a kid, even though I grew up eating very healthy foods, but no one could explain why I was so sick,” says Mark, taking a moment to chat between patients at his ReAlign Health clinic on Eagle Street North. “Someone suggested I see a chiropractor and when he did an analysis, he noticed there were problems with my neck, probably from playing hockey. He started adjusting me and that was the last time I was ever on an antibiotic. That experience stuck with me.”

Always a strong student, a career in the health sector was something he kept in the back of his mind until, while attending Preston High School and still playing hockey, the Cambridge native found himself seeking additional chiropractic treatment after suffering a shoulder injury.

“That was my ‘eureka’ moment as a high school student,” says Mark. “I decided then I was going to be a chiropractor because I wanted to help people the way I had been helped.”

He completed his studies in kinesiology in 2001 at the University of Western Ontario before moving to New York State to attend New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) where he participated in the Government-funded introduction of chiropractic in the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital system in Buffalo, NY.

Health and wellness goals

Following a stint at a multi-disciplinary clinic in Connecticut, Mark returned to Canada and joined a practice in Waterloo with two other chiropractors before deciding to venture out on his own by opening ReAlign at its initial location on Eagle Street North, just west of Hespeler Road, in 2007.

With very little business training, he admits being from the Preston community worked in his favour when it came to making those initial and important connections.

“I leaned on my friends, parents and their friend group, and even coaches I had when I was a kid,” laughs Mark. “But that’s just the kickstart to get you going. Even if you’re in a foreign country or your hometown, you still need to get involved and get out there and pound the pavement and advertise yourself as best you can afford.”

He did just that by knocking on doors and introducing himself to as many people as possible, and the services he provided at ReAlign.

“I also took it upon myself to start learning from other businesspeople, finding mentors and joining business groups,” says Mark, noting failing can sometimes be an important part of the business journey. “But you learn it’s about getting back up and doing it better the next time around.”

Despite the uncertainties that often come with starting any business venture, he remained true to his vision of helping others achieve their health and wellness goals, using what he describes as a less biomechanical approach that many chiropractors utilize.

Education key to success

“Largely, the bulk of my practice is adjusting people, but it’s also about them helping themselves outside the clinic,” says Mark, describing how each new patient receives a comprehensive examination featuring a full neurologic and orthopedic component, along with a thermal scan of their spine. “We identify their physical, emotional, chemical and environmental stresses, and start to set goals.”

Once a wellness plan is in place, he says a pivotal part of his practice is regular ‘check ins’ with patients to ensure they are still on the best path forward to improve their health.

“We’re constantly rechecking and re-educating and reminding clients about all the important steps they need to do on a daily basis,” says Mark. “You don’t just start eating well today and expect to look or feel different tomorrow.”

He explains chiropractic treatment becomes another vital piece of his patients’ overall health journey, and despite being around for more than 130 years, misconceptions still exist about its health benefits.

“People’s opinions can be hard to change, and I think it’s politically biased in a way,” says Mark. “Clients come in here willing to listen but there can be hesitation at the start. So, a lot of my education in the early phases of patient care is explaining what chiropractic is and what chiropractic is not. Keeping a healthy spine rewards you in numerous ways because it starts to re-establish good connections to every cell, tissue, organ, and system in your body.”

To ensure patients receive the best all-round service, he has enlisted the expertise of a team of professionals at ReAlign – which moved to its current and larger location at 2040 Eagle St. N. two years ago - to work in tangent providing not only chiropractic care, but physiotherapy and massage therapy. 

Finding the rewards

“Some practices that offer multidisciplinary care are a little bit more siloed and are not interacting from a professional standpoint,” says Mark, noting patients receive better care if the health professionals are collaborating. “Convenience may be great, but collaboration is better.”

When it comes to his maintaining his own health, he says striking the perfect work-life balance has been a priority for him and his wife, Jenn, who is ReAlign’s clinical director. The couple have managed to carve out a four-day work week schedule, which allows them to spend quality time with their three daughters – aged 11 and twins aged 15. 

“Having that work-life balance is something that I pride myself on,” he says, adding having that schedule has allowed him the opportunity to coach his daughters in both baseball and hockey. “I grew up with some great coaches and having the ability to give something back to them and their friends is really rewarding.”

Mark also continues to find rewards in his career, and jokes that his daughters tease him for always being excited about going into work on Monday mornings.

“I love it more and more every day. I truly do. I look forward to it because I get to come in and help people,” he says, noting it’s important as a health-care provider to identify goals and strive for them.

“If your ultimate goal at the end of the day is to help as many people as possible, then you are going to be able to help as many people as possible. If your goal is to have a yacht, then you will probably eventually will get that yacht. But I don’t think healthcare should ever be driven by finances.”

Visit www.realignhealth.com to learn more.