Darien Chiropractor Brings Health into Alignment

While studying health care at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Anna Martusciello found her calling by accident — literally.

One day, a CTA bus slammed into her Volkswagen Super Beetle. Martusciello woke up in the hospital with broken ribs along with cuts, bruises and other injuries.

Her 18-year-old body healed quickly. But one year later, she developed stomach ulcers.

The medication prescribed by her doctor caused her other problems, including trouble in her digestive tract. And they interfered with her ability to concentrate on her studies.

Someone suggested that she see a chiropractor.

At first, Martusciello resisted, saying. “That’s for old people with back pain.”

But she went to the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, now called National University of Health Sciences, to be examined.

She remembers, “That day, I was told what was wrong, how they were going to fix it, and why I was having these stomach issues.”

Within a week, her symptoms had dramatically improved.

“This stuff is so interesting,” she said. “No drugs. You don’t have to cut me open. I can stop taking all of these pills. And I feel better. I need to know more about this.”

That summer and fall, Martusciello took classes at four different colleges to get all the requirements she needed. That January, she was enrolled as a student at NCC. While there, she also taught the biomechanics labs.

Martusciello graduated from the five-year program in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology as well as a Doctorate of Chiropractic. She’s practiced in the Chicago area ever since.

In 2002, Martusciello opened her Darien practice as Higher Health Chiropractic. She is Board-certified to practice in the State of Illinois and completes a minimum of 150 hours of continuing education every three years in order to maintain her certification.

Martusciello focuses on helping the body to heal naturally.

“In chiropractic, it’s called ‘innate intelligence,’” she said. “It’s what makes your heart beat. It makes your lungs breathe. If you cut your finger, it heals.”

She believes that drugs are vastly overused today.

“You couldn’t come into my house and find Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, aspirin,” she said. “But you’d find about six icepacks. (After a fall) I’ll also get an adjustment.”

Martusciello cited physical, chemical and emotional stress as contributing to misalignment, known to chiropractors as subluxation.

“Your body has to communicate with your brain, and the brain communicates back to your body,” she explained. “It’s called the ‘Safety Pin Cycle.’ If there’s something blocking that road, then this (part of the body) isn’t going to get the message. Proper alignment means proper nerve function. And proper nerve function means proper function of these organs. I don’t cure anything. I realign your spine. It takes the pressure off your nervous system. You then get an explosion of life and vitality into every cell, tissue and organ in your body. It’s something I choose to never live without.”

Martusciello sees value in spinal adjustment as preventive care, too.

“Every time that you get an adjustment, you get over a 40 percent boost to your immune system,” she said. “The number of your T-cells goes up. There’s research on that.”

Matrusciello’s patients often refer their friends and families. Photos of the babies and children under her care are in her office.

She is also strong believer in giving back to others. As a member of the International Chiropractic Association, Martusciello gives one year of free care to all returning military veterans who have finished their tours of duty.

One wall of her waiting room displays the belief of Principled Chiropractic: “Health comes from above, down, inside, out.”

Matrusciello has full confidence in that credo. Her enthusiasm for her profession and zeal for life are contagious.

Higher Health Chiropractic is located at 7702 S. Cass Avenue, Suite 220, in Darien. For more information, go to www.higherhealth4life.com, or contact “Dr. Anna” by email at higherhealth@sbcglobal.net, or by phone at 630-493-9399.