In The News

Aug. 29, 2011

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Dr. Jennifer Falcone is looking to spread a little sunshine across Staten Island.

On Sept. 10, the chiropractor is offering her services in exchange for a donation to Helping Others Overcome Personal Handicaps (H.O.O.P.H.), a therapeutic horseback riding program for people with disabilities operated by The Staten Island Recreation Association.

"I think that if everybody does something good, it just makes the world a better place," said Dr. Falcone, who runs Falcone Family Chiropractic & Wellness in New Dorp.

Dr. Falcone learned about H.O.O.P.H. from one of her patients, a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who has benefited from the program's services. "It's a beautiful thing," she said, of how he and others with disabilities are being helped.

The event on Sept. 10 will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - even longer if demand is great. It's open to new and current patients and services provided for "free" include exams, adjustment and various scans. In return, participants are asked to write a check out to H.O.O.P.H. for any amount they feel comfortable giving.

Dr. Falcone hopes to give the money to the organization in time for its annual fund-raiser, which is taking place on Sept. 25 at the Historic Old Bermuda Inn, Rossville. In an effort to raise "as much as I can," Dr. Falcone sent out an impassioned e-mail and letter to patients, urging them to help her do a good deed.

"Basically, whatever you give, comes back to you in one form or another," she wrote. "No good deed goes unnoticed. So... do you really think you can miss the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful thing?"

Those interested are encouraged to make an appointment by calling 718-987-2273. For more information on H.O.O.P.H., visit Hooph.org.

Aug. 19, 2011

CHIROPRACTIC FUNDRAISER
Falcone Family Chiropractic & Wellness, located at 2375 Richmond Rd., New Dorp, will hold a fundraiser on Sat., Sept. 10 for Helping Others Overcome Personal Handicaps, a local not-for-profit organization. On that day Dr. Jennifer Falcone will provide adjustments for donations of any amount.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to H.O.O.P.H.

For additional information, contact Falcone Family Chiropractic & Wellness at 718-987-2273 or e-mail www.falconefamilychiro.com.

 

Feb. 3, 2011

THE HEALERS

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - ALL SHORES - Chiropractor Dr. Jennifer Falcone returned to her native Staten Island to open a solo practice in New Dorp last month - just in the nick of time. She came back bearing tips for the proper way to shovel snow.

Most people do it wrong, she said, primarily because they approach the task with a "weekend warrior" mentality - fast and furious. The other problem, she noted, is that "everybody has to do it, whether they're in good shape or not." Those who are less than fit are at greatest risk.

Although it may sound counter-intuitive, Dr. Falcone urges shovelers not to bend over. "It's important to squat down using our strong leg muscles while keeping our back as vertical/straight as possible," she said. "You should feel your glutes (backside muscles) and thighs contracting" as you lift.

Dr. Falcone said it matters little whether you're squatting to pick up a pencil that weighs next to nothing or a pile of snow that tops 50 pounds. When you bend from the waist, you are using the heaviest part of your body - everything from the waist up - and it bears down on your spine. It's a recipe for disaster, she claims.

WELL-SCHOOLED

Dr. Falcone said she's thrilled to be back serving her community. She grew up in Dongan Hills and graduated from New Dorp High School, before earning a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry at the College of Staten Island.

She said that at CSI, "You have to earn your grade. Nobody's giving you a hand out. You have to study and do your stuff."

She went on to the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, N.Y., where she picked up a second bachelor's degree in professional studies as well as her doctorate in chiropractic. She graduated summa cum laude in 2005, among a class of 110 students.

She worked for five years in a practice in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, eventually being named head doctor, before deciding to lose the stress and come back home. She's set up shop on Richmond Road in a suite where she painted the walls herself. Her grandmother lives above her in a house in Dongan Hills. And her 4-year-old son, Salvatore, along with three of her brothers who still live on Staten Island, support and keep her company.

At just 30 years old, she managed to get Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office to issue a proclamation declaring this March National Nutrition Month. She said the proclamation is a "big deal" and important to her because chiropractic medicine is rooted in natural cures that address seemingly intractable problems, if possible, without the use of medications. Part of living without pain, she said, is living a healthful life, which means, in part, eating correctly. She will be making a presentation to that effect to the students at St. John's Lutheran School in March as part of her mission to spread the word.


A HEALER, BY NATURE

Dr. Falcone said she knew early on that she wanted to be a doctor. "I used to cut up my Scooby Doo doll, then stitch it together," she said.

But she was also drawn to a holistic approach to life. As a teen, she said, she and a friend would go to the grocery store, shop, then return holding the bags in their hands on the walk home while doing bicep curls. She started keeping an eye out for natural food products and juices.

And when her friend called her from Georgia during a visit there, saying he'd found the perfect profession to pursue, Dr. Falcone knew she had found her calling.

"I think everybody's health consciousness is shifting to being more proactive than reactive," she said. That's a good thing, she added, because "it starts now."

She says she loves to help people and that she's thrilled to be back on home turf, in a borough where her mother worked as a nurse in the rehabilitation unit of Staten Island University Hospital and her father once ran Silver Mount Cemetery.

"I always knew my place was back home," she said.

Dr. Falcone's office is at 2375 Richymond Rd., New Dorp. Her office telephone number is 718-987-2273.

Words to live by
According to Dr. Jennifer Falcone, there are 5 Facts of Health.

* Exercise.
* Practice good nutrition.
* Get enough sleep.
* Maintain a positive mental attitude.
* Make sure your body has a proper nerve supply. (This requires a scan, she said.)

Scoop it up properly

It's hard for Staten Islanders to put on the brakes, but when it comes to shoveling mountains of snow, said Dr. Jennifer Falcone, it's a must.

"Take your time. Don't try to bang it out. And if you can, go out a few times. Don't wait and do it all at once," she said.

Also, don't go out and start swinging a shovel cold. Warm-up with some stretching exercises indoors before heading out, she said.

Finally, if at the end of a clean-out, your back or legs start feeling sore, make an ice pack and ice the affected area for 10 minutes. Depending on the severity of the ache, remove ice for 20 minutes, then reapply. Continue as necessary.

And just so you understand why it's important not to bend at the waist when shoveling, here are a few facts from Dr. Falcone:

* When we bend over, approximately two-thirds of our body weight is being lifted in addition to what we're lifting. Hence, a 180-pound person has to lift 120-pounds of body weight every time he or she bends over.

* A 5-pound weight equals 50-pounds to our backs when it is held out in front us. Consider that when you're hefting 10 to 20 pounds of snow on the end of a shovel.

* If a person can bench-press 300 pounds, he can usually leg-press 500 pounds, almost twice as much weight. Yet, most of us use our arms, not our legs, when shoveling.

Here's what most of us do wrong:

* We bend over using poor technique; we lift the shovel with the arms and back (not the legs), and we rapidly extend and twist the back when we toss the snow. That's three things, done even once, that can easily cause injury.

* Repeat this action many, many times, and is it any wonder that many of us can barely move after an hour of shoveling snow?

Instead, said Dr. Falcone, here's what to do:

* Try sticking out your fanny (to keep an inward curve in your back), lift the shovel and its load of snow straight up with your legs, maintaining that arched back/butt out position.

* Keep your arms and elbows straight and walk the shovel load over to the dumping location. Do not try and throw the load a distance by twisting your body.

* Take multiple breaks and switch sides so you don't "beat up" the same muscle groups repeatedly."


CONTACT US

We look forward to hearing from you

Location

Find us on the map