Dr. David Peterson, DC, DCCN

Dr. Peterson is a 1994 graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic. During Logan College, Dr. Peterson studied Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT), Chiropractic Manipulative Reflux Technique and Craniopathy. He was President of the SOT Club and taught weekly club meetings and weekend seminars. Dr. Peterson received his Advanced Certification in SOT in 2000. From 2001 to 2004, he served as a member of the Sacro Occipital Research Society - International Board of Directors. Dr. Peterson was awarded the Presidential Appreciation Award for Outstanding Service to SORSI in 2004.

Dr. Peterson is the developer of the Holographic Interferometry of the Human Cranium.     This was developed to study the dynamic motion of the human cranium.   Dr. Peterson is the lead instructor in the Functional Organ Assessment and Management series being taught to Chiropractors and Chiropractic students.

In 2003, Dr. Peterson began incorporating into his practice Functional Endocrinology; Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis; Advanced Functional Endocrinology; and Functional Analysis of Neurotransmitter and Brain Function. In September 2008, Dr. Peterson was asked to begin teaching Blood Chemistry Analysis.

My story involves both the structural component and the functional medicine component of my practice. The structural component involves 13 years of chronic back pain which resolved very quickly using Sacro Occipital Technic. The functional medicine component involves my past use of topical progesterone cream, inability to lose weight and Andropause.

I was a paratrooper in the Army.   During one jump, I landed on my tailbone, driving a big rock into my lower back.   For the next ten years I developed increasing pain in my lower back, which got worse when sitting for any length of time.   Eventually I was forced to use a built-up armrest in my car to enable me to drive.   During my under-graduate studies, I would have to move the paper back and forth to take notes because I wasn't able to stop leaning on my arm to take the pressure off my back, or I would be in terrible pain.

I went to a chiropractor three times a week for three years.   He used a popular chiropractic technique in which an x-ray was taken to determine what was wrong.   That x-ray was then supposed to determine how I was to be treated for the rest of my life.   I remember the frustration while I sat there in pain, when he told me that I had to come back the next day in order to allow him to "study" the x-ray.   When I came back the next day, he told me I had an 11mm Anatomic short leg and would have to wear a heel lift the rest of my life.   He also said that it would eventually deteriorate further, at which point I would have to wear a built-up shoe.

By the time I got to chiropractic school, I was being adjusted 7 days a week for pain control.   I was beginning to have some serious reservations about my chosen profession.   First of all, if he were truly affecting a change in my condition, how could he continue to treat me based on the initial x-ray without further evaluation?   Furthermore, if chiropractic truly works, why could there be a continued deterioration in my condition?

Thankfully, my first week in school I was introduced to Sacro Occipital Technique, or SOT for short.   During my first SOT club meeting, the student instructor performed a Psoas Release on me.     When I stood up, I was pain free for the first time in over thirteen years.     It lasted only an hour, but it gave me a glimmer of hope that I could be pain free.

As I attended school, I learned that, first of all, it only takes about five minutes to read an x-ray and no studying was necessary.   More importantly, during further SOT club meetings I learned that, barring birth defect or trauma, there was no such thing as an anatomic short leg.   The leg length difference was caused by pelvic rotation, giving the appearance of a short leg.   I continued with the standard treatment, but during the club meetings I also received SOT treatment.   I soon found that the SOT treatments were providing immediate and longer lasting relief.   At that point, I found that the standard treatment would actually cause a recurrence of the pain, so I stopped that treatment course all together and pursued only SOT.   Within five weeks, I was pain free and have remained so since November 1991.

While studying SOT, I listened to other doctors tell about their SOT practices.   I heard many stories about patients referring family and friends, and about people driving great distances to seek out SOT treatments.   I was also fortunate enough to observe several SOT doctors at work, and heard many unsolicited testimonials from their patients about their doctor's "magic hands".

The story that "sold" me was about a young boy who wore "coke bottle" glasses.   The SOT doctor performed a cranial adjustment and the boy walked out to the lobby without his glasses.   When his mother asked where the glasses were, he realized he had forgotten them because he was able to see clearly.   This is what I wanted to be able to offer to my patients.

After graduation, I began to have similar experiences with patients. It was and still in amazing. As a new graduate, I wanted to share the stories with other SOT doctors. When I would share the experience with my SOT instructors they would yawn and seem disinterested, much to my frustration. I finally realized my experiences were the norm and very common place for SOT doctors.

Progesterone Cream, Weight Gain & Andropause

In 1998, I weighed 220 pounds and was having no trouble maintaining my weight. I then started using topical progesterone cream. My weight slowly started creeping up. I attributed it to the stress in my life. The trouble was that after eliminating the stress, my weight kept on climbing. I ballooned up to almost 300 pounds. I was fatigued, no stamina, had muscle soreness, suffered from mental fatigue, in short I had all the symptoms and suffering associated with Andropause.

Prior to my study of Functional Medicine, I had read Dr. Lee's book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause" and had begun using topical progesterone cream because the book said it was good for men, too. Dr. Kharrazian, the Functional Endocrinology instructor began the class with a discussion on topical progesterone cream. He began by telling the class; Dr. Lee's book used outdated information. I thought it was interesting and everyone was entitled to their opinion. Dr. Lee writes that the excess progesterone in your body will be broken down into different metabolites and flushed from the body. Dr. Lee fails to mention that topical progesterone is stored in body fat where it converts to estrogen and that estrogen stimulates fat production. As the minutes passed by, it became more apparent this was not merely an opinion as more and more peer-reviewed scientific literature was brought forth.

As Dr. Kharrazian detailed the physiological interactions, feedback loops and biochemistry, I began to realize why I was experiencing the problems I had. It was all attributed to my use of topical progesterone cream. This was an eye opener for me. The classes rocked my world. If my understanding of progesterone cream was so far off, how many other things was I missing in my practice? It didn't take long for me to have the way I was practicing challenged.

During my initial class with Dr. Kharrazian, there were a couple of Endocrinologists attending. It soon became obvious they were there to put this chiropractor (Dr. K) in his place for daring to teach Functional Endocrinology. After a brief exchange these Endocrinologists were diligently taking notes on the information being presented. Later in this class, Dr. Kharrazian recommended to avoid using iodine supplements for thyroid conditions. Several chiropractors began shouting about their combined experience in using iodine and how they didn't see it as a problem. The response was they needed to go back to their practices and order TPO antibody testing on their patients using iodine. Then he would discuss their concerns. Three years later, I attended a Functional Blood Chemistry class with these same chiropractors. When the subject of iodine use was broached, I turned to see their response. These same chiropractors were nodding in agreement.

Several years later I'm still working on the after effects of topical progesterone cream. When my body became saturated with Progesterone, it started competing with cortisol for receptor sites. This caused an elevation in my cortisol levels. While taking the progesterone I was a night owl. I was awake all night. Elevated cortisol will cause a person not to be able to go to sleep. I was experiencing all the symptoms and suffering of elevated cortisol, i.e., men will have low testosterone levels (the opposite for women); loss of short term memory; severe fatigue after meals (insulin resistance); develop food sensitivities from loss of the main immune cells of the gastrointestinal barrier; and I craved fat which is a sign of thyroid problems. It wasn't until I developed a better understanding Functional Endocrinology that I realized what I had done to my body. The frustrating part is as the fat cells are breaking down they are releasing the stored estrogen. This makes it a constant battle to maintain balance. In the past year I turned the corner, having lost thirty pounds and my energy and strength is returning. I had been doing a combination of yoga, Russian kettlebells, crossfit, weightlifting and cycling (30—60 miles on the Katy trail every weekend) five days a week during this ordeal. I'm slowly becoming desensitized to beef but then it can take a couple of years to lose the food sensitivities.

They say hind sight is 20/20. I wish I knew then what I know now. I am so thankful for being introduced to a science based means of restoring balance to my body. This has been an amazing evolution in my practice.