BIOGRAPHY OF DR. DANIEL A. CHAMPAGNE
Nearly 57 years ago my parents Arthur H. and Cecile M. Champagne took their infant son Daniel Alan to one of the greatest chiropractors of all time, Dr. H. Leonard Lebel. Although my first exposure to chiropractic healing was for a musculoskeletal problem in my neck (acute torticollis), Dr. Lebel became my primary care physician. Never was my system ever exposed to childhood immunizations or medications until I was given the oral polio vaccine at age 12 as mandated by the Department of Education at the time. I honestly attribute my current state of good health without prescription drugs to the good genes passed on to me from both parents who were under regular chiropractic care before I was born and to my own regular monthly maintenance visits to Dr. Lebel throughout my childhood. Chiropractic care is truly much more than biomechanical treatment of neck, back and joint pain but is a system of care that optimizes all bodily systems and functions. Chiropractic care brings our bodies to a high level of homeostasis making medical intervention an infrequent experience.
Chiropractors use a system of analysis by a variety of means to identify and localize areas of spinal and joint subluxation which can impede nerve and vascular flow to muscles and organ systems throughout the body. This is what fascinated me about pursuing this profession as a career as I explored my future goals in my high school and undergraduate years. My interests and aptitude were always in the biological sciences and led to an undergraduate BS degree in Psychology at UMASS, Amherst with emphasis in Bio and Neuropsych as well as a minor in Anthropology. Not seeing many opportunities in clinical psych in the 1970’s I pursued my dream as a healthcare provider but not as a traditional one. Although my aptitude and GPA’s were high enough to get me into a medical or osteopathic college of my choice, my interests were really in the natural health field of Chiropractic. Here I could use my hands-on skills and diversify my practice into the fields of exercise science, rehabilitation and nutrition. I graduated from the New York Chiropractic College in 1980. My solo practice was opened in South Hadley, MA in May of 1981. I am currently working on expanding my practice into the weight loss and weight management field where I’ll be helping more patients avoid the pitfalls of excess weight and obesity. My practice is truly wellness based and I thank my parents for having the vision and giving me the encouragement to pursue my dreams. It was no accident that my initials mirror my professional degree D.C., Doctor of Chiropractic!
Last year, within three months of one another, I lost two of the most influential people of my life - My Mom and Dad. At 91 years of age they succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease (Mom) and Vascular Dementia (Dad). Yes, these two conditions are fatal! To watch these two bright and productive members of society fail so quickly was heartbreaking. In the United States Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the elderly. This terrible disease claims 74,000 lives annually and currently affects over 5 million Americans.
In light of my 30th year in practice on May 03, 2011 and in honor of my parents Arthur and Cecile Champagne who supported me every step of the way, I am requesting donations be made to the Massachusetts / New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472-2782 or Alzheimer's Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871, www.ahaf.org/alzheimers. Please be as generous as you can. God Bless.
