'Committed,’ 'compassionate’ and 'determined’ are three apt terms to describe Dr. Kevin S. Barton, D.C. After a brief meeting with him and hearing the praise of his patients and colleagues, you can see just how apt those terms are.
Piloting his Mooney airplane back from an Atlanta conference over the weekend, Dr. Barton managed to break out of a turbulent storm. He confesses, “I thought I was in real trouble, but I managed to navigate a way out, despite what the radio was telling me. Whew, that was scary! But I love flying.” Helping others navigate their way out of turbulent back pain is what Dr. Barton does every day at the Texas Spine Clinic.
Pictures of family, friends, patient testimonials, planes and professional fighter pilots adorn his office walls. Dr. Barton is a devoted husband, a loving father of one, a courageous pilot and a compassionate chiropractor. Dr. Joshua Huffman, an associate of Barton’s, says, “I could not like my job and working with Dr. Barton any more. He is a greatman and he treats patients like they are supposed to be treated.”
Born and raised in Texas, you could say this Texan has chiropractic care in his blood. His brother, also a chiropractor out of Houston, was Dr. Barton’s primary influence starting him on this path. “I loved the idea of being able to help people through conservative, alternative methods,” says Dr. Barton, “And I liked the idea of not being on–call all the time, and being able to have a personal life, spending out–of–office time with my family, friends and flying.”
Dr. Barton, now a specialist in herniated discs, treats everything from whiplash to scoliosis. He is committed to offering the most effective solutions to his patients, not only to treat their symptoms but to heal them. “Patients that come in here have had serious back pain, from degenerative disc disease and herniated discs, for a long time. They can’t do the things that they love anymore, such as playing with their kids, or exercising, or even sleeping is painful. What is so rewarding is that I can now offer these patients a long–term solution, with the use of new technology, to get them out of their pain and get them back to the quality of life they deserve,” says Dr. Barton.
'Revolutionary’ and 'groundbreaking’ are two good words to describe the new technology that he uses to treat degenerative disc disease and herniated discs. The DRX 9000 sounds like something straight out of Star Wars, but this machine is now giving doctors not only an option, but a solution, for patients who suffer from back pain. Dr. Barton says the DRX 9000 is what sets his practice apart from others in the San Antonio area. The machine is a spinal decompression unit; it is a non–surgical and non–invasive procedure to heal lumbar and cervicaldisc problems such as herniated, bulging and degenerative discs. By relieving the pressure on the structures of the spine, the DRX can relieve pain and promote healing. This technique allows the physician to target specific cervical and lumbar discs by stretching the spine which reduces disc pressure and alleviates nerve compression and inflammation. “This is the most effective, conservative treatment option to treat most degenerative disc disease and herniated disc cases,” says Dr. Barton.
The 30–minute procedure is virtually painless. Ninety–five percent of patients undergoing the procedure are extremely comfortable, and see improvement in two to three weeks. The average length of treatments lasts between five and seven weeks. There are no medical risks to those patients who qualify and there have been no documented side effects.
Colleague Blanca Esparza recounts her mother’s experience as a patient of Dr. Barton, “If it weren’t for him my mother would have had to go to surgery. She had a lot of pain from a sciatic nerve and a bulging disc. All of the other doctors she went to referred her to surgery and she didn’t want surgery.” Esparza’s mother, like many patients with back pain, lived off prescription medication. Dr. Barton says, “With prescription medications you are treating the symptoms instead of the actual problems. This treatment treats the source of the pain. Occasionally we do need patients on these medications, but we just would not consider keeping the patient on them long term a solution. Some patients feel better after only one or two sessions. Obviously these patients are the exception, but most feel improvement in two to three weeks.” Esparza’s mother underwent treatment using a combination of the DRX 9000 and physical therapy and is now pain free.
The traditional way of chiropractic care, while still important, has come along way even in the past 10 to 15 years. Dr. Barton says that evidence–based practice and procedures, like the ones he uses, are the way of the future in his field.
Evidence suggests that surgery is not always the best answer for treating these cases. Sometimes it can cause more problems. “Unfortunately, the DRX method can not help every candidate, due to severe cases, and surgery is needed,” says Dr. Barton. In these cases Dr. Barton works closely with spine surgeons and pain management physicians in the community to provide the best solution for the patient.
Further proving his compassion, Dr. Barton’s patients and colleagues boast that he does whatever he can for the patient to get them better, even if they are struggling financially. “Patients get what they need when they need it and they don’t have to wait,” says Barton.
Dr. Barton has had stunning success using these new methods. The Texas Spine Clinic is part of this new model of health care. “With advances in technology, science is allowing us to better study the natural design and true physiological function of the body.
Many of our patients report less pain with good to excellent results following treatment, and that’s powerful, not to mention comforting,” says Dr. Barton.
Flying is one of Dr. Barton’s favorite pastimes, and you could say that he applies those lessons of the air to being the physician and man that he is: Good judgment, calm courage, steady wings and admirable patience.
