It is with great sadness that I report the passing of a very close friend and outstanding chiropractor, Dr. Jack Dolbin, who died on Aug. 1, 2019. Jack was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer approximately three years ago. He fought his battle valiantly. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Jane, and his children: Josh, Christian, Jill and Rachel.
Jack was a graduate of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he majored in physical education and played football from 1966 to 1970. In 1972, he enrolled at National College of Chiropractic, graduating with his Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and his Doctor of Chiropractic in 1977. His father and grandfather were both chiropractors, making Jack a third-generation DC. His daughter Rachel is the fourth-generation chiropractor in the Dolbin family tree.
He practiced chiropractic in Denver for approximately five years before returning to his beloved hometown, Pottsville, Pa., where he created an outstanding chiropractic practice. He served on the local hospital's board of directors, and eventually moved his practice to the hospital for the last 10 years of his life. He became a postgraduate lecturer at Texas Chiropractic College and was appointed to the guest faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School.
Jack's outstanding athletic career led to a keen interest in sports injuries, and the treatment of athletic injuries became his chiropractic specialty. He served as the sports medical director for his hometown Pottsville High School beginning in 1996, and staff chiropractor for Villanova University from 1993 to 2003. He was the team chiropractor for the University of Maryland gymnastic team from 1997 to 2002; and for one year, in 2001, he served as team chiropractor for the U.S. Pan American Weightlifting team.
The first time I met Jack Dolbin, he was a student in my bone pathology class while I was a resident at the National College of Chiropractic in Chicago. I quickly discovered that he had been a running back and wide receiver at Wake Forest University before coming to National. As a quarterback for the last-place Chiro Sigma Chi Fraternity flag football team, I knew we needed a spark, and Jack lit the fire. With the speedy Dolbin on the squad, we went from last place to first place, finishing the season winning the championship.
Personally, I can report I never stood on any athletic field with any player who had the speed and lateral quickness the elusive Jack Dolbin possessed. Later, I encouraged him to try out for the Chicago Fire of the now-defunct World Football League when the team had public tryouts at Soldier Field in 1974.
On that day in Chicago, 150 athletes tried out for roster spots, but only two people made the cut. Jack was one of them. Despite being two years removed from competitive athletics and not in top playing condition, Jack ran an astounding 4.25-second 40-yard dash. Not believing what they had just witnessed and suspecting a timing malfunction, the Chicago Fire coaches made Jack run again after a 45-minute recovery period. He turned in another 4.25. He was the real deal.
Later, Jack displayed a 42-inch vertical leap, an astounding feat for a player measuring only 5'10" and tipping the scales at a scant 175 pounds. He went on to become a force to be reckoned with during his short, one-year WFL tenure; and when the WFL folded, the Denver Broncos came calling. From 1975-1980, Jack started 67 consecutive games for the Broncos, including Super Bowl XII against the Dallas Cowboys.
During his stellar career for the storied "Orange Crush," Jack was voted game MVP five times. In 1983, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame reached out, not only because of Jack Dolbin's extraordinary professional career, but also his exemplary high-school career back in Pottsville – where to this day he holds a schoolboy record: 34 touchdowns in a 10-game season. This record stands even more impressive considering he played both defensive halfback and offensive running back.
Collegiately, he also made his mark running for the Wake Forest track team. His 9.4 time in the 100-yard dash remains untouched to this day. Jack kidded with me that this mark will remain unbroken, as this premier event is now run over 100 meters, not 100 yards.
Jack was a humble man. He was extremely knowledgeable and willingly shared his vast knowledge, rendering postgraduate lectures nationally for Fetterman Events. He loved the profession of chiropractic dearly.
Jack was a protégé of the great Dr. Joseph Janse, whom he quoted many times in his lectures. For me, to have a former student achieve all he did within the profession will forever be heartwarming. I consider myself fortunate to have had him as a colleague and friend.
The profession has lost a chiropractic warrior. Rest in peace, my friend. I will miss you always.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
