AFTER 20 YEARS OF SERVING MONMOUTH COUNTY RESIDENTS, VELOCITY PERFORMANCE & SPORTS REHAB CELEBRATES AN EXPANSION

BY JESSICA JONES-GORMAN • PHOTOS BY PATTY PIXEL

With its expansive fitness area and state-of-the-art treatment rooms, Velocity Performance & Sports Rehab impresses upon first entry, but its prowess goes far beyond shiny equipment. Offering a range of innovative therapies, spinal decompression treatments, and nutritional and wellness coaching, the clinic, which maintains locations in both Red Bank and Freehold, makes use of cutting-edge technology that is considered unparalleled in the industry. After 20 years of chiropractic care, Velocity is now in expansion mode.

“We are opening a third location this fall, expanding our vision to include regenerative medicine in the practice as well as orthopedic treatments and neurosurgery,” noted Dr. John W O’Connor, who owns and operates Velocity Performance & Sports Rehab with his wife, Dr. Jessica Horowitz.

“Together we’ve been doing this for two decades,” continued Dr. O’Connor. “We’ve seen many injuries. Our goal now is to offer even more comprehensive treatment. If a patient is not responding to chiropractic medicine, our new center offers the ability to take the treatment to the next level.”

The doctors chose Fort Monmouth as the location of their newest outpost, and it will be staffed by a team of specialists, each with diverse expertise in a number of different treatment modalities. For Drs. O’Connor and Horowitz, it’s the culmination of years of hard work.

“We’ve been blessed to help so many people this is truly a phenomenal calling,” said Dr. O’Connor. “I am so happy that I found this path.”

Dr. O’Connor’s story is particularly unique. A natural-born athlete who played basketball competitively, he woke up paralyzed at the age of 15, diagnosed with Guillain-Bar Syndrome.

“I went from playing basketball at AAU camps at Duke and Villanova University to having no movement in my body at all,” he said. “It was frightening. And 30 years ago there were no IgG therapies, no medical treatments that could be given at all. It was a self-limiting disease and my parents were told it may go away or it may not.”

He fortunately recovered and went on to attend Pace University to play college ball. There, while studying accounting, he met his future wife, Dr. Horowitz, and was greatly inspired by her father, a renowned chiropractor.

“After my illness I suffered from a lot of neurological issues and actually visited a chiropractor who helped me immensely,” said Dr. O’Connor. “When I met my future father-in-law I immediately felt a strong sense of respect and admiration for him. He inspired me and changed the direction of my life.”

Dr. O’Connor attended the prestigious Life University in Marietta, Georgia, along with Dr. Horowitz, whose passion for dance led her to pursue a career in healing the body and ensuring its optimal performance. While attending graduate school in Georgia, Dr. Horowitz spent two years as a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons. It was during this time that she evaluated and cared for her fellow teammates and realized she would focus her career on injury prevention and athletic longevity.

“Dr. Horowitz loves patient care that’s personalized,” enthused Dr. O’Connor. “She truly has a gift and is blessed with patience and kindness which is invaluable in this field.” Together the duo shares a philosophy of focusing on the whole body, understanding how it functions as a unit and why a problem in one area like weak or strained muscles or stiff joints can affect other areas of the body over time. Having both dealt with personal injuries and faced with challenging roads to recovery, the husband/wife team fully understands and relates to their patients’ frustrations. Believing that it is critical to master the body’s motion in order to get the most out of one’s life, Dr. O’Connor coaches his patients and clients to view an injury as just a side step on the journey to their end goals.

“Our practice strongly focuses on the exercise component of chiropractic medicine,” he said. “This office is not only about adjustments. We bring in a physical therapy aspect that emphasizes the power of movement. Take it from someone who has woken up with entirely no movement. You don’t appreciate it until it’s gone.”

Both doctors are eager to see what the future will bring for their growing practice.

“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve done over the past 20 years but also very excited for the future,” said Dr. O’Connor. “This new comprehensive facility will enable us to help so many more patients in a variety of ways.”

Velocity Performance & Sports Rehab
231 Maple Avenue, Red Bank / 732.530.1164
200 Business Park Drive, Freehold / 732.665.1900 / velocitychironj.com