Dr. Justin M. Gruby
Dr. Justin M. Gruby is the lead Chiropractic physician at ChiroMend. Dr. Gruby received a BS in Natural Sciences from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He also received a BS in Natural Sciences and a Doctorate of Chiropractic from National University of Health Sciences. In addition, he is a certified Kinesiotaping practitioner and is board certified in Integrative Medicine.
During his professional studies, Dr. Gruby excelled in the areas of soft tissue therapy, management of foot and ankle conditions, low force joint mobilization, and clinical nutrition. He was twice awarded the Homer G. Beatty scholarship, given only to those who demonstrated outstanding ability in the area of chiropractic technique. He also served as an assistant teacher in the areas of spinal and extremity anatomy and chiropractic manipulative therapy of joints and soft tissues.
Dr. Gruby is a strong advocate for preventative medicine and doesn’t believe people should be forced to rely solely on drugs and surgery to address their health issues. He makes every effort to ensure each of his patients receive the best possible care while developing the tools necessary to lead long, healthy lives. This can include reducing nutritional deficiencies, treating food allergies, assisting in weight loss, correcting digestive problems, controlling cardiovascular disease, and many other wellness issues.
In his spare time, you’ll find Dr. Gruby running on the soccer fields around Chicago or playing the saxophone as a professional musician by night. He is also an avid skier and snowboarder.
Dr. Mario Gonzalez
Dr. Mario Gonzalez earned his bachelor degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois. He went on to work at Abbott labs, and then at the University of Chicago doing research for the plastic surgery department with burn unit victims to improve their quality of life.
While at the University of Chicago, his mother was involved in a motor vehicle accident resulting in trauma to her upper back and neck. Her internist referred her to a Chiropractic physician. Dr. Gonzalez attended appointments with his mother and saw the amazing benefits of chiropractic care with her recovery. He was so deeply inspired by that experience that he chose a different career path and wanted to become a physician himself. This led to his enrollment at National University of Health Sciences where he obtained his Doctorate of Chiropractic Medicine and his second bachelor degree in Human Biology.
While at National University, Dr. Gonzalez studied and developed a mastery of chiropractic technique, manual therapies, physical therapy, and acupuncture. Since graduation, he has also built his knowledge of biochemistry and clinical nutrition to become an expert functional medicine doctor with over 500 direct hours of study.
Dr. Gonzalez continues his education daily to stay at the forefront of his field and up to date on current research that can positively affect patient outcomes. His passion is fueled by helping people regain and maintain optimal health though an integrative approach that combines healing joints, strengthening muscles, reducing inflammation, and correcting nutritional deficiencies. He is assisted by the team at ChiroMend with state of the art laboratory testing and equipment.
During his spare time Dr. Gonzalez enjoys playing soccer in the Chicagoland area. He loves spending time with his kids and pet husky. He also loves to travel, see live music, and is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Jose Aguilar
After watching his mother go from debilitating migraines that severely affected her ability to care for her family to having them completely resolved due to chiropractic care, he found his calling. Born and raised in the Quad Cities, Dr. Jose Aguilar earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic after earning degrees in Health Sciences and Liberal Studies from Black Hawk College. During his time at Palmer, he spent 3 weeks on a missionary trip to Fiji providing chiropractic care to underserved communities. After graduating, Dr. Aguilar also earned his Certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and an additional Certification in Therapeutic Taping.
Dr. Aguilar has also done various lectures with numerous organizations, speaking on a variety of topics including Stress, Nutrition, Peak Performance, Proper Posture, Injury Prevention, Whiplash and more. Dr. Aguilar frequently attends post-graduate seminars at some of the most prestigious venues such Harvard School of Medicine, Spine Research Institute of San Diego among others, to stay on top of a wide variety of topics and implements the most up-to date information available in order to help his patients succeed in reaching their specific health goals. He was also recognized as a Top Recommended Professional as a Chiropractor and has been quoted on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX, and has been inducted into the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors as an award-winning author for co-authoring a book with Brian Tracy and other contributors.
“Research shows that 80% of the population suffers from back pain and numerous studies show how safe and effective chiropractic treatment is in resolving this sometimes-debilitating condition. I have been blessed to have helped many people get relief, and in some cases their lives back, since 2004.”
Dr. Aguilar’s future goals include traveling to areas in a service capacity and providing chiropractic and health support to underprivileged communities. A devoted father to his children, Isabel and Orlando, Dr. Aguilar also enjoys working out and playing sports during his leisure hours and is fluent in Spanish.
Scott Kemp, MT
Scott Kemp, MT serves as the principal chiropractic assistant and massage therapist at ChiroMend. Scott joined ChiroMend in June of 2010 and has been training as Dr. Gruby’s key assistant for years.
His role at ChiroMend is critical. He is highly skilled at trigger point therapy, and is a master at relieving stress, tight muscles, and stubborn pain through the use of massage therapy, stretching, and uncompromising patient care.
Scott has a Bachelor’s of Behavioral Science in Psychology, and is a graduate of the Soma Institute with a diploma in Clinical Massage Therapy. Scott is also board certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), is licensed by the state of Illinois, and is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).
Scott chose to pursue a career in natural health after being in a car accident and receiving both massage and chiropractic therapy as part of his recovery and treatment. It benefited him in big ways, helping to overcome the challenges caused by the accident. And it planted the seed of a future calling. Now helping people improve their physical and mental well-being through the application of natural heath therapies is Scott’s true calling and passion.
When not making the world a better, more calm place, Scott enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling the globe, working out at OrangeTheory Fitness, cooking down-home Southern food, and going to Cubs games.
Peter Hong, MT
Peter Hong joined the ChiroMend team in Feb 2021. He graduated in 2018 from The European massage school and is trained in deep tissue, Sports massage, Swedish massage, electrical stimulation therapy, trigger point therapy and stretching. He has several years of experience and very much enjoys helping people who are suffering with pain and working with his hands day to day.
After dealing with years of lower back pain, Peter was finally diagnosed more recently with scoliosis. He sought out Chiropractic care which helped significantly reduce his pain. Once his long battle with lower back pain had ended, that experience piqued his interest in more clinical body work. Since then, he has spent years learning how he can help others like him who suffer anywhere from mild to even extreme cases of pain through integration of massage and Chiropractic care.
Peter’s personal philosophy with any work he does is to provide the best service he can provide, to the best of his abilities, no matter what. Peter’s passion for body work is expanding and continuously evolving. He believes movement of the human body should be pain-free and he holds that concept close as his mission statement while working with patients and something that he lives by himself.
Peter in his spare time is an avid gym goer and likes to keep fit. He also enjoys cycling, going on outdoor explorations, and video gaming for fun.
Joe Caron, MT
Joseph “Joe” Caron joined the Chiromend team in January 2021 as a Licensed Massage Therapist and Chiropractic Assistant. Joe graduated from the College of Lake County Massage Therapy program where he finished with a 4.0 GPA and received the Outstanding Scholar Award. While at College of Lake County, Joe studied various massage modalities including Swedish, Sports Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, and Neuromuscular Therapy. Joe also participated in massage therapy service outreach by donating hands on time at a Wisconsin hospital, a crossfit gym, a marathon, and wellness events. Joe successfully passed the MBLEX massage therapy examination and was licensed by the state of Illinois in mid-2019.
Joe comes to us with many years of customer service experience as a retail manager and is excited to help people in a new way. Joe became a massage therapist because of his desire to help those in pain, people who are recovering from injury, and those suffering from different forms of stress. Joe is a lifelong learner and as he continues in the profession he seeks to take more continuing education courses to help benefit patients and assist them in reaching their treatment plan goals.
Outside the office Joe enjoys: music/going to concerts, baseball (self- described baseball fanatic), Chicago Sports, crime dramas, bicycling, nature trail walks, going to the beach, traveling, hanging out with his family, working out, and reading all kinds of different genres of books.