On the farm, the work never stops. From planting to harvest and everything in between, farmers push their bodies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But when the body’s “check engine light” comes on, it’s often hard for farmers to slow down long enough to recover.
That’s where Dr. Jay Makovec, partial owner of Belleville Chiropractic and Wellness Center, steps in. Growing up on his family’s farm, Dr. Jay knows firsthand the physical toll agriculture can take. Now, he works to keep farmers strong and mobile through chiropractic care and wellness education.
“I would say that our rural patients are literally, no pun intended, the backbone—not just of our practice, but of the community around here,” Dr. Jay says. “A lot of stuff doesn’t happen without them.”
The list of common injuries he sees is long: lower back strain, nerve irritation, disc issues, and soft tissue injuries, many caused by hours spent in tractors or heavy lifting on the farm. Technology may have advanced, but the workload hasn’t gotten lighter.
Even so, many farmers hesitate to seek treatment until the pain becomes unbearable. Dr. Jay emphasizes the importance of early care. “Movement is medicine, motion is lotion,” he explains. “When you lose that freedom to move pain-free, it can be a very puncturing moment in someone’s life.”
Instead of just treating pain, Dr. Jay hopes to help farmers stay ahead of it. By building resiliency and focusing on wellness, his mission is to keep rural communities moving—one adjustment at a time.
