How the Our Lady of the Angels School fire prompted survivors to open a chiropractic clinic
Health always has been important to the Andreoli family — lessons imparted from dad, Gerald, and mom, Irene, who met in the hospital after being severely injured during the Our Lady of the Angels School fire in 1958.
Irene, the longest hospitalized survivor of the fire at nine months, came home on crutches and in a full body brace but was able to lean on fellow eighth-grader Gerald as a friend.
Gerald, who had severe burns, soon began to see a chiropractor to treat skin tightness that resulted from his injuries — something he would continue to do throughout his teenage years.
They eventually married and opened a chiropractic clinic of their own in Arlington Heights, which 50 years later is being run by their daughter Christa. Their other daughter, Katrina, is on staff as a nutritionist and weight loss coach. Sons Daniel and Philip are medical doctors in Denver.
“Our father raised us to be conscious of our health, be aware of our health, and he raised us to be a healthy family,” said Christa Andreoli, who now leads Arlington Chiropractic Clinic at 1702 W. Campbell St.
Her dad retired six years ago but still assists with some of the business operations.
His practice started in a one-room office across the street in the Westgate Shopping Center, then moved to a bigger space in the strip mall before he purchased the current building — a former 7-Eleven — and expanded it on both sides in 1981.
The business' busiest years were the 1980s and 1990s — at one point, it had six doctors and a staff of 15 — until increased competition in the Northwest suburbs cut into the demand.
Dr. Christa Andreoli and fellow chiropractor Peter Horn still keep busy schedules, which includes regularly treating six of her dad's original patients. They'll be honored at a 50th anniversary event open to all patients later in November.
People still come in for treatment of spinal conditions — the most common ailment is lower back pain, which Christa Andreoli says is the second reason why people go to the doctor after the cold or flu. The clinic treats a host of neuromusculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff injuries, and hip and knee issues.
But there are also internal conditions the chiropractors have been able to address — such as irritable bowel syndrome, digestive issues and headaches. Their common solution isn't medicine, but the same traditional chiropractic “adjusting” on an exam table that would be done for spinal problems.
“I tell people that if they have any sort of ache or pain, or they just don't feel right, they don't feel well, something's ailing them or they feel like they're dragging or fatigued, or something's hurting or bothering them, or they're not sleeping well or able to do things that they want to do, there's probably something we can help them with,” Andreoli said. “You know, it doesn't have to be where, ‘I lifted a couch and I strained my back.' It doesn't have to be that specific.”