Dr. Mark Schulz (TPMI Health and Wellness)

Dr. Mark Schulz is a chiropractor and owner of TPMI Health and Wellness in Osseo, Minnesota. 

Originally from Burlington, Wisconsin, Dr. Mark was raised in a rural community devoid of conventional urban trappings, but full of invaluable lessons. 

“I don’t mean this in a negative way, but growing up in the country afforded me opportunities to learn how to present very complicated healthcare concepts to blue-collar workers in an easy to understand manner,” he says, hinting at one aspect of what today has helped make Dr. Mark so revered in the Twin Cities. 

As a teenager, Dr. Mark was very shy. He liked sports, and although his body precluded him from exploring his athletic prowess, his mind was drawn to the healthcare side of sports. 

It should then come as little surprise that when Dr. Mark left Burlington and enrolled in college at Minnesota State University-Mankato, he had ambitions to one day grace gridirons and courts, albeit in a medical capacity. 

Later on, Dr. Mark’s aspirations were coming to fruition. 

“At one point I had an interview with the head athletic trainer for the Cincinnati Bengals, but I ultimately decided that role wasn’t for me,” he says, noting how bureaucracy and politics often seeped into sports medicine, which in turn negatively affected the health of athletes. 

After exiting sports medicine, and through a series of unforeseen events, Dr. Mark became the co-owner of a coffee shop, and it was during this time that he met a man who encouraged him to reconsider a career in the medical field. 

“We were talking one day, and he told me that I would be a good chiropractor,” Dr. Mark recalls. 

Initially reticent to the man’s suggestion, over time Dr. Mark began to think more deeply about what a career in chiropractics would look like. 

“But the way I grew up, I wasn’t empowered to think that much of myself,” he admits.

Thankfully, after discussing the matter with his kind and supportive wife, Dr. Mark cast aside his inhibitions and went back to school to become a chiropractor, the future unknown, but his spirits lifted, and his desire for fulfillment in full motion. 

In time, Dr. Mark earned his licensure and became a full-fledged chiropractor, a profession that many have heard of before, but perhaps few completely understand just what it is that chiropractors do. 

“Because your body is not wireless, nerves have to go from your brain to control every single function of your body,” Dr. Mark starts. 

“Working off that, chiropractors remove limitations from that nervous system so that your body can function to its fullest capacity.”

One component of Dr. Mark’s work entails moving joints in the body around so that they perform better. 

“And we do all this without the use of drugs or surgery,” he mentions. 

“That’s because there are better ways to help patients beyond just drugging them or cutting things out of their bodies.” 

Another element to Dr. Mark’s practice involves working with patients to reconsider the way they view their health.

In essence, Dr. Mark offers patients a paradigm shift that enables them to take autonomy of their bodies and overall well-being, but Dr. Mark is also quick to stress that his methods are one part of a bigger equation; one that involves assuming personal responsibility and not expecting a chiropractor or any other licensed physician to fix all that ails an individual. 

“Chiropractic is not meant to solve everything,” Dr. Mark cautions. 

“We are just part of a team that includes physicians and other healthcare professionals who work together to best serve patients.”

While Dr. Mark cannot work miracles, his body of work (no pun intended) is expansive.

In that sense, there is so much that Dr. Mark can offer to those with physical nuisances or irritating pain, but the Burlington native is reluctant to push chiropractic work on anyone.

“When they’re ready,” Dr. Mark answers after being asked when a patient should visit his Osseo office.

“Often, people aren’t coming to me because they are in agonizing or excruciating pain. Instead, most people come see me because their discomfort causes limitations in their lives. Things like playing with their grandkids or riding a motorcycle, they can’t do that, so they’re coming in to find a solution.”

Because Dr. Mark’s patients seek out his expertise, typically the overall experience is better for everyone involved. 

“It’s really difficult to convince someone that they need something that they don’t want, but when people want answers for their bodies, and they’re not saddled with pain, that’s when they’re amenable to receiving guidance from a chiropractor,” he says. 

“There are some who believe that everyone should go to the chiropractor. There’s some truth to that, in that I see myself as a mechanic of the human body, and that’s because I’m trying to help people regain function without replacing body parts, in the same way most people would want their mechanic to fix their car’s original engine before completely replacing it.” 

For the record, Dr. Mark is not anti-surgery, and he doesn’t deride the care that primary doctors provide, but he’s also not someone who whimsically recommends undergoing surgery, especially if more holistic solutions can be implemented. 

“Many people don’t want to have surgery because those operations are a big deal, and you don’t always know how your body is going to respond post-op,” he shares. 

For those looking to explore alternative solutions to their physical ailments, with 36 years of experience in the medical field, Dr. Mark is certainly a trusted resource, and one that is less expensive than going to see a traditional physician. 

Before Dr. Mark ever makes an adjustment or performs a treatment, he first schedules a consultation to determine if he can properly serve his patient.  

The value of that initial consultation is commensurate with the appointment’s $200 price tag, but most new clients can have that fee waived if they mention this article during their visit. 

From there, with a time of service payment, each session costs $45, with the number of future sessions usually established prior to the initial treatment. 

“I’m an avid proponent of creating a treatment plan that the patient fully understands and agrees to, because then they know what they have to do to get better,” Dr. Mark explains. 

“But if what I prescribe doesn’t align with what the patient wants to do, I’ll refuse treatment because there really is no overcoming that obstacle. If the patient wholeheartedly believes in adopting a different approach, I will respect their wishes, but I will not treat them, because there is no winning for me or the patient in those instances.” 

It is also critical to keep in mind that achieving wellness does not only begin and end at the chiropractor’s office.

In fact, Dr. Mark says that what people should do to help themselves is relatively simple. 

“Move,” he deadpans, before punctuating his thought with a dose of hard truth. 

“Stop sitting on your ass all the time expecting your body to work well for you when you don’t work well for your body.” 

In practice, this means patients should supplement their treatments by being active and doing things like walking, cycling, or playing pickleball. 

“A sedentary lifestyle isn’t good. Humans weren’t designed to sit at a computer all day. We were designed to go outside to hunt, gather, and explore,” Dr. Mark says. 

“Health is about moving. You don’t have to run a marathon, but you do have to make a concerted effort to increase your heart rate and break a sweat.”

For as direct and impactful as Dr. Mark’s words are, readers should not mistake him for an overbearing medical dictator.

He, like us, and like many, has similar long-term goals, and they don’t revolve around attaining acclaim, pedigree, or industry relevance. 

“I don’t want to work until l am eighty years old,” the quinquagenarian reveals. 

“In many ways, I’m leaving things up to the universe, knowing full well that my practice will evolve as it needs to evolve.”

He then points to the decorative family photo hanging behind us to help illustrate his final point. 

“I’m not a guy who is fixated on becoming a millionaire. I want to help people, do a good job, and provide for my family, but also not fall apart in the process,” he explains. 

“I work to live. I don’t live to work.” QS

** 

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