- April 24, 2024
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When he's not training falcons, Dr. John Kurpa is practicing chiropractic neurology He just opened a new Ormond Beach office last month.
BY WAYNE GRANT | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dr. John Kurpa, a chiropractic neurologist, promised his wife, Bonnie, that one day they would move to his old stomping grounds of Ormond Beach, a city she had loved for years, since vacationing here with family, from Georgia.
After three decades, he has finally delivered.
A Vietnam veteran, Kurpa practiced medicine in Marianna for 10 years, and in New Port Richey for another 20. But in May, he relocated his practice back home.
“I figured after 30 years, I should keep my promise,” he said.
Having grown up in Daytona Beach, Kurpa graduated from Seabreeze High School. He said he considers Ormond his hometown.
A chiropractic neurologist specializes in muscular and skeletal issues, beyond a traditional chiropractor, Kurpa said. By analyzing nerves and potential nerve diseases, his neurology training allows him to analyze health problems from the inner ear to stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes and more.
He also uses physical therapy in his practice, has equipment for rehab treatment and conducts physicals for athletes and truck drivers.
Kurpa earned his chiropractic degree in 1980 and went on for his neurology certification in 1993, after three years at the University of Central Florida.
But Kurpa doesn't spend all of his time in the office. When he's not practicing medicine, he's honing his other passion: falconry.
To become a master falconer in Florida, a person must spend three years as an apprentice and five years as a general falconer, certified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Kurpa is a master. He hosts lectures and demonstration at schools.
Before becoming a falconer, first you have to catch a bird, which involves a trap baited with a mouse or gerbil (don't worry: the bait is later released unharmed). After catching the bird — which can be an American kestrel, cooper hawk, peregrine falcon or great horned owl — it has to be trained to catch food and bring it back.
A big part of the process, Kurpa says, is “bonding with the animal." Then, after a few years, Kurpa releases the bird back into the wild and starts again.
John W. Kurpa's Chiropractic Neurologist office is located at 175 S. Nova Road. Call 265-4774.
