Connect
To Top

Meet Dr. Jim Duffy and Dr. Frank Patterson of Innova Brain Rehabilitation

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jim Duffy and Dr. Frank Patterson.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Dr. Duffy – I can thank the large end of a baseball bat for introducing me to chiropractic. The blow led to a progressive grand mal seizure disorder that was unsuccessfully medically managed. My parents were told not to expect much of me due to the amount of medication I was being given. Not knowing what to do next, they took me to a local chiropractor. After my first adjustment, I never had a seizure again, and I was able to come off the medication. Years later, I was blindsided by my chiropractor when I was home one weekend from UGA and he asked me when I was going to graduate and if I would consider studying to become a chiropractor! Thirty two years later I was teaching at Life University when I was approached by a couple of chiropractic students who asked me to consider being the advisor to the Chiropractic Functional Neurology Club. A whirlwind experience later, (and having the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Ted Carrick, the father of chiropractic neurology for three years) I finally ended up the owner of Innova Brain Rehabilitation. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be here and assist people with neurology based challenges so that their lives are more interactive, productive, and enjoyable.

Dr. Patterson – It was an ankle injury that initially brought me to a chiropractor in my late 20’s. Within a few visits not only was my ankle improving, but I also noticed that my seasonal allergies were greatly reduced, and my energy levels throughout the day had evened out. After this experience, I visited several chiropractic offices and toured several schools, deciding to leave my career in biotech to study chiropractic at Life University in Marietta, GA. While attending school I found Functional Neurology (also known as Chiropractic Neurology), and I discovered the answers to many of the questions I had regarding chiropractic and why care under these doctors can help so much more than neck and back pain. This led me to training for three years under Dr. Ted Carrick and an amazing team of talented doctors. These mentorships opened my eyes to the possibility of making significant changes in a patient’s condition quickly with a specific diagnosis and the right therapies. I was fortunate to see lives changed in a week’s time and to learn the skills necessary to make this happen in my own practice here at Innova Brain Rehabilitation.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Dr. Duffy – There have been challenges, but the amount of rewards have far outweighed any difficulties that have presented themselves. Working through the problems is what makes the success of the practice and more importantly, the successes of the individual patients so fulfilling.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Innova Brain Rehabilitation story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a brain rehabilitation clinic that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before. We specialize in treating complex neurological cases without medication and without surgery. As Chiropractic Neurologists, we improve and even create function through neuroplasticity – the training of the brain to adapt, change and repair itself. We have state of the art diagnostics that allow us to identify areas of the brain that have been compromised by injury or disorder, and then we target these areas with oculomotor exercises, vestibular rehabilitation and other innovative techniques in order to create new pathways – pathways that lead to improved function, better cognitive thinking, less pain, etc.

We’re best known for our work with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion, but we also have great success with developmental delay (autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, etc), movement disorders such as tremors and tics, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

I’m most proud of the approach that we use to address each individual’s issues. When our patients finish their time with us they leave with tearful hugs knowing that they have received something very unique and are touched deeply by the exchange that has happened. These are families that have been through a lot, and it’s great that our clinic is modeled so that we can give them the care they deserve.

What sets us apart is our approach to diagnosis and our commitment to patient education. We specialize in complex cases and therefore, we’re experts in multifaceted diagnoses. Our diagnostics tools provide a window into the brain that allow us to truly understand which areas aren’t working properly. We synthesize this information with what we’ve learned in the patient’s history and during a neurological exam, and begin extremely targeted therapies. We take the time to explain to our patients what we’re seeing, how each therapy is creating change, and foster a comfort level that I don’t know they get at other offices. Our patients leave feeling like family, and that’s something we’re extremely proud of.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Dr. Patterson – I’m not one to put much thought into luck, but I’ve been very fortunate to meet the right mentors and colleagues that have helped me become the doctor I am today. I’ve trained under the best in the field, and part of that was being in the right place and finding the right people. You might say I was “lucky” to get the ankle injury that brought me to a chiropractor in the first place.

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in