About

Buddy Touchinsky, DC, CFMP

Founder and CEO, has been serving the community of Orwigsburg professionally and personally through local leadership roles for 15 years. He is married to Susie, and they have a daughter, Megan.

Dr. Touchinsky is a chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner with a focus on creative solutions and innovative methods to help people solve their problems and maximize their health. It was in his chiropractic practice that missing links within the full health of an individual became apparent. Many of the patients he treated were dealing with issues caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, inadequate sleep, and other lifestyle-related factors that the traditional healthcare system was not addressing. This led Dr. Touchinsky to study and become certified in functional medicine and to develop a team of like-minded practitioners that are with us today.

Getting To Know Buddy Touchinsky

You know Buddy’s function within PEAK Integrative Medicine, but just as we want to know you personally, we would love for you to get to know us personally. Knowing you by name rather than treating you like a number is how PEAK seeks to be a family practice focused on you, your family, and your health.

Where Is Buddy From?

Buddy was born and raised in Schuylkill County. He lived in Schuylkill County until age 6. Living two years near Philly, then moved back to Orwigsburg where he has lived his whole life besides the time he attended college.

He went to Elizabethtown College for undergrad, then Life University College of Chiropractic in Atlanta for 2 years, then transferred and finished grad school at New York Chiropractic College now called Northeast University of Health Sciences in New York State. He spent a year on Long Island for his clinical rotations before returning home to open up his practice on route 61 outside of Orwigsburg.

After living in a big city in the south, a small town in upstate New York, and a big city environment on Long Island, Buddy realized that here in the county would be the best place to live and raise a family.

What Does Buddy Do In His Free Time?

Buddy spends time with my wife Susie, daughter Megan, and their rescue hound Todd. They love just hanging out in our yard and garden, or going on hikes at the Pinnacle, Hawk Mountain, or just around Orwigsburg. They also love to travel and visit new places and spend time with friends and family.

What Is Buddy’s Favorite Meal?

Buddy loves cooking, and his favorite meal is spending time making a rich beef or venison stew with lots of veggies. He makes a pretty good chicken curry too with lots of spices, ginger, and garlic.

Buddy’s Personal Goals For This Year

“After spending the past year getting PEAK up and running, I neglected my workouts and taking care of myself as much as I should. I started back up with regular workouts (lifting and cardio) and to help with mobility and mental health, committing to being more consistent with attending sessions at Yoga B Yoga. Another goal is to schedule more time with the family to go on day trips or long weekends instead of working all the time.”

Buddy’s Work Related Goals For This Year

“It is my goal to continue to grow our practice here at PEAK to serve people that need us, as well as putting out information to the local community to help educate, motivate, and inspire people to take an active role in their health care and implement habits and diet changes so that they feel better and reduce their chances of developing common health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and more. I want to provide access to services like IV nutrient therapy, peptide therapy, and lifestyle medicine often only found in more urban areas.”

What Is Buddy’s Superpower & Favorite Thing To Do At PEAK

“I really love working with people that are motivated to take charge of their health, yet they don’t know where to start. They are often very well read on their health issues like thyroid, fatigue, autoimmunity, etc., but with so much information out there, it can be confusing. My superpower is helping them distill the information into simpler terms and strategies and figure out a plan that is best for them. Then, setting short term goals to work on and take small but steady/consistent steps towards their ultimate goals and desired outcomes.”

How Long Has Buddy Worked In Healthcare/Health & Wellness

Buddy has been working in healthcare since 2005 and in integrative medicine since 2011.

Why Did Buddy Decide To Go Into The Health & Wellness Field?

Buddy’s uncle is a chiropractor and his mom worked in the physical therapy field. He was exposed to this early on in life. Buddy also needed help himself. As a kid he had a chronic ear infection/blockage for 3+ months. Medicine wasn’t helping and the doctors wanted to do surgery. Instead, Buddy’s mom tried taking him to a chiropractor. Within days, the ear blockage broke free and the issue resolved.

In high school Buddy injured his back playing baseball. After 2-3 months of no relief with medicine and PT, chiropractic helped within a few weeks. After initially being pre-med/pre-PT in college, Buddy shifted towards chiropractic because it helped him so much previously, and Buddy knew he wanted to practice independently vs. a large corporate system and that was the best option to do so.

What Does Buddy Like Most About Integrative Medicine

“I love that is a “patient-centered” and not “practitioner-centered” approach. In our practice, it’s not “my” patient. It’s “our” patient. The practitioner best suited for the problem they have is who they see. It never made sense for me for someone to have to go to the family doctor for back pain, and either get a medication that doesn’t address the cause of the pain, or needing to get a referral to another provider (usually PT). Then the person has to go home and try to get an appointment with the PT, which could be days or weeks later. Instead, it’s nice for someone to call our office with back pain and get in and see the chiropractor. Maybe they get here and it’s kidney related. No problem. Walk down the hall and see our medical provider to check it out.

Or, a person has diabetes due to diet and lifestyle. Medication may be the best short term option, but why not better address the cause? For that, we have functional medicine and health coaching to work on the causes.

Integrative medicine blends the best of both ends of health care spectrum and we’re not beholden to or stuck on any specific approach. The patient’s needs and outcomes directs what we do to help. And we do so as a partner with the patient. Decisions are made together after helping them fully understand their situation and all available options to help.”

Who Is Buddy’s Hero Or Person Who Inspires Him?

“Elon Musk. He’s not beholden to anyone or anything. He identifies problems or needs and then works to address them without regard for “the way things have always been done”. Buddy likes his boldness and willingness to break all the rules (within reason) and come up with products and solutions to help humanity.”

Buddy’s Note To You

“After being back in this community and providing health care for the past 18 years, it’s an absolute thrill to be able to bring this type of practice to Schuylkill and Northern Berks County and offer services that are not found here. There are a lot of people with issues that can respond very well to addressing the foundations of health including diet, habits, gut health, stress management, sleep, and others. The large hospital systems serve the bulk of the population very well, but for those that fall through the cracks or need more personalized care… that’s why we’re here.”