Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LAPLACE — The small but mighty staff at Premier Medical Rehab is continuing a tradition started by Dr. John Barrett in 1983 by spreading knowledge of chiropractic care in the River Parishes.

St. John Parish native Dr. Casey Accardo, D.C., purchased the practice in 2021, not long before Hurricane Ida tore through the clinic on the corner of Cambridge Drive. The PMR team was displaced for more than a year before finding a new permanent home at 1501 W. Airline Highway in the suite that formerly housed Fine Cakes by Cora & Dora. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held in coordination with St. John Parish Economic Development on April 4.

Premier Medical Rehab offers same day appointments with a multi-disciplinary approach of chiropractic care and interventional pain management.

Dr. Accardo has more than 15 years of experience in chiropractic care. Using state of the art equipment and personalized treatment, he gives patients relief from spinal, back and neck pain.

Dr. Accardo has treated patients of all ages, from infants suffering from colic to high school athletes, pregnant women, and individuals who have sustained injuries in car accidents.

“I was born and raised here. It’s all about giving back to the community and making sure we can offer pain relief to anybody who is suffering,” Dr. Accardo said.

While personal injury comprises a large part of the practice, chiropractic care is not only for those who have been hurt. According to Dr. Accardo, poor posture, sleeping habits, and even recurring sinus pressure can be reasons to seek treatment. While medicines like ibuprofen may provide temporary relief, trained musculoskeletal experts can address the root of the pain.

Therapies include dry needling, a technique that uses acupuncture needles to pierce the muscles and create a lesion to promote a healing immune response within the body. Another technique called cupping brings oxygen and blood flow to the area of concern.

According to Accardo, massages will soon be added to the list of services because it goes hand-in-hand with chiropractic therapies.

Premier Medical Rehab also brings in the expertise of Dr. Firas Hijazi, M.D., a pain management specialist who also owns LA Pain on Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace.

The clinic includes several familiar faces, including staff members Myra Weber and Aline Clark, who have each been with PMR for more than 30 years.

Chiropractic assistant / X-ray tech Megan Robertson said the new location has allowed Premier Medical Rehab to form stronger connections with community members and neighboring businesses. That positive energy is reflected in the smiles of the close-knit PMR staff.

“I have been in a lot of different environments. I have worked for different chiropractors as well. I cannot express the energy and the atmosphere that us being so close as a smaller staff creates for our patients coming in,” Robertson said.

Clinic manager Courtney McAllister-Young described the clinic as a family atmosphere.

“We’re small but we’re mighty,” she said. “We have a small staff compared to other doctor’s offices, but that should not be confused with our abilities and what we can do.”

Cash, personal injury and workman’s comp are accepted, and all services are offered at fair price points. While appointments are encouraged, walk ins are welcome. Premier Medical Rehab is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.

Hours can be flexible, and the PMR team understands of the urgent need for pain management following car accidents and injuries.

“We want to get you in as soon as possible, even if that means us leaving home and coming in on a Saturday or a Sunday,” Robertson said. “If you’re hurt, we know that’s a priority. We want to be here for the parish the way the parish has been here for us.”

For more information, call 985-652-8100 or visit premiermedicalrehab.com.