MEET THE DOCTORS

SportsMedicine Physician and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Joseph J. Estwanik hasn't missed a week of weight training for 43 years. And when he's not practicing medicine, he might be bicycling, jogging, hiking, camping, pistol shooting, practicing martial arts, doing boxing aerobics or even open-water kayaking in a typical week. He has also acted as ringside physician for the past 18 years, supervising literally thousands of boxing bouts. Who should know more about how to exercise and how to do it safely?

The North Carolina-based doctor was tending to the sports injuries of a professional soccer team when he was asked to be a ringside physician at the USA Boxing National Championship event in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1981. He was surprised to learn that boxing, as a sport, was "stuck in the Dark Ages". "It seemed to be completely divorced from the academic milieu of sports medicine", Estwanik recalls. "I've been heavily involved since then in making positive contributions to the sport by incorporating the principles and practices of modern sports medicine".

He has elevated the academics of the combat arts to such a level that he now is chairman and organizer of an annual Ringside Physician's Course located within the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. His 1995 course became international in scope with both instructors and participants arriving from foreign countries, with all profits donated to USA Boxing.

His expertise in disseminating down-to-earth and practical sportsmedicine wisdom to the general public has made him a frequently solicited speaker. Dr. Estwanik's 79 broadcasts on WBT radio's Injuries of the Week and 31 appearances on WSOC TV's Midday Healthbeat have honed his relaxed, yet enthusiastically sincere demeanor. A television interview in October, 1997 by the famed 20/20 on womens' boxing injuries has further established his credibility as a spokesperson. Quotes by the "doc" in USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Dallas Daily News, Black Belt, Fitness, Shape, and US Air magazines have substantiated his dominance as "the source" for safety and fitness. Formerly the National Medical Chairman for USA Boxing's Junior Olympic Boxing Program, Dr. Estwanik was appointed Chairman of the SportsMedicine Committee for USA Boxing in 1992. Dr. Estwanik was awarded the Dr. Ray Wesson Award, National Physician of the Year, USA Boxing, 1997.

Dr. Joe Estwanik studied Orthopaedic Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic and Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His dedication to amateur boxing has taken him all over the world, including Moscow, London, Bangkok, Paris, Sydney, Beijing and Bombay. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Janice, and he has three children.  He is also an avid photographer and a former instructor of nature photography.

Dr. John L. Ashcraft Jr. is a dedicated and caring board certified Chiropractic Physician.  He joined Metrolina Orthopaedic SportsMedicine in December 2003 after gaining highly valuable experience in another Charlotte based clinic, treating all types of patients from infants to the elderly. 

Dr. Ashcraft earned an exceptional upstate New York education, receiving his B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego, with a major in Biology and minor in Health Sciences. He then graduated near the top of his class at New York Chiropractic College, where he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree with Magna Cum Laude honors. 

In his free time, you may find Dr. Ashcraft working out in the gym, mountain biking, enjoying water sports, or coaching a local wrestling team.  Due to his active lifestyle and personal involvement in the sport of wrestling, he enjoys treating athletic and personal injuries as well as providing family care.  

In addition to spinal care, Dr. Ashcraft enjoys extremity management. He utilizes a wide variety of techniques ranging from the most gentle to the most advanced, as well as special soft tissue release techniques for muscular, tendon, and ligament injuries.

Dr. Ashcraft relishes the opportunity to regularly consult with an on-staff orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist, and physician's assistant.  Together, they are able to handle a multitude of conditions.

Currently, he is licensed to practice in the states of New York and North Carolina and is a member of the American Chiropractic Association.