Getting to Know Dr. Christopher Johnson

I have had the absolute pleasure of treating patients at Everybody Healing Center for the past four years. Serving the greater Twin Cities is a dream, and it's an honor to do what I love: treat my patients and make new friends in the community every single day.

With new patients, friends and followers on board, it's never a bad idea to re-introduce oneself, so here is a bit of information about me, my passion for health and wellness, and my interests:

Where are you from? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a town called Castro Valley--it's the artichoke capital of the country! I've also lived in France and taught English in Thailand. 

I currently live in a home near Minnehaha Falls close to all the trails and I love it.

How long have you worked in this position?

I am the owner of Everybody Healing Center and founded the clinic in August of 2019. 

I completed my Bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies from Metropolitan State University in August of 2016 and from there, went straight to Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota to pursue my Doctorate of Chinese Medicine and Master's of Acupuncture.

What led you to pursuing a career in healthcare?

I always knew I wanted to be in healthcare. I was a very sick kid--I was diagnosed with an impartial seizure disorder and heavily medicated by the time I was 10 months old. When I was 12 years old I developed a chronic pain disorder (one that baffled even the Mayo Clinic and did not have a name) and could no longer participate in sports with my friends.

In my second year at the University of Minnesota, I was hit by a drunk driver and lost my short term memory. I had to withdraw from my classes and neurologists told me it could be anywhere from ten months to ten years until it came back--if at all. A few years later, I found myself designing for a clothing company in southern California when I met a friend who loved acupuncture. We were great pals, so I wanted to do whatever he wanted to do. Two weeks after beginning acupuncture sessions, I experienced pain relief for the first time in 15 years and my memory came back...I could focus and remember things people told me! From there, I quickly re-enrolled in school, switched my degree, and the rest is history. 

What do you love most about your position or what do you love most about Everybody Healing Center?

As a sick kid I felt incredibly isolated. Then a chronic illness diagnosis that surpassed explanation from the best doctors in the country added to that feeling. It turns out that my experience is far more common than I knew. People deal with chronic pain that can not be treated effectively all the time: frozen shoulder with clean x-rays, autoimmune disorders that don't fall into conventional categories, and phantom nerve pains to name a few. It's in these cracks in the current medical system where acupuncture can really shine. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

More like what don't I like to do in my free time? I love life a lot and love filling it with learning and stretching my abilities. Right now I've been building a kitchen and training for my first triathlon, but I also just planted a pollinator meadow. I'm planning two major backpacking trips this summer to the Boundary Waters and to Glacier National Park, which I try to do some form of every year.

I love taking my dogs for walks and hikes and asking my cat "Grandpa" what he thinks I should do with my day, because he's the real boss. 

Do you have any controversial opinions?

I firmly believe that Nicolas Cage is the best male actor there is. Period.