Dr. Jim Carton grew up along the New Jersey shore. He graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania with a degree in biology in 1983 and continued his education at Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minnesota obtaining his doctorate in 1987. He has certification in physical rehabilitation through New York Chiropractic College and continued additional post graduate education in neurology through Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.

He moved to NEPA in 1990 and established Pocono Chiropractic Clinic, Inc. in Lakeville. In 2011, Dr. Carton suffered an injury which eventually led to his selling Pocono Chiropractic Clinic, Inc. After almost two years of therapy and rehabilitation, he created a new practice based upon the direct-care approach; the first in the Lake Wallenpaupack region. Known as "directchiro.com". He returned to practice in 2014 at his old location in Lakeville.

Dr. Jim Carton developed his business approach after noticing the significant rise in healthcare costs. Dr. Carton saw that deductibles and patient co-pays continued to increase for many of his patients. In addition, insurance companies were introducing more limitations on covered chiropractic and physiotherapy services. He decided to return to practice accepting only one form of insurance which is Medicare and associated plans (chiropractors are required to accept Medicare if we perform a "covered service" for a Medicare recipient).

Although the idea of not accepting insurance seems strange at first, he is able to decrease the costs of chiropractic care to the patient by not having to employ a support staff to manage insurance claims.

Most patients find that our service costs are about the cost of their co-pay (which is the patient's financial responsibility).

Dr. Jim Carton emphasizes self-care, exercise, nutrition and education in his practice. Through his direct-care approach, he is able to provide more time and energy to patients and not the paperwork associated with insurance billing.