About Us
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| Tue | 8AM-12PM & 2PM-6PM |
| Wed | 8AM-12PM & 2PM-6PM |
| Thu | 8AM-12PM & 2PM-6PM |
| Fri | 7AM-12PM |
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The Doctors
Dr. Jennifer E. Walker
I am often asked by patients how I became interested in chiropractic, so I thought I would share with you a little about me and my personal experience with chiropractic.My first job out of college brought me to Delray Beach, Florida, to work as an Exercise Physiologist within a chiropractic and medical clinic. I grew up in a medically-centered household, so chiropractic was very foreign to me when I accepted this position. After my first month, I decided to ask for an evaluation. I was 22 years old and was fortunate enough to have no history of neck or back pain. The associate doctor, Dr. Steven Alexander, took a detailed history, performed an examination, took xrays and then kindly educated me about my findings. In the history, I had indicated that as a teenager I had been in a "few" auto accidents-nothing severe, just enough to cause a little damage to my parent's vehicles (we won't talk about that though...). I had never complained of pain after the accidents, so I never sought care. When he showed me my xrays, I was shocked to see that at 22 years old I was already showing some signs of degeneration in my neck! What Dr. Alexander said about chiropractic just made sense: how could someone claim to be healthy if they were using drugs and surgery to help with problems that could be corrected with something non-invasive like chiropractic? How could someone be healthy if their nervous system was not able to function optimally? As a result of my experience working in this clinic and seeing the results that I saw each and every day, I knew I wanted to help others through chiropractic!
Although I had never suffered from neck or back pain, I had suffered from chronic ear infections since childhood. I would get these ear infections approximately four times a year, coincidentally around stressful times (such as exams). Let me clarify that these ear infections were usually so severe that they would involve a trip to the ER, antibiotics and pain medication. Several times the ear infection would be so severe that it would even rupture my ear drum! My first year in chiropractic school, I developed yet another ear infection. I did not have health insurance and I just couldn't afford that trip to the ER. Thinking back to Dr. Alexander and the several lectures that I had been fortunate enough to hear, I decided that I needed to see the chiropractor. After an examination, it was clear that the vertebrae in my neck were not moving properly and compromising the nerves that went to the ear. After my first adjustment, I could feel the pressure begin to release. After three treatments, my ear infection was gone. I continued under active care, then into corrective care and finally strengthened the muscles supporting my spine. I have never had an ear infection since that day! My mother's response when I told her about my experience was that she wished someone had told her about chiropractic when I was a child. It was plain and simple: chiropractic corrected what years of medication could not.
This personal experience is what gave me the concrete understanding of the impact that chiropractic can have on a person. I think of my mom's comment when I told her that my ear infection was gone and each season that it doesn't return! I recognize that chiropractic didn't cure my ear infections, rather, it removed the problem that was preventing my body from being able to heal itself. I continue to be adjusted each month in order to optimize my health and prevent any potential problems. Through my maintenance program, I have been able to remain healthy and prevent potential problems from manifesting. I am thankful every day for my experience with Dr. Alexander that directly impacted my future! I am even more thankful that I am able to help many others find a workable solution for their health.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
December 2001 Western States Chiropractic College Portland, Oregon Doctor of Chiropractic
August 1995 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology and Wellness
EXPERIENCE
April 2002 to Cape Chiropractic, Inc., Chiropractic Physician, Owner
Present dba: Balance Chiropractic and Wellness
September 2002 to Circle Chiropractic, P.C., Chiropractic Physician
September 2003
February 1998 to Health Midwest, Exercise Physiologist
June 1999
January 1996 to Stanger Health Care Centers, Exercise Physiologist
August 1997
ASSOCIATIONS
The Jefferson Club-Vice President, past-President
Roanoke Chamber of Commerce
International Chiropractic Association
American Chiropractic Association
Virginia Chiropractic Association
Dr. Wendy Brown
I’ve been a migraine sufferer for most of my life. As a teen, I’d get them about once a month, around my cycle. They would utterly incapacitate me: I’d wake up with my head feeling like it was going to explode. Any movement would make me nauseous. Light hurt. Sound hurt. Odors caused vomiting. I’d take Tylenol by the handful, just trying to end the pain. In my twenties, they began to become more frequent and last longer. Instead of occurring around my cycle, they would happen any time, seemingly without rhyme or reason. At their peak, I was suffering from 4-5 migraines every month.
Around this time, my brother was attending Palmer College of Chiropractic and suggested I see a chiropractor. Of course, I ignored him. I continued to suffer for the next two years, losing days to incredible pain. When I finally couldn’t take it anymore, I listened. I made an appointment to see the chiropractor in my town. Over the next year, I received adjustments. I was told that I was severely subluxated in my upper cervical spine—at the top of my neck. I already knew that this was an area where I had a lot of pain, on migraine days and on “normal” days. It just always felt tight, tense, and sometimes achy. I thought this was normal—or normal for me—and I was used to it.
As my care continued, my headaches started to occur less often. They were still incapacitating but instead of having four headaches a month, I had two. Then I had one. One day, I had a particularly horrific headache that took me by surprise for a couple of reasons. One - I couldn’t figure out why I was having it—there wasn’t any reason for it that I could see, and two - I realized that it had been FOUR MONTHS since my last migraine. The fact that I hadn’t had a headache in so long had completely slipped my notice—until, of course, I had one. I made an appointment to be adjusted that day. My usual 24-hour headache was reduced to four (still excruciating) hours before it receded. Anyone who suffers from chronic, severe pain will recognize how completely life changing this was for me.
Years later, I made a career-change and became a chiropractor myself. I was drawn to the Chiropractic philosophy that the body has an innate intelligence that is regulated by the nerve system (the brain and spinal cord) and that if it is kept free of interference, the body can and will balance and heal itself. I ascribe to the holistic view that health can only be achieved by addressing the cause of the problem and not by treating symptom (after symptom after symptom). For me, chiropractic is truly “health care”: Regular nerve system check-ups keep our bodies running efficiently and optimally, minimizing or eliminating problems before they can arise.
Today, I still have migraines about 4-6 times a year, but they are much less intense and no longer control my life. I am checked regularly for Subluxation to minimize the frequency of these headaches as well as to ensure optimal function of my body. Every day, I see patients looking for a better way: they are sick and tired of being sick and tired; of taking medication upon medication; of “symptom care”. Every day, we are helping people to be better (not just to feel better) by addressing the cause of their problems, minimizing symptoms, and improving their health at the deepest level and overall. It’s an incredibly rewarding career and I look forward to serving you soon!