DCs in the News: punk rock chiropractors and ‘space’ clinic space

Kyle Sprecher, DC, is ‘happy to be home’ and working to build his Space Center Chiropractic clinic space…

A 20^th anniversary is also a marketing opportunity, and Back to Health Chiropractic Alliance in Klamath Basin, Ore., with a clinic space owned by Michael Shatto, DC, celebrated by offering $20 specials and a patient raffle, culminating in a $4,170 donation to the Assistance League of Klamath Basin. The donation was used for the league’s primary philanthropic program, Operation School Bell, which provides school-age children with clothing, supplies, and meets other challenges. “We feel very fortunate to practice in such a wonderful community,” Shatto told the local Herald and News. “We value our patients and consider it an honor to support the community when we can.”

Punk-rocker-turned-chiropractor Ricky Fishman of ChiroMedica in San Francisco is also the founder of the Musicians Chiropractic Project, “which offers special rates and treatments for musicians, who are prone to injury from carrying heavy equipment” according to the Jewish News of Northern California. The native New Yorker was also a public school teacher and law student before deciding to attend New York Chiropractic College. “If you can find something that is a vehicle to put you into the zone where you’re able to sort of transcend your sense of self, then that’s a good thing,” the 65-year-old says of punk rock and chiropractic. “And I found that in chiropractic, because it is both a science as well as an art, in many ways it brings me to a similar place of playing music. So, I figured if I can have a career, if I can do work that brings me to that place, then I’m happy with the choice.”

The Louisville, Ky., market learned about chiropractic and head injury safety when Patrick Lowe, DC, and his Lowe Chiropractic & Wellness hosted the 2^nd annual Helmet Safety Day in March which is Brain Injury Awareness Month. His clinic distributed 500 bike helmets to 500 children, noting that doctors say 88% of head injuries can be avoided by wearing a helmet. “We know what happens, the helmet gets run over in the garage, the kids outgrow them, they lose them, they break them, so it’s pretty common kids need a new helmet,” Lowe told Louisville’s WDRB TV during their coverage. As part of a kid’s fair along with the event, children could participate in a gymnastics course while parents could receive free massages.

From working with NASA back to Lake Mills, Minn., Kyle Sprecher, DC, is “happy to be home” and working to build his Space Center Chiropractic clinic space in hopes of eventually making Minnesota a permanent home again. “The name of his business (its first location is in Webster, Texas, outside Houston) comes from the bulk of his professional experience as a contract chiropractor for NASA,” writes the Albert Lea Tribune. He began with NASA as a test subject while completing studies at Texas Chiropractic College, and completed all of the training required of astronauts. He earned a master’s degree in fitness and human performance and also studied business and public speaking. He also lectured at NASA, did contract work for public health groups and served on advisory boards. Good relationships are key, and he works with area providers Mayo and Mercy hospitals. “Everything’s integrated,” Sprecher says.

Sparks, Nevada-based DC Rick Swecker took advantage of the national “Random Acts of Kindness Day” on Feb. 17 to assist area girls in staying active and healthy. His Family First Chiropractic donated $4,500 to Girls on the Run, an organization with an “intentional life skills curriculum and highly trained coaches that positively impact girls’ lives by helping them increase their self-confidence, develop healthy relationships and feel good about themselves.” The donation will help sponsor girls who cannot afford the program. “We love the fact that Girls on the Run empowers and encourages people, and especially young women, in our community to have self-love,” Swecker told the Northern Nevada Business Weekly. “In our world right now, we really believe there’s a lack of love for ourselves and we believe that attribute alone, in addition to so many other wonderful things the organization does, is just so vital to the health of our community.”

The annual “Spread the Love for Love INC” event hosted by Huntington Chiropractic Center raised $1,155 and an additional $300 in groceries to support the Love INC Food Pantry in Huntington, Ind. The 20^th year of the event saw patients, in exchange for chiropractic services provided by the clinic space, donate cash or groceries to assist local families, with food pantries experiencing a much greater need than usual for services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawings were also held, for a first-place $100 Visa gift card, a second-place wine and chocolate basket from local businesses, and a third-place basket included a $50 gift card to a local restaurant.