Doing work he loves keeps this chiropractor young

June 18, 2010 — “Give me anything with a spine, and I’ll adjust it,” says Larry Sandberg, DC, a native of Sweden. From high prized racehorses to humans, Sandberg has successfully treated a diverse range of patients. The chiropractor credits his success to the standard chiropractic techniques that he was educated to use.

When Sandberg was 14 years old he watched his parents, both Palmer College of Chiropractic-educated chiropractors, treat a paralyzed dachshund until the dog was able to walk. While that experience did not immediately spark his interest in the profession, it certainly made an impact.

Resisting his destiny

Sandberg was born while both of his parents were pursuing chiropractic degrees at Palmer and his grandfather was the first man to start practicing chiropractic care in Sweden. Despite his early immersion into the world of chiropractic, Sandberg initially decided that the field was not for him.

“I knew that my parents expected me to become a chiropractor,” says Sandberg. “But I decided to go to work for awhile.”

One day, while on the job, he decided it was time to go to chiropractic school. So he quit right then and there, leaving his boss in a fluster, and called to tell his mother about the decision. Disregarding his immediate family ties with Palmer, he chose to attend Northwestern College of Chiropractic. “The Swedish Chiropractic Association recommended Northwestern,” he said.

The man, nicknamed “the infamous Swede,” laughs when he recalls the time he spent at Northwestern. “I had a jolly good time,” he admits, before launching into a story about how his class broke the school’s dress code by wearing colored lab coats instead of the required white. He returns to the school periodically for the annual Homecoming and Winter Gathering, and to reconnect with his previous schoolmates and doctors in the area.

Mixing two passions

“I just cannot sit still,” says the nomadic chiropractor, who has practiced in various locations around the world. After graduating from Northwestern, he began his practice in Stockholm, Sweden, then moved to New Zealand for 12 years. He currently lives in FinlandDenmark, Sweden, and Norway. but carries his mobile practice through

His traveling practice depends greatly on the location of various stables around the countries. But he is not limited to Europe. During his recent visit to the United States, he treated racehorses in New York and has future plans to visit Egypt and Turkey. “I think that I have more fun than most,” he admits.

Staying young

When asked about his high energy level, the soon-to-be 70-year-old chiropractor swears that it’s his profession that grants him his internal youth.

“When you have work that you love,” he says, “that keeps you young.” His zest for the profession stems from the challenges that he continually faces. “You have your ups and downs in chiropractic. I once had a patient who had tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, and I was able to get him hearing birds again. Then I had another patient with the same ailment but nothing worked for him. Chiropractic can be challenging.”

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html