Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Whooley, D.C.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

Before moving to FL in 2014, I practiced Chiropractic in my home state of RI for 16 years. While there, I met and treated so many wonderful patients. Years later, one of those patients was vacationing in FL and looked up my practice to see if it would be possible for her to come in for an adjustment. She found it was going to be around a 2 hour drive each way and decided it was worth it. When she called to make the appointment, she was so happy and excited that the pieces were falling into place. Unfortunately, she had recently injured herself and was in pain. I followed up with her later in the evening of her appointment and she reported feeling almost no pain. Earlier this year, her significant other suggested going on a cruise. When she didn’t jump at the offer, he sweetened the deal by adding that they would leave out of Port Canaveral and she would be able to get another adjustment!

Her loyalty and excitement over seeing me for treatment was both moving and humbling. I am so thankful for all of my patients.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was a Biology major in undergrad and planned to apply to medical school. I hadn’t yet decided which specialty I was most interested in pursuing. As I walked around campus one day, I was debating whether or not I would take some aspirin when I got back to my dorm room because I had a headache. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered why I had a headache and why I should take aspirin. I decided that I wasn’t “aspirin-deficient” and that taking some wasn’t solving the problem. When I heard about a health care profession dedicated to finding the cause of the symptom and then correcting the problem, I knew I had found my calling.

Simply put, Chiropractic care in my office consists of pain relief and wellness care. I help my patients get out of pain and then recommend continued treatment to prevent future pain. It’s better to prevent a problem than to react to a problem. Patients injured in car accidents or from an athletic injury usually respond best if they get care as soon as possible after the trauma.

Care in my clinic consists of manual and/or instrument assisted adjustments to the spine and extremities. Adjustments are corrections to misalignments of the joints in the body. These adjustments provide pain relief, increased ranges of motion, decreased muscle tension, and improvement in the quality of life. I offer physiotherapy modalities including electric muscle stimulation, ice/hot moist packs, therapeutic ultrasound, soft tissue release, and whole body vibration therapy. I also sell CBD oil (no THC) in a roll-on form. My youngest patient came to my office at 4 days old! His mother and father have been patients of mine for a few years. The mother had chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy and it helped her with the pain of sciatica and reflux.

I opened my practice so I could spend more time with each patient and address all of their concerns. I am almost always available to my patients as I call/text them the night of their first appointment from my personal cell phone. Chiropractic is different from other health care approaches so I want my patients to be completely at ease throughout their treatment.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think one of the most helpful things a chiropractor can do is learn to listen and communicate with their patients. Understanding what their needs and goals are can help you explain to them why chiropractic care should be their first step toward wellness or pain relief. Because chiropractic care is different and primarily pigeon-holed into back pain relief, many people are missing out on reasons to see a chiropractor. Patient education about what we do and and what they can do to help themselves needs to be a strong point.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could, I think I would have decided on a specialty and completed the advanced training that was required right away. After graduation, I wanted to focus on seeing patients and thought I would get back to certifications later. Instead, I got married, had three children, and never found the time. (I do not regret that, btw!) But the thought of going back to school and going through required testing is not something that I am eager to do now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kilkennychiropractic.com
• Instagram: @Kilkenny_Chiropractic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kilkenny-Chiropractic-111959221397720
• Linkedin: Kilkenny Chiropractic
• Twitter: @Lizbird33
• Yelp: Kilkenny Chiropractic