As a kid, I grew up playing as many sports as possible and then became more invested in basketball and started competing at a representative level. Juggling between high school prems and the representative team, the season consisted of training most days and weekend tournaments away. After 4 basketball seasons, I was often struggling with minor ankle or shoulder injuries that never seemed to get better. I was exhausted and struggled to stay motivated in the academic side of school. I left high school at the age of 17 and took a few years off to figure out what I wanted to do in life.
For the last 10 years, I’ve been playing indoor netball at a competitive level. Competing at a national and international level. I have competed at 4 world cups and taken home gold medals from all 4 competitions. I am very fortunate that this sport has got me to experience different parts of the world and be a part of such an amazing team culture.
During my sporting career, I was pushing my body to the limits and often found myself injured or not performing at my best. I was then forced (by my mother) to go and see a well-recommended chiropractor who not only helped my injuries but got me performing at my highest potential. I was then getting chiropractic as a preventative modality rather than reactive. Aside from my physical performance, my immune health and quality of life improved hugely. This then inspired me to start my chiropractic journey and help others that may be in the same position I was in.
The importance of chiropractic
I find chiropractic such a unique health modality as it focuses on the nervous system – brain and body communication. The human body has it’s own innate intelligence to self heal, regulate and coordinate all functions. Sometimes in life we experience physical, chemical or emotional stressors that cause interference in the nervous system, we call this a vertebral subluxation. Our job as chiropractors is to locate and facilitate the correction of this interference, allowing the body to function and heal appropriately.
Relief of pain is initially one of the most common experiences after a few adjustments but chiropractic care can take you so much further than that. By clearing the nervous system, it allows other areas of the body to function at its best. For example, some clients of mine notice they sleep better, think clearer and make better decisions. Others notice decreased stress levels, better digestion and improved reproductive health. For athletes or anyone trying to improve their performance, research has shown that an adjustment can help proprioception, muscle strength, balance and reaction time.
As a chiropractor I am passionate about meeting each client where they’re at and working together to achieve their health goals no matter how big or small they are. I also like to bring attention to the benefits of chiropractic care for children and babies. As soon as a child enters the world, they are exposed to a new environment and potential daily life stressors (traumatic birth, digestive issues, poor sleep, minor falls, heavy back pack, difficulty concentrating). Checking their spine and nervous system can allow their bodies to adapt as best as possible and thrive in their environment.
Fun fact – In 2021, I had a client who experienced some life changing results while being under chiropractic care. Her situation was very unique which lead myself and two other colleagues to write a research case study which got published in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal this year. In future, I hope to be a part of more research projects and contribute to the chiropractic profession.