– by Barry Mathias –
This is the fifth in a six-part series of profiles on some great local businesses that are working to keep us all in good health.
Misty Watson and Randy Kerr are the skilled chiropractors who run the busy Island Family Chiropractic in Saanichton. They are a partnership in all senses of the word: “I am drawn to prenatal and early childhood patients,” says Misty, “and I deal mainly with older patients,” says Randy. “Between us, we deal with all members of a family, treating the injured and enabling those who are fit to maintain their well-being.”
They are happy to explain what they do, and how their skills can benefit a variety of ailments. “Our bodies are controlled through our nervous system,” Misty shares, “and it is stress that causes people to malfunction.” Sometimes it is work, sports or lifestyle that causes the stress that results in pain and suffering: “If the body is out of balance because of the stress, then pain can result.”
“The body has a natural precondition for achieving balance,” Randy says. “The body never forgets, it just needs help.” Chiropractors identify the source of the trouble, and with specific treatment restore the body to its natural state, and help the patient from then on to maintain good health. “About 75% of our clients come to us with a pain condition, but 75% or more of our regular client base is made up of people who came with a problem, but continue their care after their initial complaint was resolved, so they can continue to improve their health,” he notes.
Misty has been practising since 1998, and enjoys working with prenatal women and their babies. “I feel it is my calling.” She helps women throughout their pregnancies. “Midwives will often refer women in their third trimester, and I am able to do adjustments that help their babies to position more optimally in the pelvis, to give moms the best chance for achieving a natural birth and avoiding a ‘C’ Section.” Misty treats babies of all ages: “Some may have feeding difficulties; some will need small adjustments. The youngest baby I have treated was just a few hours old.”
Randy enjoys the challenge of treating older patients and finding the cause of their pain. Often, people have suffered for a long time with lower back pain, with insomnia or with some disorder that is preventing them from living a full life. “I’m not treating the stress,” Randy explains. “I’m freeing the tension within the nervous system. The body has such amazing ‘interconnectedness’.” He refers to “an all-body experience” where pain in one part can be caused by tension in another.
Both doctors approach each day with enthusiasm. “We love our practice,” Misty says passionately. “We have two amazing staff, and every day is a wonderful challenge; there is no such thing as a typical day.” A day in the office might mean both doctors treating all the members of a family: Dr. Randy taking care of a teenage athlete, Dr. Misty adjusting an expecting mom or new baby, and their staff bantering with a patient in her ’90s as she bounds out of the office after an adjustment. “We see people off to work, on their way home at night, and everything else in between!”
“When people first come to us, we do a thorough review of their life history. We ask them to tell us about the stress in their lives and the details of their health conditions,” Misty says. “We give them a full physical assessment, perform an initial adjustment, and we focus on their spine and nervous system more optimally. We want to restore the tone to the body, to clear the tension so the nervous system can function more optimally.”
Dr Misty and Dr. Randy feel the key elements to keeping well are: “regular exercise, lifestyle management and regular chiropractic adjustments.” These are the best ways to help the body meet its potential for health and well-being.
For more information visit www.islandfamilychiro.ca.
