Dr. Heather Gansel
Your Virtual Chiropractor
How can chiropractic care be virtual?
Back in August 2020, I became the “Virtual Chiropractor”. Now you may be thinking, “Wait, what did she just say?” How can chiropractic care be virtual? Well, chiropractic care is indeed a hands-on approach to healing one’s body, which requires you to go to a chiropractor in person. But the actual adjustment only plays a small role in you becoming pain-free. Wondering how I became known as the virtual chiropractor? The answer is simple: it was thanks to everyone wanting answers on how to become pain-free while the world was on lockdown during the pandemic. That’s when I decided to make it my mission to help over 1,000 people each year worldwide to learn how to achieve their optimal performance while showing them how to fix their pain naturally.
I was figuring out how to start an online program course for the same thing. This was going to pose new challenges for me since I had been used to doing “grassroots” marketing and not “organic marketing,” let alone paid traffic. Being someone who is not a millennial. I had to learn what a lead magnet is, what a sales funnel is, the benefits of automation, how to create an opt-in page, how to use ManyChat, the benefits of posting on social media, and how to do it effectively. But the bigger question was how to make chiropractic virtual.
Throughout my 20 years of private practice, I have come to realize that the actual physical adjustment was only a small piece of the puzzle of my patient’s success. An interesting fact: you can adjust the entire body in under 2 minutes. My patients’ success came from the corrective exercises and rehab techniques I implemented with every person’s treatment protocol. But how would it work through a virtual platform?
What I constructed was a 3-week sports chiropractic program that would help people get back to the activities they love by teaching them how to become pain-free. I choose 3 weeks because any good physician knows that if a patient isn’t showing signs of improvement by week four, it’s time to re-evaluate. I also felt confident that I could get people feeling better in under 3 weeks. It has now become my signature program.
To my surprise, and the surprise of all my virtual clients, it worked! By listening closely, assessing the muscle imbalances, reviewing videos of gait analysis, and giving specific instructions in terms of homework both in written format and video, everyone was able to see improvement within a 3-week time frame. It was and still is amazing to see people (mostly baby boomers) so happy to know that they could continue to run, bike, walk or achieve one of their life goals. As a doctor, my goal was to put all the puzzle pieces together and restore “hope” to a patient who had lost it.
A simple exercise to begin with post knee surgery or someone suffering from a runner’s knee is to strengthen the VMO (vastus medialis oblique muscle)
Step 1: Lay on your back on the ground with a yoga mat or rug underneath you.
Step 2: With your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, place a foam roller in between your knees and squeeze the roller firmly for 30 secs.
You should feel your inner thighs engaging as well as your core.
Listen to what Diana from Colorado has to say:
“I wanted to start by saying that connecting with Heather has been a game-changer for me!
I tore my left ACL in October 2019 during Taekwon-Do testing and subsequently had surgery in December 2019. I am also a runner who has battled chronic knee pain in my right knee for the last 6 years with no viable solution in sight. While scrolling through a running group I’m in on Facebook, I found a post of hers about knee pain. Intrigued, I clicked on the post and responded. I was very impressed with her knowledge base and decided to connect with her for an evaluation.
I have been working with Heather since July 2020. Since beginning the program, I have noticed an increase in strength in my weak areas (my PT found the weakness in my glutes and hamstrings, which 4 weeks after starting the program was drastically improved!). I have also noticed a gait change in my running and no knee pain in my right knee while running! We are moving forward with returning to Taekwon-do. I love how she tailors my workouts to my goals as well as my life changes—there has been a hiccup or two—without missing a beat! All of this has helped me get stronger and move me closer to the competition! ”
ARTICLE : Dr. Heather Gansel
Images : Dr. Heather Gansel
