We are sooo excited to WELCOME Dr. Serena Elhard, Chiropractor and Functional Nutritional Medicine Practitioner to The Wellness Center. She will be starting May 3rd and is available Wednesday 2-7pm and Fridays 9am-3pm.
Dr. Elhard is experienced with over 20 years of experience in providing chiropractic care. Her techniques are diversified to include traditional manual, drop table, and gentle hands on and activator-type manipulations and utilizes movement evaluation and muscle testing in her care. Her specialties include: Chronic difficult pain conditions, Extremity and Sports Injuries, Corrective Exercise, and Functional Nutritional Medicine.
Tell us more about your educational background.
I obtained a BS in Zoology and then a Doctorate in Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN.
Since the start of my practice in 2001, I have been providing chiropractic with emphasis on foot and knee conditions and functional nutrition with an emphasis in digestive issues, fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and brain health.
I have my own history of feet and knee problems, headaches, back pain and wanting to understand how we can continue to move more youthfully. My nutrition interest started in high school so to better understand my own struggles. By the age of 26 I had developed my own autoimmune condition along with brain fog, hormone imbalances and chronic fatigue.
I have over 200 clinical nutrition hours and over 800 hours in certifications in the applications of botanical medicines and advanced laboratory testing for hormones, detoxification, gut and brain health, and immunology. In my 20 years of practice and research I have clinically treated every person unique to their history and prior testing.
What attracted you to Chiropractic Care?
For as long as I can remember I have been interested in health. From wanting to be a nurse in kindergarten to daily stretching and aerobics as early as 5th grade. After years of repeated antibiotics I developed digestive and skin issues that lead to my interest in internal health. My holistic journey finally began as I was introduced to herbal supplements by my mom and received the large “Alternative Medicine” Encyclopedia in high school.
I never quite was sure what career path would be best. I was accepted to a natural medicine college while in undergrad but also simultaneously sprained my ankle during an intramural basketball game. After hobbling around campus on crutches for days, a chiropractic visit had me walking almost pain-free within hours. That visit changed the trajectory of my career path. I came to learn that a Doctorate in Chiropractic would allow me to work with the physical body and work with sports and rehab but also would provide the extensive nutrition education for chronic disease that I’d been seeking.
You have been practicing for over 20 years, what keeps you going and passionate about the profession?
I love the natural life changing improvement that Chiropractic and Functional Nutrition Medicine can create. Sometimes these are immediate. When a client gets out of chronic pain even in one visit and seeing their faces light up or to watch a patient walk pain-free after an ankle sprain or touch their toes after years of being unable to. Or when patients come back to say their brain fog is gone or they are sleeping so well or digestive bloating and reflux are so much better is very gratifying.
Growing up I spent a lot of time singing and playing music in nursing homes as my mom was a musician. There was also much obesity in my family. I recognized the importance of maintaining the ability to always move well. I played basketball and ran track all through high school and have had extremely narrow flat feet. Along with a history of repeated ankle sprains, shin splints and needing orthotics at a young age I developed a keen interest in feet and knee health which is the foundation to our hips, lower back and spine. Without proper feet and knee function and awareness this keeps contributing to other chronic problems.
What can a client expect from a Chiropractic visit with you?
My number one goal is to help clients get out of acute or chronic pain. I will look at the client’s entire structure and consider neurologic and orthopedic tests but most individuals have lacked a sound functional movement evaluation. A visit will typically incorporate therapy such as specific hands-on myofascial or neuromuscular correction and manipulations and possibly other electrical modalities such as electric stim or ultrasound, dry needling, corrective exercise or kinesiotaping. Typically I always want to consider what is happening in feet and knee structures. I recommend everyone dress as if you were going to the gym or a physical therapist.
If one is interested in nutrition depending on the complexity there is simple recommendations I suggest but often we start with a nutrition visit with metabolic and brain nutrition assessments and involves a review of past labs and detailed history or YOUR health story (as I like to call it) and make a plan on future advanced laboratory testing and/or start with recommendations.
Final question…what do you like to do in your free time?
When I’m not going down a rabbit-hole of health-related research I can be found relaxing & watching movies, organizing, being artistic or upcycling something old! I continue to dance and travel to compete in west coast swing. My husband and I enjoy doing our own home remodeling projects. We love history, antiques, and animals-especially our little kitties. I grew up with dogs, chickens, horses, and cats.