It’s a coming home of sorts for Marina Uzelac, owner of Wholistic Chiropractic and Wellness, recently opened in the bottom of Monterey Mews.
Returning to Greater Victoria with her children after living in the United States for several years, Uzelac spent many happy hours growing up around the Avenue and looked forward to opening her own practice in the heart of the village.
“It’s really quaint and that’s really what I wanted,” Uzelac says, noting her goal is to create a space that feels welcoming and relaxed, where clients feel comfortable and not rushed.
Since her soft opening in mid-December, response has been positive, she says, noting there weren’t any other chiropractors in the immediate area.
“I’m excited to let people know I’m here.”
It was Uzelac’s personal journey that led her to chiropractic as a career. After suffering headaches following a car accident as a youth, she met an exceptional chiropractor who was able to fix the underlying problem.
Building on her background in kinesiology and massage therapy, chiropractic seemed a natural extension.
“I believe in it whole-heartedly,” Uzelac says. “I have a special place in my heart for people who are chronic pain sufferers. I know the frustration for them; it’s just finding the right approach.
“Every person is unique and their problems are also unique so you can’t approach it in a cookie-cutter way.”
With many people still not understanding how chiropractic works, “my goal is also education,” Uzelac adds. “It’s for all ages and everybody. I really believe everybody can benefit at some level.
“It’s about looking at you from a different perspective and looking at health as something more than putting a Band-Aid on.”
Joining Uzelac in her practice will be registered massage therapist Sarah Slade. “The two go hand-in-hand...the body is connected,” she says.
Education also means letting people know that extended health benefits often cover chiropractic care, something many don’t realize if they haven’t sought treatment before, says Uzelac, noting the office also offers direct billing.
People often assume pain is a normal part of aging or activity, but it’s not. “Pain is not natural, it’s the body’s way of saying there’s a problem,” she says.
“We have a very fix-it-when-it’s-broken mentality, rather than prevention ... (however) it’s so easy to maintain it rather than waiting until it hurts.”
Wholistic Chiropractic & Wellness is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and at other times by arrangement.
For information, call 250-244-1700 or visit wholisticchiro.ca