Natural Medicine in Middlesboro

At the age of 16—when most teenagers are dreaming about receiving their driver’s license—Michael Heskett was dreaming about attaining his chiropractic license. Following in his big brother’s footsteps, Heskett graduated from Life University in 1995 and has spent the years since spreading awareness of chiropractic health in the Lakeway area. He regularly gives community talks on spinal hygiene and sponsors Chiropractors with Compassion, a movement to fund holistic treatments for children.

In Heskett Family Chiropractic’s more than 16 years of business, Dr. Heskett has kept the office up to date on emerging diagnostic technology. Digital x-rays reveal the inner workings of the spine while protecting patients from the large doses of radiation emitted by traditional x-rays. Para-thermal imaging detects heat fluctuations in the spine by up to 1/100th of a degree Celsius—helping Dr. Heskett pinpoint areas of irritation.

Tell us about your business.

The Sport and Wellness Chiropractic Center treats patients of all ages and activity levels, but specializes in the treatment, conditioning, and rehabilitation of athletes. Many of our patients have been elite runners, rugby players, triathletes, and swimmers. We make use of a variety of diagnostic procedures from a multitude of chiropractic and neurologic disciplines, which reveal faulty neurological conditioning, aberrant movement patterns, joint fixations, muscle weaknesses, and incorrect muscle recruitment.

When and how did you first develop a passion for your work?

As an active kid (snow and water skiing, running, swimming) and high-school pole vaulter, I began to experience debilitating neck and back pain. I saw our family physician and eventually a neurologist who could do no more than offer to inject me with steroids. They couldn't tell me what the cause of my problem was. I ended up at my mother's chiropractor and in one visit I experienced immediate pain relief and I could move normally.

I was sold.

I became a chiropractor after working as an oceanographer for 10 years. I love patients coming into my office in some level of pain and leaving with little or no pain. It is the best feeling ever. I also work with performance enhancement strategies to make athletes stronger and faster. The US Olympic Team sent over 100 chiropractors to London; they know the benefits of chiropractic care.

What kind of products or brands do you use, and why?

I employ various chiropractic techniques including diversified, Thompson, Activator, Sacro-occipital Technique (SOT), and Toggle. Additionally, I am a certified Active Release Techniques (ART) provider and also do muscle energy technique, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, active assisted stretching, and instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization. Because I have my extremity specialization I make custom-made, medical-grade orthotics for people experiencing foot, knee, and back pain due to a foot issue that can be corrected with an orthotic insole.

Do you have any special certifications or degrees?

I have my doctor of chiropractic degree (magna cum laude); I am a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner (CCEP), and am a certified Active Release Techniques provider. Additionally, I have an MA in oceanography, and another master's degree in psychology.

Anything else you want to add that we didn't cover?

Earlier this year I was on location in the backcountry of Colorado treating the cast and crew of Outside Television / Magazine's new reality series, The Final Cut, which is currently airing on the Outside Television Network. I may make an appearance (the final edits aren't done so I've no idea). I am also licensed to practice chiropractic in Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Tell us about your business.

I provide upper-cervical healthcare to restore the body's natural self-healing ability, to resolve acute and chronic health problems without the use of harmful drugs and painkillers. An upper-cervical misalignment can distort, disrupt, and restrict the flow of healing messages to the body. This leads to the development of acute and chronic health problems. I take x-rays to identify the misalignment and use them to develop a correction formula to restore the normal flow of healing messages to the body, so its natural self-healing process can begin. On followup visits, I help my patients maintain their alignment correction so there is no interruption in the body's healing process. No additional corrections will be made until tests indicate they are needed. Health problems begin to improve once the flow of brain health and healing messages have been restored.

What’s your favorite part about your job?
Removing neurological interference to restore the body's inherent ability to heal, and watching the miracles happen.

The interior of a business can affect how its customers feel. What kind of decor do you use to help make your clients feel pampered and at ease?

In my practice, once a patient receives a correction, it is mandatory that they rest. So to aid in that, I have a separate resting room with zero-gravity chairs equipped with individual MP3 players and headphones that play relaxing music. The room is available before and after a correction, even on days when a correction is not given.

Anything else you want to add that we didn't cover?
When evaluating health the focus should be on the value of restored condition and not on symptom eradication. So individuals should assess the route they have been pursuing in other to get well.

Out of your entire repertoire, which is your favorite service to perform and why?

Educating the patients about how health is achieved through the nervous system.

Business Basics

Established: 2012
Reservations/Appointments: Recommended
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Staff Size: 2–10 people
Parking: Parking lot

In the confines of Traditional Health Clinic and Salt Spa's microclimate-controlled, allergen-free salt rooms, a steady flow of aerosolized salt infuses the air to naturally fight respiratory ailments and skin conditions without drugs. The healing atmosphere can soothe all ages—reclining chairs and gentle music in the adult room facilitate relaxation, and a toy box filled with real and imaginary toys in the kids’ room enthralls youngsters as they decongest.

The center complements its signature salt rooms with integrative consultations and treatments that draw on Functional, Oriental, and Ayurevedic medicine. Meanwhile, hair-thin acupuncture needles eradicate blockages halting energy flow.

Drs. Andrew and Jennifer Scoles met in their first year of chiropractic school and discovered that the passions they shared extended beyond straightening crooked spines. The husband-and-wife team relies on their well-trained hands to perform expert chiropractic services. They use their fingers to probe backbones for any signs of recalcitrant vertebrae, or rely on x-rays and Insight Discovery subluxation scans to treat skeletons to a glamorous photo session. As the chiropractors demonstrate their mastery of various methods, such as Webster's breach turning technique, they ease back pain, headaches, and fibromyalgia. Physicians also treat youngsters in an room with toys, vines, and a jungle mural featuring parrots, tigers, and a Guns N' Roses Easter egg. In addition to treating vertebrates, Scoles Family Chiropractic offers free health and wellness lectures for churches, businesses, and communities.

La Selva MedSpa & Reflexology pays tribute to the relaxing and healing qualities of the rainforest with its massage and bodywork services. Licensed, nationally certified massage therapists indulge bodies with aromatherapy oils and heated basalt stones. Specialty massages include healing hot stone massage, orthopedic and medical massage, as well as lypossage—a body-contouring technique that works to diminish the appearance of cellulite. Trigger-point therapy relieves chronic pain and improves range of motion affected by injury, pathology, or surgery. Other massages include a prenatal massage that alleviates the extra muscle stress and tension experienced by expectant mothers and sports massages for athletes and those with active lifestyles.