The Power That Made the Body, Heals the Body
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Dr. Marie Ouellette, D.C.
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An interior room in the Old Village Chiropractic cottage.
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The Old Village Chiropractic, located at 838 Armsway St, Mount Pleasant SC 29464
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In 1990, I enrolled in college to become a physical therapist. A few months into my freshman year, I got into a car accident after leaving a dentist appointment and suffered severe whiplash. The symptoms - the pain and headaches - were all-consuming. My neck would randomly go into total spasm. I was in my twenties and absolutely terrified this injury would earmark the end of my active lifestyle.
Of course, as we all do when we're in pain and in search of a cure, I began seeing doctors. In a short period of time, it became clear that each doctor I saw all shared the same treatment philosophy: pain medication.
I knew this couldn't be the only solution available.
In a desperate search to restore my health and alleviate my pain without medication, I discovered chiropractic. I learned very quickly that chiropractic gets to the root of the problem - the true cause - and the treatment allows your body to heal and strengthen. Pain is a symptom of the problem. We can't just treat pain with medication. We need to find the root of the dysfunction and treat that.
There's a terrific quote - “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."
As a tree gets bent and twisted from weathering circumstances each day, it still continues to grow, though it may no longer be growing upright. It will learn to adapt and continue living. Similarly, the human body is resilient and will endure its own circumstances. And while we continue to grow and live, our symptoms and conditions will only worsen if we don't fix the root of the problem.
I recovered thanks to chiropractic, and I changed my major and applied to chiropractic school. And that was that. My entire trajectory changed. Physical therapy and medication felt more like an exercise and a band-aid to the real problem. I knew that with chiropractic, I could dive deeper and diminish the problem altogether.
And I did.
I began my career in Winthrop, Maine, in 1998 and also Skowhegan, Maine working at a decades-old chiropractic practice that was run out of an old Victorian home. There was absolutely no signage or branding—the patients arrived strictly by word of mouth. I treated generations of families…some of the treatment cards went so far back that the adjustments were only $5.
It was there that I developed lasting relationships with patients and learned how to provide an exceptional patient experience. There's something very heart-warming about treating patients as they age from infants into adulthood, and there's something incredibly significant about treating entire generations of families. Especially since so many ailments are often genetic and passed down from one family member to the next. I knew with complete clarity that one day I'd open my own practice and re-create those special experiences.
While I wish my story ended there, it doesn't. It was 2018 when I slipped on a treadmill at the gym and sprained my ankle. I was placed in an orthopedic boot, which I was in too long, and because of my crooked posture, my spine began to overcompensate on one side, causing excruciating back and leg pain. I was unable to focus during the day because it felt like a lightning rod of fire was stretching from my spine down my left leg.
The doctors in the hospitals I visited wouldn’t touch me. They would listen, read the notes, and write a prescription for pain relief. It was the same "solution" I was all too familiar with from my car accident years prior. Once again, it felt like no one cared to fix the problem and I couldn't wrap my mind around how I was 46 years old and walking with a cane.
I knew that I needed my own quality chiropractic care, but I had always been treated by a colleague who had recently passed away and I didn't know who to turn to. Out of frustration, one of the 'specialists' I visited referred me to a pain specialist in Mount Pleasant. He was fantastic and co-treated me with a chiropractor he recommended 25 minutes away from my home. I also received platelet rich plasma injections, which were very costly...and, of course, insurance did not cover the cost. I got my first injection and began spending $400/week out of pocket, including a dry needling technique to allow the muscles to relax by a qualified, wonderful acupuncturist. This combination was helping and I was getting better...finally. It was while driving an hour-plus round trip to seek out someone qualified to help me that it felt strange that I was passing 40-50 chiropractic practices along the way. Why?
While I developed strong relationships with pain specialists, orthopedists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other alternative therapy practitioners, I recognized a dire need for a quality, skilled chiropractor in the immediate Mount Pleasant, SC area that was effective.
I knew there needed to be a change. And I knew I needed to be that change. People need access to good quality, affordable chiropractic care.
Happily, and with gratitude, I now run The Old Village Chiropractic out of a lovely 1945 cottage that I thoughtfully brought back to life, located just two blocks off Coleman Blvd at the intersection of Chuck Dawley Blvd. and Ben Sawyer Blvd. I intentionally run my practice out of this cottage to help decrease my carbon footprint and keep costs affordable for my patients.
I pride myself on being patient focused, not profit centered.
I keep it simple. I utilize a scientifically proven method for aiding the body in restoring health. My goal is to help the body do what it needs to do to restore homeostasis. Wellness. I want you to be free of pain, but at the same time, keep your body functioning at its highest potential. I enjoy an active lifestyle and I believe in the power of nutrition and balance. I want you better, stronger.
When I am asked about the benefits of chiropractic, I cannot stop smiling. Over the years, I have seen and treated a lot of folks due to the pain they are suffering from. While pain, especially low back pain, has been the primary reason most people seek chiropractic care, it only scratches the surface.
I am always delighted to tell people how the body functions and what it needs to perform at its peak. Do I believe that chiropractic is the answer to everything that ails you? No. Do I believe that conservative chiropractic care is for everyone of all ages? Yes. For many years chiropractic has been thought of as a holistic approach or an ‘alternative medicine’. Chiropractic has nothing to do with medicine. Yes, I have thousands of hours of anatomy, physiology, embryology, dermatology, pharmacology, physiotherapy, x-ray, diagnosis, orthopedics & many adjusting techniques and much more education than I have room to put here. But I take a much different approach to evaluating each patient.
Chiropractic is based on the fact that the nervous system is the master control system of your body. It runs through your spine and out the individual vertebrae to all systems of your body.
It subscribes to the philosophy that ‘the power that made the body, heals the body’.
As chiropractors, we remove interference that may exist in your body. It isn’t about pops and cracks. It isn’t about medicine vs. chiropractic. It is about the patient. Each individual will have his or her own benefits. Will your headaches go away? Will your back pain go away? Will it improve your tennis game? Your golf games? Will it benefit your immune system? Your digestive system? Your respiratory system? Do you want to be sharper? Feel more alive? Sleep better? Have better balance? Continue to be active throughout your entire life? Recover from injury faster and properly heal? Tighten up your pickle ball game? Be able to play with your children & grandchildren actively? Play that sport you love? Run in that marathon you’ve always dreamt of? Be free of dependence on pharmaceuticals?
I don’t just want you to be stable...I want you to be ABLE! All of the above and so many more benefits can be achieved through chiropractic care. For those of you who have tried everything for your pain...I know because I’ve been there. I took my physical health into my own hands to get well. I can show you the way, too! Come see me today, your neighborhood chiropractor.
The Old Village Chiropractic
838 Armsway St, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina 29464
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Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm
