I’ve known Elaine Holland for a little over a year now. She has been one of the religious members of the Upper Cervical Club at Parker College. Starting this coming trimester, she will be the new club president at Parker. She’s very excited about it, and I am very excited that she’s taking over the reins. I think she will make some good headway with Upper Cervical awareness at Parker.
I’m thankful to Elaine for taking some time out of her busy studying schedule to answer some questions for The Atlas of Life.
Brandon: Why did you decide to be a chiropractor?
Elaine: “First, I should explain to you that I was the least likely person to be a chiropractor. I have always been interested in health, medicine and the human body and always assumed that I would end up working in a health care setting.
I received a degree in Biology and throughout this time I realized that I wasn’t really interested in becoming a medical doctor but hadn’t come across anything that appealed to me. I took a couple of years off from school to see what other opportunities were available. I never considered being a chiropractor. In fact, I thought it was horrible that chiropractors claimed they could cure back pain and other ailments by cracking backs, even though I had never taken the time to see what chiropractic was all about. Fortunately, life works in funny ways.
When I moved to Calgary, Alberta looking for employment I took what I thought would be a temporary position as an assistant at a chiropractic clinic. I needed work, and this was the only response I received, so I put my previous beliefs aside, applied to college to start school in the fall to become a biology teacher, and started working at the clinic. It didn’t take me long to realize that Chiropractic was the career that I had been waiting for. I saw firsthand how people with all types of ailments were getting better from their chiropractic care, without the use of drugs or surgery. I was intrigued and felt compelled to learn more about what I was witnessing.
Shortly, I cancelled my acceptance to college in the fall and enrolled at Parker College of Chiropractic.”
Brandon: What is it about Upper Cervical Chiropractic that interests you?
Elaine: “I am interested particularly in UC chiropractic because of its specificity. I know that there is more to chiropractic than hearing “cracks.”
Since the brainstem is the most important area of the body, it only makes sense that we should assess this area specifically. The precise assessment thus allows for a precise and accurate adjustment specific to each person, allowing the person’s body to regain nervous system function. It just makes sense!”
Brandon: Why did you choose to come to Parker?
Elaine: “I chose Parker with the advice of the Chiropractor that I was working for in Calgary. I admired Dr. Mancini’s enthusiasm and strong passion for Chiropractic. I also appreciated that the school was making a shift towards a wellness paradigm of health and that I would receive some business training to sustain a practice once I graduated.”
Brandon: Coming from a background of working in a subluxation-based Blair Upper Cervical office, what are some challenges you have noticed since being in chiropractic school?
Elaine: “I quickly realized once I started school that my initial idea of chiropractic was not congruent with many of the opinions of others in the profession. Many of the methods and protocols that we learn in college are very pain-based and have very allopathic undertones.
I was warned before I started school that my idea of chiropractic was going to be different from what I would be taught in school. I was mildly prepared, so I decided that I would do as much studying on my own time, in the form of seminars and training modules of all types of Upper Cervical Chiropractic, in order to stay focused on why I came to school in the first place.”
Brandon: What are some of the advantages of having a subluxation-based Blair Upper Cervical background?
Elaine: “The biggest advantage was that I started Chiropractic College having seen the benefits of being under Upper cervical care. I didn’t need to be convinced that Upper Cervical adjustments are effective, because I had already seen the kinds of results that come with Uupper Cervical specific corrections.
I have been able to focus my attention on understanding the science behind what occurs when a patient receives an adjustment so that I can explain it better to others.”
Brandon: What are your plans after graduation?
Elaine: “After graduation I hope to work as an associate until I have enough training and confidence to open my own practice. I think that it is important to find an Upper Cervical mentor because there is so much to learn and become proficient at before you can open your own practice. Taking specific x-rays, x-ray analysis, learning the art of adjusting technique, as well as practice management take a lot more time to learn with Upper Cervical techniques than most other techniques.”
Brandon: What is your vision for the future of Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
Elaine: “My vision for upper cervical chiropractic is strong unity and respect between all UC techniques and associations. When we all work together and gain an understanding of each UC technique, then it will grow to be a strong force in the future of chiropractic.
I also have a vision for Upper Cervical at Parker College. Since we are definitely lacking in Upper Cervical education, it is my goal to expand the club as much as possible over the next couple of years. If we can show the school administrators that there is an interest and demand in learning Upper Cervical techniques, then surely we will attract those that are interested in teaching.
If there are any doctors out there that would be interested in speaking at Parker College, please let me know!! Help us to make the Upper Cervical club at Parker the biggest club on Campus!”
If you are interested in speaking to the Upper Cervical Club at Parker College, you can contact Elaine at eholland@parkercc.edu.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I just love Elaine! She is so sweet and I love that she has passion for Upper Cervical!
Elaine is pretty awesome!
I wish they had an upper cervical club when I was at Parker. Although I loved Gonstead club