Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Stewart.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always knew I had a passion for medicine throughout college. After earning my Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas A&M University, I decided to continue learning about healthcare and was accepted to a masters program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
My love of medicine never truly left me, but throughout my master’s program I got very discouraged with how traditional medicine is performed. It seemed to me that medicine was always reacting to patient’s symptoms, rather than offering preventative care. It was really depressing to think I spent so much time and effort giving my life to a profession I didn’t fully believe in.
I decided to push through in hopes learning more would ease my discouragement. After earning my Masters in Medical Science, I scored in the top quartile of the nation on my MCAT and traveled to a few medical schools for interviews. I remember sitting in one interview (being the most nervous I have ever been in my life) and the interviewer telling me their school offered a single course in “manual medicine”. I had to stop him because I had never heard of manual medicine. He explained that it was a way the doctor could use his hands instead of prescriptions and surgeries to alleviate pain. It hit me like a train! I knew what I wanted to do with my life. The interviewer told me MD training doesn’t provide a lot of courses in manual therapy, so I left to explore this new concept of healthcare.
Two weeks later, I set up a tour and was accepted to Texas Chiropractic College. Instantaneously I knew this is where I was meant to be. Upon graduating as valedictorian of my class I opened my own clinic called Pioneer Chiropractic. I wanted to create a healthcare environment where patients could have the same experience I had in my interview. I want patients to know that drugs and surgeries should never be seen as the first line of treatment to pain. I want them to know that pain isn’t something that should be part of their daily routine. Everyday I wake up knowing I have the best job in the world and love that I can make such a positive impact in patients lives.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth road. Telling my family and colleagues that I no longer wanted to pursue traditional medicine was really hard to do. I had always thought they would look down on me like I was giving up on my dream of becoming a medical doctor. There was also this fear of making the wrong choice. After earning both my undergraduate degree and masters degree in pursuit of traditional medicine, I felt like I had a lot to lose by looking for alternative healthcare fields. However, once I found chiropractic I knew I had made the right choice. My family and friends all have told me they saw a huge change in me after making that decision.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
After graduating chiropractic college, a colleague and I opened Pioneer Chiropractic. We wanted to create a clinic whose main pillar is patient education. We believe that healthcare should be an open dialog between the doctor and the patient, not a one-way street. Every patient in our clinic is unique and each consultation and treatment caters to the specific needs and distinct goals of the individual. Our clinic offers patients chiropractic care, acupuncture, corrective exercises, massage and more to reach patient goals.
I specialize in pregnancy care. Pregnancy has the unfortunate combination of progressively increasing load with diminishing stability. Low back pain and sciatica are two of the most common complaints, however soon-to-be moms are very limited on the medications they can take. Chiropractors that specialize in pregnancy care do a wonderful job at relieving musculoskeletal pain throughout pregnancy. I also specialize in acupuncture and dry needling (a technique similar to acupuncture). By combining traditional acupuncture protocols with more evidence-based dry needling procedures we are able to give our patients the best care available.
Dr. Tanner, the other chiropractor at Pioneer, specializes in sports injuries and physical rehab. Of course, our clinic is built on seeing everyday office workers too. We opened Pioneer in hopes to provide care for anyone that walked through our doors.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! Houston is one of the fastest growing cities in America and there is a need for more chiropractors. Studies have shown that 80% of Americans have experienced low back pain some time in their lives. In Houston with a population 2.3 million people, that’s 1.8 million that could benefit from chiropractic care. With the rise of opioids being over-prescribed, doctors are looking for new options for treatment. In addition, new research is being published daily showing the benefits of turning to chiropractic care. It’s a lot of work becoming a chiropractor, but it is very rewarding work.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2030 North Loop W, Suite 120
- Website: www.HoustonPioneerChiro.com
- Phone: 7138144864
- Email: info@houstonpioneerchiro.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/pioneerchiropractic/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/houstonpioneerchiro/
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/pioneer-chiropractic-houston
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