Wilson Chiropractic is located at 1637 South Market Blvd. in Chehalis.
Doctor Wilson poses for a photo inside his Chiropractic office Tuesday afternoon in Chehalis.
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Justin Wilson has always been fascinated with anatomy. That, coupled with a sports background and having been helped in the past by a chiropractor, made him realize he wanted to be a chiropractor himself one day.
Wilson, a 2011 W.F. West alumnus, graduated from Centralia College with an associate’s degree, Central Washington University with a bachelor’s degree and finally from chiropractic school in 2019 at the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon.
“I just like the idea of being able to help people, as well as doing it in a health care setting,” Wilson said. “It just kind of fell into my lap with sports and being able to perform optimally with chiropractic help.”
He spent time working in three or four chiropractic offices during the end of his college career, including a residency, which helped him see how a practice is run. He was able to be the chiropractor at an office while simultaneously learning from one.
Less than five months later, Wilson decided to open his own practice, Wilson Chiropractic, which officially opened on New Year’s Day 2020. Opening so soon after graduating was due to Wilson being able to secure an office location from a retiring doctor on South Market Boulevard in Chehalis. Being able to move back to his hometown seemed like the perfect fit.
“From what I’ve been told, you never really feel ready to start a business,” Wilson said. “Everything just kind of worked out with that doctor retiring and the location was for sale. I jumped at the opportunity. I wasn’t sure when another one would come up like this.”
The most challenging part, other than being a first-time business owner, was opening up two months before a global pandemic. He doesn’t have an extensive business background and everything was health care-based. A year and two weeks later, wearing masks and taking extensive safety precautions is all he knows as a business owner.
He closed voluntarily through April 2020, just to take a step back and get more information on everything going on related to the pandemic and safety protocols. Once the guidelines were outlined and more specific, he was able to open back up confidently.
The biggest changes were screening patients, asking extra questions about any symptoms or exposure. He also created a buffer time between clients coming in, limiting contact between them, which also helped give him time to sanitize and clean the office.
“Doing these extra steps and making sure everyone is comfortable and feels safe,” Wilson said.
Wilson Chiropractic covers the chiropractic manipulations with adjusting, but also muscle work and functional movement, movement-based rehab and exercises to take home as well as joint work. He excels at finding joint dysfunction, where things aren’t moving correctly, then manipulating them to allow for joints and muscles to be used together efficiently.
“Not just adjust but also do rehab exercises of those movements that can cause discomfort,” Wilson said.
The most common reason clients come to Wilson is for help with lower back pain, which is similar to what most chiropractors see, he said. Headaches are also near the top of the list, which can often be linked to back pain. He’s also had pretty good results in treatment with people who are having arm and leg symptoms, such as numbness or tingling.
Some of the remedies can be as simple as office workers needing to focus on things such as correct posture and breathing that takes tension off areas in the back. He also treats athletes who come in with sprain strain and lack of stability.
Wilson Chiropractic is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday and Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday; and 8 a.m. to noon, Friday and Saturday.
Appointments can be made by calling 360-996-4888, through Facebook at facebook.com/WilsonChiropractic2020 or at wilsonchiro.janeapp.com.
More Information on Wilson Chiropractic
Owner: Justin Wilson
Location: 1637 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday and Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday; and 8 a.m. to noon, Friday and Saturday
Phone: 360-996-4888
Website: wilsonchiro.janeapp.com
Social media: facebook.com/WilsonChiropractic2020
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Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
