In a demonstration of unity and academic collaboration, Life University (Life U) and Chattahoochee Technical College (Chattahoochee Tech) collaborated to offer a special presentation designed for military veterans to educate this population on the potential benefits of chiropractic care, especially in how it relates to relieving PTSD symptoms. A dedicated group of Life U D.C. students affiliated with Life Chiropractic Centers (LCC) volunteered their time to speak at the Chattahoochee Tech Marietta Campus on Tuesday to inform attendees of options to get started with a chiropractic care plan.
The primary speaker at the event was Grace Pickering, a chiropractic student with a heart for the plight of our military veterans. Pickering actually worked at Chattahoochee Tech’s Veterans Affairs Center and connected with Michael Payne, their Veteran Support Coordinator. She was impressed with all the operations of the VECTR Center, which stands for Veterans Education Career Transition Resource. Pickering, in particular, was eager to demonstrate how chiropractic care could be a resource for veterans, in addition to talk therapy, group therapy and medication, when necessary.
She discussed with audience members the physical reasons that a veteran and/or PTSD sufferer might seek out a chiropractor. Some answers from the gallery were headaches and shaking. Pickering also pointed out the mental benefits of Chiropractic regarding the PTSD condition, helping regulate the central nervous system to temper overactive fight-or-flight responses and promote better sleep, among other needs.
“We call them 3Ts: thoughts, traumas and toxins. When you have a stimulus that your body can’t adapt to, it starts that cascade of compensatory mechanisms,” Pickering said.
Pickering and her fellow students shared information and a video that detailed all that the Life U student clinics have to offer, such as low-cost or, in some cases, no-cost chiropractic care.
“Obviously, we want to get you back to that baseline where you were without aches, pains, back pain and neck pain. But my question then becomes how well do you want to feel? Back to where you were before you had those symptoms, or do you want to get even better than that and see where you can go?” Pickering asked.
Dustin Biggerstaff, a Life U D.C. student and U.S. Marine Veteran, also gave a great testimony about what interested him in being healed with the help of chiropractic care and what made him eventually pursue Chiropractic as a career. He was medically retired in 2019 due to traumatic injuries, with several chronic compression injuries in his back, but after some attentive chiropractic care over time, he saw radical improvement.
“I’m in my third year of chiropractic school. I’m hands on with patients every day of the week, and it is one of the most fulfilling things I can do. I have a wife and two kids, and to be able to implement a non-Western medicine application of health care in their lives has been huge,” Biggerstaff said.
For an even more in-depth look at his fascinating story in his own words, check out a Living Life at Life U podcast interview that Biggerstaff participated in titled “Translating Military Service Skills to Civilian Life and Chiropractic with Dustin Biggerstaff.”
Life U and its Life Chiropractic Centers appreciate Chattahoochee Tech, the VECTR Center and all attendees of the special presentation for allowing them the opportunity to share vital information on chiropractic resources. The hope is for future community learning discussions such as these to take place.
For more information on Life Chiropractic Centers or to book an appointment, please visit lifechiropractic.com.
For more information about Life University, visit life.edu.
Founded in 1974, Life University is a health sciences institution most known for its College of Chiropractic, the largest single-campus College of Chiropractic in the world. Undergraduates can pursue 11 undergraduate degrees; a pre-chiropractic, degree-seeking pathway; and two graduate degrees within the College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies. Some degree programs are offered to distance learners through the College of Online Education.
Life University strives to empower our students to succeed both professionally and personally. At Life U, we innovate our approach to higher education, while also remaining true to our philosophical commitment to produce informed leaders who exemplify humanistic values in their professions. To achieve this goal, Life U recognizes and demonstrates its dedication through three official Life University Values: Lasting Purpose, Vitalism and Integrity.
Life U’s 110-acre campus in Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta, is home to more than 2,700 undergraduate, graduate and professional students who come from all 50 United States and more than 65 countries.
About Life University
Life University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees, and also has programmatic accreditation through the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The mission of Life University is to empower students with the education, skills and values necessary for career success and life fulfillment, based on a vitalistic philosophy.
