Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Winnan.
Heather, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I became interested in the medical field in high school when I shadowed my neighbor who is an orthopedic nurse. I studied pre-med and Spanish in college but wasn’t sure of the direction I wanted to go in the medical field after graduation. So I began looking into medical missions to see if I could at least volunteer my time until I figured out what I wanted to do. In 2007 I moved to San Pedro Sula, Honduras where I worked for the Global Missions Health Institute, which was a branch of Mercy Ships, for almost a year.
Upon returning to the States I reached out to a man from my home church who was a chiropractor to ask him advice about being in the medical world. He asked me to come shadow him, and that was it; I knew that was what I wanted to do. I enrolled in 2009 at National University of Health Sciences and never looked back. I began my own business in May of 2013 after graduating and obtaining my license, and doing what I love is now a part of my everyday.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anything worthwhile has its struggles, so of course, I have had my fair share. I started my business from scratch with no business degree and no true knowledge of how to start one, so finding the right people to work with to make my dream happen took time. Then, because I was a start-up, I had no patients lined up waiting at my door. I had to become involved in the community I was going to be working in with no real income to do so, which made life decisions hard to make because I was forced to choose between things I could afford and things I wanted that I believed could grow my business.
Also, I am no salesman. I show my knowledge and expertise through the work of my hands and that’s hard to do when you don’t have someone to do it on right away. Though these may seem like trivial challenges to some people, they were a huge obstacle for me; trying to meet the right people and show them what I could do, while finding a way to financially do so to grow my business.
Please tell us about Sycamore Spine & Sport.
We are a chiropractic office that specializes in musculoskeletal issues and when explaining our practice we typically say ‘we aren’t your typical chiropractic office’. I am a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician that works with every type of athlete from the young dreamers to the older still believers. I utilize multiple techniques including adjustments of the spine and extremities, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS), exercise therapy and rehab, McKenzie therapy, dry needling, and multiple soft tissue techniques.
Because we utilize more than one type of therapy each patient that walks in the door gets a treatment that is specific to their ailment; there is nothing cookie cutter about our treatment plans. I think nowadays that is something that sets us apart. We spend the time to get to know are patients and treat them like we would treat our family.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly… nothing. That may sound cliche, but the road I took grew me and stretched me every which way that has made me into not only a better doctor but a better person. God mapped this road for me and it’s my job to follow.
Pricing:
- Because our treatments are individualized the prices vary, but the initial visit is typically around $150
- Subsequent visits are between $30 to $95 depending on the depth of the therapy
Contact Info:
- Address: 1770 W State Street, Suite D
Sycamore, IL 60178 - Phone: 815-991-5569
- Email: Winnandc@gmail.com
- Instagram: @heatherwinnan
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SycamoreSpineSport
Image Credit:
Andrew Schrock, Dr. Richard Ulm
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