Embracing entrepreneurship with healing hands

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

July 7, 2025

PLOVER –  As high school students, very few people know exactly what they want to be when they grow up.

Doctor of Chiropractic Lindsey Smith, however, said her path forward quickly became clear during those formative teenage years.

As a high school athlete, she said she not only found relief in the form of chiropractic care but also found her calling.

“I didn’t know anything about chiropractic [care, but when I] was in cross country and track and field, I got to a point where all of a sudden, my hips started hurting,” she said. “We were doing everything between stretching and strengthening, and nothing was helping.”

Smith said it was embarrassing to be the only teammate off to the side riding a bike while others were giving it their all during practices.

She said that’s when someone suggested getting a chiropractic adjustment.

“Within a week, I was way better, and I couldn’t believe how fast it worked,” she said. “And it made sense to me once I started experiencing it, because it was working… So then, from that moment on, I was like, ‘This is what I’m doing.’”

In order to make those dreams come true, Smith said she attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for her undergrad degree in biology and then entered the intense chiropractic program at Palmer Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, graduating in 2015.

The college was the first chiropractic college in the world, and Smith said it’s not just rich in history, but also provides future chiropractors with a great foundation for their careers.

“I felt like I got such a good education there and learned how to adjust really effectively [while attending school] there,” she said.

A Wisconsin Rapids native, Smith said she started her career 10 years ago in Nekoosa at a clinic located just outside of her hometown. 

With a decade under her belt, she said she decided she was ready to branch out on her own and embrace entrepreneurship alongside her career in chiropractic, opening her own practice – Aligned Health Chiropractic (3078 Village Park Drive) – in Plover late 2024.

Empowering patients

Though TikTok influencers might lead us to believe otherwise, Smith said chiropractic is about far more than cracking and snapping necks and backs.

She said she meets the patient where they are on their path to improved healing – considering their level of need, pain and overall health at every step.

According to Smith, there are many chiropractic methods that may be used to adjust a patient – from light finger touches used on infants to drop-table and manual adjustments for adults.

“At Palmer, we learned a lot of different types of adjusting techniques,” she said. “[We work] with soft tissues – like ligaments – to help allow that joint to move, to gentle adjusting tools, all the way to what everybody’s familiar with, like the osseous [adjustment], which is more of the manual adjusting.”

Smith said chiropractic care provides relief for patients because of how it alleviates interference – or subluxations – in the spine and nervous system.

“Our brain and nervous system are in control of all the functions of the human body, so that relates to the immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, muscular skeletal system and so on,” she said. “Basically, chiropractic restores the brain’s ability to properly communicate with the rest of the body through the spinal nerves.”

With those information pathways open and restored, Smith said the body is then able to heal itself.

Patients with a large variety of symptoms and medical concerns – from back and neck pain and chronic headaches, to hip pain and beyond – she said, have found relief through chiropractic care.

“So, adults [who] walk in, they’re having pain – it could be neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain and/or headaches,” she said. “They may even have decreases in function, [in] their overall range of motion, but other symptoms may arise as well.”

Furthermore, Smith said chiropractic adjustments aren’t just for the spine.

The benefits, she said, extend to a patient’s extremities as well.

Shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, feet and even the jaw, Smith said, can benefit from consistent adjustments.

“Several people notice a lot of those issues will resolve with chiropractic [care],” she said.

Chiropractic’s benefits, Smith said, know no age limits, as well. 

Infants, school-aged children and teens, she said, may all experience symptom relief from frequent illnesses, constipation, difficulty nursing, ear infections, improved behavior and more.

For moms-to-be, the Webster technique – of which Smith said she is certified in – can help the body prepare for an easier delivery.

She said it helps the body keep the pelvic ligaments relaxed, resulting in less pain during the waning months of pregnancy.

Because of its benefits for people throughout the many stages of life, Smith said she prides herself on being an office that welcomes all ages – from zero to 99.

“We kind of joke, it’s baby bumps, babies, mom, dad [and] grandparents,” she said.

Embracing new technologies, holistic approaches

Smith said her office also offers custom orthotics in addition to chiropractic care.

The feet, she said, are the literal foundation for the body, and orthotics can help remedy any problems that may exist structurally in someone’s feet – which in turn alleviates symptoms like hip and knee pain.

“We have a foot scanner here that takes a 3D image of your foot, and with that, we can order custom orthotic inserts [for your] shoes and sandals,” she said. “And these actually have a patent for supporting… [the] three arches in our feet. This, in turn, creates a better balance for the pelvis, which [is] basically the foundation of the spine. I’ve had patients report improved back pain and shoulder pain from wearing orthotics, and of course, fewer issues with plantar fasciitis.”

Smith said orthotics can also help a person’s spine “hold” its adjustment longer – meaning fewer trips to the chiropractor and more time between visits.

In an expanding effort to include other holistic approaches to care, Smith said she offers a sauna at Aligned Health Chiropractic, as well as a supplement line featuring Alovéa, Ortho Molecular and Standard Process brands.

The sauna is not just relaxing for patients, she said, but it also has health benefits.

“[It] helps with relaxation, [it can] lower your blood pressure [and] it can potentially improve cellular health – because you’re improving circulation and oxygenation to the cells,” she said.

Looking ahead

As she moves through her first year as a business owner, Smith said the benefits outweigh any difficulties that can come with opening a new practice – or any new business, for that matter. 

She said she’s able to have a better work-life balance for her family, including her two young children.

Already, Smith said she’s learned to get up early to take care of business-related matters and then carves out intentional time throughout the week to be present for her kids.

“You need to be really mindful about your time and be intentional about what you’re doing with that time,” she said.

Looking ahead to the future of the practice, Smith said she wants Aligned Health Chiropractic to become a place where families feel comfortable entrusting her with their healing journeys.

“All of my patients honestly become my family,” she said. “We are a family here, so, at year five, I hope to see many people in here, just feeling super comfortable and knowing that if something isn’t right or they’re falling ill, they call our office and get in and get adjusted so that they’re operating at their peak potential.”

For more on Aligned Health Chiropractic, find the clinic on Facebook.