By ERIN TIERNEY

etierney@lockhaven.com

McELHATTAN – Fawn Shaffer is in the business of natural healing.

For her, being a chiropractor means to lead by example, to teach natural remedies and to improve her patients’ overall health. Shaffer’s business, Fresh Start Chiropractic at 565 McElhattan Drive, goes far beyond the typical spinal adjustment – Shaffer’s philosophy teaches patients that their body is capable of healing on its own, if given the proper tools.

After graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2006 with highest honors, Shaffer came back to Lock Haven to open her practice.

“I got my start with my uncle, Dr. Rodney Shaffer, who is a chiropractor on Church Street in Lock Haven.” Shaffer said. “I worked with him for a year, but eventually my practice grew enough to go out on my own.”

Shaffer made it happen.

In 2010, she opened her business doors in McElhattan at Fresh Start Chiropractic.

“From the beginning, I began to teach my patients that with regular chiropractic adjustments they could drastically improve many aspects of their health, not just eliminate pain,” Shaffer explains on her website. “I did my best to relay this information to everyone, truly believing that I understood what it meant to allow the body to heal itself. It wasn’t until I was practicing for seven years that I was forced to put my own philosophy to the test.”

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

About three years ago, Shaffer was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.

“I was suffering from severe joint paint and digestive issues, and ended up at medical doctors who said I had to be on medications the rest of my life,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer needed to decide whether or not to take the medical doctors’ advice. Either, “follow the advice of medical doctors who insisted I could not possibly live a normal life… without a multitude of harsh drugs that would most likely cause an array of nasty side effects, or trust in what I had been teaching my patients all these years,” she said.

So Shaffer practiced what she preached and gave her body the opportunity to heal itself.

With regular chiropractic adjustments, clean eating and by simply giving her body what it needs, Shaffer is proud to say she’s been symptom-free since June 2014.

She believes firmly her diagnosis of Crohn’s helped strengthen her chiropractic philosophy.

FAWN’S PHILOSOPHY

There is so much more to chiropractic than an adjustment every so often.

Shaffer said one of the biggest struggles she’s faced with opening her own business was to teach people what chiropractic really is.

“A lot of people think if they visit the chiropractor once, it fixes their pain,” Shaffer said. “But there’s so much more to it than that. I set out to teach people that by regularly being adjusted, eating properly and exercising, they won’t get sick as often and will prevent problems in the future.”

Shaffer said her main focus is being a wellness doctor.

STAFF & SERVICES

Fresh Start Chiropractic is full of impressive businesswomen. When walking into Fresh Start, it’s obvious Shaffer’s staff was hand-picked and carefully selected.

Going to the doctor’s office is generally a bummer, but Fresh Start’s front desk chiropractic assistant, DiAnne Barnard, may be the cheeriest person in Clinton County, and will be sure to put a pep in your step – or at the very least, a smile on your face. She has been working with Shaffer since 2011.

And with the addition of the latest, most cutting-edge diagnostic testing to the office, a new member was added to the Fresh Start family.

Jess Workman joined Fresh Start’s team in April 2015. She performs the Insight scans as well as some of the therapies used by Shaffer. She, too, is kind, knowledgeable and will make you feel better than when you came.

Additionally, the in-office massage therapist Lisa Lindsey has been caring for clients in the area since 1996, specializing in Swedish and relaxation massages, cervical injuries, hip and leg issues and trigger point therapy. She’s not afraid to dig deep.

Fresh Start Chiropractic offers an assortment of services, including:

r A variety of manual adjusting techniques (including Thompson and Diversified)

r Gentle, low-force instrument adjusting techniques

r Pediatric and pregnancy care

r Subluxation station spinal scans

r Cold laser therapy

r Electric muscle stimulation

r Therapeutic ultrasound

r Massage therapy

Shaffer said she thoroughly, and in layman’s terms, speaks openly about the patient’s condition, without rush, and to their satisfaction. What works for some people, may not work for others, she says. Each visit is tailored to the patient’s specific needs and specific pains. She said she wants her patients to walk out of her office feeling better and she wants to put steps in place for preventive care.

It really is a different kind of business, a different kind of doctor visit. In fact, on their Facebook page, they have received five out of five stars for their services… for every, single review.

She said she wants her patients to know, “they are valued and are not simply a number,” and she promises to “do all that I can to ensure that my practice continues to be the cheerful, welcoming office that is has become.”

FRESH START

RENOVATIONS

This year will be an especially exciting one, as renovations are already well-underway at Fresh Start Chiropractic.

“One of my goals is to become more of a family wellness chiropractor,” Shaffer said, noting she would love to open up her clientele base to more mothers and children.

Shaffer’s renovations aim to create a more family-friendly environment and she is even installing a play area for kids in the waiting room.

Additionally, Shaffer plans on hosting lectures for healthy living, ranging from discussions on exercise and eating right, to improvement on health.

“These lectures will be like little healthcare classes,” Shaffer said. “People are looking for ways to become healthier, and I want to help.”

The renovations are expected to be complete by March, and new room expansions will help serve more people in the community.

Shaffer expects to release information regarding these updates and lectures on her website, www.drfawnchiro.com, and on Facebook by searching, “Fresh Start Chiropractic.”

Fresh Start Chiropractic is located a 565 McElhattan Drive and is open Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon. The office is closed Wednesdays and Sundays.

For more information, call 570-748-3590 or email drfawn@hotmail.com.