This week, Business Reporter Lane Curlee sat down with local pediatric and family chiropractor Dr. Chantal Shelstad about starting her own business here in Tullahoma. 

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello! I’m Dr. Chantal Shelstad, a pediatric and family chiropractor. I was born in Canada and raised in Colorado. I met my husband in university. He was in the Army, so when we graduated, we went on a twelve year adventure all over the world. I wouldn’t trade that for anything! During those twelve years we welcomed our three children into the family. As that wound down, I decided to pursue a career as a chiropractor, after a few years of being a birth doula. I truly wanted another avenue to help moms and their families. Chiropractic aligned with our values as a family – being healthy and whole, as naturally as possible. When I graduated chiropractic school, I took a job here in south Middle Tennessee, which is what brought us to the area.

Why did you choose chiropractic care for children?

I had planned to work mostly with pregnant moms, but found myself drawn over and over again to work with children. They are truly our future! If you start a child off right, with healthy habits, then they will likely bring those habits into their adulthood. Healthier children now means healthier children in the future. 

Why did you choose to locate your practice in Tullahoma?

We ended up in this area due to my career and fell in love. Tullahoma has everything we need – shops, people, community – but with a small town feel. As a business owner, I can tell Tullahoma is the place to be in this part of Tennessee, and that it is growing! 

How many employees do you anticipate having?

Currently, I have two employees working with me. I plan on hiring a few more part-time as the office grows, as well as bringing on another doctor or two. 

What do like most about your work with children?

They have such genuine energy and joy! Children ask the best questions, they are confident, and they have an innate ability to heal quickly. It is so amazing to see a child do a 180 in their health! I’m talking about changes in sleep, behavior, focus, energy, anxiety, bedwetting, tummy aches, and picky eating. All by restoring the nervous system to proper functioning order. 

What inspired you to start your own business?

It was always a goal of mine to open a business and see my vision come to life. There’s no better time than now to be opening a neurologically-focused chiropractic office geared towards children and their families! People are seeking out other health options and I truly believe chiropractic fits that role. 

Typically, who are your patients?

My patients are people seeking wellness beyond what the medical system offers – which often is medication or surgery. They are people who want their families to be well as naturally as possible. They are children and their families, people like me and my husband, who are part of the community and want to be thriving. However, my patients are a wide range of unique individuals, and I love them all! 

Your work slogan is “Start strong. Start well”. What does that mean?

I truly believe that to live a life of wellness, it means starting as strong as possible. Whether that’s your life, your week, your day, or this very minute. Start strong – make healthy choices towards wellness in your entire body, physically, mentally, and spiritually. If you start this moment strong, you can start it off well. When it comes to our children, starting life off strong typically means a life that is geared towards wellness.

Anything else to add?

What I practice, neurologically-focused chiropractic, is different than your standard chiropractic. We go beyond pain and symptoms to the root cause. There is so much you can do when your nervous system is functioning as optimally as possible! Come in and see what it’s all about!

Dr. Shelstad’s office is located at 607B South Polk Street and opens Sept. 15.  Appointments can be made at www.startwellchiropractic.com.