Hidden Gems: Meet Nicole Stewart of Stewart Chiropractic & Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Stewart.

Hi Nicole, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have had a rather interesting path that leads me to where I am today. While I currently own and operate my own Chiropractic practice in Brandon, FL, I originally hail from the midwest. I was first introduced to Chiropractic when I was three years old due to chronic ear infections. After rounds of medication and trips to multiple doctors, it was ultimately Chiropractic care that ended my trouble. While I grew up with care, I originally planned on majoring in the arts because of my love of theatre. However, after graduation, I actually took the path of working in pre-hospital medicine. I worked as a Firefighter-Paramedic for ten years. But a significant back injury at work left me with difficulty in just bending over and putting my socks on. I was 24 years old. I sought Chiropractic care, and thankfully, it helped me to get back to life as I knew it. I know that if it wasn’t for that care, I would not be as well off as I am today. However, it made me stop and think. It made me question if I wanted to continue to pursue that career. Because I also began to think about all of the conditions I saw over and over again that I thought could have been prevented. I recall one particular patient. We were transferring her from the nursing home to her doctor’s appointment. Her diabetes had left her blind and she was partially deaf. She had had one leg amputated because of her diabetes and had gotten out of bed one night, fell, and broke both of her arms. When we took her for her orthopedic follow-up, her physician informed us that there had been zero healing to the bones in her arms. It had been four months since her fall, and she was only 64 years old. I think it was at that moment that everything came together for me. I felt that medicine had failed her.

While we all have our own amount of personal responsibility in everything we do, I felt that situations like these happened one too many. I wanted to find a way to help patients more. I didn’t just want to treat and manage symptoms; I wanted to prevent these situations from ever even occurring. I returned to school and attended Logan University, College of Chiropractic. I completed my internship at the VA Hospital in St. Louis, providing care to Veterans and working with those participating in the Chronic Pain Management program. I also completed my Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance while attending Logan University. I truly believe that everyone has the right to live a healthy life. I have a strong desire to give the best care possible. I absolutely love what I do and want to help as many people in the community as I can. I offer a variety of different treatment styles, although my primary technique is called prone specific. It is a light and gentle technique that offers an alternative to the twisting and turning of traditional techniques. We have been able to help many of those who have been apprehensive about care because of those traditional techniques. We have been honored by treating those from just a few hours old to 90+ years. A very unexpected and abrupt life change two years ago left me in a position where I realized I could go anywhere in the U.S. and practice. I felt the call to come to Florida in November of 2018, where I opened my practice and have greatly enjoyed being a part of the Tampa Bay community.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I have had to constantly remind myself that diamonds are made under pressure. Working as a Firefighter-Paramedic was a challenge in itself. As a female in a male-dominated career, you had to quickly learn how to zig and zag on a daily basis. It is a demanding career not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. While I felt it was the right time for me to move on from that career when I did, the experience I gained was invaluable, and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything. As a First-Responder, you don’t just create friends. You gain family members. I definitely didn’t trade it for anything easier though. Chiropractic school itself is very demanding. With an average of 38 credit hours per trimester, you have lots of studying in addition to the clinical work.

 After graduating from chiropractic school, I had a plan of staying in St. Louis, MO area and opening my own practice. Life had other plans for me, however. Almost three years ago I went through a very unexpected divorce when my husband had decided to end our marriage and abruptly leave. We had spent seven years together, and I really thought I knew what life was going to look like for me. I struggled with this for a while as there wasn’t much closure for me in the process. But in the end, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When things like this happen, you have two options: curl up in the corner and give up, or get up, dust yourself off, and push forward. I knew that from that moment on, everything I did, was proving to myself just how strong I was. I learned how to turn difficulties into opportunities. Some days brought challenges that I never thought I’d face. But I got through them. With the help of family, friends, and my faith, I made it through. Some days I think I’m not as far along as I should be at this point in my life. But then I remember that I haven’t just been building a business, but I’ve also been completely rebuilding my life. When I look at it from that perspective, I realize that I’ve done alright for myself, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come. So while it hasn’t been quite as smooth of a road as I hoped, I’m thankful for the opportunities I have been presented and I’m excited for what the future holds.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a family-based practice that is honored to serve those in the Tampa Bay area. We pride ourselves on our gentle, focused techniques and believe that care should be interactive. So if patients welcome to ask questions or voice concerns about the different treatment styles at any time. Our goal is to help you heal. We offer both Chiropractic and Nutritional services and work with all ages. A majority of our practice is women and children and are honored to serve both veterans and the First-Responder community. We can help with a variety of different conditions such as back and neck pain, difficulty sleeping, earaches, colic, arm/leg pain, sports injuries, auto accidents, digestive issues, prenatal discomforts, and more! We want every person that walks through our doors to know that they are cared for and that they are loved.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We love being as involved in the community as we can be! We co-manage and collaborate with a lot of local areas businesses. Pain is often what brings people into our office, but we can help with a variety of conditions. We see pregnant mommas to help not only with pain but to optimize proper baby positioning for delivery. So we work closely with local birthing centers. With a history of dance, I greatly enjoy working closely with dancers to help with better performance and injury prevention. We also see auto injuries in the office, in which we work alongside area attorneys to ensure the patient gets the care and attention that they need. We also enjoy working with area non-profits and helping with fundraising, collections and drives whenever possible.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@drnicolestewart.com
• Website: www.drnicolestewart.com
• Instagram: @stewartchiropractic and @drnicolestewart
• Facebook: @drnicolestewart