Exploring Life & Business with Dr. Kristine Loharun of Anatomy Chiropractic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kristine Loharun. 

Dr. Kristine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I always loved biology. It was my favorite subject in school. Especially Earth science. I just loved learning about how interconnected everything was for example, how predators and prey have to coexist in order to exist! When I learned this interconnectedness applied to our own bodies, like our organ systems need to work together to attain optimal health, I was hooked! 

I studied biology at UCSD in hopes to become a medical doctor. However, about a year into the program, I saw there were differences in my personal health philosophy and the conventional medical model. I was raised under a very holistic health model by my parents and felt that my current studies were taking me down a different path. I changed my major a few times but found my way back to healthcare. At graduation, I was on track to becoming a physician’s assistant with the intention of becoming a holistic PA – the best of both worlds I thought. 

During my gap year, I was invited to a prospective student’s event at Life Chiropractic College West. I had just submitted my PA school applications and my friend really wanted me to join so I agreed to the free trip! The event was very purpose driven with many activities to uncover your “why,” and speakers to compliment these activities. One woman’s speech was exceptionally powerful. She spoke about aligning our spines so our bodies can better connect to our nervous system. In doing so, we can connect to our purposes in this world and start living it! As I heard her say this, I felt my chest tighten and heard a voice that said “you’re doing the wrong thing.” 

I was rattled by this voice! Yet, I couldn’t unhear it. I knew I had to start making plans to change the course of my life. By the next enrollment period, I was enrolled at Life West and I have never looked back! 

After I graduated from Life West, I moved up to Kent, Washington to work as an associate at Lake Meridian Chiropractic. This clinic was special because it introduced me to my current specialty within chiropractic, Atlas Orthogonal. It also showed me just how transformative our treatments could be on a large scale. After seeing thousands of patients heal from their pain and get back to their lives, I decided to complete my Board Certification in AO. I had the honor of being in the last class trained by the founder of specialty, Dr. Roy Sweat. 

I decided to come back to San Diego for a variety of reasons – one of the top ones being the weather! But also, that it was the only major city in the west coast that did not have an AO doctor. I fell in love with this community during my undergrad years and felt compelled to bring everything I have learned over the years to this community. Anatomy Chiropractic is the accumulation of over a decade’s worth of experience in health and wellness from a holistic perspective. I am so excited to have this opportunity to share and give back to the community that I love and have always called home. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Confidence seems to be a recurring challenge that appears during every new chapter of my life. This was especially true during the early stages of becoming a new business owner. But this challenge also appeared in my personal health journey too. When I was in middle school, I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. The curvature in my spine was severe enough for a surgical referral. I remember sitting in the consultation room, looking at the curves in my x-ray, and thinking I cannot go through with it, it was too scary! Luckily, my orthopedic surgeon gave me the option to monitor it throughout my life and only recommended surgery if my health became impacted by the curves. I left feeling relieved; however, I spent the rest of my childhood and young adult life worried. In the back of my mind, I always thought there was something “wrong,” with the delicate interconnectedness of my body. So, I never pushed myself too hard in sports or activities because of my “limitation.” 

Chiropractic is what freed me. My education taught me that my spine – curves and all – was perfect the way it was. I just needed some adjustments to help me along. Now I have the confidence to strength train, climb, and do any activity I want to do. This is why Anatomy’s slogan is A Better Tomorrow. I believe that everyone has a potential to heal, we just have to unlock it and give them the confidence to achieve anything. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Anatomy Chiropractic?
Anatomy Chiropractic is an upper cervical chiropractic clinic that uses devices to apply gentle and reproducible forces to move bones into proper alignment. All of this is done without cracking bones and twisting the patient’s spine. This is highly effective in treating headaches, migraines, dizziness, neck pain, and chronic pain symptoms. Our treatment methods are very objective: we take x-rays and measure each misalignment down to the millimeter, perform the correction, and then take post-treatment x-rays to verify the correction. Our patients love this aspect because they are getting a no-pain chiropractic experience, a unique treatment plan catered to their unique anatomy, and results that last. 

There are a few things that set us apart from other offices. As I mentioned previously, we are the only San Diego chiropractic clinic that specializes in Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic. My partner and I are currently the only Board Certified Upper Cervical Chiropractors in San Diego. We blend another low-force chiropractic method into our treatment called Activator Chiropractic to treat the entire spine. We also use low-level laser therapy treatment that helps our patients heal faster and hold their adjustments better. But I can spend another hour talking about how cool this device is, so I would welcome readers to read more about it on our website. 

And finally, our clinic’s aesthetics are modern, minimalistic, and calming. Unlike a conventional doctor’s office! Our space gets filled with tons of natural light, perfect for our many happy clinic plants, and a sanctuary cultivated for healing. Our office is centrally located in Hillcrest and we have tons of free parking! 

What do you like and dislike about the city?
My favorite thing about San Diego is everything is sunkissed. Let me explain! The colors around the city compliment the sun and blue skies that are ALWAYS out. The people are dosed with vitamin D daily – don’t get me started on the multitudes of health benefits of that – but this reflects best in their moods too! People smile as you walk by. The beach culture gives a laid-back yet professional vibe to the work environment. Golden hour is absolutely stunning and we get that every single day. 

There really isn’t anything I don’t like about San Diego. But, if I had to pick, it would be returning to the traffic. When I lived in Washington, I lived in a small city that had a two-lane road in and out of the city. So, returning to all the freeway merges was a change. But once I got used to it again, it almost felt comforting to be back in a lively place again! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anatomychiropractic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anatomychiro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anatomychiro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP0SzBxqBjy74oXc0OA9UA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anatomy-chiropractic-san-diego?osq=anatomy+chiropractic

Image Credits
Annie Tran
Logan Nishioku