Community Highlights: Meet Madison Gilbert of Well Balanced Family Chiropractic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Gilbert.

Hi Madison, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I went to college at the University of South Dakota, where I studied Biology and Chemistry, thinking Medical school was next. In my senior year there, I discovered how amazing chiropractic was. So I have always had a passion for helping people, and I knew that Id loves to do that in some capacity.

At the time, my mother was taking prescribed medications for chronic pain, which had ultimately caused her health to decline. She had decided that she would live with the pain and get off the medications, but to do that, she had to go to a “Pain Camp,” a rehab facility. Even though the medications were prescribed, it was tough on her body to stop taking them. Once she was off all her medications, she lived with a lot of pain. It wasn’t until she got the first chiropractic adjustment that she realized she did not have to live in pain anymore. She is pain-free, off all pain medications, and living an active, healthy lifestyle. I wanted to be able to help people more holistically, and chiropractic was the perfect way to do it! So I decided to shadow this chiropractor and see what chiropractic was all about. After one day of shadowing, I knew I had found my calling.

I went to chiropractic school in Kansas City at Cleveland Chiropractic College and graduated in 2014. Growing up, I played many sports, and so naturally, I thought I would be more focused on working with athletes until my younger sister became pregnant with her first baby. I wanted to be able to help her during her pregnancy as much as I could as a first-year student in chiropractic school. I was taking acupuncture courses at the time of my first niece’s birth, and I remember learning a point to help the baby get into position. During my sister’s labor, they told us the baby wasn’t responding well to the contractions anymore, and she wasn’t progressing, so they were prepping the OR for a cesarian. We went into her room to talk with her and see how she was feeling. I just decided to do a little acupuncture to help her with labor. Almost immediately, within 5 minutes of the acupuncture, she was ready to push. She was able to have a healthy vaginal birth. It was amazing to see how much acupuncture could help with her birth, and I also wanted to see what chiropractic could do.

When I graduated, I worked as an associate doctor for 3.5 years until I opened my Well Balanced Famly Chiropractic practice in 2018. I found a new passion for helping pregnant moms and their babies. I joined the International Chiropractic Association of Pediatrics ( ICPA) seminar series immediately. I have taken ICPA classes and many other pediatric/prenatal courses. I love having the opportunity to help families! It’s a blessing to help a mother during her pregnancy, adjust her newborn, and watch their family grow.

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
I love being a chiropractor, but figuring out the business side was initially challenging. When I first opened my practice, I needed to figure out what I was doing business-wise. I started out setting small goals, and each week I would set a new goal. I reached out to many of my mentors and had a lot of help along the way! It’s been fun to grow and see how far things have come in the last five years.

One of my biggest challenges was figuring out the work/life balance, and I still struggle with it! I opened my practice in February 2018, and we discovered we were expecting our first baby in December 2018. I was wondering how I would run my business and balance motherhood at the same time. I decided to do both and bring my daughter to work with me. I was nervous about how my patients would feel having a new baby in the office, but they welcomed her fully and made the transition to motherhood much easier than I expected! Growing my office while growing my family has been challenging, but I’m so grateful to be able to do both. It’s forced me to have better boundaries and work a better schedule for my family.

We’ve been impressed with Well Balanced Family Chiropractic, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Everyone is unique! Our chiropractic office specializes in prenatal, pediatric, and family wellness care. We remove nervous system interference by adjusting to allow optimal nervous system function. This helps you feel better, heal better, and your body function as it should! We are Webster Certified- meaning we have special training to work with pregnant mothers, help little ones pre/post revision of tethered oral tissues (TOTs), children struggling with sensory processing disorders, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Acupuncture, Nutrition, and do more hands-on muscle therapies in office. We like to spend more time with our patients, listen, and develop a care plan that best fits their needs.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have had so much help from family, friends, colleagues, my accountant, and mentors. One of my biggest support systems is my husband, Zach; from the late nights at the office to the “small” projects when remodeling my office and so many things in between, he always listens, understands, helps, and supports me. My first office manager, Caitlin, has not had enough words to describe how accommodating she has been! She has helped me grow my business in many ways and has also been there for me as a friend. Everyone needs a Caitlin, from my family helping push me to start my practice to my friends helping me find a space, giving me business advice, sharing information, taking the time to help me learn new techniques, and most of all, believing in me. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wellbalancedkc.com
• Instagram: @wellbalancedkc
• Facebook: @wellbalancedfamilychiropractic