Denisa Weber says she has always been in awe of how the human body operates. Her history as a competitive gymnast landed her in a chiropractor’s office when she was young after having gone to all the usual medical professionals. “All I remember is she was the one who helped me and got me back to what I loved doing,” says Weber, now a family chiropractor at Serving Life Chiropractic in the Park Cities.
Established in 2010 and located in Snider Plaza, Serving Life has been operating in the Park Cities for more than 13 years and serves all ages, from grandparents to newborns. Weber and her team of Texas board-certified chiropractors are part of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and offer more than two decades of experience in the field. We asked Weber more about what she does and how her practice helps kids and families at all different stages.
Park Cities Lifestyle: What is the No. 1 reason expectant mothers come to you?
Denisa Weber: Many moms and soon-to-be mamas seek out chiropractic care in order to navigate the demands and changes in pregnancy with more ease. Whether moms are experiencing discomfort, trying to optimize their pelvis for a good delivery or preparing for an easy postpartum, receiving chiropractic care in pregnancy is definitely a vital piece to a healthy and more enjoyable pregnancy.
PCL: What are some of the reasons parents bring their infants and toddlers to you?
DW: A lot of parents are looking for natural ways to support their child’s health and are referred by other parents that have had great results with their children under chiropractic care. Our more common reasons parents seek care for their children are for colic, recurring ear infections, reflux, behavioral issues, and constipation. While symptoms may be the reason they come in, we do not offer to treat any of these things. What we do as pediatric chiropractors is assess the function and efficiency of the neuro-spinal system through our technology, exam, and consultation. If there is interference in the body’s ability to communicate well with itself, it will exhibit signs of imbalance. Our job is to help clear the communication highway (aka the nervous system) via specific and gentle inputs or adjustments and allow the body to do what it was designed to do, express health.
PCL: What about for big kids?
DW: Same for our big kids, except they have more stressors in their systems whether physical, mental, emotional, or chemical. With the increase in demand in sports, activities, pressures to perform at school, more studies, less sleep, and more booked schedules, these kiddos need to increase their system’s support in order to keep up with the demand—or their health will “give in.” When their nervous system is optimized, some see improvements in sleep, mood, physical performance, behavior, focus, breathing, etc. Again, we never deliver care with the objective of “curing” anyone of anything, because that is not what we do—It is what the body does. All we can do as pediatric chiropractors is facilitate a more open and communicative system through nervous system-based chiropractic care.
PCL: What are the most rewarding moments from working with families and kids over the years?
DW: There are so many it is hard to choose what to mention. The texts from moms as their child experiences some huge wins are why we do what we do.
For example: hearing a 5-year-old boy who was non-verbal and diagnosed with autism say, “I love you,” to his mom the first time; a sweet girl (who doesn’t have a cerebellum) walking down the sidewalk unattended with siblings and parents cheering; a precious 3-year-old with cerebral palsy pulling up to stand for bathtime; a middle-schooler stating that he finally “feels like himself” because he can regulate his emotions better; moms able to have a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) after being told they would always have to have their other babies via C-section; a mom of 3 saying her postpartum recovery was so much better than her previous two due to receiving chiropractic care during this pregnancy; the list goes on. There isn’t a day in our office that we aren’t filled with so much gratitude to do what we do and help others. It is truly a blessing.
PCL: Are there reasons why kids should be seeing a chiropractor that maybe parents haven't thought of?
DW: Chiropractic is part of keeping people well. It is not about the suppression of symptoms and mitigation of illness, it is about optimizing the body’s ability to heal and adapt to whatever is thrown its way. Having a clear and supported nervous system is the key to changing a child’s health trajectory for the better and, thankfully, nervous system-based chiropractic care is easy to incorporate into a family’s health strategy.
Our job is to help clear the communication highway (aka the nervous system) via specific and gentle inputs or adjustments and allow the body to do what it was designed to do, express health.