Meet Dr. Ellen Wolk, Chiropractor in Watertown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ellen Wolk.

Dr. Wolk, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
From the time that I have my first memories, I knew that I wanted to be a healer. Medical programs were my favorite TV shows starting when I was 2 years old when we got our first TV! Marcus Welby, M.D. (yes, I am dating myself here!), was one of my heroes! Often, family or friends would ask me if I wanted to be like Consuelo, Dr. Welby’s nurse. My reply was always the same: “No, I want to be the doctor.”

Fast forward ahead to my second year out of college, when I was injured in a serious car accident. Still being in pain months and months later, after following all the medical advice I got, was very frustrating. An Orthopedist had prescribed anti-inflammatory medication, which made me sick to my stomach, and he sent me for physical therapy which seemed to aggravate my symptoms. Finally, after hearing from my sister, who was a Nurse, about her positive experience with Chiropractic care, I decided to give it a try. Within 2 weeks of getting Chiropractic care, I finally felt like myself again! Pain free, at last! To me, Chiropractic was truly miraculous. The fact that no drugs or surgery were involved and that once I was adjusted, my body could heal itself–made so much sense to me! Thus, began my journey to becoming a Chiropractic healer. It took me a couple of years to take science pre-requisites while I was working. Since my undergraduate background had been in Sociology, Psychology and Education, I had to take Biology, Physics, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry and Anatomy. Then came a very intense 14 quarters of Chiropractic school in Marietta, Georgia. We had to take many of the same courses as those required in Medical school like Biochemistry, Endocrinology, Histology, Microbiology, Gross Anatomy and many others. But, there was also a big emphasis on our area of specialty: The Nervous System. People think of Chiropractors as “back doctors” because we adjust the spine. BUT, the reason we adjust the spine, is to affect the Nervous System which controls all other systems in the body. In fact, the very first adjustment was not for back pain, but actually cured a man from many years of deafness.

So, on top of a very full course load, we also had to build our own practice in the school’s clinics and provide regular care for patients. Working on patients was what I loved! Graduation was one of the proudest and happiest days of my life!

I have now been practicing for 25 years and absolutely love what I do. Being a part of people’s healing process is incredibly rewarding. I have seen patients from 2 days old to age 100. We are exposed to a number of different techniques in Chiropractic school and the gentle techniques were the way I wanted to get adjusted and the way I wanted to adjust. I knew they worked so well for me and wanted to provide that same healing experience for my patients. There is no snapping, popping, cracking or twisting.

Since the cause of nerve interference in the body (known as “subluxation” in chiropractic lingo) is physical, chemical (what we are eating and breathing in) and/or mental/emotional STRESS, helping my patients better manage stress is vital to what I do. Regular adjustments are incredibly helpful and effective in allowing the body to better manage whatever type of stress is coming at it. Along with Chiropractic care, my patients may receive help with proper nutrition, sleep, relaxation and stress management techniques like meditation.

By helping patients to live healthier, happier, more peaceful lives, I feel I am doing my part to create a better world. There is no greater satisfaction than that!

Has it been a smooth road?
While we learned a lot about the body and chiropractic in school there was less emphasis on how to run a business. Working for other doctors as an Associate doctor and an Independent contractor my first couple of years out of school was some help for learning about how to run a business. But I would say there were challenges that were often figured out by trial and error around how to run my own business. After 25 years, most of those “kinks” have been ironed out in my practice.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My specialty in gentle chiropractic techniques makes care available to all ages, people dealing with health issues, people in pain and folks who want to be or stay healthier. I see many patients who are pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness and specificity of gentle care. One of the primary techniques that I use is Koren Specific Technique which allows me to quickly check, locate and correct any misaligned joint in the body. (That includes shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, knees, feet, hips, TMJ (temporal mandibular joint) joints, etc. in addition to the spine.) Koren Specific Technique is done with a super gentle, specific adjusting instrument, that uses just enough impulses to get pressure off the nerves so that the body can heal itself. Bodies can heal from amazing things, but they cannot heal when there is pressure on the nerves—this is the major premise behind chiropractic care. I also take the time to really listen to my patients and treat the “Whole” patient.

Contact Info:

• Address: 124 Watertown Street, Suite 2F
  Watertown, MA 02472
• Website: drellenwolk.com
• Phone: 617-923-0300
• Email: drgentle@verizon.net

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