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Natural Awakenings South Jersey

Bidwell Chiropractic: A Wise Career Choice in Health and the Science of Staying Well

Sep 30, 2011 07:54PM ● By By Linda Sechrist

Dr.Sylvia Bidwell

Anyone who listens to Sylvia Bidwell talk about her life before she became a Doctor of Chiropractic, will find it impossible to avoid imagining an unseen force laying out a predetermined path that inevitably lead from her hometown of Barclay Farm to Lombard, Illinois, the home of the National College of Chiropractic, now recognized as the National University of Health Sciences. Although she’s been a practicing chiropractor for 16 years, Bidwell still finds a bit of humor in the events that that influenced her career choice.

From childhood through high school and college Bidwell’s main interests in health and science never faltered and even played out in the extra-curricular activities she chose while working on her undergraduate degree at Rutgers State University. “During one of my college pre-med club events, a doctor of chiropractic spoke to our group about sports related injuries, nutrition and overall wellness,” says Bidwell, who adds that prior to the event she had never heard of a chiropractor. Later the same year, while on spring break, Bidwell visited with her high school softball coach, who mentioned that his best friend was a chiropractor. “He sent me to meet his friend and I decided to volunteer in his office for several days a week during summer breaks while I also worked as a lifeguard at a Mount Laurel hotel,” she advises. Serendipitously, Bidwell met a chiropractor, who was a guest at the hotel. Excited about the things she learned from him, she couldn’t wait to get back to college to share stories with her roommate of three years. “When I told her about my summer, she told me for the first time that her cousin was a chiropractor and then took me to meet him,” advises Bidwell, who realized that it was time to apply to chiropractic school.

“I was impressed that every chiropractor I met lived by the same philosophy that they shared with their patients: good nutrition, exercise, overall wellness, prevention and the innate ability of the body to heal itself when it is in balance,” notes Bidwell, who updates her education with seminars on sports related injuries, chiropractic for pregnant women, and other areas important to caring for her patients.

Caring and compassion are as much a part of her practice as the adjustments Bidwell makes and she enjoys spending time with her patients to review the many aspects that make up their health. “Many of my first time patients are pleased that I am so interested in their overall lifestyle, as well as what kinds of medication they are taking, the injuries or traumas they have suffered in their past, their eating and sleeping habits, as well as their repetitive motions throughout the day” notes Bidwell.

A genuine interest in more than chiropractic treatments is evident in her present and future plans for her newest office space in the Strawbridge Professional Center in Moorestown. The services of a massage therapist and nutritionist are offered to patients and in the very near future rehabilitation and work out area will also be available. “I planned ahead when I bought my office space so that I had room for exercise equipment,” says Bidwell, who is working on developing protocols for individuals who need rehabilitation or therapeutic exercises to strengthen the body and help prevent future injuries.

Giving back to the community that she lives and works in is a priority for this compassionate doctor who participates in Healing Hands 4 Heroes, a program developed by the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors. Bidwell and other chiropractors throughout the U.S. collaborate with Army OneSource, an Army Family and Morale, Welfare Recreation Command initiative that provides support, services and opportunities for the entire Army Family. “This program raises awareness of the growing need to provide free health services for veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq,” explains Bidwell. “Unfortunately, I don’t think enough of our veterans know about it.”

Health and prevention are the central themes of Bidwell’s practice and she enjoys educating her patients on why it’s more beneficial to be proactive and focus on maintaining wellness than waiting to treat symptoms and illness. “If we want to change our outdated health care system to one that is beneficial for the good of the whole, then we all have to help it happen,” she says. “My career choice was a wise one because it’s allowed me to pursue what I’ve always believed in—health and the science of staying well.” 

Adjusting subluxations
Adjusting subluxations

For information on Army OneSource, visit MyArmyOneSource.com.

Bidwell Chiropractic, The Strawbridge Professional Center, W. Rte 38 Ste 100, Moorestown 08057. Call 856-273-1551 or visit Bidwell-Chiropractic.com/
 

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