Dr. Collins

I was born and raised in Minnesota. My family had built our house on seven acres just outside of the Twin Cities. My father was an electrical engineer by day and the rest of the time a frustrated farmer who enjoyed working with his hands. My mother was a teacher, singer, speaker and health nut. She enjoyed the challenge of replacing every ingredient in a recipe and still producing something similar to the original product (don’t ask me about the unsweetened carob chip cookies with date sugar). For the most part, she was pretty good at doing this. A note on her skill: In 1972, she won the grand prize of the Pillsbury Bake Off with her recipe for Quick ‘n Chewy Crescent Bars (not a healthy recipe but delicious). I have an older sister who is talented at whatever she tries, and we usually had one dog to round out the family.

My interest in pursuing health care started as a teenager when I had braces put on my teeth. I was sick the day after they put them on until the day after they took them off six months later. To this day, we are not sure if I was having a reaction to the metal or the glue. During that time, I was in and out of the doctor’s office looking for answers and trying to get well. After all the medication and tests, I did not get better until they removed the braces. This got me curious about the function of the body in its environment. It also made me curious as to why some get sick and others do not, given the same environment.

I went to college thinking I would go to medical school but 5 years later I was ready to be done with school and decided to work in the broadcast industry. I worked at a private college, in a private editing facility and then on a project to aid the transition of the USA market to digital television. After that experience of seeing the country and meeting a lot of great people, I knew I needed to go back to school for more training.

My decision was made to attend chiropractic college, with the plan that when I was done, my wife and I would leave Minnesota and explore the east for a better winter. After graduation, I helped a cousin with his practice in Virginia for a couple of months. As we were exploring various places in North Carolina to practice, we heard that a family friend had an apartment for rent in Waxhaw. A friend from chiropractic college called me to say she had learned of an office available in Waxhaw. I was able to take over the practice of Dr. Mark Monnin in February 2004. I have loved caring for and getting to know this community. My family now includes my three sons, a dog, and a cat.

I believe that life is too short to hurt. Pain is an indicator the body uses to tell us that something is wrong like a “check engine” light. We seek to correct the cause of the problem and allow the body to restore itself to health.  I love chiropractic because it helps so many get their life back and do the things they wish.

If we may help you in your health, please let us know!