A new sports chiropractic practice is open for business after a May ribbon-cutting ceremony in Leland.
Dr. Carrie Sands is a CCSP certified chiropractor, sports physician, and has been practicing in Kalamazoo and Golden Colorado for the last 20 years. She relocated to Leland four years ago and has been doing sports contracts since then.
“It’s going fantastic,” Sands said.
Sands decided to go full-time in Leland last summer and open up her first full practice.
Sands will be the only sports chiropractor in Leelanau County with several other general chiropractors in the area.
“This is a great service for the community, especially with the athletically minded folks that we have here in Leland,” She said. “I always say my niche is helping the athlete no longer on their ‘A Game’ to improve their performance.”
Sands focuses on soft tissue therapies as well as traditional chiropractic, but mostly on rehabilitation of sports injury and sports performance. Sands says the practice is half physical therapy clinic and half private practice clinic.
“I’m trying to fill in that gap and we have three exercise classes a week that are offered, which are open to the general public, one that is reserved specifi cally for clients, and those that are going to be going through the whole summer,” Sands said.
Sands is a member of the Leland and Leelanau Chamber of Commerce.
She trademarked the “Mechanics of a Warrior”a 16-part class that is taught virtually all over the country.
The method is all about reducing back pain and improving performance. This is a selfguided virtual 16 week program that the general public can access.
There are one-on-one coaching sessions as well as a collective group that works on attaining goals.
When Sands sold her practices down state, she wasn’t planning on going back into private practice again.
“I was only going to be doing my virtual work and my sports contracts,” she said. “I was going all over for my sports contracts and then COVID hit. I wasn’t doing as many sports contracts and I started working with people more locally and then I decided I didn’t want to travel as much anymore. That’s why I decided to go back into full time practice in town … This is my favorite place I’ve ever practiced.”
Sands opened a small consulting office in downtown Leland a year and a half ago, and has since moved to a spacious location on Chandler Street.
“I knew I could absolutely open a practice and sustain it up here. The community has just been awesome to me. They have welcomed me with open arms.”
Sands has done workshops at the Leland Country Club and taught webinars at the libraries in Suttons Bay and Leland on sleep and nutrition. Sands says the Leelanau community is similar to the Denver area unlike the suburban area of Kalamazoo.
Sands will have an athletic trainer join the practice later this summer to improve their functional movement services.
“In this county, everyone’s looking for more practitioners to assist them with that,” Sands said. “We’re trying to be a one stop shop for those people that are athletically minded but maybe aren’t on their ‘A game’ anymore.”
Sands said the people who could use her service are recovering from hip, knee and ankle injuries.
“They want to get out golfing and pickle-balling and walking the dogs and hiking and everybody is just so outdoors minded here,” Sands said.
Sands says sports chiropractors could grow in the next 10 years to Leelanau County because there are only a few physical therapy clinics and a few independent massage therapy clinics. Sands is a part of the Leelanau Wellness collective which has helped her get established.
“I think this might be my forever home,” Sands said.
