Meet Dr. Derek Porter
Thanks to chiropractic care, I was able to push my body to the limit throughout my 12 years on the National Rowing Team, winning two Olympic medals in the process.
Vancouver Chiropractor, Dr. Derek Porter
I thought chiropractic was just a treatment for back pain, but after twelve years on the National Rowing Team, two Olympic medals and a virtually injury-free career, I realized the benefits of chiropractic care were much more wide reaching.
You see, I was just like many of you. I went to a chiropractor on the advice of a friend. He had had excellent results and recommended I check it out. I was a member of the Canadian National Rowing Team and had stressed my back and had minor back pain at the time (as do a lot of athletes). What I came away with was a new appreciation of the body and a new career path.
I was looking at doing Sports Medicine or a Master’s in Exercise Physiology at the time, but when I discovered chiropractic, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Rather than treating disease and injuries, it was the proactive nature of chiropractic that attracted me. I no longer had to wait for the injuries to occur, I could prevent them from ever starting AND increase my athletic performance at the same time.
Chiropractic Education
I grew up in Victoria where I did my Bachelor of Science (BSc) at the UVic. I wanted to stay in Canada for my Chiropractic Degree, and was fortunate to be accepted into the only program in Canada at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto.
It was at CMCC that I embarked on a rigorous four year program to obtain my Doctorate of Chiropractic (DC) in 1998.
As a high performance athlete, people often assume I “treat” a lot of athletes, and I do see many athletes in my practice, however, not the way you might think. My goal is always to raise the health of my practice members not just treat injuries. The benefits of chiropractic are far greater than the treatment of aches and pains, although it is good for that too. I firmly believe, and know first hand, that when you look after your spine and nervous system, you perform better in life, period. Why limit my practice to treatment when I can help my practice members optimize their health and well being. We really don’t have to get sick or injured in the first place.
On a personal note…
My wife is not a chiropractor although I met her through a chiropractic colleague who is married to another chiropractor. Birds of a feather.
If I want my practice members to lead healthier lives, I strongly believe I must set a good example. Fortunately, exercise is such an ingrained way of life for me, I really can’t imagine life without it. I have been on the path of wellness for a long time and I am always learning new things and adopting new healthy habits. Like many things in life, once you get started, it is much easier to keep moving. I am very passionate about nutrition and healthy eating and eat organic foods most of the time, limit my intake of processed foods, supplement with vitamins and essential oils and have not taken a pharmaceutical medication of any kind in over 20 years (addendum: when I shattered my shoulder blade, fractured 3 ribs, my collarbone, and punctured my lung, I took something to enable me to sleep while in hospital).
Thanks for visiting our site. I look forward to meeting you in person and learning how we may be of service to you. Give our Vancouver chiropractic office a call, or email me using the link below and let’s arrange a time to explore your options.
