Dr. Phillip Skow of Progressive Chiropractic 
Dr. Kylie Norell of Wellness & Vitality Chiropractic
October is National Chiropractic Health Month and is the 1 year anniversary of Chiropractic Services being offered at Windom Area Health! To celebrate, we asked our two Chiropractic providers, Phillip Skow, DC, of Progressive Chiropractic and Kylie Norell, DC, of Wellness & Vitality Chiropractic, a few questions about their experiences with their specialties.
What drove you to pursue Chiropractic Services?
Dr. Phillip Skow: I decided to pursue chiropractic care after finishing my undergrad in health and fitness. At the time, I had decided that was not going to quite fulfill what I needed to do and the service I want to provide to patients. I had some experience with chiropractic care and really liked the ability for chiropractors to allow your body to access its own innate power to heal itself by optimizing the alignment within your body rather than introducing external chemicals.
Dr. Kylie Norell: There are a couple different aspects of my life that led me to pursue the practice of Chiropractic. I started receiving chiropractic care as a child for headaches and various sports injuries, which allowed me to experience how chiropractic could help the entire body. Looking back, this experience really guided me in the direction of chiropractic. Growing up, I also found I had a passion for learning about health sciences, which sparked my interest in healthcare. During my sophomore year of college I made the official decision to pursue becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic. Choosing this career path has allowed me to combine my passions for health, science, and helping others.Â
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
Dr. Norell: I love how chiropractic helps patients’ bodies heal; allowing them to move and feel their best. Movement is life. I work with patients of all ages, with a variety of ailments. I love this aspect of my job because no work day is the same and each patient has unique goals in mind when they seek care. I may need to help a patient recover from a low back injury so they can play with their grandkids, help fix a sore hip so they can return to their workouts, or reduce headaches to help a child focus better in school. My goal is always to assist patients with reaching their goals of care in any way I can, and this part of my job is so rewarding.
Dr. Skow: The favorite part of what I is do is working with people who’ve had areas they struggle with; such as, vertigo or bedwetting in adults and children, and have been unable to find the missing piece of the puzzle that brings around the condition through medical means. I also enjoy working with people on a regular basis to maintain their health to increase their functionality and fully reach the potential they have, which includes athletic kids all the way to geriatrics.
What’s most challenging about what you do?
Dr. Skow: The most challenging element is sometimes having limited tools to deal with certain conditions and to be able to get patients out to the appropriate provider to help solve the problem. Now being in the Outreach Clinic at Windom Area Health, this is getting somewhat easier and hopefully, again, a better outcome for my patients. One other element is constantly dealing with insurance issues in the current state of insurance in medicine is challenging for all providers.
Dr. Norell: There are unfortunately some ailments and conditions that Chiropractic cannot alleviate or eliminate. This part of my job is challenging, because as a provider I want to offer my patients what they need. It’s challenging when patients aren’t seeing improvement with conservative care, and there are times when my skill-set and knowledge are not enough to improve the patient’s condition. When this occurs, it’s time to refer a patient to another provider for care. This is one of many benefits of the Windom Area Health Outreach. There are a variety of skilled and knowledgeable providers available to patients, all with the same goal in mind – to provide patients with the best care possible.
What’s the most common ailment that you see/treatment that you perform?
Dr. Norell: I see a wide variety of both spinal and extremity injuries; however, the most common ailment I treat is low back pain. I practice diversified chiropractic, meaning adjustments are modified to the age, build and needs of the patient. I adjust manually, but I also use a variety of instruments to assist with adjustments if required, or preferred by patients. I implement therapies into patient care as needed. Therapies are used for inflammation, sprains/strains, and assist in patient recovery.
Dr. Skow: Probably the most common thing that we see is low back pain. But, I also see a lot of issues that deal with musculoskeletal problems including rib issues, headaches, and extremity issues. We do, however, see all kinds of other issues related to side effects from cancer treatment and stress related issues to motor vehicle accident issues and work comp injuries. We see an extreme variety and do a lot of work with preemployment physicals and DOTs.
How would you explain the value of chiropractic care to a new patient?
Dr. Skow: How would I explain the value of chiropractic care to a new patient – I would first start by saying taking care of your body will take care of you. This involves having your team together to deal on all aspects of your healthcare. This means you need primary care specialists when appropriate, dental, vision etc. Chiropractic is a holistic approach to looking at the body as a whole and how the nervous system and musculoskeletal system allow it to function and, if this is not functioning at its optimum, then various issues can present themselves including chronic issues and even disease process. So, for a lot of conditions, chiropractic is a nice starting spot to help eliminate potential causes and, in the situation of our office, we will try to get you out to the appropriate provider if that situation is necessary. Wellness care is also a wonderful aspect of chiropractic to not treat the injury or illness but to help maintain the body’s optimum function through allowing the nervous system and musculoskeletal system to operate at its optimum.
Dr. Norell: I would start by explaining that Chiropractic can help with aches and pains, but oftentimes pain is one of the last indicators the body uses to tell us something is wrong. An issue may start with reduced range of motion and turn into a more serious injury. Doctors of Chiropractic assess the spine and extremities for restrictions, and adjust where and when necessary. The spine is what houses the Central Nervous System (CNS) which is in charge of all the other systems in the body! If there is a misalignment in the spine, chances are there is nerve interference or irritation occurring, which can cause ailments, symptoms, or restrictions elsewhere in the body. There is much value in chiropractic care, as it is more than just a form of pain relief- it is a form of wellness care for the spine and the entire body. Chiropractic adjustments are great for reducing neck pain, headaches, low back pain, etc. But, as a chiropractor, I stress the importance of wellness adjustments, and not just seeking a chiropractor when in pain. Chiropractic is beneficial for range of motion and flexibility, work ergonomics, posture, injury prevention, proper healing post-injury and reducing the risk of degenerative changes by improving biomechanics within the body.
Thank you Drs. Skow and Norell!
Both Dr. Skow and Dr. Norell are accepting new patients! If you would like to schedule an appointment with either at Windom Area Health Outreach, call the following numbers:
Dr. Phillip Skow of Progressive Chiropractic: 507-427-3878
Dr. Kylie Norell of Wellness & Vitality Chiropractic: 507-831-0670