Friends and fellow business professionals gathered and mingled at Dr Della M. Schmid’s chiropractic office, 19 Church Hill Road, for Chianti & Chiropractic on the evening of November 1.

The night doubled as both a Newtown Chamber of Commerce networking event and a celebration of Dr Schmid’s 25 years practicing in Newtown.

The Sandy Hook resident is both a Doctor of Chiropractic and spines specialist, and she originally opened her practice on Queen Street before relocating to her present Church Hill Road location 15 years ago.

Among Dr Schmid’s many community service engagements over the years has been co-chairing the Newtown Health & Safety Fair since 1994.

During the November 1 festivities, Dr Schmid greeted guests in the hallway of her second story office and offered everyone a wide assortment of food and refreshments.

For those visiting the practice for the first time, she gave tours of the facility, starting with its reception area, where she provides patients with a variety of medical supply products, like cervical pillows.

“I have two treatment rooms, and they are both equipped about the same,” Dr Schmid said during her tour with The Newtown Bee. “We have four therapy modalities: [electric] stem, ultrasound, cold laser, and hot packs.”

Therapy modalities, she explained, are incorporated in her practice to speed up the healing process and decrease patients’ pain.

Each room also has an adjustable lumbar traction table where she performs chiropractic manipulations and adjustments. The tables, she says, are especially beneficial for patients with sciatica or a pinched nerve, because they gently take pressure of the area of discomfort.

Dr Schmid treats patients with everything from back, neck, joint, or arthritis pain to injuries from work, motor vehicle crashes, or sports activities.

For those unfamiliar with this type of alternative care, she defined chiropractic as essentially a type of healing art.

“We do not prescribe medication, and we do not perform any surgeries. Nothing invasive. We believe that the body, many times, can heal itself given some natural care,” she said.

However, she will refer patients if they need medication, injections, or surgery and works with other doctors to best help the individual.

The Evolution Of Chiropractic

Much has changed in the world of chiropractic care since Dr Schmid first began her business in town a quarter of a century ago. She recalls how not only were female chiropractic doctors few and far between, but she also spent much of her time just explaining what chiropractic care entails to the public.

Today, she finds more people have an understanding of chiropractic care and seek it out specifically when looking for hands-on treatment that requires no medication.

“Chiropractic is definitely more accepted by the medical community and public. There is certainly more trust in what we do,” Dr Schmid said. “We are now really the first line of treatment for back and neck pain.”

The biggest areas of concern she is currently seeing with the general population is sedentary lifestyles and poor posture. In a culture where everyone is hunched over on laptops and cell phones, there are more people — including young people — who are developing an increase in neck and upper back pain, as well as headaches.

“I know I can help a patient feel better — sprains, strains, headaches, neck and back pain — but my goal is really prevention and to help a person stay well,” Dr Schmid said. “So I really enjoy educating people.”

She adds, “I’d like to see people trying chiropractic as a first step in neck and back pain, and number two, thinking about us as the doctor that can help prevent problems in the future.”

For more information about Dr Della M. Schmid’s chiropractic practice, call 203-426-5500 or visit [naviga:u]drdschmid.com[/naviga:u].