Community Highlights: Meet Dr. Jane San Juan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jane San Juan.

Hi Dr. San Juan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Ooh, I love my story. I think my story was truly divinely guided. When I first came to America in 1994 at the age of 17, I had never heard of the word chiropractic. It wasn’t until I got into a terrible car accident with my friends in Bakersfield that I became familiar with the term. Tumbling around the freeway without seatbelts on, my friends and I should have been gravely injured or even dead, but we all walked away without a scratch. Witnesses to our accident included a priest and a pastor. Interestingly enough, it happened on the same night as Princess Diana’s tragic accident.

The following day, her death was all over the news, and I was in denial to hear that Princess Diana had passed away. My initial thought was, “She can’t die. She’s a princess, she’s so young and influential. She’s a force for good and inspiration for the whole world. Why did a princess have to die while a group of stupid teens survived?” Then I thought, “Maybe she had completed her mission here on earth. And if that were true, that meant mine was not yet done.” I really took that thought to heart: “What’s my mission here on earth?”

That same afternoon, we were referred out to see a chiropractor. It was my first time seeing one, and I was just fascinated. It sparked a curious interest in me, and I could see myself doing what she was doing. I liked the idea of having a doctor title after my name and working in a serene clinic like hers. Maybe this was my mission? I asked the doctor many questions about her profession, and she recommended two schools in Los Angeles for me to check out. After doing my research and a series of serendipitous events and divine interventions, I followed all the signs and forged my path: I quit Nursing school, moved to Los Angeles, and got hired as a chiropractic assistant/receptionist in Santa Monica. I then attended the school in Whittier called the Southern California University of Health Sciences (formerly known as Los Angeles College of Chiropractic). In 2004, not only did I graduate with a Doctorate in Chiropractic, but also finished with a Master’s in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine at the same time. It was the proudest day of my life. Whenever I reflect back on my story, I always felt Princess Diana was one of my angels who guided me in finding my mission in life.

A little over a year of working as an associate doctor in Orange County, I got a call from my former boss in Santa Monica. He said he was ready to retire and offered me the opportunity to take over/purchase his business. And I did! In December 2006, I became the proud owner of the chiropractic practice of my dreams. When I was working there as his assistant/receptionist, there was not a moment that I did not daydream of having a clinic just like his and treating patients just like his. Lo and behold, everything came true to a T. I thought I was such a manifestation queen! Haha.

In 2009, I received my Master’s in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. I also became a certified coach specializing in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, a.k.a. Tapping), chakra healing and nutrition. With those trainings, I added life/wellness coaching into my practice.

I had moved my clinic a couple of times since then and is now located at 3200 Santa Monica Blvd, suite 205.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Oh gosh, no. After I bought the clinic, I was hit with a double whammy. Aside from the economic crash of 2007/2008 which made many of my patients cut down their chiropractic/wellness visits due to loss of money. My former boss, from whom I bought the practice, came out of retirement and moved back to California. His out-of-state retirement plans did not pan out, he ran out of money and returned to chiropractic. My practice’s client base was mostly from a church/spiritual group that he’d been a member since the 1970’s; they were a very tight-knit church. When he got back into town, he started calling up his former clients/fellow church members to come see him again. I lost about 90% of my patients, which was very painful. I thought of suing him for breach of contract, but at that time, I did not have the financial or emotional fortitude to go through with it because I considered him an “uncle,” a guru, a mentor. I felt so devastated, betrayed and broken in so many levels that I was forced to declare bankruptcy. I kept that information secret for such a long time, even from my family, because I judged myself as a major failure. I wasn’t proud of it, but I had to preserve what I could, and it did save me in a lot of ways. Now, I’m not ashamed of it anymore.

The silver lining of that experience was having the opportunity to really find and own my strength and capabilities as a healer, a business person, and as a woman (a woman of color at that). When I first got the practice, I tried so hard to fill his shoes. I emulated everything he did, tried to be like him because I looked up to him as a second father. I then realized that I had my own beautiful dainty shoes I needed to fill. I learned to embrace myself for who I was/am, my skills, my knowledge, and my uniqueness. I’ve become my own master, not his apprentice anymore. I’ve learned so much about people, about running a business, money and the economy, healing trauma, perseverance, life, and most importantly, about myself. That was my “dark night of the soul” journey, and I’m infinitely grateful to get to the other side with more wisdom, confidence and heart. I’ve healed my wounds.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My chiropractic specialty is called Vector Point Cranial Therapy, which was developed by Dr. David Denton (who was a student of Dr. Major Bertrand DeJarnette, a prominent leader in the field of chiropractic).

I believe I’m the only chiropractor in Los Angeles County that does Vector Point Cranial. It is more technical than the popular Sacro-Occipital Technique or Sacro-Cranial. The idea behind Vector Point is that the cranial plates do move and can get stuck and misaligned creating stress in the brain. We have points along the cranial sutures that get tender when the plates are misaligned (go ahead and touch your head, you’ll find some tender spots up there). Each of these points correspond with each spinal vertebra. As above, so below. This cranial misalignment can affect how your whole nervous system functions.

Now, let’s go a little deeper. The brain isn’t sitting idly inside your cranium. The brain has an inherent movement, it is “breathing.” This breathing mechanism is called the primary respiratory system, (not to be confused with the lungs’ respiratory mechanism, which is the secondary system). As much as the lungs and heart rhythmically contract and expand, the brain does too. This movement is important for the production and flow of the cerebro-spinal fluid which nourishes your entire nervous system. The brain is attached to the cranial plates via the dura matter, which is a thick protective sheath of tissue. Think of the dura as a thick “saran wrap”, wrapped around the brain and your spinal cord, anchoring them in the cranium down to the sacrum. When the boney structures, such as your cranial plates and spine, get stuck and misaligned, they start to pull and create tension in the dura, thus creating tension in the brain and the cord, which then affect the whole nervous system’s efficiency.

So, how would you know when you need Vector Point Cranial Therapy? If you look in the mirror and see that your face is a little bit crooked, one eye/ear/brow may be lower, jaw may be clicking, one cheekbone more pronounced, and your brain feels a bit foggy, it’s probably time for a cranial adjustment. My job as a Vector Point Cranial and Full Spine chiropractor is to release the dural tension and destress the brain by realigning your cranium and your entire neuro-musculo-skeletal system to ensure that your nervous system works optimally for you, so you can get out of pain much quicker, whether it’s a headache, jaw pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, neck and back pain, etc.

As I mentioned earlier, I do acupuncture, nutritional support, and life/wellness coaching. I’m also an ambassador to Dr. Gundry’s lectin-free diet/nutritional program which is really great for people with digestive/immune sensitivities and weight issues. What sets me apart is that I really see and assess each person from a wholistic perspective, layer by layer…from the structural (neuro-musculo-skeletal) dynamics, gut/hormone balance, chi/blood flow, mental-emotional-spiritual wellbeing, to chakra/energetic alignment. Pain and traumas can come from all of those levels simultaneously, so you can’t just ignore the other parts, especially in this day and age, when people are becoming more aware, awake, sensitive and responsive to their inner and outer needs. People (and the world at large) are silently screaming for healing.

I’m very hands-on, as well. I do lots of soft tissue mobilization work: graston, deep tissue massage, cupping, assisted stretching, kinesio-taping, floss-band, simple core training, bodyblade, etc. I spend a considerable amount of time with each of my patients because I really want to get to know them and give them the care they deserve.

On top of that, what also makes my practice special is that I work with my husband. He is my clinic manager, but he does more than that. He’s such a gift and very entertaining. Over the years, our patients have become our secondary family. He’s helped our patients, especially the older adults, with just about anything…from finding a home, doing their grocery during the pandemic, picking them up from the hospital post-surgical operation, helping with their i-Phone and car issues, bringing them food, defending them from harassing neighbor, to even assisting them with end-of-life processes, which was a privilege and an honor. Together, we really do offer a full service and take care of our little community. And they love and trust us back, which is something we truly treasure and so grateful about!

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Wellness matters most to me. As my slogan says, “Wellness Is A Way Of Life, You Deserve It.”

It is not just about not feeling sick at the moment. Wellness encompasses physical health (vitality, performance, beauty), mental/emotional/spiritual peace, financial stability beyond survival, healthy/loving relationship with family, society, food, money and nature/wildlife, hearty dose of self-worth, and personal freedom to choose and express one’s soul’s calling. It is also about owning up and taking responsibility for the energy you bring into the space, both inner and outer spaces: are you holding/bringing more love, light, kindness, respectful boundary, forgiveness, gratitude and acceptance for yourself and others? Or are you stirring/bringing hate, judgment, shame, blame and rage?

It’s very easy to forget, but it’s important that we take a pause constantly throughout the day, and remind ourselves to consciously shift and elevate our own vibe and frequency in alignment with our heart’s desires that we want to manifest in our lives (wellness, abundance, love, freedom, peace, etc). It’s all about the energy: down to the cellular, atomic and sub-atomic levels, we are all one and the same. We are the microcosm of the macrocosm. As within, so without. We are all in the same soup of energy field, and we all affect one another deeply whether we are aware of it or not. So let us all vibe up to the frequency of love…and abundance…and peace…because we all Deserve Wellness, don’t you think?

Pricing:

• New Patient First Visit, $300
• Follow Up Visit, $160
• We are cash-based practice, no insurance accepted
• We provide superbill that you can submit to insurance

Contact Info:

• Website: www.DeserveWellness.com

Image Credits
James Ryan Kristina Clemens