local storiesJune 17, 2025

Inspiring Conversations with Gary Tao of Tao Chiropractic

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gary Tao.

Hi Gary, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Helping people with their health was not something that was on my radar until a few years after I graduated from undergrad. With a BS in Economics from UCLA, I had started undergrad with the idea that I would join corporate America, but the idea of a normal 9-5 working for someone else grew less and less appealing over time. Fast forward a few years of soul searching, I knew that I wanted to help people, have my own business, and work with my hands.
I was having lunch with a friend who was attending chiropractic school, and she explained the premise of chiropractic. The body has an innate ability to heal and to express health if there is no interference in the communication between the brain and the body; when there is interference in the nervous system, then the body will work at less than 100%. That strongly resonated with me. Western medicine for chronic health issues never made much sense to me. The purpose of Western medicine and pharmaceuticals is to make people less sick, and it’s not designed to make people healthier. You don’t take drugs to be healthier but rather to suppress symptoms. Chiropractic is something that can support anyone in improving their health, whether they’re already thriving or whether they’re coming in with a long list of issues.
After graduating from chiropractic school in 2019, I worked at two other offices as an associate to learn more about office systems and patient care. With the goal of ultimately owning my own business and with the support of my partner Christina, we left our respective jobs late 2022 to open Tao Chiropractic in Pasadena in early 2023. Since then, we have been able to support thousands of people in living stronger, healthier lives with fewer drugs and surgeries. It has been rewarding to help people reach their health goals, whether it’s returning to a hobby or activity that they love or whether it’s to be able to lift and play with their grandkids. Health is a process -not a one-time thing. With appropriate care, anyone can become stronger and healthier.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

As much as we wish life, business, and health only improve and grow, there are always going to be ups and downs, especially as a first-time business owner. Much of it came from a lack of awareness or understanding. Getting my x-ray room and office electrical ready for my x-ray unit took longer than expected, which delayed opening. If I had to do it all again, then I believe it would be a lot smoother.
As a health practitioner and chiropractor, I have two biggest challenges. The first involves overcoming people’s understanding and perception of health and chiropractic. One common misconception about health is that if someone is asymptomatic, then there’s nothing wrong with their health. Here’s an analogy. Let’s say that you have a leak in your ceiling that’s constantly dripping. You have no idea because it’s not affecting you. Over time, there’s rust and mold that builds up, and you may notice some respiratory issues or discoloration when you look at the ceiling, but it’s manageable and it’s not affecting your life much. One day, all the water build-up causes the ceiling to cave in. Your living space is no longer live-able. Many people come to me at this stage, and they tell me that everything was fine a week before. With x-rays, we can see that the problem had built up over a period of time, but people ignore the signs along the way. My goal as a holistic, vitalistic chiropractor is to address the root cause (or leak), which is often a long-standing stress or injury along the spine that’s now creating an apparent symptom. Healing takes repetition over time, and while someone may feel immediately better after an adjustment, my wish is for my patients to not only feel better in the short term, but for their bodies and nervous systems to function well for the long term.
This leads me to my second challenge, which is not wanting health for someone more than they do. While my burning desire is to have a strong healthy community, not everyone is looking for health. Many people are only looking for a quick fix solution even though their health issues are a result of lifestyle choices made over the years. No doctor anywhere can heal someone from a lifestyle they are unwilling to change. In the past, it’s been challenging to not be emotionally attached, especially when I know how much someone’s health can improve with care. As I’ve grown, I remind myself that my job is to give recommendations and to deliver the best chiropractic adjustments I can.

We’ve been impressed with Tao Chiropractic, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Tao Chiropractic is a place for people who want to put in work to be healthier. In my office, I specialize in the chiropractic adjustment, so that is the focus of each visit. I see myself as an athlete, and chiropractic is my sport. In the same way that a great basketball player will have spent countless hours honing their dribble, shot, and body, your chiropractor should also have the same dedication to their craft.
Each chiropractor has a different approach to patient care and will tend to do things based on how they themselves would like to receive care. I have received life-changing adjustments, and I truly believe that the chiropractic adjustment by itself is more important than anything else and does not need to be diluted with other modalities such as heating pads and TENS units, which could be done at home. That would be like getting a premium cut of steak and slathering it with sauce and masking the flavor.
Something that also sets me apart from many chiropractic offices is that I have an x-ray unit in my office. Something I hear all the time is how patients have decided to come to me mainly because they want to see exactly what is going on. X-rays let us see exactly which spinal segments are affected and roughly for how long an issue has been around. Many people don’t report on their intake forms that they’ve had car accidents or injuries from years ago. Patients are often shocked when I’m able to guess with decent accuracy when they’ve had them.
When patients come to see me, they know that I know where and how to adjust, and they know that I will recommend a plan to give their bodies an opportunity to heal.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I recommend The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. There’s a short passage for each day of the year to ground me and get me ready for the day. Stoicism has helped me control what I can and let go of what I cannot control. Working toward being the best version of myself is something I can control. Recently, a quote that resonated with me is one by Marcus Aurelius: “What is your vocation? To be a good person.” Regardless of what else happens around me, it is my job to be a good human being.

Pricing:

New patient summer special: Initial Visit 47
Adjustment: 80 (less with packages)

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@keturahraebishop for all photos except adjustment photo of patient white top

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