Inspiring Conversations with Danielle Roach of Verve Chiropractic OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Roach.

Hi Danielle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a kid, I was constantly sick, and it seemed like I was always on antibiotics. By the time I was in middle school, I had significant health issues that were impacting my life. It seemed like any time I had fun or exerted energy, I was exhausted for a week. I couldn’t adapt to stress at all and was constantly crashing. I was a relatively healthy young person and had no idea why my health was so challenged.

By the time I was 18 years old, I had seen multiple doctors for answers to my fatigue and gut issues. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be able to answer why I was so sick despite running invasive tests and prescribing me a medley of drugs. I was frustrated and sick of being sick. I started to advocate for myself and learn more about nutrition in relation to gut health, a strategy my doctors swore would never help. (Spoiler alert – they were wrong).

Fast forward to college, I knew I wanted to help people heal but felt stuck at a crossroads. I was getting my degree in nutrition with a pre-med emphasis but felt failed by conventional medicine. I learned about chiropractic and after my first adjustment, knew that I had found my calling. Chiropractic care and nutrition alone helped me to feel better than I had ever felt – I had energy and resolved my gut symptoms without the meds my doctors told me I’d have to take forever.

Once I graduated from chiropractic school, I moved to Seattle with my now husband. I opened a practice and mostly served young, active adults. Those people started getting pregnant and I knew I had to up my game. I sought additional specialized training and became certified in the Webster technique for chiropractic care and absolutely fell in love with prenatal chiropractic. As a natural progression, those pregnant mamas started bringing me their precious babies to work with, and I knew I needed to level up again, which is why I started the ICPA pediatric series and am constantly learning and leaning into continuing education.

When the pandemic happened, my husband and I decided to make our way back to Southern California to be closer to family and began trying for a family of our own. On paper, I was one of the healthiest people I knew, so getting pregnant would be easy, right? Not so much. I ate whole, “clean” foods, worked out constantly, took all the supplements, and I got adjusted when I could. It was almost as if I was trying to force myself into health and optimal fertility, but it just wasn’t happening for us. Turns out, every cycle that didn’t result in a positive pregnancy test made me even more anxious. My stress was going unchecked, and we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility.

We ultimately decided to let go of the “shoulds” and seek help, while simultaneously making stress management and self-care a huge priority. Consistent chiropractic care, acupuncture, meditation, and some amazing Western medicine helped us to finally conceive our son, and I’m a proud mama to a little boy named Rusty.

But just like the families in my practice, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Rusty was born with significant oral ties that needed release and so much tension in his little body from birth that he could only look to the right. I was committed to breastfeeding, but we had our work cut out for us. I knew once more that it was time to hone my skills, and I gained as much knowledge as I could about tongue ties and how to support babies going through these issues. We navigated his challenges early on and found ourselves driving to South OC for most of his appointments. It was exhausting and frustrating that few resources were available close to home in North OC. This led me to find our current location in Old Towne Orange, expanding Verve into what it is today.

We share this on our website and with patients because I want them to know that I get it. I get it when they feel like there are no other options. I understand when they feel stuck and unheard and have to advocate for themselves because no one else will. I have been through these struggles myself and will always show up to be their partner and advocate as they navigate their own health journey.

I truly believe that we are adaptable and resilient and have the ability within us to heal. I also think that our modern lifestyles reduce our adaptability by chipping away at our resilience and capacity to respond to life’s stressors. Chiropractic is a powerful tool that enhances our nervous systems’ potential to respond and adapt to these physical, chemical, and emotional stressors, which is why I am so passionate about supporting families through chiropractic care in every season of life.

In addition to the neurologically based chiropractic care for families and massage that Verve offers, we also host a variety of practitioners who serve the same populations. Currently, we host a lactation consultant, an infant/toddler feeding therapist, a pediatric occupational therapist, and a homebirth midwife – creating a one-stop-shop for pregnant mamas and growing families.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not always. In 2020, I ultimately closed my Seattle-based office during the pandemic and moved back to California. It was a good move for our family, but required starting over completely from scratch in 2021 once we were settled in Orange County.

Through the process, we struggled with our own infertility challenges and faced difficult times with our son’s health and tongue tie issues in his early infancy. It all led to my personal growth and development that has made me a better provider for the families in my practice, but at the time was very challenging to “see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

In 2021, Verve was very different than it is today. I always knew I wanted to specialize and serve the community we help today, but I originally opened my doors trying to help everyone relieve pain and discomfort, from newborns to grandmas.

I made two profound shifts to my business model during the early days that shaped what Verve has now become: 1) I shifted from pain-based care to neurologically-focused care, meaning finding the root cause of pain and treating the nervous system in its entirety vs treating one-off symptoms like “back pain.” I was able to do this once I invested in leading technology that scans a patient’s nervous system for greater transparency and ease of care.

2) I niched down my focus and specialty as a prenatal and pediatric expert. I furthered my education by investing in highly regarded training programs and certifications like the Webster Technique and ICPA pediatric series, specifically tailored to serving my new community. Specializing in and solving specific problems for my patients allows me to better gain their trust, build credibility, and create a blossoming community that continues to grow of growing families who are navigating similar challenges and changes together.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Verve Chiropractic OC?
Verve is unique and different from other chiropractic (or healthcare at large) options, especially in our corner of Orange County. We focus on evaluating and optimizing the nervous system through gentle and specific adjustments which, when done correctly, allow the body to switch from high-stress “fight or flight” to calm and adaptable “rest and digest.”

At every patient’s first appointment, we scan their nervous system with our technology, which serves as our roadmap and report card throughout care. This scan allows both me as the doctor and the patients to clearly see where imbalances are occurring and what specific area of the body that is correlated with. Example: if we see stress in the low back, this correlates to gut/digestion issues, IBS, etc. In babies, since they can’t tell us where they’re having trouble, we commonly see stress in the neck from the birthing process. This correlates to body tension, mobility challenges, and feeding issues.

Throughout care, we refer back to this initial scan and compare it to follow-up scans to objectively see the neurological improvement we are making. If needed, we refer to complementary specialists to assist in care to provide a greater holistic solution. While success is not always linear, and every patient is different, our patient base experiences an extremely high success rate in achieving their health goals, which we are very proud of and evidenced by the wonderful 5-star reviews we have on Google.

Another differentiator is our specific focus on pregnant moms and babies. We often get asked the following:

What are the benefits of prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care? Is it safe?

Yes, it is very safe and gentle and has numerous benefits for pregnant mamas such as:

Reduction of low back pain, round ligament pain
Optimal positioning of the baby
Reduced labor times
Increased comfort during labor
Lower incidents of interventions during labor
Decreased risk of unplanned cesarean
Better sleep, more energy

On the pediatric side, adjustments are gentle and specific. For example, in babies, the touch we use has the same pressure you would use when checking the ripeness of an avocado or tomato. The benefits include:

Decreased body tension
Improved breastfeeding
Better latching, less pain for mom
Improved gut function
Decreased constipation, increased comfort during bowel movements
Decreased gas pain
Reduced risk of torticollis and flat spots
Better sleep
Improved behavior
Reduction in ear infections
Improved immune function
Optimal growth and development/milestone achievement

Our office is in a refurbished Old Towne Orange home and feels cozy and safe. We strive to provide an environment that makes moms and families feel comfortable and like they’re part of our family. We have a breastfeeding nook, toys, and healthy snacks for littles, and always have an open arm for babies and kids when mom and dad are getting adjusted.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The pandemic reinforced the need for continued wellness support and not just seeking care when a problem occurs. By keeping the nervous system fully optimized, we are able to improve immune function to better fight off illness.

Pricing:

• Initial Visit $150
• Adjustments $65

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vervechiropracticoc.com
• Instagram: @vervechiropracticoc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/vervechiropracticoc
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/verve-chiropractic-orange

Image Credits
Kristin Smetona