Providing Comfort
Being a health provider, author, and podcaster
When a job opportunity at the Wilmington VA Clinic was offered to her husband, HOLLY TUCKER knew it was the right move for her family.
“Our family was very excited to move to the coast — I grew up in Florida and very much enjoy being so close to the beach,” says Tucker. “I knew that once we moved to Wilmington that I wanted to open up my own office again, and thus, I hit the ground running to open Azalea Chiropractic & Acupuncture as quickly as possible.”
Tucker is a chiropractic physician certified in acupuncture as well as a certified health education specialist. She is also the host of a podcast and published an eBook helping mothers with healthy cooking tips.
Her knowledge of chiropractic medicine began when she was a patient who benefitted from treatment. “I started seeing a chiropractor when I was a teenager because of back pain,” says Tucker. “It just happened to be the first place my dad took me – and it made so much sense to me! I always saw myself going into the field of medicine to help people, but I didn’t really like the idea of blood.”
“My chiropractor made a comment that ‘someone has to take over this place one day,’ and the idea was planted in my mind that I could do this, too,” she adds.
When Tucker started chiropractic college, she found out about acupuncture and how much can be treated in natural and holistic ways.
“I very much wanted to help people as much as possible with understanding their bodies and their health, not just getting out of pain,” Tucker says.
She attended Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, Missouri, and received her master’s degree in public health from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In Tennessee, she practiced for the past eleven years.
She and her husband opened Active Family & Sports Chiropractic in 2012 in Kingston, Tennessee.
“During that time, we also grew as a family — welcoming two little boys, Tristan and Noah. During the pandemic, I offered house calls to prenatal clients and postpartum clients, offering both gentle chiropractic care and acupuncture to help along the birth journey,” she says.
Tucker opened Azalea Chiropractic & Acupuncture in August of 2022.
“Acupuncture stimulates the body in a unique and powerful way,” says Tucker. “Mostly, the conditions I treat with acupuncture are related to stimulating the nervous system, the immune system, and the musculoskeletal system. Acupuncture can also be used in conjunction with nutrition for hormonal and metabolic issues. It can be very powerful in painful conditions (joint pain, headaches, scars) – but the acupuncture itself is not painful. It is actually very relaxing.”
Additionally, Tucker hosts the ChiroMom Podcast with Dr. GOLDI and Dr. SARAH which focuses on life, motherhood, friendship, and business.
“We are all chiropractors, practicing in the U.S. (NC, California, and Wyoming) – all in different settings but as entrepreneurs who are passionate about healthcare for women,” says Tucker.
Tucker also published an eBook Dr. Holly’s 5×5 – 25 Secrets to a Busy Moms Kitchen in 2019 under her brand Active Family Wellness.
“As a mom with small children, I was super busy like everyone else pre-pandemic. My passion and practice focus at that time was very much on nutrition – understanding simple daily nutrition on how to feed a family real, whole food ‘paleo’ style diet,” she says. “The eBook shares my favorite must-have kitchen gadgets, pantry staples, and recipe ideas for trying new things with your family. I truly believe that food is fun, and it is important to set a base of healthy exploration with your kids as young as possible!”
Tucker’s love for what she does is evident in the way she talks about her work.
“While I am available to treat patients of all ages, my absolute favorite patients are pregnant moms and babies,” says Tucker. “Pregnancy is such a challenging time for so many women (I speak from experience) and having as much support as possible is crucial. Chiropractic care is safe and gentle during pregnancy – with your body changing every day, it is always something new. Those little aches and pains don’t have to hold you back from enjoying the journey. I was very thankful to be married to a chiropractor during my pregnancies, and I find this type of work I do to be the most rewarding.”
To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.
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