Well Body

There are so many ways to care for your health beyond waiting until you’re sick. 🤧 👨‍⚕️

One of the best investments we’ve made for our family has been establishing care with Dr. Kohl, a faith-based Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who practices a functional medicine approach. We have a family membership (about $200/month for 3+ members), and it’s been such a practical way to stay proactive with our health.

Today’s visit reminded me why we love this model of care. In one appointment (1.5hrs) he evaluated both of our children, checked for tongue ties, lip ties, and palate development, made sure Valentina was ready for her school physical, flushed Marcelo’s ears, and had us in and out quickly.

What I appreciate most is that functional medicine looks for the “why” behind symptoms instead of only treating them after they appear. We talked about environmental allergies here in the Rio Grande Valley, mold exposure, humidity, our home’s UV light for the HVAC system, nutrition, and simple lifestyle changes that can help support our family’s health before medications are ever needed. And when medication is appropriate, he doesn’t hesitate to use it—it just isn’t the first step. 🦠💊

As a chiropractor, I love working alongside providers who truly value prevention and whole-family wellness. It’s refreshing to have a physician who sees the bigger picture and cares for the entire family.

And as fellow believers, we’re grateful to have a doctor whose faith naturally influences the way he serves his patients—with compassion, wisdom, and genuine care. ✝️

Preventive care isn’t about perfection. It’s about being intentional with the health God has entrusted to us.

If you’ve ever wondered what functional medicine looks like for a family, this is a glimpse into what it has meant for ours. 🤍

📍Kohl Direct Family Care PLLC

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Daniel Kohl, DO

📞 (956)436-5400

POV: Your husband works out of town for two weeks at a time… so it’s game time. 😅

Today started at 6:15 AM, and somehow I’m just now (11:00 PM) sitting down to get things ready for tomorrow.

Today’s highlight reel looked like this:
☀️ Got myself & the kids ready
🍳 Made breakfast
🤍 Had a little coffee and a quick conversation with my husband before his first meeting
🎒 Got us all out the door
🏥 Kids’ appointment with Dr. Kohl, DO
🩺 Saw a full schedule of amazing patients
🍽️ Made dinner
🎾 Tennis practice
🛁 Baths
🙏 Bedtime prayers
😴 And now… me wondering if everyone else has been surviving on coffee, or if you’ve all been secretly gatekeeping NAD+. 😂

The truth is, this season is beautiful… but it’s also exhausting, stretching, and sometimes really hard.

My patients usually see me for 30 minutes to an hour in the office. They see the doctor. What they don’t always see is the life that exists before I unlock the clinic doors and after I lock them again.

They don’t always see the mom trying to be fully present at home, the wife counting down the days until her husband comes home, the business owner juggling a hundred little things behind the scenes, or the woman constantly asking God for the strength, wisdom, and patience to do it all well.

There are days I feel like I crushed it… and there are days I wonder if I forgot someone’s milk 🥛, forgot to send an MRI or PT order, or left the dog outside. 😅

But every night I’m reminded that God’s mercies are new every morning. He never asked me to do it all perfectly. He simply asks me to trust Him enough to show up faithfully, one day at a time.

So if you’re in a season that feels full, overwhelming 😱, or just plain busy, know you’re not alone. I see you. Keep going. The work you’re doing matters more than you know.

We’re not meant to do life perfectly.
We’re meant to do it with Him… and with a village. 🤍

Now if you’ll excuse me… my alarm is already set for 7:00 AM. ☕😂

✨ “But my baby isn’t in pain… why would they need to see a chiropractor?”

The truth is… pain isn’t the only reason to have your spine and nervous system evaluated. The same goes for adults.

Chiropractic care is about more than pain relief. We assess movement, function, and how the body is adapting—not just whether something hurts.

Birth is an incredible process, but it’s also physically demanding for both mom and baby. After birth, we evaluate babies for areas of restricted movement, especially in the neck and upper body, because those restrictions may affect comfort and mechanics during feeding, including latching.

One of my favorite parts of caring for infants is witnessing how many babies visibly relax during or after a gentle adjustment. We often see signs of a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) response—babies becoming calmer, relaxing their muscles, taking deeper breaths, or even drifting off to sleep.

Every baby is different, and chiropractic care isn’t a substitute for pediatric medical care. Our goal is to support healthy movement and function with gentle, age-appropriate techniques while working alongside your family’s healthcare team.

🤍

Come with me to a therapeutic Optometrist! 👀 👓

You may be used to going to the eye 👁️ doctor (optometrist) but have you ever been to a therapeutic/functional one?

☝️ What’s the difference? Dr. Barajas focuses on correcting and balancing the brain to strengthen not just vision but so many things that can affect vision.

🤓 I’ve had glasses my entire life but my biggest issues was being diagnosed with ADD in high school. With my neurology training I realized my actual issue isn’t ADD it’s that I skip a lot when reading because of a weakness which in turn raises my anxiety and causes me to become very frustrated and not focused. This is one thing amongst many… however, now that Dr. B tested me I am able to start correction and hopefully soon enjoy reading for once. For now, thank God for audio books, podcasts and recorded lectures! 📚

👩‍⚕️ What other things do we refer for? I send out a lot for dyslexia, poor tracking of the eyes during my neuro exam, balance issues, TBI, post concussions, headaches…. the list is long.

I pray this serves you in many ways you never even thought possible and if you all have questions please feel free to reach out to us via DM. ✨

Full days at Well Body look a bit like this. 😮 🙌🏼
Let’s not forget answering messages through social media 📱, responding to updates from patients, putting out fires 🔥, note dictation, answering my husband’s calls/texts 🤣 , reading reports and intake forms 🤓 … the list goes on & on.

If only I could share the times we pray, rejoice, cry & just sit to talk things out… that to me is the most beautiful part of my job. Thank you to everyone of you for your trust & love.

May you all continue to experience healing and most importantly the Lord through us. ♥️

STOP Static Stretching Before Exercise 🚫🧘‍♂️
Do Dynamic Stretching Instead 💥🏃‍♀️

Static Stretching (holding a stretch for 20+ seconds) before activity can:

• 👎Reduce muscle strength by up to 5-30% temporarily
• 👎Lower power output & reaction time
• 👎Alter muscle & tendon stiffness, leading to less explosive movement
• 👎Decrease neuromuscular activation

🙌🏼❤️ Dynamic Stretching (controlled, active movement) helps:
• 🔥 Increase core temperature & blood flow
• ⚡️ Prime the nervous system for movement
• 📈 Improve range of motion without reducing strength
• 🧠 Enhance muscle activation & coordination

Example: Instead of toe touches… 🏃‍♀️
Do Leg Swings or High Knees 🦵