Dr. M. Christianson
Growing up in a small town northeast of Calgary, Marla was very active in sports and physical activity. Naturally, the various injuries she experienced over the years of competitive sport led to her becoming well-acquainted with the local chiropractor. Chiropractic care remained an integral part of her health care and maintenance to keep her in the game, as she continued to participate in gymnastics, volleyball, basketball and baseball.
When it came time to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, chiropractic just seemed like the natural choice.
She completed her undergrad at University of Calgary, then moved out to Toronto, Ontario when she was accepted to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). She graduated with clinic honors from CMCC in June, 2010, receiving recognition for her active role in research, with a special interest in clinical outcomes studies.
Having grown up in Alberta, she put Toronto in the rear view mirror and moved back to Calgary to establish her practice.
The philosophy of superior patient care, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the various spine care specialists inherent in the culture of clinic led to Marla to begin her chiropractic career at National Spine Care. From her experience in Toronto, NSC’s approach fit with her own view on patient care, because she believes an inter-disciplinary approach to health care provides the most beneficial care for patients and fosters a continuous learning atmosphere amongst health care practitioners. She also values the opportunity to be surrounded by a team with years of practice experience.
The staff at NSC was quite impressed with Marla’s genuine and sincere interest in helping people recover from various health problems.
“Having the opportunity to listen to my patients, treat their conditions, and hear about their relief has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I feel extremely lucky that I chose to become a chiropractor as I have the opportunity to help people each and every day.”
In addition to establishing her chiropractic practice, she also resumed her involvement in the local Calgary sports community. Currently, she is a certified NCCP Level II Women’s Artistic and Trampoline & Tumbling Coach and is teaching a pre-competitive class at Stampede City Gymnastics Club in northeast Calgary. Marla also enjoys playing slo-pitch and volleyball recreationally.
“I feel fortunate that I was able to participate in so many activities as a child, and that I can still be involved in those activities as an adult. But more importantly, I was lucky to be surrounded by dedicated individuals who continued to give back to their communities by promoting health and fitness for youth. So now, it’s my turn.”
Marla possesses a wide variety of clinical skills to help people get out of pain and resume their normal, active lives. In addition to her manual adjusting skills, she draws upon various soft tissue techniques, including Functional Anatomic Palpation and FAKTR-PM® (Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehabilitation & Provocative Motion). She is also a certified Graston® practitioner. These skills, combined with her previous background in strength and conditioning for gymnasts provide a variety of treatment options for patients.
“I am excited to become part of the National Spine Care team. This clinic offers so much in the way of clinical experience, research, and current treatment methods. It has something to offer everyone.”
