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What is Chiropractic

Since 2000, St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center has provided trusted, drug-free care to help patients feel their best. From spinal adjustments to nutritional support, our compassionate team is here to improve your health naturally.
Expert Chiropractic Care(1)

Expert Chiropractic Care in St. Paul | Where Science Meets Compassion

Understanding What Your Body Is Really Telling You

When you wake up with that familiar stiffness in your neck, or when standing up from your desk sends a sharp reminder through your lower back, your body is trying to communicate something important. These aren’t just random aches or inevitable signs of aging—they’re specific signals that something in your body’s intricate system needs attention.

For over two decades, we’ve had the privilege of listening to these signals and helping thousands of people in the Twin Cities area understand what their bodies are trying to say. What we’ve learned is both humbling and hopeful: your body possesses an remarkable ability to heal and function optimally when the obstacles to healing are identified and carefully removed.

Ready to understand what your body is telling you? Schedule your comprehensive evaluation or call (651) 644-7207 to begin this important conversation.

The Foundation: How Your Spine Affects Everything

Think of your spine as the central support beam of a well-designed building. When that beam is straight, strong, and properly aligned, everything else in the structure functions smoothly. But when it begins to shift, even slightly, the effects ripple throughout the entire building—doors don’t close properly, floors become uneven, and stress develops in unexpected places.

Your spine serves an even more complex role than a building’s support beam. Beyond providing structural support, it houses your spinal cord—the main communication highway between your brain and every part of your body. When spinal segments become misaligned (what we call subluxations), they can interfere with this crucial communication network.

This interference explains why spinal problems often create symptoms that seem unrelated to back pain. A misalignment in your neck might contribute to headaches, dizziness, or even arm numbness. Lower back dysfunction could affect your legs, your digestion, or your energy levels. Understanding these connections is the first step toward addressing the root causes of your health concerns rather than just managing symptoms.

Why Conventional Approaches Often Fall Short

If you’ve tried other treatments that provided only temporary relief, you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. Most conventional approaches to spinal pain focus on symptom management rather than addressing the underlying mechanical problems that create those symptoms.

Pain medications, while sometimes necessary for acute episodes, work by blocking your body’s pain signals without correcting the structural problems causing those signals. Physical therapy often provides general strengthening and movement, but may not address the specific spinal misalignments that create abnormal stress patterns. Even injections, while sometimes providing temporary relief, don’t restore proper spinal function.

The limitation of these approaches isn’t that they’re inherently wrong, but that they address only part of the picture. It’s like trying to fix a car that pulls to the right by simply gripping the steering wheel tighter instead of checking the wheel alignment. You might compensate for the problem temporarily, but the underlying issue continues to create wear and dysfunction throughout the entire system.

Tired of treatments that only provide temporary relief? Discover our comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes your symptoms are pointing toward.

Our Approach: Precision Meets Compassion

Chiropractic care, at its essence, is about restoring proper function to your spine so your nervous system can coordinate healing and optimal function throughout your body. But not all chiropractic care is created equal, and our approach reflects both the art and science of this healing profession.

Gentle, Precise Adjustments

Our chiropractic techniques focus on gentle, specific movements that restore proper alignment and movement to spinal segments. These aren’t the forceful manipulations you might fear or have experienced elsewhere. Instead, we use precise, controlled adjustments that work with your body’s natural mechanics to encourage proper positioning and function.

Think of these adjustments like carefully tuning a musical instrument. A guitar string that’s too tight or too loose won’t produce the right tone, no matter how skillfully it’s played. Similarly, spinal segments that aren’t positioned and moving properly can’t support optimal nerve function, regardless of how strong your muscles might be or how many pain medications you take.

Advanced Diagnostic Assessment

Before we can address your spinal problems effectively, we need to understand exactly what’s happening in your unique situation. Our comprehensive evaluation goes far beyond asking where it hurts—we systematically assess your posture, movement patterns, spinal alignment, and nerve function to identify the specific factors contributing to your symptoms.

When necessary, we utilize on-site digital X-ray imaging that allows us to see exactly what’s happening with your spinal structure. This isn’t about finding problems to treat unnecessarily, but about understanding your condition thoroughly enough to provide the most effective care possible.

Don’t trust your spine to guesswork. Experience our thorough evaluation process and understand exactly what’s happening in your unique situation.

Beyond Traditional Chiropractic: Integrated Excellence

What sets our practice apart isn’t just our chiropractic expertise, but how we integrate this foundation with advanced treatment approaches that address aspects of healing conventional adjustments alone cannot reach.

Spinal Rejuvenation Therapy (S.R.T.)

Our proprietary S.R.T. program represents a systematic approach to addressing spinal degeneration that conventional treatments often miss. While traditional chiropractic adjustments provide important spinal alignment, S.R.T. works to rebuild the structural stability needed to maintain those improvements long-term.

Think of S.R.T. as comprehensive rehabilitation for your spine’s foundation. Through specific exercises, targeted movements, and progressive rehabilitation protocols, we work to restore not just proper alignment, but the strength, flexibility, and coordination needed to support optimal spinal function throughout your daily activities.

KDT Neuroflex Spinal Decompression

For patients with disc problems, herniation, or spinal stenosis, our advanced spinal decompression therapy creates healing conditions that manual treatments alone cannot achieve. This computerized system gently creates negative pressure within damaged discs, encouraging herniated material to retract while allowing healing nutrients to flow into areas that have been compressed and nutrient-starved.

This isn’t simple traction or stretching. The sophisticated computer controls monitor your body’s responses and adjust treatment parameters thousands of times during each session, maintaining optimal therapeutic conditions while preventing the protective muscle spasms that can limit other approaches.

SoftWave Therapy: Cellular Healing Enhancement

Our SoftWave therapy represents one of the most advanced soft tissue healing technologies available, utilizing true broad-focused acoustic waves to activate your body’s natural healing mechanisms at the cellular level. This treatment increases stem cell production by up to 238% while stimulating new blood vessel formation and optimizing tissue repair processes.

The remarkable aspect of SoftWave therapy is how it enhances your body’s own healing capacity rather than simply masking symptoms or forcing changes through invasive procedures. When combined with our chiropractic and rehabilitation approaches, it creates synergistic healing effects that often exceed what any single treatment could achieve alone.

Experience what happens when advanced treatments work together systematically. Discover our integrated approach and understand why comprehensive care creates superior outcomes.

 

Conditions We Address: Understanding the Connections

Our comprehensive approach proves especially effective for conditions that involve multiple interconnected problems—situations where addressing just one aspect of the condition provides incomplete results.

Spinal Pain and Dysfunction

Whether you’re experiencing acute injury pain or chronic discomfort that’s developed over time, we address both the immediate symptoms and the underlying mechanical problems that created them. This includes lower back pain from disc problems, muscle strain, or joint dysfunction; neck pain, stiffness, and associated headaches; radiating pain into arms or legs from nerve compression; and chronic pain patterns that have resisted other treatment approaches.

Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation

Auto accident injuries often involve complex trauma that affects multiple body systems simultaneously. Our integrated approach addresses both the immediate tissue damage and the compensatory patterns that can create ongoing problems long after the initial injury has healed.

Work-related injuries, particularly those involving repetitive stress or poor ergonomics, often require both treatment of the current condition and modification of the factors that created the problem initially.

Systemic Health Support

Because your nervous system coordinates function throughout your entire body, spinal health influences far more than just back and neck comfort. Patients often experience improvements in headaches and migraines, sleep quality and energy levels, digestive function, and overall stress tolerance as their spinal function improves.

These improvements aren’t mysterious or miraculous—they reflect the fundamental reality that optimal nervous system function supports optimal health throughout your entire body.

Your Journey: From Pain to Performance

Understanding what to expect helps eliminate anxiety while building confidence in the process ahead. Our approach follows a systematic progression designed to address immediate concerns while building the foundation for long-term health and function.

Comprehensive Assessment

Your journey begins with a thorough evaluation that goes far beyond identifying where you hurt. We explore how your symptoms developed, what factors might be contributing to their persistence, and what your goals are for improvement. Physical examination includes assessment of your posture, movement patterns, spinal alignment, and neurological function.

When necessary, on-site X-ray imaging provides detailed information about your spinal structure and alignment. This comprehensive assessment ensures we understand your condition thoroughly before developing your personalized treatment plan.

Coordinated Treatment

Your care is systematically coordinated so each treatment enhances the benefits of the others. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper spinal alignment, while S.R.T. builds the stability needed to maintain those improvements. Spinal decompression addresses disc-specific problems that manual treatments cannot reach, while SoftWave therapy optimizes tissue healing capacity throughout the affected areas.

This coordination means your recovery typically progresses more efficiently than would be possible with sequential individual treatments, and the improvements tend to be more lasting because all aspects of your condition are being addressed systematically.

Progressive Improvement

Recovery follows a predictable pattern of progressive improvement rather than happening all at once. Understanding this pattern helps you recognize progress and stay encouraged during the healing process. Initial improvements often involve decreased pain intensity and increased periods of comfort. Functional improvements typically follow, with increased movement, improved strength, and ability to perform activities that were previously difficult.

Long-term improvements involve structural and functional changes that help prevent future problems while maintaining the gains achieved during active treatment.

Ready to begin your journey from pain to performance? Schedule your comprehensive evaluation and take the first step toward understanding what’s possible for your specific situation.

The Science Behind the Success

Our approach is grounded in scientific understanding of how your body heals and maintains optimal function. Chiropractic care works by restoring proper movement and positioning to spinal segments, reducing nerve interference and allowing your body’s innate healing mechanisms to function more effectively.

Research consistently demonstrates that chiropractic adjustments can reduce pain, improve function, and enhance quality of life for a wide range of conditions. When combined with rehabilitation protocols like our S.R.T. program, outcomes typically improve even further as patients develop the strength and coordination needed to maintain their improvements independently.

The integration of advanced technologies like spinal decompression and SoftWave therapy provides treatment options for conditions that might not respond completely to manual therapies alone, expanding the range of problems we can address effectively while improving outcomes for complex cases.

Why Families Choose Our Practice

Over the years, we’ve been blessed to serve families throughout the Twin Cities area, from infants experiencing birth trauma to seniors dealing with age-related spinal changes. What unites all our patients is their desire for natural, effective healthcare that addresses root causes rather than just managing symptoms.

Comprehensive Care for All Ages

Our experience with patients across the entire age spectrum means we understand how spinal problems present differently at different life stages and how treatment approaches need to be modified accordingly. Children and adolescents often respond quickly to gentle adjustments and postural education. Adults dealing with work stress, sports injuries, or the demands of parenting need approaches that fit into busy schedules while addressing the multiple factors affecting their spinal health. Seniors benefit from treatments that improve function and independence while respecting the changes that come with age and experience.

Education and Empowerment

We believe strongly in helping patients understand their conditions and treatment options. Health decisions are important, and you deserve to have enough information to make choices you feel confident about. We take time to explain not just what we’re doing, but why we think it will help and what you can expect from treatment.

This educational approach isn’t about demonstrating our knowledge—it’s about respecting your intelligence and your right to be an informed participant in your own healthcare. When you understand what’s happening with your condition and how treatment works, you become a better partner in your own healing process.

Honest, Realistic Communication

We’ll always tell you honestly what we think we can accomplish and what the limitations might be. If we don’t believe we can help you significantly, we’ll refer you to providers who might be a better fit for your specific needs. Our goal is to serve your best interests, not to treat everyone who walks through our door regardless of whether we’re the right choice for their situation.

Experience healthcare provided by people who consider serving you a privilege. Begin your journey with our caring team and discover what honest, patient-centered care feels like.

Taking the Next Step: Your Health Can’t Wait

If you’re dealing with pain or dysfunction that’s affecting your quality of life, every day you wait is another day of unnecessary limitation. Most spinal problems don’t improve on their own and often worsen gradually without appropriate intervention.

The good news is that most spinal conditions respond well to conservative care when addressed properly. Early intervention often prevents minor problems from becoming major limitations while achieving better outcomes with less extensive treatment.

Three Ways to Begin

Schedule Your Comprehensive Evaluation: Book online for a thorough assessment of your condition with personalized treatment recommendations.

Call for a Consultation: (651) 644-7207 to speak with our knowledgeable team about your specific situation and how our comprehensive approach might help.

Email Your Questions: info@stpaulnaturalhealth.com with details about your condition, and we’ll provide personalized information about our treatment approaches.

FAQ

How is your chiropractic approach different from traditional chiropractic care?

Our chiropractic care serves as the coordinating foundation for all our treatments rather than existing in isolation. We use gentle, precise adjustments that restore proper spinal alignment while supporting improvements from our other therapies. Advanced diagnostic assessment goes beyond basic range of motion testing to identify subtle dysfunction that routine evaluations might miss. When necessary, we utilize on-site digital X-ray imaging for immediate results and comprehensive understanding of your structural condition.

Do you use forceful adjustments or gentle techniques?

We use gentle, specific adjustments that work with your body’s natural mechanics rather than forcing changes through aggressive manipulation. Our techniques focus on precise, controlled movements that restore proper alignment and movement to spinal segments. These aren’t the forceful manipulations some people fear—they’re carefully applied adjustments that are both comfortable and effective. Many patients are surprised by how gentle yet effective our approach can be.

See All FAQs

About St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center

Located at 464 Hamline Ave South in St. Paul’s Highland Park/Mac-Groveland area, our clinic has been serving the Twin Cities community since 2000. Dr. Christopher Lilja and our experienced team have dedicated our careers to mastering both traditional chiropractic techniques and advanced treatment approaches that expand what’s possible for our patients.

Our mission extends beyond treating symptoms to addressing the underlying factors that create health problems in the first place. We believe every person deserves access to healthcare that honors their body’s natural healing capacity while utilizing the most effective treatment approaches available.

St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center
464 Hamline Ave South
St. Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 644-7207
Email: info@stpaulnaturalhealth.com

Don’t let pain control another day of your life. Experience comprehensive chiropractic care that addresses causes, not just symptoms, and discover what’s possible when your spine functions as it was designed to.

Insurance

We accept most major insurance plans, including HSA/HFA funds, and verify your coverage before your first visit at no cost; just bring your insurance card. We also coordinate with your primary care provider to ensure seamless care.

Hours

By appointment only

Monday: 9am – 12pm & 2pm – 6pm
Tuesday : By appointment
Wednesday: 9am – 12pm & 2pm – 6pm
Thursday :12pm – 6pm
Friday: 9am – 1pm
Closed Saturdays & Sundays

Start Healing

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Let’s Take the Next Step Together

Request your appointment today and start your journey to a pain-free life.

Emily Catton

Lead Spinal Rehabilitation Specialist

Emily serves as the Lead Spinal Rehabilitation Specialist at St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center, where her exceptional patient care and clinical expertise have made her an invaluable member of our team since August 2017. As our most senior team member, Emily exemplifies the practice’s commitment to compassionate, comprehensive care.

Professional Background

Emily brings a strong academic foundation to her role, having graduated from Winona State University in 2017 with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Movement Science and Psychology. This interdisciplinary education uniquely positions her to understand both the physical and psychological aspects of patient rehabilitation, allowing her to deliver care that addresses the whole person.

Since joining our team, Emily has become an expert in our proprietary treatment protocols. Her advanced training includes certification as a registered Limited Scope X-ray operator, providing her with detailed knowledge of spinal anatomy and pathology that enhances her rehabilitation work.

Olivia

Lead SoftWave Technician Specialist

Olivia brings Southern warmth and exceptional expertise to St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center, where she has been an indispensable team member since 2018. Originally from Georgia, Olivia made Minnesota her home in 2010, establishing roots in East St. Paul and graduating from Johnson Senior High School before pursuing her passion for healing at the Aveda Institute Minneapolis.

With over a decade of experience in therapeutic bodywork, Olivia’s journey began as a certified massage therapist in 2016, quickly distinguishing herself through her remarkable ability to address soft tissue injuries and chronic pain conditions. Her skills and commitment to patient care gained Dr. Chris’s notice, resulting in a lasting professional partnership.

In January 2024, Olivia’s role evolved to Lead SoftWave Technician Specialist, where she skillfully applies Extra-Corporal Shock Wave Therapy to address knee pain, shoulder injuries, and various soft tissue conditions. Her extensive background in massage therapy provides her with an intuitive understanding of the body’s mechanics, allowing her to achieve exceptional results with SoftWave technology.

Olivia is also a key practitioner in our proprietary Spinal Rehabilitation Therapy (S.R.T.) program, working seamlessly alongside Emily to create a therapeutic environment that promotes optimal healing and recovery. Together, they form the backbone of our patient care team, establishing an atmosphere of comfort, trust, and clinical excellence that patients consistently praise.

What truly sets Olivia apart is her genuine compassion and unwavering reliability. She greets every patient with a warm smile, approaches each case with meticulous attention to detail, and consistently demonstrates the perfect balance of technical skill and heartfelt care. Her humble nature belies her exceptional abilities, making her therapeutic presence all the more powerful.

Outside the clinic, Olivia embraces life’s simple joys with her 7-year-old daughter and spouse. She finds renewal through camping adventures, expresses her creativity through drawing, delights in culinary exploration, and soaks up Minnesota’s precious sunshine whenever possible.

We consider ourselves truly blessed to have Olivia as part of our healing community at St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center, where her dedication continues to transform lives daily.

Molly

Office Manager

With over two decades of dedicated patient care experience, Molly brings a wealth of expertise and compassion to her role as Office Manager at St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center.

After graduating from Century College’s Dental Assistant program in 2004, Molly built an impressive career as a Licensed Dental Assistant, developing exceptional skills in patient communication and healthcare administration.

Guided by her personal commitment to holistic wellness, Molly made a transformative career shift in Summer 2023 to align her professional path with her passion for natural health. She earned prestigious certifications from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) as a Personal Trainer, Nutrition Specialist, and Corrective Exercise Specialist—qualifications that provide her with unique insights into the comprehensive care our patients receive.

“What I value most about St. Paul Chiropractic & Natural Medicine Center is our team’s dedication to treating the whole person, not just symptoms,” Molly shares. “Seeing patients progress from pain to wellness is incredibly rewarding.”

As Office Manager, Molly expertly coordinates patient care while ensuring our practice runs smoothly. Her understanding of both administrative excellence and natural healing principles makes her an invaluable bridge between our clinical team and patients.

When not welcoming patients with her warm smile, Molly embraces life as a devoted mother to three daughters. Her personal wellness journey includes strength training and fitness activities—often making these family affairs. An avid home chef, she experiments with nutritious recipes and occasional treats, believing that balance is essential to well-being. In quieter moments, she finds inspiration through reading and creative writing, nurturing her lifelong love of storytelling. Molly’s adventurous spirit also drives her passion for travel and exploring new cultures.

Her philosophy perfectly complements our center’s mission: “True health comes from understanding the body’s natural healing abilities and supporting them through proper care, nutrition, and mindful living.”