Without even the slightest twist or crack of your neck, Dr. Jeremy Maxwell will have you feeling, seeing and performing better. His specific chiropractic techniques will have elite athletes ready to compete at the highest level of competition and also prevent injuries for those less active.

Maxwell, owner of Maxwell Family Chiropractic in Columbia and Fayette, is a level III TPI-certified medical professional, and in addition to his regular clientele, he works closely with the Columbia College golf team, professional golfers and others who are passionate about the game. The corrections he makes to a person’s body specifically focus on the top two bones of the neck and correcting the upper cervical.

“This type of technique influences the brain stem in a very specific way,” Maxwell says. “That’s the master controller of your entire body that controls your postural tone. The body has no other choice but to function the way it was designed, and this adjustment can enhance the way your body does that.”

Stan Utley, PGA Tour winner and golf instructor, was the one who inspired Maxwell to become a competitor in this niche market. Utley had experienced back pain for 15 years, and after he received this type of adjustment, all his pain went away. Utley invited Maxwell to the World Golf Fitness Summit in 2010 by saying, “I think I have something you’re looking for.”

Once there, Maxwell was introduced to the Titleist Performance Institute, which was created by Dr. Greg Rose and Dave Phillips. The two men saw a need for a team of professionals to care for golfers. They have certifications for fitness people, medical professionals and instructors and focus on selective functional movement.

“I had patients that I couldn’t get to the next level, so I was sending them to physical therapists,” Maxwell says. “They weren’t getting any better. I knew there was something else out there, and this was it.”

More than a hobby

Since then, Maxwell has been on an accelerated career path. He completed his level III certification in 2013 and is one of only two medical professionals in the state of Missouri who have that certification.

“Dr. Maxwell helped me in about five minutes this year at the Missouri Open,” Jay Delsing, professional golfer, says. “When I hobbled over to him, I could hardly move, and in just a very short time, I had tremendous freedom of movement and considerably less pain.”

“When the brain stem is impacted like that, we’re affecting balance, vision and perception of alignment abilities,” Maxwell says. “A lot of people feel more comfortable and balanced over the ball. Their visual perception is different because, quite literally, your head is on straight.”

Maxwell’s niche chiropractic techniques are not just for professional golfers; in fact, he recommends these adjustments for anybody who’s interested.

“Golf is one of the few hobbies that can last a lifetime if you take care of yourself,” he says. “A lot of people in any hobby like it but not enough to sacrifice in order to maintain the hobby for the rest of their life. Most retired people think, ‘All right, I want to play golf,’ and they pay for equipment, but they don’t invest in the most important piece of equipment — their body.”

Moving forward

For competitive athletes, Maxwell recommends receiving these adjustments as young as high school because by that point in their lives, they have already been through quite a few traumas. The earlier the problems are detected, the better opportunity he has to help retrain their motor skills and make sure their nervous system and cognitive abilities are track.

The golfers at Columbia College have benefited from new technology used in Maxwell’s office called the K-Vest, which is a 3-D biofeedback tool to help golfers get in proper position. This vest assists golfers by retraining their motor skills once they have been realigned and helps speed up the process.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the Columbia College golfers are going to do this year,” Maxwell says. “We’ve worked on them for two years, and it will be fun to see firsthand how our work effects their game.”