DR. LISA PALMER, DC, ATC, CSCS
Dr. Palmer is in private practice at Palmer Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Clinic in Longwood, Florida. She is dedicated to offering exceptional sports health care by proactively encouraging patients to achieve optimum overall health. She also serves as the official team doctor for the W-League woman's soccer team, the Orlando Krush, and the men's PDL soccer team, the Orlando Kraze.
Dr. Palmer's personal mission is to help people live life to the fullest through Chiropractic. She does this through gentle chiropractic care, nutritional supplements, specialized personal training programs, flexibility routines and sports performance care.
Beginning in 1992, Dr. Palmer started working with athletes and was able to pursue her life's passion. She has worked with hundreds of athletes, from amateurs to professionals, in a variety of sports from charity walks to extreme sports. (Link to page with team affiliations)
Dr. Palmer earned her Doctor of Chiropractic from the Palmer College of Chiropractic West and her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Sports Science/Athletic Training from the University of Florida. She has specialty post graduate training in Sports Chiropractic as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP) by the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians™ Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) by the National Athletic Trainer's Association, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.,.Dr Palmer still finds time out of her busy schedule to play amateur soccer player for Central Florida Soccer League.
Why Chiropractic Makes a Difference—Miracle Baby
It was 3:00 in the morning as the car tires screeched out the driveway, with a normally responsible and cautious man behind the wheel. Only not now. He drove like a bat out of hell. Having lost his first baby, he vowed not to lose another - he just couldn't bear it.
His wife sat terrified in the back seat nervously wrapping the umbilical cord, the lifeline between mother and baby, gently in a towel. She could feel it beat rapidly in her fingers. She silently prayed, "Please hold on, please God let her make it."
The double prolapse cord gave the child just a 5% chance to live, After an emergency C section, the delivery doctor and hospital staff affectionately called her the Miracle Baby.
This is the story of my birth. But the challenges for life didn't end.
My mother had a heart-shaped uterus which left me with severely rotated tibias. Basically, my two feet were kissing each other. My parents consulted with the best doctors in South Florida who recommended surgery for my legs. They didn't like this option - surgery for a child at such a young age was a scary situation. And, my parents secretly worried that I would never be able to walk. Thus, my parents searched for alternative methods. A friend introduced them to an alternative healthcare doctor, who didn't think I had to go under the knife. Her name was Dr. Vicky and she was a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Dr Vicky's treatments were not considered traditional. I remember the stares I would get and the comments I would hear. Parents would embarrassingly tell my mother, "Ma'am, your babies shoes are on the wrong feet." Or they would stare at my Forrest Gump leg braces. However, my feet and legs straightened out and the fear of me not being able to walk became a distant memory.
Growing up I competed in gymnastics, volleyball, track and field, and all the neighborhood sports of kickball, hide-and-seek, and touch football. In high school I played varsity soccer and ran track.
I excelled in studies taking honors and advanced placement classes. I also volunteered in the school sports medicine department and worked closely with the football team. Even though we were considered glorified "waterboys". Every now and then we were able to assist with a major injury-dislocated knee, sprained ankle, and if we were really lucky something broken or bleeding.
After graduating from High School I was offered two different types of scholarships. The first was to play collegiate soccer and the second was to work in the sports medicine department at the University of Florida. My father believed I should go to college to go to college and not play sports, so I became one of the very first female freshmen to work in the South End Zone Training room.
Working in the training room was an eye-opening experience. The hours were long and doctors were quick to dispense medication and surgery for all injuries. This exposure to sports medicine left me disenchanted.
I pondered.. What happened to cause the injury in the first place—he didn't get hit. What could be done to prevent injuries? I began questioning my future career choice and thought the world of sports medicine wasn't for me.
I declined my scholarship and began volunteering various departments:physical therapy, orthopedic surgery, physician's assistant and even elementary education. I enjoyed aspects of each one but nothing grabbed me and said this is what I should do for the rest of my life.
Since, I wasn't working in the training room I had more time to play sports. I rowed crew and played club soccer. My club soccer team did so well we were scheduled to go to Nationals in Texas. I was on the starting roster. Until the inevitable happened,I started experiencing excruciating pain in my left knee and foot.
Young and stubborn, I just trained through the pain.. The more I ached, the harder I pushed myself. The injuries became worse to point I would wake up in the morning and limp to the bathroom, limp around campus, and limp to practice. My coach finally sent me to the Sports Doctors on campus—the same ones where I used to work.
They diagnosed me with Plantar Fascitis (a painful condition involving an irritation and inflammation of the band of fascia tissue connecting the ball of the foot to the heel), and Iliotibial band syndrome (a painful condition where the IT band of fascia tissue connecting the top of the outside of the knee, becomes inflamed and irritated) on the left side. I was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and rest for two weeks. Really, rest for two weeks was the last thing I needed. Nationals were in two weeks and I did not want to lose my spot in the starting lineup. I took the pills and continued to train.
Unfortunately, I didn't do well. I couldn't run anymore let alone walk without hobbling. I was in bad shape. When my team left for Nationals in Texas, I went home to South Florida extremely disappointed.
Back home in South Florida, I went to see my family's Chiropractor, Dr. Lee Fraum. He asked about school and soccer. I told him how my soccer team was in Texas without me. He checked my spine and adjusted me. He was surprised at how misaligned I was. I had to confess that I hadn't been seeing a Chiropractor while I was up at school.
The next morning I woke up with no pain and could walk without a limp. The real test was running, so I grabbed my soccer cleats and my ball heading to the high's school's field where I used to play. I could run and kick the ball with no pain. It was amazing. I was 100% better without drugs or surgery. I felt as though I experienced yet another miracle in my life.
Suddenly, it dawned on me, my reason for being here and having these experiences. I was born to help people live healthier lives through chiropractic. I have dedicated my life to the healthcare of my patients, witnessing miracles happen in my office every day!