D.C. student, President of Functional Health Club

“Reimagining Payne”

Born the youngest of three, Anna Payne grew up in small town Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Though she might not have known it, her journey toward a chiropractic career began early on. Sports were a big part of her life, and she also regularly dealt with minor childhood sicknesses. For these reasons, going to a chiropractor became a normal part of her routine.

“Chiropractors were one of the only doctors that I felt like were on my side and wanted to help me get better. I wanted to do that for somebody else,” Payne said.

Her sister is a practicing chiropractor, so that is certainly one source of inspiration. Yet probably the most compelling pull toward Chiropractic and holistic health care came from her dad, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is a rare and often debilitating disease where the immune system gradually degrades protective nerve tissues. Currently, there is no known cure, but there are treatments available to slow progression and limit severity of symptoms. Payne’s dad receives care from a chiropractor and doesn’t take medication to treat his MS. He is still very active, working out and even enjoying water skiing.

“He’s a superhero, and it’s been really cool to see the effects that that’s had on him. I definitely feel the fire for me to want to be that kind of doctor for somebody else and help them in any way I could,” Payne said.

Payne is in quarter nine of her program, pumped up after the recent Clinic Gateway ceremony that marks the entrance into working in Clinics with her peers.

“That was really fun. My parents got to come down and celebrate that with us, and it’s just so cool to kind of see everything come together.”

She is especially excited to move out of the realm of absorbing all the vast information of basic sciences and anatomy to having the privilege to apply that knowledge and use it to help actual patients, getting to know their stories and help facilitate healthy outcomes. She is still in an exploratory phase, trying out different techniques and clubs to figure out her niche. Here at Life U, students have the freedom to learn and grow in so many different directions, and Payne’s journey is a testament to that.