Recent D.C. graduate with Research Track, dual enrolled B.S. In Interdisciplinary Studies Alumnus

“A Lifelong Love Affair with Chiropractic and Functional Neurology”

 

Ohio born and raised, Dr. Curtis Criswell exhibited a fair amount of bravery and admirable faith when he decided to embark on an entirely new career path in an entirely different part of the country. Until his July 2020 dual enrollment at Life University (Life U) to work toward his undergraduate and D.C. degrees, Dr. Criswell had dedicated his professional endeavors to marketing, manufacturing and real estate. The path that led him to the chiropractic profession is a somewhat familiar one, echoed across many stories from future and alumni Life U chiropractors.

As a young man in his 20s, Dr. Criswell had “developed all sorts of bad habits” that he says got in his way much of the time. Chiropractic care helped him to rid himself of harmful habits negatively impacting his health in order to embrace a more holistic lifestyle.

“The way that I was receiving health care through Chiropractic was the way that I thought health care should always be delivered. And I didn’t know that it existed, let alone existed from chiropractors,” Dr. Criswell said.

His prior experiences with health care had been more limited. Generally speaking, going to the doctor’s office as a child wasn’t necessarily routine as his family mostly cared for minor health needs at home. In that sense, Dr. Criswell was something of a blank canvas in his views of how health care should be approached. When he experienced the healing and philosophy offered through Chiropractic, the idea of a future as a chiropractor began to take root.

“At the time, I was sort of flirting with the idea of a career change, and I’d never had a bachelor’s degree at that point in time. I just had been taking some classes here and there, but it had been almost 10 years since I’d stepped foot in a classroom,” Dr. Criswell said.

“When I learned that Life University had the dual enrollment program, I got pretty aggressive with applying and coming down to Life Leadership Weekend and getting that whole experience.”

The ability to achieve an undergraduate degree concurrently with a D.C. degree is a very attractive prospect for many students like Dr. Criswell, allowing a fast-tracked completion of required coursework with roughly four-to-five years. This is a much more expedient, realistic and cost-effective approach than completing an undergraduate degree separately before entering a D.C program. Criswell graduated in December 2024 and packed as much experience and growth into his time at Life U as possible, serving as President of the Applied Kinesiology club, as well as completing a Research Track. He recently completed his PEAK internship at a functional neurology practice based in North Carolina.

Functional Neurology is Dr. Criswell’s chosen specialty that he fell in love with while at the University, in part due to his interactions with Dr. Marc Ellis, Life U Alumni Association Board of Directors Member and Founder of Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center.

“Dr. Ellis did a great job of just asking that one extra question that really shifted my perspective and my way of thinking when it came to approaching a chiropractic patient. I give him all the credit in the world for opening my eyes to the world of functional neurology and what that could be,” Dr. Criswell said.

Dr. Criswell took the additional step of taking on the clinical neuroscience program offered through Carrick Institute, completing it in his last year of school with 350 credit hours and a rigorous test. Now he is in the early days of figuring out the realities of getting a brand-new practice started. It’s been a long road of exploration, considering associateship before ultimately opting to set out on his own. The search continues for the right space as he plans to set up shop in South Carolina under the business name South Carolina Chiropractic Neurology.

His advice for up-and-coming chiropractors is to be sure to establish and stick to a healthy routine that will support them as they try to get as much out of their chiropractic education as possible. Similarly, aspiring chiropractors should seek to surround themselves with like-minded individuals who are dedicated to the craft of Chiropractic. Ultimately, in Dr. Criswell’s mind, the goal is a simple but poignant thought.

“Would I send my grandma to you as a chiropractor?” Dr. Criswell posed.

If the answer was no, then that’s a good gut instinct to evaluate possible changes in personal growth as well as who in social circles is best going to help elevate professional strides.