Conscious Choice Chiropractic

Dr. Patrick Hunter is a native of the small community of Pateros, Washington. At age 17, after having multiple sports injuries treated with traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals, he knew there must be a better way to help the body heal. He discovered chiropractic through a family friend and knew that it would be his future profession. He attended Wenatchee Valley Community College on a basketball scholarship, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in 1998. He then went on to study at Life Chiropractic College West, in the San Francisco Bay Area, earning the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic in 2002 at the age of 24.

Upon graduation, he moved back to his home state of Washington, where he has been in practice since September 2002. He has been serving the West Seattle community since 2005 and also calls it his home. Dr. Hunter has had the honor and incredibly rewarding experience of adjusting and caring for a diverse variety of people, from the very young (3 weeks old) to the aged (90+ years old). He has assisted numerous patients in living pain free, active, and healthy lives. This all comes through chiropractic care, with a steady hand, an open mind, and a balancing of the nervous system produced by a properly delivered chiropractic adjustment. Dr. Hunter is a member of the Washington State Chiropractic Association, and frequently takes continuing education courses so he can better serve his patients’ needs. He has taken post graduate courses on whiplash and auto injuries, extremity adjusting, sports injuries, pregnancy care, neurology, nutrition, and about new research in chiropractic and exercise rehabilitation.

Dr. Hunter maintains a healthy lifestyle and enjoys outdoors activities, seeing live music, sports, exercise, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. He lives in West Seattle with his wife, Jennifer. Dr. Hunter enjoys a zest for the science and philosophy of chiropractic, and his main purpose is to serve the West Seattle community through his passion for helping people live a happier and healthier life.

Chiropractic Care

Dr. Hunter is proficient in many techniques of adjusting the spine, and he realizes that not everyone needs the same type of adjustment or treatment.  While some patients love the traditional chiropractic adjustment, some are not comfortable with all of the “popping”.  Dr. Hunter has many alternative ways of adjusting the spine in a way that the patient is comfortable with.

Diversified, Gonstead, Drop Table, Activator, Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP), and Pettibon are some of the techniques or methods Dr. Hunter uses to help his patients. More accurately he uses the “Hunter” method. The “Hunter” method is his own way of utilizing all the different techniques he has mastered, to come up with an individual care plan for each patient addressing their specific needs. Dr. Hunter is very focused on a team approach to your care. When both the patient and Doctor are doing their own part to assist your body in regaining optimal function, your health care goals are reached much quicker. A big focus of patient care is the analysis and restoration of the essential spinal curves using state of the art, scientifically proven methods of adjusting, exercising, and stretch therapy. Abnormal loads and stresses effect the spine and nervous system and postures can be permanently corrected through the application of specific forces and exercises to the muscles and ligaments of the spine.

“Posture has been shown to affect and moderate every physiologic function from breathing to hormonal production. Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity are the functions most easily influenced by posture” (AJPM).

The maintenance of ideal spinal curves is vital to eliminating pain and increasing longevity, quality of life and ultimately, optimal health and well-being.

Beneficial Effects of Massage Therapy

We have discontinued massage for the rest of 2020, but Dr. Hunter can give referrals to massage therapists in the area.

Peer-reviewed medical research has shown that the benefits of massage include pain relief, reduced trait anxiety and depression, and temporarily reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and state anxiety. Theories behind what massage might do include blocking nociception (gait control theory), activating the parasympathetic nervous system which may stimulate the release of endorphins and serotonin, preventing fibrosis or scar tissue, increasing the flow of lymph, and improving sleep. Here at Conscious Choice Chiropractic and Massage, we have an entire team of well trained, licensed massage therapists that are proficient in a number of massage techniques ranging from therapeutic deep tissue massage to relaxing Swedish massage. Please feel free to stop buy our office to schedule an appointment, or take a tour of our facility.

The following techniques are just some of the services that we provide here at our facility:

• Swedish
• Deep Tissue
• Sports
• Cranial Sacral
• Pregnancy Massage
• Auto Injury Rehabilitation
• Injured Worker Rehabilitation

*Many health insurance companies cover therapeutic massage with a doctor’s referral. Our in house doctor is licensed to make referrals for massage therapy if deemed necessary after a physical examination.