Larson Chiropractic nearing three decades of team spirit for the Mat-Su Valley

WASILLA— When Dr. Kristofer Larson isn’t helping patients at his private practice Larson Chiropractic in downtown Wasilla, he can usually be found at a high school sporting event.

“I spend a lot of time with high school sports,” Larson said.

Larson spends a lot of time with athletes in and out of the office. He’s following his father Dan Larson’s footsteps, effectively taking his place on the sidelines at high school games as one of several medical experts on standby.

Larson offers professional opinions on whether or not to keep kids in the game or to send them home or to the hospital if necessary. He travels with Mat-Su Valley high school teams as they compete around the state.

It doesn’t matter if it’s football, basketball or volleyball. The odds are, if there’s a Valley high school playing, Larson is likely to be there.

In addition to general chiropractic work, Larson is keeping his father’s legacy alive as one of the go-to chiropractors in the Valley for sports physicals and athletic rehabilitation. Dan established Larson Chiropractic in 1991 and his son took the mantle 20 years later.

“I’ve always enjoyed health care,” Larson said.

Larson grew up in the Valley. He graduated from Wasilla High School in 1996. He said that he returned in 2005 after completing chiropractic school in Washington State.

He’s grown very attached to his hometown and he invests his time and resources into it year round. Whether it’s donating funds to local sports programs or donating countless hours on the sidelines, he’s committed to the youth in the fastest growing region of the state.

“There’s a lot of places I can be but this is home,” Larson said.

Larson also owns and operates the Back in Action Physical Therapy which shares the same building as his chiropractic office. He said that he has a full rehabilitation unit with physical therapy tools like an endless pool and Endless Rope for customized resistance training.

“We work on the whole person,” Larson said.

Larson and his team work in a multi-disciplinary clinic with exam rooms, x-ray, massage therapy, and so on. They help people recover from a range of issues from work injuries to automobile accidents.

He said that he has a great referral network with specialists in the community, especially now that numerous practices have sprouted up to meet the growing population demand.

“There’s a lot more help in the Valley than there ever has been,” Larson said.

Larson said that one of his goals as a practitioner is to minimize opioid perceptions in the midst of a full blown epidemic. He said the two best alternatives to opiate based medication are chiropractic care and physical therapy.

He said that he’s built a lot of rapport with the community. He intends to keep charging forward with no end zone in sight.

“It helps we’ve been here a long time,” Larson said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com