Palmer grad opens chiropractic clinic in well-known downtown building

PALMER — It’s been a homecoming she has planned since her teens, and Dr. Brittany Blake could not be happier.

Blake, a Palmer High School graduate and daughter of longtime Valley educators, opened Optimum Performance Chiropractic this month in a renovated downtown building that was formerly a flower shop.

“Since I was 15 I wanted to come back to Palmer and be a part of the community,” she said Friday. “It has such a small-town vibe and all the small businesses really pitch in to help each other.”

Officially open since Feb. 8, Blake and the staff held a ribbon-cutting and reception Friday night that featured food from chef Patricia Mathias from The Grape Tap and a tour of the building, which was built in the early 1950s to house Moose Lodge 793. Some of the tiles in the basement still partially spell out “Moose.”

Like most of downtown Palmer, the building on South Colony Way has a long history.

“It was also Howard’s Gym, an arcade, the Hungry Bear Restaurant — I know I probably am missing one,” Blake said, “but it is probably better known these days as being Flowers by Louise.”

After closing on the purchase in November, Blake said the building needed some extensive renovations that included framing exam and massage rooms and “bringing everything up to code.” She did much of the demolition herself, including a 10-hour session scraping down the existing popcorn ceiling.

“I didn’t enjoy that one,” she said.

Blake spent her youth living in Northway, Trapper Creek and Talkeetna while her parents, Bradford and Esther Heck, worked in the school system. She graduated from Palmer High School in 2005, moved on to Clemson University and then to Palmer College of Chiropratic in Port Orchard, Fla., where she graduated in 2014. She married Wasilla grad and golf pro Hunter Blake in 2013.

Blake said while she had always been interested in the medical field — at 15 she started a bone marrow registry program — her time at Clemson sharpened a focus on chiropractic care.

“I was on the rowing team at Clemson and the team doctor was a chiropractor,” Blake said. “He never pushed adjustments, but I would get bad migraines and be began adjusting my neck.”

Not only does Blake treat athletes — she plans to work with the Palmer track team this spring — she puts an emphasis on pregnant women and infants as well. She’s certified in the Webster Technique, designed to work specifically with the pelvis during pregnancy as well as other areas of the body.

“I have patients from three days old to (age) 94,” Blake said, adding that many patients from her time at Chugach Chiropractic in Eagle River are making the drive to Palmer. “I like the all-encompassing aspect of working with the skeletal system and prefer to take a conservative route first in treatment. I am into a more natural approach.”

Lower back pain complaints are common, she said, as are headaches.

“The number one cause of headaches is dehydration,” Blake said. “With back pain, I can create some ergonomic work station recommendations as well as a stretching and exercise plan.”

Blake also emphasizes massage, and staffs two therapists at the clinic.

“Massage is a huge part of chiropractic care,” she said. “If you can get the muscles to relax, it’s a benefit.”

Blake said along with the physical piece of the puzzle, she also likes to focus on nutrition.

“The most important aspect of health is nutrition,” Blake said, noting that she can consult with a patient to craft a nutritional plan to achieve whatever goals are sought, from lowering cholesterol and blood pressure to weight loss.

Later this year she plans to offer workshops in which existing patients can bring in friends and family to learn more about chiropractic care.

“People don’t always realize that with chiropractic care you are restoring proper function to the nervous system,” Blake said. “Plus, getting your neck adjusted isn’t a scary thing like you see on television.”

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com

Optimum Performance Chiropractic

1030 S. Colony Way, Palmer

745-2575

www.opchiro.com