Jessica Tallman

Chiropractor Kansas City

Nearly everyone in Jessica Tallman’s family is a chiropractor. Her grandfather, father and two uncles were all chiropractors, and so naturally her family incorporated wellness principles into their family health philosophy.

But it wasn’t until a specific moment as a junior at Missouri Southern State University that she realized chiropractic medicine was also the path she would be taking for her life.

“It occurred when I was a junior at Missouri Southern,” Tallman said. “I was competing as a thrower for the track and field team and I was having a lot of low back pain – to the point where I almost couldn’t sit in my chair when attending class.”

Luckily, the hammer thrower – who would win nationals during her senior year – had the family connections to help solve the problem.

“My grandfather adjusted me right before our conference meet and ‘fixed’ everything,” she said. “It was such a profound difference that I immediately realized that I wanted to be able to make that kind of difference for my family and community members. So I completed my public relations degree while taking prerequisite hours in science classes so that I could qualify for chiropractic college.”

In August of 2013, Tallman graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. She currently practices at First Choice Chiropractic in Overland Park, Kan., where much of her work is with pregnant mothers, pediatric patients and new mothers.

“This practice has been amazing and more fulfilling than I could have imagined,” she said. “I love helping people at the root cause of their problem – their nervous system function. And I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have attended school at MSSU. My degree in communications has been hugely helpful in my career. And even though I eventually pursued a profession in a science-based field, the art of communication and interacting with people has made me a better doctor.”

Tallman said the number of activities she participated in during her time at Southern, and the multi-tasking that required, has also helped her to more easily juggle the many facets of her adult life.

“Much of what shaped me as a person I learned between classes at MOSO,” she said. “Yes, I gained a lot of knowledge through the lectures, research, homework and projects, but the bulk of my growth came from learning how to balance the work with my other activities – including relationships, sports, music, events and faith. I also learned a lot from participating in track and field – a sport that taught me a lot about dedication, self-discipline and the value of both the physical and mental aspects of practice.

“As a practitioner who depends on a good assessment and polished technique to properly adjust each patient, all my experiences at MSSU – from my communication classes to my science labs; from the weight room to the throwing ring; from the choir room to the theatre stage – have helped prepare me for not just a career as a chiropractor, but also a fulfilling life as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt and involved community member in Kansas City.”

To incoming freshman, Tallman has this piece of advice: Take advantage of the wealth of educational and extracurricular opportunities that are available.

“Adult life is wonderful, but there is something very special about college life,” she said. “Enjoy the freedom, but learn from the structure. Be present in your classes. Study, and then play hard in between. Explore your options and figure out what you truly enjoy doing, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice and guidance. This is the time to do it!”