Growing up in central Florida, a young Jason Miller didn’t know his career would start calling to him when he was on his high school swim team.

“I dove into the pool, turned my neck, and before I’d swum twenty-five yards the pain hit,” says Jason. “My neck was so stiff that I couldn’t move it. I didn’t know what to do.” Fortunately, he knew who to ask: a neighbor, who happened to be a chiropractor. “He did a couple of adjustments for me, and I was completely mobile.”

A few years later, he was preparing for college. His interest in sports had turned to soccer, but there was a problem. This time it was pain in his lower back, pain so bad that he couldn’t run. “I remembered how well chiropractic had worked for me in high school,” he shares. “I figured, if it worked so well on my neck, maybe it would work as well on my back. I got adjusted, and in no time was running a half mile with no pain.”

Those two incidents stayed in his mind throughout college, and after he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at the University of Central Florida, he talked to a friend who encouraged him to check out chiropractic as a career.

“I did,” says Jason, “and found the underlying philosophy of chiropractic, of helping the body to heal itself, resonated with me.”

A Caring and Effective Start

Jason D. Miller, DC, accepted his first patients in 2001, and was immediately gratified by the improvements he was able to make in people’s lives.

“Pinellas County had a heavily geriatric population at that time,” he recalls, “and the practice I’d joined had a table that gently flexed the lumbar spine. Patients improved quickly, and their quality of life was enhanced, all because of gentle chiropractic adjustments. I’ve treated patients in their nineties and kids with sports injuries with these gentle manipulations, and I’ve seen them respond well, whether their issue was stenosis, sciatica, disc herniations … it’s a great way to provide non-surgical relief for many people.”

When Dr. Miller opened his own practice, Miller Chiropractic and Wellness, in 2005, he made the highly effective COX Flexion/Distraction technique available to a growing number of patients.

At the same time, he continued to explore new ways of helping his patients achieve optimal health. He now offers laser therapy to stimulate cellular repair; percussive therapy with Vibracussor to gently disrupt adhesions and scar tissue, increase blood flow, and facilitate lymphatic drainage; and massage therapy to help ease aching muscles and improve range of motion.

Dr. Miller also offers nutritional supplements and essential oils, complementary approaches to help patients recover more quickly and maintain their gains.

“These are things that I’ve discovered help with my own well-being,” says Dr. Miller. “I’m still a weekend warrior, and I still enjoy soccer. I’m also a golfer. Both sports can tax the body, so I am sure to have my own chiropractic adjustment every couple of weeks, and I appreciate how supplements can provide nutrients that are lacking in my diet, and how essential oils can enhance my health.”

Looking Ahead

Dr. Miller notes that chiropractic is a natural approach to wellness. “We all have the innate ability to heal,” he assures, “but sometimes external factors get in the way. Chiropractic helps the body get back to homeostasis, or natural balance.”

For that reason, he anticipates an upturn in interest in chiropractic.  “The opioid crisis has patients, doctors, and the government looking for ways to relieve pain without the need for addictive drugs,” he explains. “The standard of care is now to begin with approaches that are more natural, that help the body deal with pain without resorting to medications or surgery. I’ve seen how chiropractic has improved my own life, and the lives of my patients, without the need for drugs. I think it will be a first-line approach in the coming years.”

Community Involvement

Since opening his own practice in St. Petersburg, Dr. Miller has made a concerted effort to support several causes in his community. He is an active member of the Treasure Island & Madeira Beach Chamber of Commerce, and plans to field a team in the Chamber’s upcoming Benefit Golf Tournament on October 11.

Dr. Miller is also a mentor in the Take Stock for Children program, providing as a role model and providing guidance for young people in the school system, and a donor to Alpha House, a shelter program for pregnant women and girls in need.

He also supports the work of Women With Purpose, a non-profit organization that provides non-medical assistance to cancer patients and their caregivers. In addition to supporting the group’s efforts throughout the year, Dr. Miller holds a Patient Appreciation Day with proceeds from the day’s services being donated to Women With Purpose. This year, the event is on November 7.

For additional information about Miller Chiropractic and Wellness, call the office at 727-384-6168.