Updated April 2018. Lauren Winarski is now a treating chiropractic physician at Hartville Health & Wellness Center. Visit her at her new location.
Hartville Health & Wellness Center
843 W Maple St
Hartville, Ohio
(330) 877-3177
We still love the folks at Village Square Chiropractic Center and are personally treated by Dr. Luke Flynn.
Time to highlight a great and helpful new Akron Mom!
Our well loved Dr. Lauren Winarski is a Chiropractor in Fairlawn.
She works with Dr. Michael Gruich at Village Square Chiropractic Center in a super super friendly office. Everyone is on a first name basis- so learn who Abby and Tracy are right away- because they will know you by name 3 minutes after saying hello!
Anyway, on to Doctor Lauren!
I had the chance to meet her in 2015. She has taken care of my sore arm (some nights I just can’t sleep on my side and it hurts all day….) and my back a couple of times, and I’m due to see her again soon!
I asked Doctor Winarski some questions about her work straightening people out, and about motherhood- read on !
How did you decide to become a chiropractor?
Dr. Lauren: Being healthy was important to me from a young age. I was interested in natural health and I was raised in a way that I was encouraged to avoid medications unless absolutely necessary. I was taught that my body knows how to heal and fight on its own. My dad often went to the chiropractor and I started going to the chiropractor when I was 12 years old. I was very active running, playing sports, and dancing. My chiropractor was the first person that made me think that this might be a career option for me. In my last year of undergraduate, I worked in a chiropractic office as a rehab specialist and I got to the see the amazing benefits of chiropractic care. I saw people of all ages able to live a longer and better quality of life due to chiropractic care. I knew then I wanted to help others do the same.
What is the best part of your job?
Dr. Lauren: The best part of my job is being able to help people do the things that they love to do. It’s awesome to see the different health goals that each individual has and to be able to work with the body and help them achieve those goals.
How well are you balancing motherhood and your work as a chiropractor?
Dr. Lauren: Well, right now our office is open part-time, only three days per week. I’m grateful that I get to spend the good part of two days at home with my daughter, Charlie, during the week and most weekends. But it’s not always easy. We have some days that are challenging. I miss being there for her when she is not feeling well or has a day off. Still, I am looking forward to the next stages of my career and opening up another day meaning working more hours very soon. While that is great for our business, it means I will value the time I have at home with Charlie even more.
What is the best part of being a mother?
Dr. Lauren: What I love about being a mother is just this amazing journey of watching another human grow and develop and learn new things each day. You try to guide and teach your child, but it is wonderful seeing them develop their own personality and interests. I enjoy playing with my daughter and being outside. I love being a kid with her; having funny and being silly is what we do best!
Who influenced you the most to do what you do?
Dr. Lauren: It all started with my parents. My dad went to a chiropractor and my mom instilled in me values of natural, holistic health. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been introduced to chiropractic in the first place. They have always encouraged and supported me. Since then I have learned so much from many great mentors and chiropractors and all of them have helped to shape me into the doctor I have become.
What is the dumbest thing you ever did?
Dr. Lauren: Oh gosh, well… One time I had a new patient in the office and I shut the door of the room to give us some privacy as I was talking. We went through all the information and examinations and as I went to lead her out of the room to take x-rays, the doorknob fell off and we were stuck inside the room!! It was so embarrassing. I was totally mortified! We had to have a screw driver passed through the hole in the door and used it to take off the hinges to remove the door completely. That door was really heavy!
What talent do you wish you had that has eluded you?
Dr. Lauren: I love singing and dancing. But my brother always tells me that my singing is horrible. I don’t know that it’s THAT BAD… But let’s just say I’m not going to be the first one to volunteer for karaoke!
What brings you joy?
Dr. Lauren: This one’s easy – spending time with my family. My husband, Matt, our 2 year-old daughter, Charlie, and our three pets. Also, doing a job that I truly love to do by helping people through chiropractic care.
Does your job influence how you raise, or plan to raise your children?
Dr. Lauren: It definitely plays a major role in our decisions that we make for our family. We use more natural methods and focus on being healthy and well. I adjust my daughter and have since she was born. I also adjust my husband and other family members regularly. It is important to us to take care of our bodies, work toward preventing injuries and illness, and get our spines checked to make sure there is no interference so that we can function at our optimal capacities.
Did your back hurt while you were pregnant?
Dr. Lauren: My back actually did not hurt when I was pregnant. I got frequent chiropractic care before and throughout my entire pregnancy. It really helped to keep my body and specifically, my pelvis in alignment for the growing baby and it made the whole birth process faster and easier. I was so glad that I had all that care to help my body through the process and never ended up developing a problem with my back thankfully.
Can you tell me where you went to school, etc… What it took to become who you are?
Dr. Lauren: I grew up in Erie, PA. I attended Mercyhurst College in Erie where I earned a dual-degree in Athletic Training and Sports medicine with a minor in Biology. After I graduated, I went on to Palmer College of Chiropractic the Port Orange, Florida campus. That was another three and a half years of year round schooling. I graduated as Valedictorian of my chiropractic class. We took hundreds and hundreds of hours of courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemisty, Nutrition, X-ray, Adjusting, Pregnancy and Pediatrics, and much more. I also did extra coursework outside of school at various seminars to get extra training in areas that I wanted to learn more about such as Pediatrics and Instrument Adjusting. I also learned how to adjust animals at Options for Animals (a special animal chiropractic school) in Kansas. In addition I had to pass 4 rounds of medical board examinations to be licensed as a chiropractor.
What kinds of clients are your favorites?
Dr. Lauren: I love caring for and helping everyone! From newborns to the elderly, I want to help as many people and families in the Akron area and surrounding communities achieve the health that they deserve. I took extra training and will continue to learn more about providing chiropractic care to pregnant women and children. I am very passionate about working with this population because of how much chiropractic has helped me and my family’s lives personally. Children go through a lot of trauma from day one of the birthing process and through their lives: learning to crawl, learning to walk (falling down an average of 30 times per day), learning to ride a bike, playing outside, wrestling with friends and siblings, etc. We can really make a huge difference in them because kids have the greatest potential to start off and stay healthy.
So, this is not a promotion, I just certainly recommend visiting Dr. Lauren. She doesn’t wrestle with your backbone like some chiropractors but uses a simple impact tool the size of a glue gun and painlessly pushes your back into alignment. This practice has righted my husband and I many times, and our family has been going to chiropractors that use this technique for, well decades.
Tell her Cindy sent you!!!
