New chiropractor starts at the Medical Suite at The Paradise Center

Dr. Alexander Telfair knew he had found the perfect place to work when he met Dr. Daren Spinelle at an event at the Paradise Center.

After graduating in April from the National University of Health Sciences, he had dreams of establishing his own chiropractic practice in his hometown of Sarasota. When the two of them bonded over their goals of holistic treatment methods, Spinelle thought Telfair would be the right fit for the chiropractor position at the Medical Suite at the Paradise Center.

At the beginning of September, Telfair signed a lease at the Medical Suite. He is excited to change the meaning of chiropractic treatment on the island and to give Longboaters a new chance at health.

Why did you become a chiropractor?

I grew up an athlete playing basketball in Sarasota. I had a herniated disc in sixth grade, so I ended up getting treated by a chiropractor. From then on, for most of my injuries, I went to the chiropractor and got worked on because that's where I tend to get the most relief. 

So when I went to college, originally planning to go to law school, I ended up switching to human performance with a focus on exercise physiology because I was really interested in the human body. I ended up interning with a chiropractor my senior year. I saw patients getting awesome results. Patients would come in hopeless and leave happy within a couple of weeks of care. So, that really piqued my interest.

What is different about your chiropractic methods?

I can use active release techniques, physical therapy, electro-therapies, hyperbaric chambers and laser and other multimodal approaches. 

I studied at a very non-traditional chiropractic school. Most chiropractic schools are very philosophical, but we study more diagnosis and not so much adjusting. We look at lifestyle factors and consider everything that might be playing a role in terms of this patient's current condition and prognosis. 

I can be great for people who are into holistic or conservative care. I'm all about optimizing the aging process. I don't believe in arthritis or anything like that holding people back from doing a lot of the things they used to. They might have to modify and adapt, but the goal is to just keep people functioning for as long as possible.

What are your goals at the Medical Suite?

My main goal is to help as many people as possible and to allow people to have no limits in terms of their everyday lives. I also want to prevent them from needing to go to the doctor or have future surgeries. Just like most of the doctors at the Paradise Center, I want to practice preventative medicine to the fullest and allow for optimal patient outcomes.

How are you feeling about working on Longboat Key?

I'm very excited to practice there. I love how active Longboat Key is. I think that's awesome for my practice, especially since it's likely to be more wellness-oriented to keep those people not only where they're currently at but even improving them. I want to get them to an optimal performance level.