CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – The coronavirus pandemic has affected some patients’ ability to go to their regular appointments at offices like the chiropractor or dentist.
One Conway chiropractor reopened her business on May 4, but the coronavirus has impacted the way she does business.
On a normal day, Dr. Mary Carmichael would see 25 to 30 patients in her office for back adjustments. Now, due to the pandemic, she’s only seeing eight to 13 patients a day.
“For me honestly, I don’t know if my business will go back to what it was,” said Dr. Carmichael.
When the stay-at-home order went into effect, Dr. Mary Carmichael temporarily closed her doors.
“I think that was out of the ordinary for most chiropractors, but because I have small kids at home, I felt like it was safe for me and my family to do so,” she said.
Not only has she seen a decrease in clients, but her staff’s been cut from four employees to just two.
It’s been an adjustment, but while closed, she gave her regular patients alternatives.
“We pretty much gave them over-the-counter recipes,” said Dr. Carmichael. “Hot baths, Epsom salts, some stretches that they could do, or we recommended them to go to other chiropractors that were open.”
She’s also eliminated some hands-on contact services like massage therapy and keeps her appointments to a minimum of back adjustments to keep her clients safe and healthy.
She says she originally shut down her business because 85% of her clients are over the age of 50 and she wanted to help keep them safe from any potential contact with the virus because they’re more vulnerable.
She sanitizes after each clients’ appointment. Because she isn’t considered an M.D., she can’t get a restock in personal protective equipment, So she’s handmade masks and found supplies on her own, making sure she can still relieve her patients’ pain safely.
“People are still afraid, but they’re in so much pain, so they trust coming to a chiropractor versus going to a medical doctor,” she said.
Right now, Dr. Carmichael is only taking appointments by phone and no walk-ins. Click here to go to Dr. Carmichael’s website, where you can find her contact information.
