Before embarking on her chiropractic career, Dr. Melissa McKinney was planning on going to medical school while working in radiology with the initial goal of becoming a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Her personal philosophy had always been the use of manipulations before drugs or surgery, though she quickly realized that many D.O.’s didn’t practice this in the medical profession. At a crossroads with her career, Dr. McKinney started to learn more about chiropractic.

Intrigued with how chiropractic care works to restore function to the entire body, Dr. McKinney quickly knew that this was the right path for her. From there on out, she has loved the ability to bring health and wellness to her patients without advocating a medical, bandage-based approach to pain.

Dr. McKinney first attended Oklahoma State University for her undergraduate education. She then attended chiropractic school at Parker University. The mindset and focus of applying these subjects, however, was completely different in the chiropractic field compared to the medical field.

“Your body was created to heal itself. All that your doctor should do is remove the interference that’s preventing you from healing.”

At Motion Is Life Chiropractic, Dr. McKinney brings a patient-centered approach to care, making sure you have all the information needed to make well-informed decisions about your health. “People are often unaware that they have options other than drugs or surgery. They should be able to choose what’s best for them,” says Dr. McKinney.

Since completing chiropractic college, Dr. McKinney has specialized in the Fascial Distortion Model™ (FDM). This approach to treatment recognizes that there are six different types of soft tissue injuries. With this treatment model, your body language is used to determine which type of injury or distortion you have, then treat you based on your presentation. Our patients see amazing results after just one or two treatments! Dr. McKinney is certified in the lower body in FDM and plans on completing the certification for the upper body soon.

Dr. McKinney is from Oklahoma and has three children who were born there. Her oldest, a daughter, now lives in St. Louis, while her sons live in Oklahoma City and Stillwater, Oklahoma. She travels often to visit them.

Her husband, who is a retired Air Force veteran, was led to Destin for his job. Dr. McKinney enjoys the sunny, beautiful weather and our area beaches. Motion Is Life Chiropractic is a member of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce.