Chiropractor brings wellness to pro league

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Robert Walcher, one of only 34 chiropractors practicing in the country, is now attending to PBA players and his approach to a healthy lifestyle has attracted believers in Alaska’s Calvin Abueva, PBA legend Benjie Paras and the entire Blackwater team.

Blackwater team owner and Ever Bilena CEO Dioceldo Sy said the other day he swears by Dr. Walcher’s treatment. “I had problems with my balance,” said Sy. “I went to visit Dr. Rob. It took only a few minutes for him to align my spine. I found out that’s the key because the spine controls the nervous system. He worked on my joints and soft tissues. Now, I feel wonderful.”

Sy took Dr. Walcher to a Blackwater practice last week. Except for Ael Banal and James Forrester who’ve been exposed to Western technology, the players weren’t aware of the benefits of chiropractic treatment. But it took only a brief explanation from Dr. Walcher to open their eyes to the alternative method of treating mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Now, Dr. Walcher welcomes the Blackwater players to his clinic on Morato Street in Quezon City. 

“Dr. Rob is not exclusive to Blackwater,” said Sy. “Calvin, for instance, has received treatment. I’m hoping more PBA players check out Dr. Rob and learn what he can do for them. In the US, every NBA team has a chiropractor who’s a spine specialist, not a physical therapist, not a masseur. Dr. Rob is into fixing your spine which may get misaligned because of many factors like you’re banged up in a game or bad sleeping habits or the wear and tear of age. He goes straight to the point.”

Dr. Walcher, 42, said his philosophy is anchored on preventive wellness. “My clinic is like a pitstop for a racecar,” he said. “My goal is to prevent injuries from happening. The body is an athlete’s No. 1 asset and it’s important that in basketball, for instance, the player is on the court to perform to the best of his ability. I don’t prescribe medicine, I do treatment on the body. I look at a person’s condition, his health status, like his blood pressure, cholesterol level, blood sugar. I offer a positive experience whenever someone steps into my office. I look into lifestyles and address nutrition issues, too.”

All over the world, chiropractors treat an average of two million patients a day. In the Philippines, more and more people are realizing the wonders of chiropractic medicine. Dr. Walcher’s clinic is open from 8 in the morning until late afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. About 80 people show up on a full day and at least 60 on a half day. The queue is often kilometric but the turnover is quick because it only takes about five to 10 minutes for a chiropractic treatment. Dr. Walcher charges P2,500 for a single treatment and a 16-session package goes for P18,000.

Dr. Walcher’s practice is so successful that a classmate from chiropractic school in the US is arriving to look into the possibility of heading a branch. Curiously, when Dr. Walcher sold his 15-year chiropractic clinic in San Diego to move to the Philippines with his wife, actress Patricia Javier, and their two sons in 2014, he didn’t imagine opening up a clinic.

“I like taking chances,” he said. “We were living a comfortable life in San Diego but I knew my wife missed the Philippines. We met in 2003 when a friend of mine, a chiropractor who’s married to a Filipina, invited me to watch Patricia’s concert in San Diego. My friend’s wife knew Patricia’s road manager Joy Alonzo so I got to meet her. Right off, I invited her out and we had breakfast the next morning. We got married in 2005 and Patricia gave up her career for me and our family.”