By Lauri Lee
Northside Business Association
Dr. Ross Royster, owner of Madison Chiropractic at 2205 N. Sherman Ave., Madison, is retiring from the practice he started Feb. 2, 1981, with Dr. Brent McNabb. On the occasion of his retirement from his 39-year career, Royster reflected on how this guy from California got started in chiropractic and ended up with a clinic on the Northside (Dr. McNabb retired a few years ago).
“I knew after serving in the Peace Corps in Brazil following college graduation that I wanted to choose a path where at the end of my career, I would feel I did right with life and the earth, and not have any regrets. It had to be a profession where I would have contact with people and be able to constantly learn without relying on technology that might change. It was also important that I could do this anywhere, which allowed me to return to Brazil on many occasions to help the people I knew through the Peace Corps.
“I learned about chiropractic care from Dr. Betty McNabb, a chiropractor, as well as the mother of my eventual business partner, Dr. Brent McNabb. She adjusted people we knew in Brazil and helped alleviate their pain. I was impressed by what I saw, so after leaving the Peace Corps, the chiropractic profession rose to the top of the list of what I wanted to do with my life.
“Brent and I attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, and moved to Madison to launch the clinic. We started as Family Chiropractic Clinic, and after 16 years, we began to do business as Madison Chiropractic North.
“I’m grateful that we chose to locate on the Northside, a community I love. The clinic is still in the same building where it all began. We remodeled and later purchased a former PDQ store, leasing out two-thirds of the space to other businesses. After a number of years, we grew into the entire space. There weren’t many chiropractic clinics in those days, perhaps only 40 in all of Dane county. As medical journals reported the research about the benefits of spinal manipulation for back and neck pain, the number of chiropractors also greatly increased.
“I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, which is to help people enjoy good health and provide relief to those in chronic pain. I estimate I’ve helped roughly 15,000 individual patients since 1981. Many started when they were young and continued through their senior years. Then their children became patients, and eventually their grandchildren. Some of my original patients still come in for regular maintenance adjustments every couple of months.”
Dr. Royster is well known to Northsiders because for 25 years he’s faithfully advertised in every issue of the Northside News and served as the writer of a Health Tips column of the newspaper. “At the clinic, patients do better and stay better longer when I start them on exercise from the very first visit. I instruct them on mobility exercises, stretching and strengthening. The Health Tips column encouraged everyone in the community to eat well, and stay active and moving, in order to live a healthy life.
“I’ll miss seeing my patients on a regular basis, but don’t be surprised if I come back periodically to fill in so Dr. Justin Rodriguez and Dr. Robin Beatty can take a vacation. I’m not moving to a warmer climate. I intend to enjoy Wisconsin summers more as I ride my motorcycle. When it is safe to travel, I want to go to Brazil for a visit. Until then, I’m an amateur woodworker with some projects I want to complete.”
Be sure to wish Dr. Royster well as you see him around the neighborhood.