Chiropractor opens new clinic in Hay River, N.W.T., to fill health-care gap in the South Slave

Hay River, N.W.T., now has a chiropractic clinic.

Dr. Niz Saab and his partner, Alannah Clark, launched Hay River Chiropractic on May 22. Located next to Ring's Pharmacy, the clinic offers weekend appointments at its downtown office

Saab said the need for chiropractic services in the region was clear from the start. Patients from nearby communities like Fort Smith are already booking appointments, and he said the community's response has been incredibly warm.

"Everybody's just so friendly," he said. "People roll down the window and say, 'Hey, are you the new chiropractor? Welcome to town.' I just never experienced anything like that before."

Saab said the decision to come north was more than just a business move.

Several years ago, he helped a fellow chiropractor open a new clinic in High Level, Alta. While providing services in northern Alberta, Saab realized that many people don't have easy access to medical care and how much of a difference it can make in their lives. He said that after being in the field for 25 years, that trip rejuvenated him.

"People were just like, 'thank you so much for coming here,'" he recalled. "I'm like, 'it's my pleasure. It's my privilege to do this.' You know, that kind of really altered me."

The need became even more apparent during another recent trip north. Saab said one patient had been living with a medical issue for nearly a decade — something he rarely sees in the city, where clinics are often just minutes away.

"He hadn't been able to shoulder-check for seven years," he said. "I adjusted him and gave him full range back. He just said, 'I can't believe this.'"

Saab said that as a practitioner, his goal is to improve the overall health and wellness of his clients, and he's grateful to bring that to the South Slave.

"I'm a certified wellness practitioner," he said. "Which means I'm trained in teaching people how to eat food and think in the most natural way. Genetically, what the human species requires."

Hay River resident Beatrice Lepine says it's a relief to see the clinic open, since people usually have to leave the community for specialized care. She says that's made access in the region inconsistent and unreliable.

"When I had to go to a dentist, I arranged an appointment in Yellowknife and there was freezing rain the day I was going to travel, so I had to cancel that out," Lepine said.

Lepine adds that travelling for care has become harder as she gets older, and that for elders or people with chronic pain, it can be nearly impossible.

"It's certainly stressful as you get older. You don't want to drive [long distances]."

For now, Saab is seeing clients only at the Hay River clinic, but the plan is to soon set up travelling clinics in other South Slave communities.