Wrestler, doctor takes crack at healing with chiropractic office

As a former pole-vault athlete and a current wrestler and mixed martial artist, Don Davis has dealt with his fair share of aches and pains.

Chiropractic therapy, he said, is what kept him going in the past. Now, not only does he perform it, he has opened his own office.

"It's always been the end goal," Davis said. "As soon as I started, I knew I'd have my own place."

He opened Advanced Performance Chiropractic on Jan 22 at 145 S. Mount Auburn St. in Cape Girardeau.

His chiropractic services include manual and instrument adjusting and low-force techniques, as well as more unique treatments such as cupping and scraping.

The former involves using cups to create vacuums on skin and target sore muscles. The latter has metal tools work the skin and muscles.

Davis also performs sports performance analyses for athletes, putting them through a series of tests to see where they have the potential for injuries.

The doctor has spent the last 25 years as a professional wrestler, and one of his current favorite hobbies is jiu jitsu. Many of his patients are those he's met during practice.

The patients run the gamut of ages and ailments. Davis has treated infants, athletes and the elderly alike.

"The old joke is if you have a spine, we can help you," he said.

The office holds eight treatment rooms.

Currently, Davis is the only employee at the office, but he said he plans on hiring an additional worker in the next few months.

He said his youngest son has expressed an interest in the chiropractic field and could one day join him at Advanced Performance.

Davis has worked as a chiropractor in the region for the last five years.

"I was a physical therapist's assistant in Sikeston for about 15 (years) before that, so one profession kind of led into the other," he said.

This is his first time owning a chiropractic office but he has operated other businesses in the past, including a gym and a martial arts studio.

The approach he uses with patients is taken from his physical training days. He discusses what problems they're having and spends time figuring out ideal treatments.

"Once we know what the problem is, then we can apply the right treatment," Davis said. "... Then we're going to treat you and get you feeling better as fast as we can."

Most of the patients he treats have muscular pain, and Davis said he wanted to help control that pain.

Davis has amassed 350 followers on his @drdondavis TikTok account, where he posts educational and entertainment-focused videos.

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