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Welcome to The Informed Chiropractor, the go-to podcast for neurologically based chiropractors who are ready to make chiropractic relevant again. Hosted by Dr. Don MacDonald, a 26+ year chiropractor, speaker, and creator of the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol, this show blends vitalistic chiropractic principles with modern neuroscience through the lens of the Polyvagal Theory.
Every week, we explore how to shift from a mechanistic model to a salutogenic, nervous system-forward approach that fosters true regulation, coregulation, and healing. Whether you’re navigating burnout, refining your adjusting, or searching for a clearer way to communicate the value of chiropractic, this podcast is your home.
You’ll hear interviews with global experts, real talk from Dr. Don and Brandi MacDonald, and actionable tools to build a practice rooted in safety, interoception, and chiropractic certainty.
👉 If you’re a purpose-driven chiropractor who wants to lead with connection, adjust with clarity, and reclaim the art of healing, you’re in the right place.
Key themes covered:
Neurologically based chiropractic care
Chiropractic and the Polyvagal Theory
Creating safety and co-regulation in practice
Coregulation and the social engagement system
The salutogenic model of health
Interoception and the nervous system
Practice growth without burnout
Subscribe now and join thousands of chiropractors worldwide reimagining what’s possible through a nervous system forward practice.
Episodes

Jan 3, 2018
Jan 3, 2018
32 min
What's stopping people from doing things is the fear of stepping into the unknown. However, we won't know what's in there if we don't take the courage to step into it.
Today, we are here with Dr. Naomi Mills. She is the business owner of the Radcliffe Chiropractic Clinic, a chiropractic marketer, and a mother of a two-year-old.
Dr. Mills is a busy chiropractor who sees 220 patients a week and recently bought a new clinic. She shares how she was able to do this and expand her practice in a year by getting things done. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 27, 2017
Dec 27, 2017
27 min
Being surrounded by positive people will fill you with positive energy and inspire you to do better.
On today's episode, we are here with Dr. Ernie von Schilling, who had been in practice for 47 years. He was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 13 which led him to being carried into a chiropractor's office by his dad. That experience inspired him to pursue chiropractic as a career.
Dr. von Schilling shares how being around with successful people is essential to keep yourself be on fire and how it makes you become a better person. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 22, 2017
Dec 22, 2017
48 min
For some people, Christmas is not an inspirational time of the year because they live in an obligatory mindset. They have to spend money they don’t have, be with people they don’t like, and present a persona that’s not true.
Going through the holidays with that self-sacrificial mindset not only stresses you mentally, emotionally, and financially, but it also affects you physically. Emotions like fear, guilt, and anger produce stress chemicals that break down your physiology.
On this episode, we are here with Don and Brandi MacDonald. They talk about setting boundaries during the holidays so as not to sacrifice yourself for the things you don't want to do and how to do it without blowing up everything. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 20, 2017
Dec 20, 2017
32 min
When big companies such as The Walt Disney Company, McDonald’s, and Ford Motor Company were just starting out, each of them had an Integrator helping the Visionary make their entrepreneurial dream a reality.
On this episode, we are here with Mark Winters. He is a Certified EOS Implementer, coach, facilitator, and author of the book Rocket Fuel. He has led a range of companies, from startups to multibillion-dollar global enterprises such as Procter & Gamble.
Mark talks about how having a well-matched Integrator can give visionaries freedom. He shares valuable tips on how Visionaries and Integrators can find each other and maximize their relationship, which is a significant factor in the business’s success. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 13, 2017
Dec 13, 2017
46 min
Everyone is on social media right now and creating social media pages is one of the best ways to be found. In fact, some people won't think your business is real when they can't see you on social media.
Recently, what's becoming trending is the use of a live video. With a live video, people will know how authentic and real you are. However, many people and businesses, are scared that they might not look great on camera or they might say something wrong.
On today’s episode, we are here with Nicole Cowley. She is a Senior Technology Solution Specialist for a premiere Chiropractic EHR and Practice Management software company. She also owns ChiroSocialTech and shares tips on how you can leverage social media to help build your practice. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 8, 2017
Dec 8, 2017
40 min
Practicing chiropractic in congruence with who you authentically are is empowering, and it is a way to influence, engage, and impact the world.
On this episode, we are here with Dr. Nimrod Weiner. He has been in practice for 15 years and was on the Board of the Australian Spinal Research Foundation for nine years. Dr. Weiner shares his story about deliberately leaving Medicine because of the profession’s philosophies that aren’t congruent with his.
As humans, we tend to get a little bit off the track. To get back to congruency, one of the things Dr. Weiner suggests is to do a slow parasympathetic breathing. Stopping and taking a moment allows you to get into your heart state. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Dec 6, 2017
Dec 6, 2017
46 min
Melissa Sandford started off as a chiropractic assistant and has taken a massive leadership role at the UCA. Being married to a chiropractor, she started hanging out with more chiropractors and had access to many chiropractic conferences, which got her more interested in the practice.
On this episode, she shares tips on recruiting, managing, and training staff, and the common errors that chiropractors do when it comes to hiring an assistant.
One of the significant failings that people make is they start up an office, and they bring somebody else to figure things out. As a chiropractor, you need to understand how the system works and be able to operate that so you can see when it's not working. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Nov 29, 2017
Nov 29, 2017
38 min
Chiropractors may think they don’t have to do marketing and sales, but these are two things that any business needs. They have resistance to learning stuff related to business because they're afraid that they will look ‘salesy.' However, this creates a dissonance because people don't know who they are and what they are about.
Dr. Pam Jarboe began her chiropractic career working as an assistant for a chiropractor in 1986. She was inspired by the changes she witnessed in this practice which then made her attend Life University. She also serves as a board member for several chiropractic organizations and an international speaker for the profession.
In this episode, Dr. Pam talks about how marketing is not only about promoting your product. Marketing starts before that which is figuring out your brand, who your audience is, and who you are to them. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Nov 24, 2017
Nov 24, 2017
33 min
Sitting is the new smoking. When we don’t move, the frontal lobe doesn’t function which means we can become sick not only physically, but also in our thought process as well.
On this episode, we are here with Dr. Michael Hall. He is one of my biggest mentors in chiropractic. He is a chiropractic neurologist, and is affiliated with Parker Chiropractic College in Dallas, Texas.
He shares how chronic sitting can affect our health, how we communicate, how we perceive life, and how we succeed in life as well. He says that people who are more active tend to not only have better physical health, but also better mental health and a better shot at breaking the curse. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Nov 22, 2017
Nov 22, 2017
43 min
As a chiropractor, knowing what your values are and what you stand for, helps in creating rapport with your patients.
On today’s episode, we are here with Alison Asher. After two years of being a chiropractor, she went on to become a Spinologist. Later on, she decided to come back into chiropractic because of her desire to help people. Currently, she’s working as a coach helping chiropractors share their truth.
Alison says that rapport is about being able to sit in your truth. When you’ve created rapport, it calms the patient’s nervous system down, and you will be able to understand them better. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/
