Tammia Guest is Achieving Success as One of the Few Black Chiropractors in the US

August 24, 2023 Pharaoh

Tammia Guest, owner and founder of Rejuvenating Chiropractic, is putting her healing hands to work. According to KSBY, Guest is among less than 2.5% of Black chiropractors in the field.

After opening in 2013 and attending to the needs of almost 200 patients per week, the offices have expanded and opened a second location. Using her 20 years of hospital experience, Guest pursued her interests in chiropractic care. She was able to enter the entrepreneurial industry by establishing two chiropractic offices in the Dallas area.

Guest opened her first office after she finished college, using college savings and support from her family. However, building her clientele was difficult. “I’m very shy, an introvert. You can be a good adjuster as far as chiropractic and wellness, but you’re gonna have to be able to get people in the door because those things really don’t matter if you can’t get people in the door,” Guest said.

Guest’s prior experience in healthcare contributed to her success as a chiropractor. “I already kind of had a feel for how the medical field works with many doctors, nurses, and patients. So when I brought that to my clinical experience as a chiropractor, it was very natural, and people felt like they could trust me,” Guest said.

Trust is significant for Black Americans seeking care.

According to The Commonwealth Fund, a 2020 poll found that 55% of Black Americans do not trust the healthcare system. Although Black Americans are skeptical about the healthcare system, Guest provides comfort and trust among her patients. “Many clients do specify that they would like to see a Black provider, in the sense that they say they feel like they’re very comfortable. They feel like they’re heard,” Guest said.

She has established long-standing relationships with her patients. “I’ve had most of my clients since my clinic years. I believe that many of them stay with me because I make them feel like family,” Guest said.

Despite statistics about the success of Black businesses, Guest said, “there was nothing in my mind that brought me to think I couldn’t make it, you know, putting in the work.”

Reportedly, one-third of new businesses close before two years of operation, while 8 out of 10 Black-owned businesses fail within the first 18 months. Guest has hopes to train the future generation of chiropractors and business owners to help them build their communities.

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