INTRODUCING DR SHARA DOWNEY DC

In this powerful return to the Chiro Hustle Podcast, Dr Shara Downey DC joins us from Singapore to share her evolving journey in chiropractic, entrepreneurship, and parenting. As one of the pioneer female chiropractors in Southeast Asia, Dr Shara delivers valuable insights into what it means to uphold a wellness-based, patient-first approach in an increasingly medicalized world.

In this episode, we talk about how she’s grown her influence, protected her practice in regions with legal grey areas, and how she’s working to connect the global chiropractic community through mentorship, education, and a relentless drive to support medical freedom.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why medical freedom and speech must be protected across borders, especially in Southeast Asia
• How Dr Shara went from a single boutique practice to leading a group of 7 clinics with plans to expand
• The truth about chiropractic bans in Indonesia and how it impacted the profession overnight
• Why retention, not acquisition, is the most overlooked key to practice growth
• The urgent need for a finishing school model for new chiropractors entering the field
• How to build strong local associations to protect chiropractic long term
• A peek inside the future of chiropractic in Asia – including how rugby is playing a surprising role

ABOUT DR SHARA DOWNEY DC

Dr Shara Downey DC is based in Singapore, where she is recognized as a leading voice for chiropractic and natural health across Southeast Asia. Founder of Asia Chiropractic and director at Palm Chiropractic, she now helps manage seven practices as part of Winning Wellness and speaks globally on growing impact and protecting health freedom.

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DIVING INTO THE CONVERSATION

BUILDING CHIROPRACTIC IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

When Dr Shara first opened her doors in Singapore, chiropractic was still a foreign concept to many. Over the years, she’s witnessed firsthand both the incredible growth and devastating setbacks in the region. In a particularly sobering moment, she recalls how chiropractic became illegal overnight in Indonesia, forcing established clinics to shut down and doctors to flee. This wasn’t decades ago, this was just five years back.

Rather than retreat, Dr Shara doubled down. Her response? Get organized. Build alliances. Grow associations. Support the next generation of chiropractors through systems and infrastructure so no practitioner ever feels alone again.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FAMILY HEALTH FREEDOM

While many talk about health care reform, Dr Shara lives it. The current climate in Southeast Asia mirrors what we’ve seen in other parts of the world; a tightening of regulations, increased oversight, and pressure to conform to a standardized medical model.

What makes chiropractic different, she argues, is its philosophy of self-healing and its commitment to patient empowerment. That model can only survive if practitioners are allowed to speak truthfully and freely. And that freedom starts with connection to the community, to each other, and to the sacred purpose that called them into the profession in the first place.

MENTORSHIP, LEGACY, AND GLOBAL CONNECTION

Now over two decades into her career, Dr Shara speaks just as passionately about the need to mentor up-and-coming chiropractors as she does about subluxation and nervous system function.

She credits her growth to curiosity, not complacency. From knocking on clinic doors as a new DC in Singapore to now helping lead international teams, Dr Shara reminds us that global connection is essential for professional survival. It’s not just about building clinics, it’s about building communities.

PRACTICAL SYSTEMS FOR GROWTH

With seven clinics under her guidance and a goal to expand to eleven, Dr Shara emphasizes the importance of systems. Not flashy marketing or new gadgets but real processes for patient experience, retention, and internal referrals.

She challenges the myth that practices fail due to lack of new patients. Instead, she focuses on closing the “leaky bucket” with smarter communication, empowered teams, and making every patient encounter matter.

HASHTAGS

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