Dr. Mel marks 25th anniversary at location she calls home
South Cape business icon Dr. Mel is celebrating her 25th anniversary in Cape Coral’s original downtown.
Dr. Melinda Youngs opened Dr. Mel Youngs Chiropractic & Wellness on Oct. 1, 2000 and her practice continues to focus on “pre-hab” — taking care of oneself mentally, physically and spiritually.
“Here it is 25 years later from the first day I opened my doors. My Dad and Mom owned the building since 1983 and it was (originally) an ice cream store,” Youngs said.
Her dad was her inspiration to set a goal of operating her own business, and entering the medical field felt right.
Youngs said she was first introduced to the help chiropractic care can provide when she sought an adjustment after having repetitive ankle sprains from long-distance running.
Once she was adjusted, she did not have any more ankle problems and she still runs to this day.
“I thought it was fascinating. That was when I was at the University of Florida. I remember thinking that is really cool and this is something I would like to do with my life,” Youngs said.
After attending the University of Florida and chiropractic school in Missouri she knew she wanted to return to Cape Coral because it was home.
“I think it was kind of natural that my dad always said you need to open your own business and work for yourself. He retired, we remodeled and I opened my own clinic,” Youngs said.
The building that now houses her practice was once her dad’s, Richard Youngs, YUMS Ice Cream shop, which opened in 1981. When Youngs opened her practice at 916 Cape Coral Parkway. E., it, literally, was coming home to the place where she grew up.
“My favorite part of the story — where I adjust every day is exactly where my dad stood and served ice cream for 30 years. I’m very honored, very blessed to stand on his shoulders and have it a little easier,” Youngs said.
There are three doctors at the practice, Youngs, Dr. Misty Hutchinson and Dr. Stacey Barrientos, as well as seven massage therapists and two chiropractic assistants — all women.
Her practice, formally Dr. Mel Youngs Chiropractic Physicians and Associates, is a wellness practice that offers massage therapy, K Laser therapy and dry needling in addition to chiropractic services.
The K Laser therapy is therapeutic modality to help with muscle sprains, strains and body parts that have inflammation, and dry needling is similar to acupuncture.
These services help heal the body without making it worse and causing side effects, she said.
“Anything you can do to work with the body rather than put something from the outside in is always better to let you body heal itself,” she said. “People aren’t ice cubes. Everyone requires something different– needs something different. Sometimes the medical model treats people like ice cubes. Chiropractor care is individualized– we look at the whole body and whole person. It changes how you get treated.”
Patients range from 91 down to newborns.
The first time a body’s spine goes through trauma is when it comes out of the birth canal, she explained.
“Babies respond great when getting adjusted,” Youngs said. “It helps nurse better, sleep better and go to the bathroom better. We see babies sometimes days after they are born. We adjust the mom and adjust the baby.”
Hutchinson, she said, is amazing with newborns.
“We had a patient just a few months ago who wasn’t nursing well and latching. After the baby was adjusted they went into the other room and nursed and didn’t have any problems. It’s amazing how the body is trying to fix itself,” Youngs said.
She said she still has patients from when she first started her practice, something she can track due to the electronic medical system that assigns numbers to her patients.
“Patient 38 still comes in. I’m now on 32,000,” Youngs said. “What I do feels purposeful, deeply worthwhile and impactful.”
Chiropractic treatment has numerous benefits, she said.
“Chiropractic is safer than taking aspirin. It’s very safe and very effective. It makes a difference in the quality of life and how you feel. How you move, how you sleep,” she said. “You don’t live in your house; you live in your body. It is valuable. It requires love, time, effort and money. A lot of people don’t take care of their body until they get sick. I love working on the body because it is the most amazing machine we have. It’s a beautiful calling to help people feel better.”
Her practice helps support people on their wellness journey. The help lies within moving better and improving posture, so people can feel better and be the best person they can be.
Movement is medicine, she said, adding that bodies are designed to move.
“Movement is like WD40. Most people feel better when they move more. Adjustments help you move better, feel better and walk more, and sit without pain,” Youngs said. “Pain is a drain. When you are in pain, it makes everything hard.”
Those who are interested in learning more about the practice and services offered can text (239) 542-1422. Someone will return the text even outside of office hours. The paperwork will be sent digitally, and an appointment will be made.
She said she is really proud of the thorough job her team does of evaluating and examining a new patient to see how they can help.
“I love the idea of people taking care of their body and doing something regularly to take really good care of themselves. Most people have so much stress in their lives and don’t know how to undo it. The body keeps the score,” Youngs said. “Your job is to relax, and my job is to work on you. The magic is the body — it tries to fix itself. I am just a tool in the toolbox that can help it along.”