When Dr. Klepko and her husband moved to Florida during COVID, they had something rare: time to plan exactly what their new clinic would look and feel like. The name came first, The Chiropractic Spa, and with it a goal. They wanted a place where people could come not only for chiropractic care, but also to relax, recover, and de-stress.

Massage chairs were part of that vision from the beginning, so the couple did their homework. "We went to at least five different places and tried all kinds of massage chairs," Dr. Klepko says. "Everyone claimed theirs was the best, but when we sat in the Human Touch Super Novo, we knew we had found the one."

For Dr. Klepko, the chairs add another layer to the care her team provides. Patients can relax their muscles, warm up before an adjustment, and support their recovery. They also get something that can be hard to find in a busy day: a dedicated opportunity to slow down and decompress.

Whether it's an athlete dealing with tight muscles, someone coming in because they're in pain, or a patient who simply needs 30 minutes to relax, the chairs let the team enhance their visit beyond the adjustment itself.

"They've become a part of the experience our patients genuinely look forward to," says Dr. Klepko.

New patients start with a consultation and exam. While the team puts together the treatment plan, patients enjoy a 10-minute demo in one of the Super Novo chairs before sitting down for their report of findings. "It's a great introduction to the experience, and patients are usually wowed by how much the chairs can actually do," Dr. Klepko says.

By the second visit, patients meet the WholeBody® ROVE PRO chairs in the open adjusting area and learn how to use them. From then on they know they can come in, get comfortable, and start relaxing before their adjustment.

The reaction is rarely subtle. Dr. Klepko often reflects on how often a patient gets out of the chair for the first time and immediately says, 'Wow, that was amazing!'"

The response, she says, is overwhelmingly positive, and patients genuinely look forward to using the chairs when they come in.

What do patients love most? The customization. The team can adjust the intensity, add heat to specific areas, and even turn off the air compression in certain areas if something feels too intense, such as when the compression around the calves is too tight. The yoga stretch program is another favorite, offering a gentle stretching and decompression-type experience for the spine that "feels amazing," especially for patients who enjoy spinal decompression or want a deeper stretch.

The benefits show up in two places. For patients who arrive extremely tight and are harder to adjust, the team may have them spend 30 minutes in a Super Novo first. "By the time we see them, their muscles are more relaxed, which can make it easier for us to perform their chiropractic adjustment," Dr. Klepko says.

The second benefit is stress. Some patients are constantly on the go and rarely take time to slow down, and the chair gives them an opportunity to disconnect, decompress, and relax before continuing with their day.

That's why it's hard for her to name one type of patient who benefits most. Athletes love the chairs for muscle relaxation and recovery, patients in pain appreciate the chance to loosen up, and high-stress professionals love having dedicated time to decompress.

"Whether someone is focused on performance, pain relief, or simply managing the stress of everyday life, there's something they can benefit from," says Dr. Klepko.

At The Chiropractic Spa, the chairs work alongside other services. One favorite combination is the Super Novo with BrainTap® meditation: The massage helps the body relax while BrainTap provides a guided meditation experience, giving patients 30 minutes to disconnect, decompress, and reset.

The AirTech ZG PRO zero gravity chair is paired with NormaTec compression boots, which is especially popular for recovery. The Perfect Chair® lives in the acupuncture room, where the zero gravity positioning creates an incredibly comfortable and relaxing environment during acupuncture treatments.

The result, she says, is that the chairs enhance services the practice already offers rather than having the chairs function as a completely separate offering.

Before becoming chiropractors, Dr. Klepko and Dr. Ryan both worked for years as personal trainers and physical therapy assistants, so they've always looked at how the muscles and joints work together. "We don't want to simply adjust a patient and send them on their way without addressing the muscular imbalances that may be contributing to their problem," she says.

The chairs help release tight muscles, and she calls the Super Novo "especially impressive" because its massage track extends all the way down into the glutes and piriformis, an area that can be difficult to reach with many standard massage chairs. The team then pairs that work with individualized home rehab exercises to strengthen weak areas and help patients maintain their progress.

Dr. Klepko says her experience with Human Touch has been great, and two things stand out. The first is having a dedicated representative who works specifically with chiropractors. "Having a direct contact we can reach with questions and get a quick response from has been incredibly helpful," she says.

The second is buying the chairs commercially with a commercial warranty, which matters when they're used regularly in a busy practice. When an issue has been covered under warranty, Human Touch has sent someone directly to her office to take care of it.

"Between the quality of the chairs and the support behind them, we've had a great experience with Human Touch over the years."

Her advice to a practice considering a Human Touch chair is to look beyond one question. "I would tell them to look beyond simply asking, 'How much can I charge per massage?' because it's easy to see a commercial chair as a large upfront expense and calculate return on investment session by session," she says, but that's never been how they've used theirs.

At The Chiropractic Spa, patients don't pay each time they sit in a chair. Access is built into their care plans and packages, because it adds value to the overall experience. "Patients love using them, they look forward to coming in, and that experience helps differentiate our practice and contributes to patient retention."

"For us, the return on investment is in the overall experience we're able to provide."

There's also very little required operationally. The chairs don't require scheduling another provider, laundry, or extensive cleanup, and they can be available throughout the day. 

"If you have the space, I think they're an incredible adjunct to a chiropractic or wellness practice."