Cynthia Schade, DC -Chiropractor/Body Balancer/Owner
Dr. Schade graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1985. She became a chiropractor because she perceived chiropractic as the best accepted “holistic natural healing” profession. Dr. Schade’s studies have included Neuromuscular Reeducation, the Graston Technique®, Bio Cranial Technique, as well as advanced chiropractic techniques. She was also a participant in an FDA study on Cold Laser Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Dr. Schade is a body balancer. Not only does she balance bodies to help patients recover from injuries, but she prevents future injuries and surgeries by educating patients on proper alignment and good posture. Breaking out of the “cracking their back” chiropractor stereotype, her goal is to treat the whole body. Many people don’t realize that their bodies are governed by nerves that run through the spinal column. By realigning the spine, she relieves pressure so the whole body works better.
Dr. Schade’s hobbies and interests include equestrian activities, yoga, free-form dance, watching live music, seeing plays, weight training, and spending time with friends and family. One of the things she enjoys about Austin is that she frequently encounters patients she has known for years, as she has treated them, their families, friends, and associates through the various stages of their lives.
Cynthia Lara, DC -Chiropractor
Dr. Cynthia Lara was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She was brought up with the science of an academic preparatory school and the alternative beliefs of her grandmother. Science and alternative natural health care just seem to blend in everyday life. Arnica, a healing herb for muscle pain was known to her as a child as “Grandma’s arnica”. She was surprised when she grew up to find out it really didn’t belong just to grandma. Chiropractic, with its roots in alternative medicine and science, was a natural fit. After getting several degrees in Biology and Chemistry, and then in Medical Technology, Dr. Lara became a chiropractor who has learned after twenty years of practice to incorporate many diverse healing paths into the work she does today.
After living in Mexico and the Middle East, Dr. Cynthia Lara approaches healing as an individualized concept where each person is different and responds to care in their own way. Living in different parts of the world showed Dr. Lara unique perspectives contributing to her view that each patient has their own way of healing. Dr. Lara believes the relationships she builds with her patients contributes immeasurably to the healing process.
Dr. Lara is fluent in English, Spanish, and has a working knowledge of Arabic and French, which she has used in her practice while dealing with the diverse patient population that come for treatment. Dr. Lara uses Activator Method, BEST (Biosynchronization Technique), Drop Table, and Diversified techniques to help her patients heal, as well as Gua Shaa and Graston Technique® to help restore soft tissue to healthy balance.
Kelly Grosch, DC, RD -Chiropractor
Dr. Kelly Grosch was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where she lived until moving to Texas at age 15. While finishing her undergraduate degree in nutrition from The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Kelly was a patient of Dr. Schade’s at Active Life. Originally seeking help for her sore neck, she was especially impressed by Dr. Schade’s use of Graston Technique® to treat her tennis elbow. At the time, she was completing her hospital internship as a Registered Dietitian and planning on going to medical school. The contrast between the patients she saw at the hospital on numerous medications and the patients healing naturally at Active Life changed her perspective- she decided to go to Chiropractic College instead!
Graduating cum laude from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas in 2010, Dr. Kelly returned to Austin and joined the Active Life team. She specializes in Graston Technique® and Fascial Manipulation, which she uses daily with great results. Outside of chiropractic, Dr. Kelly’s interests include exploring all of Austin’s outdoor activities- and restaurants! She loves bike riding, river floating and spending time with friends and family.
Michelle Vilchis -Front Office Manager
Michelle is front office manager, receptionist, and friendly voice on the phone for Active Life. Born and raised in Connecticut, Michelle attended the famous University of Connecticut. At age nineteen she moved to the south. She lived in Atlanta, Georgia when the city hosted the 1996 Olympics and graduated with a BA in Spanish from Georgia State University. In 2007 Michelle moved to Sarasota, Florida which is where she discovered her love for chiropractic and holistic medicine. Loving the active Austin lifestyle, in June of 2009 Michelle brought her knowledge of chiropractic to Active Life Wellness & Healthcare Center.
Victor Caballero -Sports Therapist/Fitness Trainer
Victor Caballero is a Certified Fitness Trainer/International Sports Science Association (ISSA) with an Apprenticeship in Therapeutic Exercise & Manual Therapies with pre- and post-operative patients while at Bender Chiropractic in Bakersfield, CA. Victor has attended numerous seminars & workshops on chiropratic rehabilitation with special emphasis on assessing abnormal movement patterns that cause pain and resultant treatment with therapeutic exercise.
Victor specializes in both spinal stabilization and flexiblity. With careful instruction, he fine-tunes stabilization exercises to improve a patient’s posture, core-strength and overall performance. He employes various stretching techniques which not only lengthen muscle range of motion (ROM) but also relieve tension and hypersensitivity. Victor’s style of treatment is hands-on and repetitive. This means that when a patient works with Victor, he or she is going to perform various exercises and/or participate in assisted stretching (PNF). This is highly effective at correcting abnormal movement pattens and provides valuable experiences at developing exercise technique. This process of rehabilitation can also be called “fine tuning”.
Victor freely admits, “I enjoy the nature that Austin offers, from walks and swimming to simply relaxing under a shade tree. I enjoy learning about new technology (user-friendly, not IT) that revolves around building websites. In addition, he is the proud father of a son; a young adult who has made a tremendous impact on his life by allowing him the pleasure of helping him through life’s challenges and occasionally letting Victor coach him through his workouts.
Tamara Conley -Insurance/Billing specialist
Active Life feels lucky to have the best insurance person in the world. Mrs. Conley came to us with 16 years chiropractic insurance experience. Her father-in-law was a chiropractor which is partially what started her career. Her knowledge, persistance and attention to detail is invaluable when dealing with the insurance companies. Though she is at ActiveLife almost everyday and work on vacation, she is a country girl at heart. She lives in the country with her husband and 2 teenage children.
Active Life is on most insurance plans. If you’re wondering what your plan covers, feel free to call us and set up a free consultation. Give us your insurance information and Tamara will verify your plan coverage.
