Chiropractor Opens His 'Dream Practice'

“This is what I envisioned when I doodled in class. I was able to play architect and build and design what I wanted.”

Dr. Marc Rogers, 41, is talking about his new office in Largo, just south of East Bay Drive on Seminole Boulevard.  Rogers and his employees moved into Coastal Chiropractic about two months ago. 

“It’s my dream practice,” he said.

It’s also in his dream city. Rogers grew up in Indian Rocks Beach and said he always wanted to “come back home.” 

Susan Cobb, who works in reception, said the office has the right vibe. 

“It’s such a great office with positive energy. I feel blessed to have found such a great establishment,” Cobb said.

Rogers didn’t always plan on becoming a chiropractor. Circumstances played a part during Rogers’ senior year at Florida State University.

“I was going to go to law school, and I had a really bad car accident in 1994. I broke my shoulder, had herniated disks in my neck and they recommended surgery for me,” Rogers said.

Rogers remembered visiting a chiropractor when he was young and decided to explore nonsurgical options. 

“I remember driving home after surgery had been scheduled in Tallahassee,  and I saw a chiropractor’s sign. I pulled in and started getting adjusted. In about six weeks, most of my pain was gone,” he said. That experience inspired Rogers to take a new career path.

From there, Rogers got his doctorate in chiropractic, came back to Largo in 2000 and opened a practice on East Bay. Rogers practiced for 11 years before the latest move. 

“It’s a great profession because you get to help people get well without drugs and surgery, which is a huge problem these days,” he explained.

Rogers said when it comes to health care, people are too influenced by television commercials.

“We do a lot of education because they learn from TV that if you can’t sleep, take a pill. If you can’t go to the bathroom, take a pill,” Rogers said. “This is the only organized medical health care profession swimming upstream against a sea of medical dogma. The FDA, every year, approves drugs that are later pulled off the market," he said.

Despite that, Rogers is optimistic about the future of his practice and his relationships with other doctors in town. 

“Last month was my best month in two years,” he said. “Most of our practice is from referrals. We get a lot of referrals from medical doctors and the medical community – at least 25 percent of my practice is from local medical physicians, neurologists and orthopedists.”

Rogers credits some new services to an increase in business, including acupuncture and a weight loss program called “Ideal Protein.” Also available to patients: a herniated disk treatment table. 

“It’s the only nonsurgical technique for herniated disks,” Rogers said.

Rogers thinks his patients can tell how he views his job and life in Largo.

“It’s my home," he said. "Bury me underneath a palm tree. I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico. I always wanted to come back home. I love helping people. That’s the passion our patients feel when they come in.”