Where it Began

Drs. Lena & Collin met while both attending Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. They became friends and later began dating, confident that they would one day share their dream of opening a chiropractic clinic together. Both having been raised in the North, yet huge lovers of the sun and the beach, they decided to settle down south in Tampa, Florida to create their life together.
Their journey with The Wellness Way began as patients before becoming doctors. Dr. Collin was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2019 while in the beginning stages of their chiropractic curriculum. He had seen multiple specialists, had multiple procedures, and was funneled through the medical system on many different medications trying to find relief from his debilitating symptoms. It eventually had gotten to the point where no medication was providing relief and they wanted to perform surgery to remove parts of his bowel. Dr. Lena & Dr. Collin decided to think differently. That’s when they found The Wellness Way & never looked back!

Their mission is to educate, enlighten, and empower those who have been seeking health answers for far too long without satisfying results. As practitioners who understand the immense capabilities of the human body when providing the necessary means of healing, both are confident in being able to identify the underlying causes of their patients’ conditions and lead them on a path toward vitality and longevity

In their free time, you can find Drs. Lena & Collin soaking up the Florida sunshine, enjoying quality time with their family and newborn baby, going to different restaurants and finding healthy options, golfing, and relaxing on their favorite beaches!
Where it Begin

Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Collin Dobnikar, DC

Dr. Collin Dobnikar, DC

Co-Owner, Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Collin grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He stayed in the Midwest for his undergraduate studies where he attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus in Chemistry. Dr. Collin wasn’t sure of what he wanted to do after graduating. After some thought, he realized he wanted a career in healthcare with more hands-on and more connection with patients. He moved to Davenport, Iowa and attended Palmer College of Chiropractic where he met his now fiancé, Dr. Lena!

Dr. Collin was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease one year into his doctorate program. He struggled with the medical approach as they tried many medications and procedures, yet nothing was providing relief. It wasn’t until he found The Wellness Way and he found his individual triggers that he started to find relief.

After living in the Midwest his entire life, he decided the cold weather was not for him. He moved south with Dr. Lena to Tampa, Florida where they opened their practice together. Dr. Collin has such a passion for helping others and letting them know they are not meant to suffer. His own personal experiences have allowed him to easily connect with patients. He aims to educate his patients on how their body is supposed to function and guide them to take control of their own health.

Dr. Lena Kortis, DC

Co-Owner, Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Lena was born in Massillon, Ohio where she grew up as an athlete playing softball and was on the swim team. She stayed close to home for college attending Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio where she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Neuroscience. After graduating, Dr. Lena attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where she met her now fiancé Dr. Collin.

Dr. Lena has always been fascinated by the human body and how it works. She was introduced to chiropractic at a very young age after experiencing many injuries from her time in athletics. She didn’t truly understand the value she could bring to the profession until her fiancé was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. It was extremely difficult to navigate and they were not getting answers from his doctors, until they found The Wellness Way Approach! They quickly realized this was the best way to help the most people and never looked back.

Dr. Lena Kortis, DC
Dr. Lena realized very early in life she was not meant for the cold, so she followed her dreams of living in the south and moved to Tampa, Florida with Dr. Collin to open their practice. Dr. Lena has also had her fair share of health hurdles but without them, she would not have had found her true purpose and passion in life. She has learned that the human body has the incredible potential to heal when interference and stressors are removed from the system. Dr. Lena is forever grateful for the healers she has met along her journey and embraces the opportunity to help others who are struggling like she and Dr. Collin once did.

Our Philosophy

The Big Idea

Bj Palmer, the developer of chiropractic, once said, "The power that made the body heals the body". We share this concept with all those walking through our doors at The Wellness Way Sarasota. As holistic practitioners who are well trained in the nervous system and physiology of the human body, we believe that every human being has the God-given potential to heal when the interference is removed from the nervous system. As chiropractors, we are trained in detecting and correcting subluxation is any neurological interference arising from one or more of the 3T's - traumas, toxins, and thoughts.
The Big Idea
Traumas

Traumas

We have all endured physical trauma from the moment of birth! The birthing process is very traumatic, and we are seeing more and more interventions used to bring a baby into this world. The physical pressure or trauma endured during childbirth has the potential to have lifelong complications if not addressed early on. Whether it comes from falls, car accidents, sports injuries or poor posture, we endure microtraumas every day that eventually cumulate to add extra stress on our nervous systems. Getting adjusted on a regular basis will ensure that your joints have the proper motion and ability to send signals to your brain and the rest of your body without any interference!
Toxins

Toxins

Our world has never been as toxic as it is today. Our country is facing an epidemic and it is only getting worse. Sugar consumption is at an all-time high causing rates of obesity and diabetes to skyrocket. The options for fast food and pre-packaged meals are now endless. As a society, we are eating far less nutrient-dense whole foods and far more food with preservatives and processed toxins than ever before. The air we breathe, water we drink, personal hygienic products we use, and food we consume on a daily basis are unfortunately shifting our bodies closer to a state of disease rather than health for many of us. These toxins have a tremendous impact on our immune and nervous systems and directly shift our physiology away from normal.
Thoughts

Thoughts

Have you heard that your thoughts control your reality? Well, it's true! If you are under chronic stress and feed your brain with negative thoughts, your body will eventually experience a host of issues. The brain and the body are closely connected that even just one thought of negativity can change your cortisol response and have an impact on your hormones! Did you know that the major cause of infertility is often stress-related? Our bodies protect ourselves in times of chronic stress and aillocate resources toward fighting the stressor and putting other human functions such as reproducing on the backburner for the time being. Stress can often manifest as a physical symptom somewhere alse in the body. This is your body's way of telling you that something is not quite right!

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