Dr. Zach Nelson
Co-Owner & Chiropractor
Dr. Zach was born and raised in Manhattan, KS. Growing up he was very active in sports, playing baseball, basketball, and football. He later went on to play college basketball at Cowley County Community College and then Friends University in Wichita, KS. His first experience with chiropractors was in middle school for frequent headaches, low back pain, and bouts of shortness of breath and asthma.
Later, when Dr. Zach was in college, he had debilitating low back pain and sciatic nerve pain which prevented him from doing any form of practice or workouts. He was told that it should go away on its own if he stopped working out and took ibuprofen. Unfortunately, it did not go away, so he decided to see a chiropractor. Under care, his low back pain, and sciatic nerve pain resolved which allowed him to participate in workouts, and practices again, and his team went on to have the best season recorded in school history!
These visits peaked his interest in the profession, but he still was unsure how the adjustments had affected his body in that way. It wasn’t until Dr. Zach was in the Pre-Physician Assistant undergrad program at Wichita State that a chiropractor came to speak about the importance of spinal health, the intimate relationship it holds with the nervous system and how that pertains to health and wellness. After that class Dr. Zach immediately called his family, told them that he wanted to become a Chiropractor. Later, Dr. Zach graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College, where he also won the Clinical Excellence award for the care he provided in the Outpatient Center.
Dr. Zach specializes in Neurologically-Based Chiropractic Care. He holds Advance Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique credential; which is a gentle, specific, results-driven technique. He also holds Webster Technique Certification, which is specific for pregnant women. He is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, and specializes in providing care for pediatric patients!
Dr. Zach is thrilled to provide life-changing care and information to the community. He believes it is a huge disservice to anyone who does not know why they should get adjusted, or how it affects the body. He is very passionate about chiropractic care and loves serving his community.
Dr. Maustin Otterstatter
Chiropractor
Dr. Maustin was born in Carthage, New York and did some traveling as a young kid through New York and Panama, before settling and growing up in Manhattan, KS. He then moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin with his family before high school. He always knew that he wanted to come back down to Kansas if able to. In high school, he played multiple sports before going on and playing college baseball at Washburn University. He was here for four and a half years before starting, and finishing chiropractic school at Cleveland University-Kansas City.
His first experience with chiropractic care was when he was only about 7 years old. He has a brother who played sports as well, and one of his teammates’ dads was a chiropractor. He always remembers the dad bringing his portable table along to tournaments to adjust the players or parents at the end of a long day. It was then that Dr. Maustin became infatuated with the idea of chiropractic and helping others through their healing journey. It wasn’t until later on in high school that Dr. Maustin really understood the healing effects of chiropractic care.
While he was playing football, basketball, and baseball in high school, his body was really taking a beating. During baseball he started to have some right hip pain and elbow pain that would come and go, but as a pitcher, it would get worse after throwing. He would take a lot of ibuprofen before going out to pitch to help with the hip and elbow pain, but it never really helped the pain go away, it would just cover it up or dull it out for a short while. He then found a chiropractor in Wisconsin that he started going to regularly. While going to see him, the pain in both his hip and elbow started to go away and this allowed him to pitch when needed and he was not depending on ibuprofen anymore.
Dr. Maustin is incredibly excited to be back in Kansas and provide care to people of all ages and occupations. He loves explaining what chiropractic care is, especially to people who may not know anything about the profession. It does miraculous things to the body and can change peoples lives in ways they never imagined!
Meagan Nelson
Co-Owner and Director of Operations
Meagan was raised in Wichita, KS. She and her family moved to Kansas once her dad retired from the Navy. Growing up she was very active in soccer, volleyball, basketball, and water sports. She later on went to play soccer in college at Tabor College and Friends University, which is where she met Dr. Zach!
During undergrad, Meagan studied biology and learned about anatomy, physiology and the human body. When Dr. Zach first started attending classes in chiropractic school, it really peaked her interest because she always loved learning about human anatomy, physiology, and brain health in school. Growing up active and healthy, Meagan never had any prior experience with chiropractic and thought it was only for those who experienced headaches, neck pain, or back pain. After learning more about the benefits of chiropractic care while Dr. Zach was in school, she realized she needed to start care proactively to be optimally healthy.
When Dr. Zach mentioned the idea of opening a chiropractic office, Meagan was eager to dive in! She is beyond excited to share the benefits of chiropractic care and bring family-centered, Neurologically-Based Chiropractic Care to the surrounding Merriam, KS communities through Vita Chiropractic.
Molly
Office Manager
Molly grew up in a small town in western Kansas. She attended Kansas State University studying Human Development and Family Science and Conflict Analysis and Trauma. She has always had a heart for people and helping others overcome barriers to allow them to live a life to the fullest. This passion took her overseas after college to work for a ministry in New Zealand where she helped young adults understand who God is and the fullness of life He offers.
At Vita, Molly is able to continue helping others live a full life by overcoming pain and other health issues so they can best serve their bigger purpose! Molly had many misconceptions about chiropractic care at first, however gaining an understanding of the neurologically-based approach changed her mind. She was fascinated to see the many different ways people could experience long lasting healing by getting to the root cause of the problem, in the nervous system, verses just a temporary “bandaid” approach.
Molly has experienced the body’s parasympathetic response to adjustments (feeling more relaxed, rested, and calm) and has also seen improvements with immune function and headaches!
Molly loves seeing the healing and life transformation that happens at Vita on a daily basis and enjoys building relationships with all the practice members! She is excited to be a part of the positive culture at Vita and help continue to extend that to the community.
Emma
Clinical Chiropractic Assistant
Emma grew up in Seneca, KS, a small-town northwest of Kansas City. She attended Baker University where she studied Public Health and Lifestyle Medicine. From a young age Emma had a passion for health and wellness. She grew up playing sports in high school and got more interested in learning how nutrition affects a person’s health. During Emma’s sophomore year of high school, she suffered a sports injury that led her to chiropractic care. Through her already blossoming passion for health and wellness as well as chiropractic care, it was clear to Emma that she had a heart to help people overcome obstacles that stop them from optimizing their health.
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At Vita, Emma is able to continue to gain knowledge about health and wellness and help others do the same. While she already knew about chiropractic care before joining the Vita team, Vita's neurologically based approach intrigued her. She was amazed at how people were healing functionally and getting to the root cause of their symptoms, rather than masking them with “quick fixes”.
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Emma has experienced a total shift in her body’s nervous system in response to her adjustments. Not only does she have limited pain, but also notices better sleep quality, improvements in immune function, and overall feels more relaxed, rested, and calm!
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Emma loves working at Vita Chiropractic and serving others in their health and wellness journey. Being able to build relationships with practice members and see life-changing transformations in other people’s lives is very rewarding for Emma. She is excited to be part of the positive community at Vita!
Sam
Clinical Chiropractic Assistant
Sam was raised in Seneca, KS. He is the youngest of three boys. Growing up you could always find Sam playing various sports with his older brothers. During school it was football, basketball, and track. In the summers, it was traveling basketball and football camps and combines. Sam eventually went on to play college football at Baker University then transferred to Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, CA.
At Vita Chiropractic, Sam has been able to gain more knowledge about chiropractic care and understand how the body functions. He has enjoyed learning about the neurological side of care and how a quick pop or crack doesn’t lead to sustainable correction in the long term.
Sam has always struggled with back pain from football, but now with chiropractic care he has been able see major improvements and no longer has the fear of reinjuring his back anymore! After his adjustments, Sam is sleeping a lot easier and waking up energized. Sam has also noticed his immune system being more resilient and stronger.
As a dedicated chiropractic assistant at Vita Chiropractic, Sam brings a lifelong passion for health and wellness into the care of our patients. Through his own athletic journey he experienced the incredible benefits of chiropractic care firsthand, especially when dealing with the physical demands and injuries from playing at a high level. This personal connection to chiropractic care fuels his commitment to helping others achieve their health goals. At Vita Chiropractic, Sam’s here to support you on your journey toward a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Arlo The English Bulldog
Assistant People Lover and Office Mascot
Arlo is easily the most popular member of the Vita team. He is an English Bulldog and loves going into work each day. Arlo enjoys laying in the hallway and adjusting rooms and watching his dad, Dr. Zach, adjust our practice members. If you're lucky, he may enter your adjusting room and give you a kiss on your hand while you relax before your adjustment.
Most often, you can find Arlo sunbathing in the reception room, sleeping in the back office, or playing down the hallway. If he brings you a toy to play, you should consider yourself one of the lucky chosen ones! A few of his favorite things include snacks, stuffed toys, and scratches (and he is NOT afraid to show you where his favorite spots are).
Make sure to say, "hi" to Arlo whenever you come in for your adjustments or evaluations and he is sure to make your day!
