Dr. Kristin Lander and Dr. Olivia Douglas
Life on the Highlands‑Cashiers Plateau has always been shaped by movement. Residents hike before breakfast, tend mountain gardens in the afternoon, play golf and pickleball with friends, and spend long days building homes, teaching fitness classes, carrying trays, or caring for others. It’s a community where both joy and livelihood depend on bodies that can bend, lift, twist, and keep going.
That’s why access to high‑quality musculoskeletal care close to home matters so deeply, and why the arrival of Dr. Olivia Douglas at Highlands Chiropractic & Wellness feels like such a natural fit. For years, Dr. Kristin Lander has watched the need for this kind of care grow. “Living in a mountain community means access to specialized care can be limited,” she says. “Bringing Dr. Olivia into the practice allows us to meet that demand and ensure that level of care will be available for years to come.”
That need comes from every corner of the community. “People often think about retirees staying active,” Dr. Lander adds, “but there’s another group that depends on their bodies just as much – the contractors building homes, the servers carrying trays all evening, the trainers and golf pros teaching lessons, the massage therapists caring for others. When their bodies hurt, it affects their livelihood and the entire community.”
Dr. Douglas expands the practice’s ability to serve that wide range of needs. Her training includes advanced dry needling, soft‑tissue treatments, regenerative therapies, and modern approaches to chronic and complex musculoskeletal conditions. She embraces the full scope of chiropractic care – treating joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body, not just the spine. Paired with regenerative tools like shockwave therapy, these treatments help people recover faster and return to the mountain life they love.
For Dr. Douglas, the work is deeply meaningful. “Helping people feel their best and return to the activities they love without pain is incredibly rewarding,” she says. Her path to chiropractic care began with the realization that traditional hospital environments weren’t the right fit. A talk by a neurobiologist and chiropractor inspired her to pursue a field that blends science, hands‑on care, and the body’s natural ability to heal.
Originally from Upstate New York, Dr. Douglas completed chiropractic school in St. Louis before choosing Highlands for its sense of community and outdoor lifestyle. She and her dog, Koda, spend their free time hiking, exploring, and enjoying the lake – living the same active, connected life she helps her patients maintain.
Dr. Lander captures the moment best: “Living here is about enjoying the mountains, staying active, and being part of a community that values quality of life. Expanding our practice with Dr. Olivia helps ensure people who live and work here have the support they need to keep doing the things they love.”
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