Interview by Lauren Goforth and Taryn Prater | Images by Ryan McGill
The Walker Leader recently had the pleasure of speaking with Collin Bowen Louden to learn a bit about her life and career. Louden recently joined her family’s practice, Bowen Family Chiropractic, as a chiropractic care provider.
WL – Tell us a bit about what you do.
CL – I am a chiropractor, volleyball coach, and Certified Personal Trainer, so I do a little of everything!
WL – What inspired you to pursue those paths?
CL – I played college volleyball for three years at Lee University, where I graduated a year early. Later, I played my senior season at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, where I started my doctorate. I had some great coaches along the way that gave me a love for volleyball.
I knew I wanted to go into the medical field, but I wasn’t sure which route I wanted to take. I initially thought I did NOT want to go into chiropractic; I did not want to do the same thing my family did – I wanted to be different! One day, I was sitting in an Anatomy class, and I just realized, “I’m going to do it, I’m going to apply to chiropractic school,” and the rest is history.
With fitness, before I graduated from undergrad, my class was kind of a “guinea pig” class, so they made us take this nationally accredited personal training test with our Exercise Science degree. Now, it is a requirement that you take it and pass, but at the time, they just wanted us to take it and see how it went. Only two of us passed, and somehow, I was one of them, which is crazy! So that is how I became a personal trainer, and then I chose to use that with chiropractic because I wanted to take a more natural approach to medicine. I had great strength and conditioning coaches throughout school who also contributed to my love for training and fitness.
Volleyball, fitness, and chiropractic all go together for me. I can use all of them together and use one to help the other. It’s just great to me.
WL – What was it like growing up with a chiropractor for a mom?
CL – It was overwhelming when I was young because it seemed like everyone knew her, but now I realize it’s a good thing. It means I have a lot of people who have my back. Though I once thought I never wanted to come back to Walker County, I decided to stay close to where our support was when I got married and started thinking about having children. Now, I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made here and the people I know I can count on.
WL – What is the most rewarding part of your job?
CL – I fell in love with chiropractic while working with pregnancies. We help women avoid C-sections and epidurals, strengthen the pelvic floor, relieve pain, and write birth plans. It’s rewarding to empower women for labor and motherhood. That is when I fell in love with chiropractic instead of viewing it as a job.
WL – Is there anything your office offers that you feel sets your practice apart?
CL – We offer unique services like red light therapy, vibratory plates, laser therapy, and shockwave therapy, and we work a lot with athletes. My mom does acupuncture and dry needling. I’m getting certified to offer “injectables” that help balance blood levels and hormones. We empower individuals to focus on healing rather than masking an issue. We are constantly growing and changing to be able to offer new treatment options like the vibratory plate, which has been a game changer for athletes and people with osteoporosis. We also collaborate with doctors and other healthcare providers to provide comprehensive patient care.
WL -What are some cool things that the different areas of your career have allowed you to experience?
CL – I went to Israel with my college volleyball team. We stayed at Bethlehem Bible College, taught volleyball, and worked with children and women who wanted the opportunity to learn how to play. Our translator was a 13-year-old girl who spoke seven languages fluently. We also trained at their Olympic center and visited holy sites.
I also got to help do sports camps in the Philippines, hosting clinics for kids in orphanages and villages. Despite the 101-degree weather, the kids were thrilled to be outside. These experiences humbled me and showed me that I can make a difference and that what we do does matter!
WL – Lastly, what is your go-to meal in Walker County?
CL – Queso Fundido from Los Reyes. It’s an appetizer that is a whole meal. It’s my favorite!
