About Sláinte Chiropractic
At Sláinte Chiropractic in Jacksonville Beach, we help families thrive by focusing on nervous system wellness for babies, kids, and parents. The mission of pediatric and family chiropractic for the optimization of health and well being has been a part of our family for over 75 years. Our team is dedicated to creating a space where you feel like you are at home and a part of our family. From holding babies to holding space for people during challenging times, our team is here to serve you and your family!
As experts in the field of preconception, prenatal and pediatric care, we work with parents and parents-to-be who are fed up with the current health care system to find answers and make healthier choices for themselves and their family.
Our biggest objective is to correct vertebral subluxations, which interferes with your body's innate ability to control every function in your body, including the ability to heal. Rather than seeking to suppress the symptoms we seek to support your body and its natural ability to heal.
We are also committed to sharing what we know with other parents and families. As guides and partners on the journey, we empower our practice members to put this knowledge to use in their own lives in order to achieve their own highest potential.
Our Mission
An effortless, intentional conception. A joyful, stress-free pregnancy. An empowered, blissful birth. A radiantly healthy child.
Helping families achieve this birthright is the heartbeat of Slainte Chiropractic.
And it’s been in the making for over 80 years…
Our Journey
The story begins on a windy dirt road in the Rocky Mountains in 1949. A sudden gust of wind entered the car and the suicide door of the Chevy had popped open. Dr. Bridget’s Uncle Frosty, not even four years old, was sucked out of the car, smashing his skull against the pavement. He rolled down the side of the road, and fell unconscious.
Speeding to the hospital, they couldn’t get there fast enough. Test after test, Frosty just laid on the bed, paralyzed. The doctors didn’t have any answers.
Desperate for a miracle, they begrudgingly brought Frosty to a chiropractor. “I know you’re not a doctor, but I need you to look at my boy. The doctors can’t figure him out,” he said.
The town quack assessed, analyzed, and adjusted him.
Frosty said, “Dad, she fixed me.” He was healed immediately.
1951
After witnessing that miracle performed on his own son, Dr. Forrest Edkin, Dr. Bridget’s grandfather decided to move his entire family to Davenport, Iowa to become a chiropractor. Dr. Forrest graduated from school and opened Columbus Chiropractic Clinic in Columbus Junction, Iowa.
1971
Inspired by his dad Dr. Bridget's dad Dr. Bruce decided that he wanted to become a chiropractor, so he started at Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1971 and graduated in 1974. He then opened his Gonstead chiropractic practice, Edkin Chiropractic Clinic.
1977
Dr. Bridget's mom, Dr. Karen, suffered from horrible fibroids. Medical doctors told her that she might have to have a hysterectomy in order to resolve the issue. But after Karen was adjusted for the first time her fibroids "exploded" and that convinced her that chiropractic was her path. In 1981, Dr. Karen graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic.
This is the sign that hung in front of Dr. Bridget's parents office.
Pictured here is Dr. Bridget in her dad's arm (Dr. Bruce) and her mom (Dr. Karen) in their chiropractic office in Muscatine, Iowa.
2013
For years, Dr. Bridget running from her chiropractic destiny. She never wanted to become a chiropractor because everyone in her family was a chiropractor. But after moving away from her parents and their consistent care, she realized what life was like without get checked and adjusted regularly, and she didn't know how people could live like that. So after many years as a regional manager at Cold Stone Creamery, Dr. Bridget moving to Florida to become a chiropractor.
2014
Dr. Vin's eyes were opened to the power of chiropractic. He wanted to become a chiropractor because as a baseball player he realized the benefit of chiropractic in performance and recovery but in his first year of school he learned that chiropractic care transforms lives and there's no better time to start chiropractic care than with your children from birth.
2016
Dr. Vin and Dr. Bridget met at Dynamic Essentials in Atlanta Georgia when Dr. Bridget was preaching at a student meeting and Dr. Vin knew at that moment that he had found his wife. Over the next few months Dr. Vin and Dr. Bridget talked relentlessly about Jesus and chiropractic and over their conversations they fell in love.
2017
Dr. Bridget graduated from chiropractic school in December 2016, then immediately moved to Jacksonville Fl where God was calling her to help the people where she was saved at the Church of Eleven22. She found an office space in Jacksonville Beach and three moths after graduating she opened Slainte Chiropractic. Later that year, Dr. Vin moved to Jacksonville where he completed his chiropractic schooling. Then Dr. Vin and Dr. Bridget got married and the rest is history.
Your Care Team
Dr. Bridget Edkin-Farrar
Dr. Bridget is a third-generation chiropractor and the ninth in her family. She is overjoyed to be continuing the legacy of her family as a principled Gonstead chiropractor. She has been adjusted since she was four days old, and has never been inside of a hospital outside of birth.
What makes Sláinte Chiropractic different is that Dr. Bridget spent hundreds of hours outside of school to learn the Gonstead Technique. It is the most difficult technique to master in chiropractic but gets the absolute best results. With Gonstead Chiropractic care you can be sure you are getting the most thorough and comprehensive care possible! Dr. Bridget is also Certified in the Webster Technique, which also helps prepare your body for birthing your baby as naturally and painlessly as possible.
Dr. Bridget’s heartbeat is to help guide couples who are struggling with fertility to get healthy so they can conceive a radiantly healthy baby, as well as to help new families reduce the strain of birth and guide them through the journey of growing that healthy, well-adjusted, and happy baby! Her hope is to see all people live life to their God-given potential.
For Dr. Bridget, Chiropractic is not just a job, but a way of life as she embodies it in all that she does. Because of this passion, her talent, and amazing leadership skills, she was awarded Small Business Leader of the Year overall for the city of Jacksonville just this year. She is a dynamic speaker that loves empowering the community with a message of true health and healing which only comes from within. Often you will hear her say that God does the healing, her hands are just the tools He uses.
Dr. Bridget fell in love with the Jacksonville community when she moved here ten years ago and surrendered her life to Christ at the Church of Eleven22. There are two things that you can always count on Dr. Bridget talking about: Christ and Chiropractic. Dr. Bridget works together with her husband at Slainte Chiropractic. They have three beautiful children, and they cannot wait to meet you and your family!
Dr. Vincent Farrar
Dr. Vincent Farrar is a pediatric and prenatal chiropractic expert utilizing the Gonstead Technique. He is certified in the Webster Technique which is very beneficial for pregnant moms for optimizing their pregnancy, reducing pain, helping with positioning, and having a smooth birth experience. He also works with stressed newborn babies whose parents want them to eat, sleep, and poop with ease as well as with children with developmental challenges who want to reach their milestones and have the best quality of life possible.
Dr. Vin was born in New York after stressful labor. He experienced breathing difficulties, so he was on a nebulizer treatment frequently. After he finished those treatments, he had recurrent strep throat infections so he was given rounds of antibiotics. At the age of eight, after countless failed treatments Dr. Vin had surgery to remove his tonsils. Then Dr. Vin had experienced really bad seasonal allergies which his parents were told were normal.
During this time, Dr. Vin was an avid baseball player. Even though he lived in NY he played year round and put countless of hours into his career. Dr. Vin started out as a catcher than after a few years began to pitch as well. This placed a lot of stress on his arm and over time he developed an arm injury. This was how he was introduced to chiropractic.
Only after starting chiropractic school, did Dr. Vin discover what chiropractic was truly about. From that point on he had a burning desire to help children grow to their fullest potential.
Amanda Khaukha
Office Manager Extraordinaire
Amanda is our Office Manager. She began working at Slainte Chiropractic as a Chiropractic Assistant in July of 2018, after moving to Jacksonville in August of 2017.
Amanda was born in Dallas, TX where most of her family lives. She moved to Minneapolis, MN in 2009 to continue her education where she graduated from North Central University with a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Studies and Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification.
While in Minneapolis, she spent her free time leading worship, volunteering, and playing music for various events around the cities. She worked in Nassau, Bahamas with Next Step Ministries where she led youth and college age groups in long-term community development projects. After that, she traveled to Uganda multiple times for fieldwork credit towards her degree where she met her husband, David and fell in love with her home away from home.
Amanda is a wife and mother of two lively little girls, Suubi and Amara. One of her greatest family goals is making a new path regarding health for generations to come. She is working her way into the birth world, has completed her Doula Certification Training, and is incredibly passionate about women’s health. Her favorite things are writing, creating, and performing music, as well as exploring and sharing about culture & diversity, ministry, traveling, and coffee. She is always up for coffee (or tea) and a chat!
Ciena Owens
Back Office Captain
Ciena is a chiropractic assistant here at Slainte! She started out as a practice member but loved it so much she wanted to work here. She has been with us since October of 2019. You will find Ciena in the reassessment room doing scans and having great conversations with practice members. You might also find her in the back room writing birthday cards and making the happy thoughts that everyone loves.
Ciena is originally from Rohnert Park, California and moved to Florida when she was 12. Growing up in California she loved to go camping, being on a lake and playing sports. Ciena is a big animal lover and has two fur babies, Calypso and Phynx. They are spunky little cats. :)
Ciena was introduced to the chiropractic world through her sibling having back issues. Already two back surgeries into life at 23, and now they were suddenly not able to use their right leg. Without any luck in the medicine world her cousin, a chiropractor, referred them here to Slainte Chiropractic, since it was closer to where they lived. After seeing her sibling walk again, thinking it wasn’t possible because that is what they had been told by many medical people, she was sold and started care the next week! Ten months later, she was a part of the Slainte team.
In the future Ciena would love to have her own tiny house and be able to do more traveling. She wants to go to Europe, New Zealand and would love to go back to Iceland. She would love to one day move to a different country and have her tiny living there.
Jewel Payan
Social Media Maven
I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York in a small town that had more cows than people. I am the oldest of 4 siblings with a huge age gap—my sister is 13 years younger than me and my youngest brother is 17 years younger, so I am like a second mom to them.
When I wasn’t taking care of my siblings, I was acting in school musicals, writing songs, playing guitar in my bedroom, or, most likely, doing piles and piles of homework. I was lucky enough to attend a selective, early college high school program called PTECH where I earned my high school diploma and Associate’s Degree in Marketing at the same time in May of 2019. I then went on to earn my Bachelor’s in English from The College of Saint Rose, at age 19.
While doing college from my childhood bedroom thanks to COVID, I developed a passion for holistic health and natural living, and even considered becoming a chiropractor. Although I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after graduation, I knew that I wanted to use my passion for creativity to work for a company that was making a true impact on the world—even better if it had something to do with helping people live healthier lives. I figured that until I figured it out, I would just be a nanny—I loved kids and kids loved me. I also saw myself eventually living in the sunshine state; I couldn’t bear another dreadful New York winter, I aligned with the way Florida embraced medical freedom, and I’ve always dreamed of living by the beach.
Now here’s where it gets interesting. On the day I submitted my last college paper in May of 2021, my mom saw a post on the Crunchy Moms of Jacksonville Facebook group. Why she was in that Facebook group when we lived in upstate New York? Yes, she was a crunchy mom and had dreams of moving to Florida, but I think the only logical answer, is God.
A lady named Dr. Bridget made a post that Slainte Chiropractic was looking for someone to help fulfill their mission in a marketing role and also nanny their kids—two things that I loved and wanted to do! The post went on to describe all of the qualifications, values, and personality traits their ideal person would have. My mom messaged Dr. Bridget and said, “You just described my daughter.”
I sent in my resume and had a Zoom interview with the doctors. Minutes into our meeting, we fell in love and I knew instantly that I wanted to be part of their team and incredible mission.
So I moved across the country at 19, met my fiancé my third week of living here, and began my transformation from New York Nadia to Jacksonville Jewel! I feel so lucky to live in this beautiful beachside city, communicating chiropractic and helping spread the message of hope and healing to the masses. I get to take pictures and videos of cute babies all day, and also chase Vincent and Karen at least once a week!
Angie Elias
Office Experience Coordinator
My name is Angela (aka Angie to anyone who considers me a friend) and I am the only child of Rossana and the late Ramon Elias. My parents have always been my best friends and I’m blessed to have been raised by them. I’m convinced being an only child is for God’s toughest warriors.
I’ve always loved the arts; I sang probably before I could form full sentences, I begged my mom to put me in dance classes when I was about ten, and I attended an acting school in my early twenties. Writing has always been my biggest love. To this day, one of my favorite compliments was when my seventh grade English teacher told my parents she always put my essays at the end so she could savor them with a cup of coffee. Anyone who knows me, knows that’s my love language.
My health journey truly started in 2019, when my mother was having daily panic attacks and her mental health was at its worst. I didn’t know how to help her, what was causing it, and my mind spiraled thinking the absolute worst. She was the catalyst to me changing my lifestyle. I saw the ugliest side of mental illness and it was a huge mirror that made me realize what I want my present and future to look like. I took an online course to get certified as an integrative health coach and learned so much about health from a holistic standpoint. Health, to me, was just about calories, inches on your waist, and numbers on a scale; health was about looking your best versus feeling your best. I thought health could be determined by how someone looked and my views on it were very shallow and one-dimensional. I think a lot of us start out that way, because everywhere we look, that’s the message we get from the media. All of that is why I am such a huge advocate for therapy and body image.
Cut to 2020: I divorced my then-husband, moved to Florida with a childhood friend, and never looked back. Everything I believed about the healthcare system was tested and failed miserably. That’s where a lot of my growth came and my mindset changed. I had to unlearn more than I had to learn. I became almost unrecognizable to my family. Once having believed that “anti-vaxxers were selfish,” I now speak about the healthcare system seeking lifetime customers via vaccines.
In late 2020, I got in a car accident that eventually landed me in Slainte. In 2021, my father passed from lung cancer (that I firmly believe was brought on by The Vaccine). Before he passed, after the unsuccessful chemo and radiation, I was able to take him to get ozone therapy treatment and mistletoe shots. The night-and-day difference was astonishing and it’s another reason I’m so passionate about going the alternative route.
I ended my twenties and started my thirties hanging on by a thread. Thankfully I found Slainte; they are family to me now. They’ve seen me and cared for me during some of the hardest years of my life. And I believe God’s hand was in all of it.
“Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”
Psalm 30:2