Meet Dana Hollandsworth DC, M Ed, cAVCA

Animal Chiropractic Journey

Hi! My name is Dana Hollandsworth. Thank you for stopping by! I look forward to meeting you. This is the short version of my journey, I’d be glad to share more with you if you have any questions.

While I didn’t initially plan to help animals with chiropractic care, it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life. My love for animals started way back when I was a child. I grew up with cats and I loved them. I also dreamt of living on a farm one day and always wanted a dog and a horse. Some of those dreams have come true =)

As many times as I tried, I could not convince my parents that a dog and a horse were good pet options. So, I found other ways to be around them. I was that person who said “Hi” to every dog I met and I still sometimes greet people’s pets before I greet them.

My early equine experience was mostly earned in sweat equity. To be able to take riding lessons, I used to ride my bike miles to the barn and worked in exchange for opportunities to ride. Looking back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was worth every ounce of sweat!

Animals are great teachers

I stopped riding when I went off to college. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Movement Science, I decided to continue my education and went to Parker College of Chiropractic. It was there that I first learned animal chiropractic existed. While I was completing my internship in my last year of Chiropractic College, I adopted my first two dogs, both boxers. My, now husband and I found out that the boys had some health concerns and I wanted to see what integrative care options may exist for them. They had a veterinarian who also adjusted so I tried getting them adjusted and they had excellent results. A few months later, we moved out of state to start our careers as chiropractors and I made a point to continue to find chiropractic and integrative veterinary care for our boys.

You might be wondering why I didn’t just adjust them myself, since I am a chiropractor. Well, as you might guess, animal and human anatomy are not the same. While they do have many similarities to each other there are also important differences in the joint biomechanics and anatomical structures. Since I have a lot of respect for the nuances of joint biomechanics and adjusting competency, I was not going to try and guess how to adjust them without formal training.

Our Boxers lived a great life and I am forever grateful for what they taught me. After they passed away my husband and I adopted a 9-month-old pointer mix. Talk about energy and personality! We decided to search for a playmate for our new girl and we found the perfect 11-week-old German Shorthair Pointer and we officially became a bird-dog household.

Two became three when we had to make a run to the pet store one day and found our most recent rescue pup. She was 5 months old and looked like a pointer-boxer mix. She was the perfect fit. It turns out she is a Boxer, Great Dane, and Doberman mix, who knew?!

Now I have the honor of sharing my home with my husband and our three very active girls, who are self-appointed master squirrel hunters. They take their job very seriously! The girls also enjoy backyard agility training, learning new tricks, wrestling with each other, and of course, getting their chiropractic adjustments.

Professional Chiropractic Journey

My husband and I first started in human chiropractic practice in 2010, in Washington State, and then life took us to Illinois. Our practice was focused on helping people function better for life and we enjoyed helping the communities we were in. There came a time when I had a strong desire to contribute to the chiropractic profession differently. When an opportunity presented itself to teach professionally I knew I had to take it. We moved to Texas so that I could follow my new career journey as a Professor teaching in the Chiropractic College at a University.

Technology in Teaching

In 2016 I started a project, in collaboration with a veterinarian colleague, involving the integration of new teaching technology into the animal chiropractic program at our University. That project was the beginning of my professional journey into this wonderful world of animal chiropractic. Since then, I have had the honor to assist with the animal chiropractic program and work with an international team investigating how to measure the force and speed that is used when canines and equines are adjusted. This project and program have provided the perfect opportunity for me to reconnect with my love for animals in a whole new way.

Training and Certification

My life has taken me in and out of the equine world since the late 90s but I never lost my appreciation for that special connection I feel with horses. After a realization that my life is most in balance when I am regularly at a barn and around animals, I followed through with my desire to complete the Animal Chiropractic Continuing Education program through Parker University.

I then completed the examination process to become certified in animal chiropractic by the American Chiropractic Certification Commission (ACCC) of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA). I started Smooth Transitions Chiropractic, PLLC to share chiropractic with all of the wonderful animals in the area. There are a lot of human chiropractors, but not nearly as many animal chiropractors. It turns out animals can also benefit from chiropractic care!

I feel so fortunate that my love for animals, my passion for teaching and learning, and my experience with chiropractic care can be combined to help our four-legged friends feel better, move better, and perform better with animal chiropractic. I have found when chiropractic care is the appropriate treatment, animals respond faster than humans, it’s incredible to see some of the benefits they experience.

I consider it an honor to work with a veterinarian’s referral to offer mobile chiropractic care to animals in the Denton, North Texas, DFW area.

I’d be happy to answer any questions you have, give me a call, send me a text or an email.

Education

Degrees

Master of Science in Higher Education Administration, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce TX, 2021
Doctor of Chiropractic, Parker College of Chiropractic, Dallas TX, 2010
Bachelor of Science in Movement Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL, 2006

Certifications

Certified in animal chiropractic by the Animal Chiropractic Certification Commission (ACCC) of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), Bluejacket OK, 2022
Animal Chiropractic 220-hour Continuing Education Completion, Parker University, Dallas TX, 2022

This is Dana Hollandsworth’s most relevant abbreviated version of her education and training. Her full CV is available by request.

Research and Academic Work

Dana Hollandsworth stays involved in teaching and research involving adjusting forces used in both humans and animals. Here are some of the publications and conferences she has contributed to and some fun pictures of working in the labs.

NOTE: She is a fan of research that is very low risk and does not participate in invasive studies.

Publications

De Luca K., McDonald M., Montgomery L., Sharp S., Young A., Vella S., Holmes M., Aspinall S., Brousseau D., Burrell C., Byfield D., Dane D., Dewhurst P., Downie A., Engel R., Gleberzon B., Hollandsworth D., Nielsen A., O’Connor L., Starmer D., Tunning M., Wanlass, P., & French S. COVID-19: how has a global pandemic changed manual therapy technique education in chiropractic programs around the world? Chiropr Man Therap. 2021 Vol. 29 No. 7.
Armstrong D., Naquin A., Hollandsworth D., Impact of Force-Sensing Table Technology (FSTT) on student’s self-perceived confidence when learning cervical techniques. J of Chiropr Edu. 2019 Vol. 34 No. 1, p. 90-91.
Hollandsworth D., Giggleman G., Baggett L., Russell, E. Perceived Canine Adjusting Confidence of Multidisciplinary Professionals After Experience in a Simulation Lab: A Preliminary Study. J of Chiropr Educ. 2018 Vol. 32 No. 1, p. 74.
Hollandsworth D., Armstrong D., Russell E. Influence of open-lab attendance on student performance using force sensing table technology (FSTT). J of Chiropr Educ. 2017 Vol. 31 No. 1, p. 64.

Keynote Presentations

Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., Advances in Education and Research. AVCA Annual Conference Tucson 2019. November 2019.

Platform Presentations

Russell E., Hollandsworth D., Armstrong D., Starmer D., Implementation of Force Sensing Table Technology into a Chiropractic College Technique Curriculum. International Research And Philosophy Symposium (IRAPS). Spartanburg, SC. October 2017.

Continuing Education Presentations

Hollandsworth, D. Protect your Investment and Enhance your Adjusting. Parker Seminars Orlando, June, 2024.
Hollandsworth, D. Optimizing your Adjusting Biomechanics & Adjust like an Athlete. Parker Seminars Vegas, February, 2024.
Hollandsworth, D. Optimizing your Adjusting Biomechanics & Adjust like an Athlete. Parker Seminars Dallas, October, 2023.

Conference Workshops

Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., Adie K. Capacity and Adaptability. AVCA Annual Conference Tucson 2022. November 2022.
Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., Adie K. Video Analysis. AVCA Annual Conference Tucson 2022. November 2022.
Guist B., Carinci M., Choi G., Hollandsworth D., McClendon C., Ludwig M. Enhancing Student Education in Labs with Educational Technology. ACCRAC San Diego 2022. July 2022.
Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., DeMarco L., Wynd S., Ridgeway D., Osterbauer P. Risk Management Strategies: Teaching and learning spinal manipulation. ACCRAC Virtual Conference 2021. March 2021.
Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., Adie K. The Force Within You: Using simulation methods and force sensing technology to enhance education, quality assurance and research productivity in animal chiropractic programs. AVCA Annual Conference Tucson 2019. November 2019.
Starmer D., Hollandsworth D., Russell E., Wilson J., Grande S., Bartosik A., Lardon A. Assessing competencies in the performance of spinal manipulation. ACCRAC Baltimore 2019. March 2019.
Starmer D., Adie K., Hollandsworth D., Teasdale, R. Manipulation Force-Time Characteristics Across Spinal Regions of Canines. AVCA Annual Conference Dallas 2018. November 2018.
Hollandsworth D., Lester S., Russell E., Wilson J. The Force Within You: Using Force-Time Profiles in Chiropractic Education. ACCRAC Dallas 2018. March 2018.
Lester S., Good C., Hollandsworth D., Grande S., Osterbauer. Low Tech Strategies to Enhance Spinal Manipulation Performance. ACCRAC Dallas 2018. March 2018.

Research Grants

Internal Research Support Fund, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, $10,000 “Manipulation force-time characteristics across spinal regions of canines using mannequin simulators.” September 2017.

Co-keynote speaker at AVCA Conference Tucson, 2019.

Schedule an Appointment

Smooth Transitions Chiropractic, PLLC is a mobile practice. We try to schedule for geographic efficiency and will share barn calls between as many owners as possible. Depending on the distance traveled, a trip fee may apply.

Have multiple pets or a barn with multiple owner interest? The trip fee may be waived for 3 or more animals receiving care on the same date in one location.

Please call, text, or email to schedule an appointment. 940-331-0234

Hours by appointment.

*We must have a veterinary referral on file 48 hours prior to your initial appointment to avoid cancellation.

All information on this website is for informational purposes only and does not reflect any statement from affiliates named or assumed. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, replace, or substitute any veterinary advice. Please follow up with your veterinarian with any medical concerns or questions regarding chiropractic care options for your animals.