Today we’d like to introduce you to Misty Ford.
Hi Misty , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From Crisis to Calling: My Journey of Faith, Family & Healing I’m a married 42-year-old mom of four — with children ranging from toddler chaos at age two to the joys and challenges of an engaged 21-year-old figuring out adulthood. We are also in the process of adopting our five-year-old, who has been part of our hearts and home since he was two. Being a wife and a mother has been my greatest calling — and my greatest adventure.
But long before the lunchboxes and late-night lullabies, I felt called to care for others. I entered the medical field at 18 as an emergency room intake clerk. That led to becoming an EMT-IV on the ambulance, then a registered nurse, and eventually a family nurse practitioner. Most of that journey, I walked as a single mom — balancing textbooks in one hand, a full-time job in the other all to secure my son’s future.
When I was little, I dreamt of being either a doctor or a cashier at Walmart. Funny enough, with years spent serving patients and today’s self-checkout lanes, I may just be doing both! But none of my accomplishments came by accident — they came by grace.
During nursing school, as a single mother working 24-hour EMS shifts, I leaned fully on my faith. On exam days, I would blast Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” as I drove to class — and He truly did. My parents were my foundation. My mom stepped in over and over, pouring love into my son while I poured myself into my calling.
My first position as a board-certified nurse practitioner was in pediatric gastroenterology at a children’s hospital. Later, God guided me into the field of physical medicine — a specialty focused on restoring function and improving quality of life for those suffering from pain and injury. I didn’t know it then, but God was preparing me for a purpose far bigger than I could imagine.
In 2017, everything changed.
My beautiful cousin — only 38 — lived with relentless pain after multiple failed back surgeries. My brother — also 38, and someone I admired deeply — endured the same devastating path after a traumatic motor vehicle accident. Within eight months, I lost both of them to prescription drug overdoses.
Two family members. Two bright lights. Gone in the same heartbreaking way.
My brother was living with me at the time, and my cousin was on her way to my home when she passed. Grief shook every part of me. I stood at a crossroads: I could sink — or I could step out of the boat and trust Jesus like Peter.
I chose faith.
I realized all the years of study, sacrifice, and hardship were preparation for a mission: to help transform the chronic pain and chronic sick-care system that had failed my family.
God opened a door through Alcoa Chiropractic Center — a trusted, 30-year practice with three God-fearing owners who invited me to share my passion for an integrative, evidence-informed, patient-centered model. They already excelled in improving pain, balance, and neurological function through chiropractic care and rehabilitation. But together, we saw something missing: a holistic approach to heal the whole person — body, mind, and spirit.
God led me there — and wellness followed.
With His guidance, we expanded into a comprehensive wellness practice, offering the best of conventional medicine blended with nutrition, hormone balance, functional therapies, and deeper spiritual support. After 33 years, the clinic embraced a new era — renaming itself Alcoa Chiropractic & Wellness Center. To have played a role in that transformation remains one of my greatest honors.
Today, I work alongside an extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, medical assistants, massage therapists, radiologic technologists, chiropractic assistants, and administrative staff who pour love and excellence into every patient who walks through our doors. We don’t just treat symptoms — we welcome family.
We help those struggling with:
• Chronic and acute pain
• Neuropathy and inflammation
• Allergies and gut imbalances
• Nutrition and weight challenges
• Muscle and tendon injuries
• Men’s and women’s hormones
• Overall wellness and prevention
And for those needing hope — we offer Jesus.
Because while we use our hands, stretch our clinical skills, and stand on science — God is the true healer. His power restores not only the physical body, but the emotional heart and the weary spirit. When we trust Him, we open the door to renewed strength and a future filled with purpose.
My journey hasn’t been easy — but it has been divine.
Every heartbreak grew compassion.
Every challenge deepened my faith.
Every miracle confirmed my calling.
And I will spend the rest of my life helping others rise into the health, joy, and wholeness God intended for them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road wasn’t smooth, it was steep and painful. But every struggle prepared me to help others heal. Rasing a family while building a career in medicine was a struggle at times but my faith carried me through every step. I care for the patients with the same heart I care for my children which is fully and fiercely. Losing my brother and cousin broke me, but it also revealed the mission God was preparing me for. Their pain became my purpose. I couldn’t save them but I can help save others from going down the same road.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Alcoa Chiropractic & Wellness Center, we blend the best of conventional medicine with natural, holistic therapies to address the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. Our approach is not just about managing symptoms — it’s about discovering the root cause of pain, fatigue, inflammation, illness, and hormonal imbalance, and helping the body truly heal. We offer care for chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain, functional wellness, hormone optimization for men and women, weight management, neuropathy, inflammation, gut health, nutrition, allergy support, regenerative and peptide therapies, and personalized wellness programs. Our team works together to restore function, rebalance health, and help our patients feel like themselves again. We are known for life-changing results in people who have been told “there’s nothing else we can do.” Whether someone is dealing with chronic pain, stubborn weight gain, hormone dysregulation, neuropathy, or unexplained illness — people come to us because we don’t give up. We take the time to listen and connect the dots that others may overlook. This may not be the fault of other medical professions but instead due to the fast care model of having to see patients with such set times. People don’t just leave feeling cared for – they leave feeling hopeful.
What makes us truly unique is our faith-driven, patient-centered philosophy of healing. We believe that God designed the body with incredible ability to repair, regenerate, and thrive — and we honor that design with every treatment plan we create.
What sets us apart:
• We are not “one-size-fits-all.” Every plan is highly personalized.
• Our medical and chiropractic providers collaborate under one roof. If we need to refer out we have an excellent group of neurological surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, family and concierge clinicians we work hand in hand with.
• We treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.
• We pray for and with our patients when they desire it.
• Patients are treated like family, not numbers.
• Our team operates with compassion, respect, and Kingdom purpose.
At Alcoa Chiropractic & Wellness Center, healing doesn’t happen only through procedures and prescriptions — it happens through relationship, education, empowerment, and faith. Our patients feel the difference the moment they walk through our doors.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Even as a little girl, I wanted to help people. Compassion was my compass long before it became my career. I was fiercely determined. If I set a goal, there was no stopping me – even if I didn’t yet know how to get there. I played as an only 5th grader on an 8th grade basketball team—oh man did those girls seem huge. I dedicated hours shooting free throw shots. I balanced big dreams with real-life responsibility; I moved from a very small town in Etowah TN to Las Vegas Nevada. That was a culture challenge. It inspired me to learn what grit, resilience, and dedication looked like. Those qualities served me well through school, single motherhood, and every milestone in my medical career.
Contact Info:
- Website: alcoachiro.com
- Instagram: @alcoachiro
- Facebook: Alcoa Chiropractic Center & Wellness
