Meet Dr. Rozee Benavides, DN | Naprapathic Physician & Clinical Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Rozee Benavides, DN and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Rozee, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
This has to be on every new business owner’s mind- should I keep pushing and fighting for my business when I could easily get a 9-5 and have way less stress? At least that has been on my mind since opening The Backbone-Naprapathic Rehab Clinic in 2022. Each week, as fatigue sets in from the demands of patient care, administrative tasks, social media content creation, janitorial duties, after-work events for marketing, research, and continuous education, the temptation to give up surfaces.

In those moments, I pause and reflect on the situation with three crucial questions: “Will this matter next month? Will this matter in two years? Will this matter in 10 years?” The resounding answer is always YES. Ensuring a patient gets the coverage they need makes a lasting impact on their healing in the coming month. Investing time in marketing events lays the groundwork for significant growth in two years through networking. Giving 120% to every patient encounter holds enduring importance, as my care could be the linchpin in alleviating someone’s chronic pain over the next decade.

So, how do I discern whether to persevere or throw in the towel? The answer lies in my responses to those questions. As long as the answers remain a resounding YES, I am reminded that people will always need dedicated healthcare providers advocating for them, the demand for pain management will persist, and my clinic, alongside my unwavering commitment, will persist in the pursuit of matters that truly make a difference.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m sure you have never heard of naprapathy or naprapathic medicine! While a relatively new field, naprapathy began in the early 1900’s alongside chiropractic and osteopathy. Naprapathy is a physical medicine, like chiropractic or PT, that assesses and treats chronic and acute musculoskeletal pathologies. At The Backbone, we spend the first few appointments gathering data and validating our patients in their pain journeys, we take the time to listen to people and when they say “My back is always hurting and nothing has helped me.” We hear, “No one has taken the time to figure out the root cause of my pain.”

I am most proud of our patient success stories! Sometimes it’s simple: release low back muscles and teach how to properly engage the core; however, most of the time, people and their pain are a lot more complicated than that! Getting a patient that can’t even imagine going off pain killers to running a 5k weekly is amazing.

The Backbone is where it’s at today because of our tireless commitment to our patients. From the very first appointment, we engage in realistic discussions about the reality of someone’s pain and I think that is the single-most notable reason as to our success.

None of this has been easy. In the beginning, I’d exhaust myself trying to figure out why someone was in pain and feeling like an absolute failure when I couldn’t. Imposter syndrome is a very real phenomenon. I still struggle with this today, though to a lesser extent. I’ve really had to learn to redirect my internal dialogue and focus on personal boundaries. It’s still a work in progress.

Along the way, I’ve learned it’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay when your treatment plan doesn’t work like you thought it would; it’s okay that you spent $2000 on an advertising venture that was a scam; it’s okay that someone doesn’t like you, because you know why you’re here in the first place.

I’m being vulnerable here when I answer this: I want the world to understand that I’m not just another alternative medicine quack. While I operate in the realm of “unconventional methods,” the tangible results and lasting positive effects I’ve witnessed in my patients’ lives speak volumes. It’s important to me that everyone knows Dr. Rozee at The Backbone genuinely has your back.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Albuquerque is depicted as a dangerous place with severe homelessness, rampant auto-theft, with devastating substance-abuse problems and that’s not far from the truth. That being said, I’ve never lived somewhere like it. The people of this community are the kindest you’ll ever meet.

Must sees in my opinion, are a visit to the Tram to view the Sandia Mountains, a quick trip to visit Bob Myers at the Rattlesnack Museum in the Old Town area, and time spent walking in the steps of the Tiwa people at the Coronado Historic Site that’s earliest occupation was 1325 CE. You cannot visit Albuquerque and not eat at Stripes! Stripes has the best breakfast burritos in town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mom deserves the biggest dedication. The idea for The Backbone-Naprapathic Rehab Clinic originated when I was fourteen and I had just learned that I broke my back; I began gymnastics at 18 months old and quickly became accustomed to frequent bouts of physical therapy. Throughout this journey, my mother, Dr. Rhonda Benavides, DN and co-founder of The Backbone, shared every step with me. Her love for the rehab field grew and she inspired me to be the best student, doctor, and business owner I could possibly be. Without her, The Backbone would not exist.

Website: www.thebackboneclinic.com

Instagram: backbone.clinic

Image Credits
Travis Decker (my husband) took all these photos.