It was literally a pain in the neck that led this young Bermudian on the career path to become a chiropractor.

Nicole Harford, 27, was a pre-med student at Oakwood College, in Alabama, when she got an intense headache that lingered on for more than a week.

Dr. Harford, who said she rarely gets a headache, went to a chiropractor as a last resort.

That treatment, or vertebral adjustment, got rid of her headache, and prompted her to go into chiropractic medicine.

Beyond her first-hand experience with the treatment, Dr. Harford said a chiropractor had spoken at the College's science club and she was fascinated by it as a form of alternative medicine.

The drive to become a chiropractor took her across the US to Los Angeles where she graduated as a doctor of chiropractic, from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.

She received her licence last year and opened her Bermuda practice in September.

As a chiropractor, Dr. Harford said she works from the understanding that good health depends on a healthy nervous system.

She said: “Health comes from the inside of the body and to maintain good health you have to have a healthy nervous system.”

In her practice, Dr. Harford said she sees a cross-section of problems and injuries.

These include a high number of sports injuries, and even back problems from expectant mothers.

Dr. Harford said she treats a range of ages starting from early childhood.

Of treating young children, she said chiropractic treatment can help colic, ear infection and sinus problems.

She added that she is the only chiropractor on the the Island , as a fellow with the International Chiropractic Paediatric Association, who is licensed to treat children.

After only practising on the Island for the last three months, Dr. Harford said she is starting to see a steady increase in patient numbers.

Although she said she has not done any aggressive advertising, she is getting referrals through word of mouth.

Her practice is located just outside of Hamilton, on Shelton Road.