Evidence, Experience & Passion Fuel Canadian Chiropractor Dr. Joanne Hubley

Two years before Dr. Joanne Hubley (D.C. ’99) graduated from Northeast College, the Canadian Chiropractic Resources Databank (CCRD) published a survey indicating that only 18% of Canada’s chiropractors were female.  

“I always recognized I was a tiny island in this great big sea. So, finding out that I was a part of that early number is significant, as it helped explain why I never knew anyone quite like me: practicing and devoting their life to service. Northeast College of Health Sciences unequivocally prepared me [for that],” said Hubley. “The survey was repeated in 2022, and representation is getting closer to parity with 45% female.”

Now licensed to practice in Ontario, Canada, and New York state, Hubley has fulfilled her lifelong dream of having the ability to practice chiropractic in both countries. She owns Liva Health Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, offering a range of wellness techniques from acupuncture to osteopathy.

Since opening her private practice in 2000, just 3 months after graduating from Northeast, Hubley transformed it into one of the first interdisciplinary licensed healthcare and fitness practices under one roof, in the Niagara region. “Attaining this vision for collaboration was always encouraged by Northeast and my undergraduate university,” she said. 

A Love for Sports & Chiro.

Hubley was exposed to a variety of techniques while at Northeast. Active Release Techniques® (ART), a series of advanced soft tissue manipulation protocols and form of chiropractic massage, especially captivated her interest. She also received certifications in Lower Extremity, Upper Extremity, Spine, Nerve Entrapment, Biomechanical, and Masters ART®. With this combination of skills learned and credentials earned, Hubley successfully combined her passions for athletics and chiropractic.

Figure skating occupied much of Hubley’s free time during childhood and her teen years. A lifelong athlete, she also participated in ballet and soccer. Before entering Brock University, she skated in the Walt Disney World on Ice tour of “Beauty and the Beast.” Later, she would coach figure skaters and immerse herself in physique training, even medaling at provincials for Olympic weightlifting. Hubley is currently an official for the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation, the fourth largest sports federation in the world, as vice chair of the Committee on Education & Professional Development for IFBB-Physique America / Canada. 

Hubley said being active since childhood and receiving chiropractic care led to her chosen profession. “Without fail chiropractic care helped me perform and function at my very best level,” she said.  

After earning her undergraduate degree in health studies/applied health sciences at Brock University in Canada, Hubley decided to visit Northeast College, then New York Chiropractic College, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. 

“With one visit to campus, my mind was instantly set,” she says. “Toronto city life never appealed to me, nor did living off campus. I preferred the sprawling, innovative, full-service campus, nestled in nature, as the perfect environment for success. I lived on campus with full meal plans while studying in Seneca Falls. This choice lessened distraction and stress so I could focus on my studies.”

The rigorous and balanced curriculum and continuous encouragement from professors (at Northeast College)  instilled endless awe and possibility in me.