Dr. Matthew Sleppy’s journey to becoming a chiropractor began at a very young age, and with a very unexpected twist—one that left him unable to move his neck but changed the course of his life.

As a junior high school football player, young Matthew was playing defensive end during practice when he took a hard hit to the side of his head. On the field, he shook it off and continued to play. But the next morning, a little stiff, he stepped into the shower and his neck locked. Every effort to move resulted in sharp pain shooting through his body. 

Jumping out of the shower he went immediately to his mother. Matthew’s father was a carpenter who had experienced his share of work-related physical injuries. So, Matthew’s mom knew what to do, and took Matthew straight to their chiropractor, Dr. Espy. 

At first, the towering doctor seemed intimidating, but his gentle nature and expert hands quickly put young Matthew at ease. After that first adjustment, relief began to set in. A few days and another adjustment later, Matthew could move freely again.

For Matthew, that experience changed his life. Not only was he quickly and easily relieved of excruciating pain, but it left him wondering what if… What if his mother wouldn’t have known about chiropractic care? Would he have gone to the doctor or even the emergency room? What if he had been prescribed pain medication instead of receiving real, structural correction? Thinking about those “what if’s” ignited a passion that led him to dedicate his life to helping others experience the same kind of healing. 

Despite his young age, Matthew never wavered from his commitment to becoming a chiropractor. He first attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying the natural sciences in an accelerated program. He was then able to transfer to Life University in Marietta, Georgia to complete his studies in chiropractic care.

Despite his athletic background, while at Life U Matthew shifted his focus from athletic performance to family practice. As a student, he worked at Life U’s clinic, which provided supervised student care to members of the community. There was one woman in particular that he remembers well. She was an older southern bell widow with a mobility problem and was worried about not being able to walk as she aged. She inspired Matthew to learn new techniques and develop his skills so that he could better serve her. Her immense appreciation and gratitude, as well as her body’s response to chiropractic care, made him want to help regular people live a healthy life everyday.

His commitment to learning and helping as much as he could enabled him to become a Senior Clinical Assistant while at Life U. This high level, elite group of a dozen students who were able to pass a more strenuous entrance exam and meet a higher level of requirements were then able to care for more people in the student clinic with less supervision. This opportunity gave Matthew the chance to help even more people of all ages.

In 2002, he took his boards before actually graduating from Life University magna cum laude. Immediately returning to his hometown, Dr. Sleppy began working with other chiropractors while continuing to take every opportunity to learn. In 2007, he took that great leap of faith and opened his first independent chiropractic clinic. Then, in 2023, during his 100 hours of post doctoral work in applied clinical neuroscience, he earned his certificate from Life University in applied clinical Neuroscience, learning valuable treatments for post concussion patients and various other neurological problems. According to Dr. Sleppy, “One of the best things about applied clinical neuroscience is how you start examining the patient’s brain by how they do anything from talking, walking, posture, and eye movement. This gives you a window into a persons health/function.”

Today, Dr. Sleppy and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of four healthy children. Jennifer is a school nurse who shares Dr. Sleppy’s healthy, Christian lifestyle values for their family. Their children were raised by relying on the body’s innate ability to heal and regular chiropractic care.

Too often he speaks to members of his community, including many parents, who are confused and distrustful of the allopathic medical system, as many 100 Year Lifestyle® providers do. As part of his lifelong journey of continuous learning and providing the best care for his patients, Dr. Sleppy became a 100 Year Lifestyle® provider in 2022. This led to him doubling down on his ability to keep his patients focused on prevention, not getting sick in the first place. They take an active role in their health and know that with Dr. Sleppy’s care and guidance they can live a long and healthy life. 

Over 400 members of his community come through his office each week, seeing either Dr. Sleppy or one of the other two doctors who work alongside him. Together they and their team are committed and focused on removing chronic disease from their community. How do they go about doing that? By educating people and helping them understand the difference between lifespan and healthspan, and providing the best chiropractic care possible. 

As his practice grows Dr. Sleppy also enjoys working with the next generation of chiropractors, sharing what he has learned. You might say he has come full circle. This past fall, he had the privilege of caring for a young athlete facing a similar neck injury to the one he experienced as a 14-year-old. As he adjusted the boy’s spine, he couldn’t help but reflect on his own journey. He knew, firsthand, the power of chiropractic to change lives—because it changed his.