Meet Dr Kym

Meet Dr. Kym 

Dr. Kym Wilkens is not your typical chiropractor. She specializes in treating and restoring proper function to the whole body, not just the spine, through an innovative method called Active Release Techniques (ART) – a myofascial soft-tissue therapy that treats injuries associated with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. ART is such a precise and specific form of myofascial therapy that it was granted a medical process patent with the federal government! Its precision is what gets patients better so quickly, often in the first visit and keeps Dr. Kym’s office busy with referrals from excited and amazed patients.

Dr. Kym is the only Flagstaff doctor certified in the highly specific and effective myofascial soft tissue therapy, ART (Active Release Techniques). A trained, skilled and experienced ART provider can find and correct soft tissue dysfunction very quickly which is why nearly every professional sports team has an ART provider on staff. Certified in ART since 2001, and one of the most highly certified ART practitioners in the country, Dr Kym has nearly two decades of finding and correcting the precise source of soft tissue dysfunction which is why surgeons and osteopaths refer their patients to her and youth through professional athletes depend on her to keep them in the game. 

As the only Master’s Certified ART provider in northern Arizona, Dr. Kym has been helping clients restore function through her Flagstaff-based practice since 2002. With full-body training in more than 1000 specific ART protocols, there isn’t a single body part in the entire myofascial musculoskeletal system that Dr. Kym can’t address! She is skilled in treating a variety of issues, from carpal tunnel and sciatica, to sports-related injuries like plantar fasciitis and meniscus injuries.  

In addition to helping Flagstaff stay healthy and active, Dr. Wilkens has been traveling across the US and Canada since 2013 as part of the elite instructional team for Active Release Techniques who instruct and certify physical therapists, athletic trainers, and all new ART professionals.

Dr. Kym works with a diverse clientele of people seeking peak performance in various aspects of life, from professional athletes training for world-class competitions, to parents striving to maintain active lifestyles with their kids. “Being active is such an important part of where we live, and when something is not working right in the body, it can throw your entire life off track,” says Dr. Kym, a recreationally runner and mother of two. “Whether I’m working with a mom who is grumpy because her neck hurts, or an athlete struggling to overcome injury before a major competition, I’m able to help put people back on the path of their dreams. It’s super-exciting when someone thinks they won’t be able to compete in a race and then, after working with me as part of their support team, they turn in a PR. I love that I can be part of helping them bridge that gap between the impossible and the possible.”

Dr. Kym holds 11 ART certifications, including Master’s level one-on-one training in advanced techniques with the creator of ART, Dr. P. Michael Leahy. She earned her doctorate in chiropractic from Palmer of Chiropractic West in San Jose, Calif., where she graduated summa cum laude as Valedictorian of her class. Dr. Kym also holds a bachelor’s of science degree in biology and applied ecology from the University of California at Irvine.

On the community side, Dr. Kym has been a proud sponsor and a board member of Girls on the Run, a running-based mentoring program for girls and Team Run Flagstaff, a community running program for runners of all ages and abilities. She has also volunteered her time and talents to help athletes achieve peak performance at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, where she’s provided on-site ART services and medical triage.  “When an athlete has worked so hard to get to Ironman – especially the World Championships in Kona – it’s super-gratifying when I can help them finish well,” says Dr. Kym.  “I remember an athlete who couldn’t even run a step a few days before the race. We worked together and he got a little bit better every day, and he ended up finishing with tears of gratitude and a huge hug for me. Another girl I worked on couldn’t lift her arm or turn her head at all two days before the race, and then she ended up winning her age group and setting a new course record.” 

Dr. Kym’s mission to help people achieve their dreams stems from her own personal passion for living life to the fullest.  She has a zest for life that keeps her and her family hopping.  In her down-time, Dr. Kym enjoys running along scenic trails in and around Flagstaff, and exploring, hiking in the woods, traveling, reading, and spending time with family.  You can follow Dr. Kym’s work and her adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  She’s happy to have you along for the ride.