Dr. Athena Payne is the clinic director for RHWC. She is a native of Lake Charles, La., where she attended McNeese State University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology. While in Louisiana, Dr. Payne became a visiting lecturer educating undergraduates in human anatomy, physiology and microbiology.

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In 2010, Dr. Payne graduated cum laude from Parker College of Chiropractic earning her a doctorate in Chiropractic. While attending Parker College, she was named the recipient of the Alumni Endowment Scholarship. Dr. Payne was selected to attend the Clinic Abroad Program in Ecatapec, Mexico, treating more than 300 patients, as well as studying Spanish at the Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepac.

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By attending postgraduate seminars on sports medicine, functional medicine, chiropractic neurology, rehabilitation, personal injury treatment, and nutrition, Dr. Payne stays ahead of the trends affecting the chiropractic field. She has completed training with Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida and the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, the American Chiropractic Nutrition Board, Kharrazian Institute (Functional Nutrition/Medicine), Functional Medicine University (University of Southern California), and she is also training to become a C.L.E.A.R. Institue Scoliosis Specialist as well as a FAKTR (Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehab) Certified Provider. She is also only one of five Functional Anatomy Seminars trained chiropractors in Fort Worth specializing in Functional Range Release. Dr. Payne also enjoys teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology for Tarrant County Community College.

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Dr. Payne is also a 2022-2024 board member of The Women's Center of Tarrant County. She also serves by spreading her power of chiropractic via her video podcast, The Doctor's Desk™. Through this podcast, she interviews health and wellness business owners as well as health experts from all over the world.

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In addition to furthering her education and participating in community service, Dr. Payne has achieved clinical success as a clinic rehabilitation director of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic serving personal injury, worker’s compensation, wellness, and post-surgical patients. She practices using a variety of techniques such as Diversified, Activator Methods, Thompson drop table, and Gonstead techniques, and Graston to name a few. She utilizes a variety of modalities to supplement the chiropractic adjustment including physiotherapy, spinal decompression therapy and trigger point/myofascial release to help her patients achieve their health goals. It is her firm belief that Chiropractic care for wellness is essential for everyone and she approaches patients in pain with an open mind and heart.