Where Chiropractic and Acupuncture Meet in the Heart of Dubbo
In 1986, a young Dubbo boy returned home with a chiropractic degree and a simple goal: to serve the community that raised him.
Adam Carter had grown up with deep roots in the region. Farming families. School sports. Long days under wide country skies. Dubbo was not just where he lived. It shaped who he was. When he opened Carter Chiropractic 39 years ago, he was not thinking about building a brand. He was thinking about helping his neighbours move better, work better and live with less pain.
Over the decades, the care extended from one generation to the next.
The young patients he once cared for grew up and brought in their own children. Busy parents came for help with back pain and stayed for the practical advice they could use at home. Grandparents walked through the doors seeking care that supported them to stay independent and active.
Carter Chiropractic became more than a clinic. It became part of the story of Dubbo families across generations.
Years later, a new chapter began.
Dr Raisa Kolesnikova arrived in Dubbo with her own journey. Born in China and later migrating to Australia, she first trained as a university-qualified nurse. She worked in healthcare before travelling internationally as a Qantas flight attendant. Once settled in Dubbo with her Dubbo boy and raising their three children, she felt called back to healthcare.
She undertook postgraduate studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, completing a three-year acupuncture degree followed by a three-year Chinese Herbal Medicine degree, graduating with honours.
For the past 26 years, Dubbo Acupuncture has provided care grounded in traditional Chinese medicine and modern clinical education. Dr Raisa combines her nursing foundation, her understanding of Western healthcare, and the principles of Eastern holistic medicine to support patients in a blended and balanced way.
Like Adam, she fell in love with regional New South Wales. The warmth of the people. The strength of the community. The sense that what you do genuinely matters.
What made Dubbo special for both of them was the same thing. Community. Trust. Familiar faces. And an understanding that healthcare here is deeply personal.
Today, that shared philosophy lives under one roof, where chiropractic and acupuncture work side by side in complementary approaches that consider the whole person.
Chiropractic focuses on the spine, joints and nervous system, supporting healthy movement and function. Acupuncture works with the body’s natural energy systems, including the flow of Qi, encouraging balance and recovery.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, care may include posture, daily habits, work demands, stress, sleep and lifestyle. Advice does not stop at the treatment room door. Patients leave with guidance they can use at home and at work. How to set up a desk properly. How to lift safely. How to stretch and strengthen. Practical strategies that fit real life in regional NSW.
Both Carter Chiropractic and Dubbo Acupuncture are led by experienced, university-trained practitioners who understand farming injuries, long drives, physical trades and weekend sport. They understand Dubbo life because they are part of it.
The clinic itself has grown into a modern facility, supported by an exceptional and caring team who make every visit welcoming. From the first phone call to follow-up appointments, patients are treated as individuals. The heart of personalised care has never changed.
It is not just 39 years of chiropractic care and 26 years of acupuncture care. It is decades of trust, built visit by visit and family by family. Two professions. One roof. One shared commitment to helping the Dubbo community feel supported and cared for. And the story continues.