Our story. our why.
Meet Active Life Project
We see you and we get it and we want you to know that we can help.
Whether it’s a new injury or something that has been going on for a while, we understand how frustrating it can be to be stuck on the sidelines of life. Whether that means having to scale back your marathon training because you just can’t kick that hip pain, or having to think twice before joining friends on a hike cause your knee might act up, or perhaps all you want to do is have a catch with your grandson but don’t want to suffer the shoulder pain that may follow.
Please don’t settle for anything less than your best life. Contrary to popular belief, there is often something that can be done to improve or even eliminate your pain. We can help.
Our doctors are trained & certified in:
Our doctors are trained & certified in:
ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE (ART)
NEUROKINETIC THERAPY (NKT)
PROPRIOCEPTIVE DEEP TENDON REFLEX TECHNIQUE (PDTR)
FUNCTIONAL AND KINETIC TREATMENT & REHAB (FAKTR)
EXTREMITY ADJUSTING
ROCKTAPE FUNCTIONAL TAPING
Every muscle, ligament, tendon and joint in our body was cleverly designed with a specific task or tasks that they are to accomplish in order for the body to function efficiently and pain free.
We are infinitely capable of compensating and adapting away from that design when things get complex or when there is inefficiency or imbalance within the system. This is normal!
We do it successfully every single day, and it is our body’s way of accomplishing our daily tasks without experiencing pain. When pain does inevitably come, it is often a sign that we are no longer able to compensate effectively. Suffice to say, mosts instances of non-traumatic pain have been building for some time.
We are problem solvers who specialize in the conservative treatment of acute injuries, chronic pain, and performance plateaus.
We are excellent at diagnosing the inefficiencies and imbalances throughout the kinetic chain to both provide specific treatment and perhaps more importantly give you the strategies necessary to improve and combat the problem at hand. Whether you suffer from neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, sore knees, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, or tendinitis, we provide highly effective, individualized care tailored specifically to your goals.
In short, if it doesn’t require surgery or stitches, we are your people.
Q.
Why did we start Active Life Project?
We started Active Life Project because we want to empower people to pursue an active life without limitation or fear of movement.
So many people suffer with “bad” backs or knees or shoulders and don’t realize that it doesn’t have to be that way.
We want to change that.
Just because the traditional medical model doesn’t have a solution for you does not mean that a solution does not exist.
We use a unique neuro functional approach to help identify the underlying causes of your pain, range of motion restriction, or plateau. Our treatment strategies will be unique to what you need to not only get you out of pain but also build a strong foundation for avoiding recurrence in the future.
Our mission is to treat, educate, and empower as many people as possible because we believe that movement is life and no one should be confined to the sidelines.
Owner & Operator of Active Life Project
Meet Kelli Velez, DC CCSP
A quick introduction about me: my name is Kelli Velez. I am an active adult, passionate about health and wellness, and a mom of two children. I am a chiropractor by education, but like to consider myself more of a sports injury and performance specialist. I have very few similarities to your traditional rack ‘em and crack ‘em chiropractor.
I am a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and have over 300 hours of course hours of functional neurology from the Carrick Institute. I was second in my class at Life University and still take every weekend course I can sink my teeth into. I have certifications in Neurokinetic Therapy, Active Release Technique, Functional and Kinetic Treatment and Rehab, and Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex. I say none of this to boast, but more to show that my thirst to continue acquiring knowledge and find ways to best help my patients continues to this day. In fact, I find the more I learn, the less it feels like I know.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and this is my first venture out on my own. I am so passionate about what I do, and I am often very frustrated about how the insurance model squeezes the ingenuity and effectiveness of otherwise qualified and well-intentioned practitioners. I am starting a female owned clinic Active Life Project and an all-female owned health consortium called the Collingswood Health Collective. I want to shake up how people think about health and wellness. I know I can’t do it on my own, but this is my first step towards doing so.
Dr. Kelli Velez
Sports Chiropractor at Active Life Project
Meet David Velez, DC
A quick bio about me: my name is David Velez. I am a former collegiate athlete and current “weekend warrior.” I am a very active person and enjoy running, hiking, crossfit, weightlifting, and coaching youth sports. My wife Kelli and I have two young kids that keep us extremely busy; and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I truly believe we are all athletes. There comes a time for all of us when we have pain or problems and are looking for a way to stay in the game. It could be a crossfitter with shoulder pain, a baseball player with elbow pain, a father with back pain, or a grandmother with knee pain. Whatever the case, the goal is doing what you love at the peak of your ability.
I would say I am a problem solver to the core. It’s not my style to shut you down and rest the problem away because that is often not the right answer. Utilizing a unique neurofunctional approach, I aim to find the root cause of the issue at hand, reduce tissue sensitivity and work hard with rehab exercises. For every patient visit my only concern is to maximize our time together to make steady and sustainable improvements in rehab and performance.
As a student athlete, I never realized someone like me existed. Someone who could piece together my past, make an assessment about my present, and devise a plan for the future. I would have fared much better with nagging pain that affected me throughout my athletic career. I thankfully never missed significant time, but I often played through pain that would slow me down. Looking back, there was so much I could have done to maximize my potential and minimize my discomfort. As an active adult, I have run into many of the same things that my patient’s come to see me about. I know what its like to be slowed by pain and frustrated that I can’t be more active. Thankfully, there are so many things we can do to help! I am very passionate about what I do, and I use my experiences as fuel to help people navigate through their own problems they are looking to solve.
Dr. David Velez
Active Life Project
Core Values
Our mission, brand and business were built on these core values. Get to know the values behind the brand.
core value
Sisu
What must be done will be done.
Sisu is a finnish word and concept that defines extraordinary strength, persistent determination, and courage to continue and overcome in the face of adversity. It is an action mindset that enables individuals to reach beyond their present limitations to transform barriers into frontiers. Most people seeking our expertise are looking for guidance in how to change their current physical situation. The number one catalyst for change is action. Action is what changes dreams into significance, hopes into reality. Nobody finishes well or gets better by accident. Physical and emotional progress is made through confronting pain, calamity and grief. Instead of avoiding the painful events of life, lean into them in order to free yourself of illusions and find your truth for a better and more resilient self.
core value
Client Experience
From the moment of first contact to the last, our only imperative is to help and encourage each person to reach their goals and objectives. We will tailor care plans specific to every person in order to help build stability, strength and health through consistent improvement over time. We will do so in an open and honest environment, committing to your health over and above everything else.
core value
Positivity
What you focus on… GROWS! We will attack every single day with positivity by practicing gratitude, passion, and purpose in order to enrich our lives and the lives of our patients. Gratitude allows us to see the beauty in the world. Passion is the soul of significance. Purpose helps guide our decisions, influence our behaviours and shape our goals. This positive mindset allows us to make everyday fun and meaningful while striving to make lasting change.
core value
Education & Growth
Education is a pillar of our practice. Our doctors yearn to seek and learn new techniques and perspectives. We especially value ideas and perspectives that challenge our belief system and allow us to grow as individuals. We aim to learn something new every day. We look to impart our knowledge as patient education for our client base. Our desire is to meet you where you are, and to help you to fully understand the answers to “what, why and how.” What is the problem? Why did it get like this? How are we going to fix it?