By Davinder Bir-Bhatti
When a severe sports injury threatened to strip a young, ambitious athlete of her soccer scholarship, the medical prognosis felt like a dead end. After being told to abandon the game she loved and rely on prescription medications, she sought a holistic alternative as a last resort. That decision not only saved her athletic career but also changed the course of her life.
“The moment I walked into her room, I was seen not for my condition but for myself as a person,” recalls Dr. Raman Bachra, reflecting on her transformative experience with her mentor and current chiropractor, Dr. Melissa Sawatzky. “She made me feel the way no other practitioner had. The fact that I can pick up a soccer ball today is the main reason I became a chiropractor.”
That pivotal encounter set Dr. Bachra on a journey to Portland, Oregon, to complete her clinical training. At 24, she became one of British Columbia’s youngest chiropractors, with opportunities to practice across the border or elsewhere in the region. But for Dr. Bachra, the destination was never in doubt: Surrey was home, and it was where she needed to serve.
Today, recognized as the Surrey Now-Leader’s Top Chiropractor, Dr. Bachra is actively dispelling the persistent myths surrounding her profession.
“Many people think chiropractic care is just cracking backs,” Dr. Bachra explains. “We start with education. It is not bones cracking; it is gas being released from the joint capsule. For patients uncomfortable with manual adjustments, we offer an extensive toolbox of alternative techniques. Education is our most powerful asset.”
Dr. Bachra’s care model extends far beyond the four walls of her treatment room. Recognizing that modern, post-pandemic lifestyles have led to prolonged sitting, remote-work fatigue, and chronic upper-body stiffness, she emphasizes sustainable, everyday habits over rigid routines.
- Preventive Habits: Seamlessly integrating movement into established daily routines, such as performing gentle neck retractions while stopped at red lights.
- Nutritional Fuel: Addressing systemic inflammation and spinal health at the dietary level by educating patients about nutrient-dense foods to support joint recovery.
- Active Micro-Breaks: Counteracting sedentary posture without disrupting work demands by standing for 5 minutes every hour or using high-top surfaces for meals.
Her practice is deeply inclusive, spanning patients from a two-week-old newborn to a 97-year-old senior. Certified in the Webster Technique for prenatal and postnatal care, she offers specialized support for expectant mothers. Crucially, Dr. Bachra tailors her care to the cultural nuances and socioeconomic realities of the Surrey community. She offers accessible pricing for seniors and replaces intimidating weight-training regimens with familiar, gentle resistance bands to improve follow-through at home.
For Dr. Bachra, the true reward of her practice is restoring freedom of movement to those who were told to give up hope.
Earlier this year, a young boy arrived at her clinic in a wheelchair after being hit by a car on his way home from school. His initial prognosis was grim, and his family was told that his physical limitations might be permanent.
“Our ultimate goal was just to get him running again,” Dr. Bachra shares. “Fast-forward through months of dedicated therapy: he has attended summer camps, he is riding his bike, and he actually beat me in a race. His mom told me his recovery went far beyond what his doctors had projected. It was a full-circle moment for me. It brought me right back to why I chose this path.”
Her daily work routinely connects to these meaningful milestones, whether it is seeing postnatal mothers return happily with their newborns after months of discomfort or helping local grandparents regain the mobility to run around with their grandchildren.
Rather than focusing on business expansion or opening multiple clinics, Dr. Bachra’s long-term vision centers on community engagement and mentorship. She regularly hosts students shadowing in her clinic, paying forward the inspiration that launched her own career. That spark has already led former patients and student shadows to apply to chiropractic colleges.
When she is not in the clinic, Dr. Bachra stays grounded by immersing herself in the local community: exploring Surrey’s food scene, grabbing coffee, attending spin classes, playing recreational soccer, and spending quality time with her family.
“I love Surrey and I love teaching,” Dr. Bachra says. “Every patient’s journey is unique, and there is no cookie-cutter care here. My goal is to keep learning, keep giving back, and help our community move, feel, and live better.”
