The Joint Chiropractic - Apache Junction

Dr. Andrew Youde joined The Joint Chiropractic family of local healthcare providers in 2020 when he joined the East Mesa clinic location. A product of Upper Iowa University who graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree, he earned his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic.

You can call him Dr. Andrew -- or even “Doc” -- when you drop into the office to discover first-hand the advantages of chiropractic care. “The thing I like best about being in this field is having the ability to work hand-in-hand with patients to improve their health,” he says. “I love working with great people.”

Dr. Andrew was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, but worked previously in the Minnesota cities of Minneapolis, Bloomington, Woodbury, Roseville, and Plymouth before arriving in Arizona.

Married to wife Britney, who Doc calls “my rock and my motivator,” they have a daughter, a dog, and two cats. His hobbies include walking dog Carly, coloring with daughter Sloane, spending time with family, and golfing.

It was chiropractic that helped Dr. Andrew get over his own health issues that led him to become a chiropractor.

“I was a goaltender for my college soccer team and every spring at our first practice, the ground would be so firm, and with my first dive to the ground to save a shot, I would immediately get a headache,” he says. “I knew there had to be some way -- other than drugs, which didn’t really help -- to alleviate them and to help me play at my best. Chiropractic was the answer that saved me.”

In Case You Didn’t Know

Dr. Andrew says the one thing he always has in his kitchen is pizza because “it’s the best comfort food.”

If he could bring together any gathering of people from history, he would send invitations to the superheroes of the Marvel and DC universes. He would also include boxing legend Muhammad Ali, chiropractic developer BJ Palmer, and Olympic and World Cup champion soccer goalie Hope Solo. “These people,” he says, “were exceptional within their fields.”

The coolest thing he has done was play semi-professional soccer. “The athletes at that level were exceptional,” he says, “and not many people have the chance to play at that level.”

Dr. Mistie Ahrens became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2020 when she began serving residents in the Mesa area to do the work she finds so rewarding.

She is a fan of the “ripple effect” that chiropractic has, that patients who leave her office feeling good and then “go out and spread that good feeling after their adjustment. ... It’s wonderful that chiropractic provides patients an alternative to a general practitioner who relies on prescribing medication or surgery, which should be the last option rather than the first.“

Dr. Mistie, as her patients call her, is a product of Cleveland University in Kansas City, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human biology and a doctorate of chiropractic. She loves teaching and is an anatomy and physiology professor at Paradise Valley Community College.

Born and raised in Colorado, she enjoys the outdoors in a myriad of pursuits, such as hiking, fishing, tracking, camping, and gardening. She also likes reading, listening to music, and attending concerts.

Dr. Mistie says she knew chiropractic was her calling all the way back in her childhood. “I was always ‘popping’ friends and family when I was a kid, so I’ve always known it was my calling,” she says. “It took me longer to get here because I was a single mom doing it all, but I also wanted to be a good role model for my son and follow my dream. I started in accounting -- I love numbers -- but I didn’t want to do that forever.”

She is grateful that she followed through with her passion: “I love working with the patients and staff in all The Joints I work in. I’ve always loved the quote from BJ Palmer, the developer of chiropractic, who said ‘the power that made the body, heals the body.’”

In Case You Didn’t Know

Dr. Mistie says the one thing she always keeps in her kitchen is mushrooms: “They’re a great source of Vitamin D, and they are so versatile -- you can use them in a variety of dishes.”

If she could bring together any four people from history for the dinner party of her dreams, she would include Tupac Shakur, Sir Isaac Newton, Johnny Depp, and Bob Marley. “I would include Tupac for his street knowledge and philosophy,” she says, “Isaac Newton for his theories and intelligence, Johnny Depp for his eccentric personality, and Bob Marley for a different perspective on life and a good vibe.”

She says the coolest thing she has done, besides being a mom, was a moment she shared with her son: “We went swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, in open water, with wild sharks.”

Dr. Donald Bernard graduated from Logan University in 1993 and started working with The Joint Chiropractic in 2017. He loves the knowledge he gains through being a chiropractor and also deeply enjoys helping people on a daily basis. He knew chiropractic was his calling when he broke his pelvis in a car accident before going into his senior year of high school and his neighbor, who was a chiropractor, corrected his spine without drugs or surgery.

He has a wife named Trisha and a son named Devon who is one years old. They also have four dogs, named King Louie, Mr. BoJangles, Mia Monkey and Molly McHee, and has one cat. When Dr. Bernard is not working, he loves to golf, work out, and relax with his dogs. The coolest thing he’s ever done is watch his sister win a medal in the 2010 Olympics.