The Joint Chiropractic - Sunset Hills

Dr. Nick Bangert joined the team at The Joint Chiropractic in 2016 and moved to the Sunset Hills clinic in 2018. Although he studied pre-med, Dr. Nick received his doctorate of chiropractic from Logan University.

He loves working in the chiropractic field, and says the best thing about it “is helping people naturally live healthier lives and be the best versions of themselves.”

“That’s always been a passion of mine,” Dr. Nick says. “The other thing I love about this is pediatrics with chiropractic. It’s like magic, and it’s great to see the results happen right before my eyes.”

A product of Brighton, Ill., who has worked in several towns in the St. Louis area, Dr. Nick enjoys the outdoors and its varied activities, including hiking and riding ATVs. In the rest of his spare time, he likes swimming, playing Frisbee, skateboarding, working out, and hitting the driving range.

The call to heal and help has always been strong with Dr. Nick, and he says he knew chiropractic was his calling “when I knew I wanted to be a doctor and found out I could use my hands and help people heal naturally through chiropractic.”

He feels really fortunate to be in Sunset Hills. “I love all the patients here in the office,” he says, “and it’s a great community overall.”

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Dr. Nick knows the value to good gut health, and says that kombucha is the one thing he absolutely must have in his refrigerator at all times. “It’s the good stuff,” he says.

Given the opportunity to create his dream dinner with anyone in history, Dr. Nick would like to bring together B.J. Palmer, known as the developer of chiropractic, along with President Abraham Lincoln, scientist Albert Einstein, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey. “I would love to pick their brains to answer my many questions of life,” Dr. Nick explains.

The coolest thing Dr. Nick has ever done, he says, is fly a plane. “It was an awesome feeling to be flying through the clouds,” he says.

Dr. Lance Hatch -- you can call him Dr. Lance -- joined The Joint Chiropractic team in 2018 with his arrival at the Sunset Hills location. He received his doctorate of chiropractic from Logan University in 2010; his studies included an emphasis on sports rehabilitation. He previously attended Brigham Young and got his bachelor’s degree in psychology.

“The best thing about being in the chiropractic field is that I love the emphasis on natural health,” Dr. Lance says. “It’s a pleasure to live in the chiropractic lifestyle and help others experience natural health.

“The other thing I love is education. Teaching others the things I have learned is a calling for me. I spent seven years teaching in the college setting.”

A product of Denver, Colo., Dr. Lance also worked in St. Peters. He and his wife have two daughters and a son. In his spare time, he enjoys mountain biking.

“My background is in sports medicine,” Dr. Lance says. “I was an athletic trainer in high school and college. I saw first-hand the impact that chiropractic has on athletes at an early age. I knew it was for me.”

He enjoys the Sunset Hills clinic. “It has been a pleasure to work with so many great people,” Dr. Lance says. “Seeing patients reach their goals and achieve greater health through chiropractic care is one of the most fulfilling things that I can ever do.”

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Dr. Lance’s family is from the southwest, so he says the one thing he must always have in his kitchen is New Mexico green chilies: “I grew up with them on everything.”

Given the opportunity to bring together any four people from history for the dinner party of his dreams, Dr. Lance says childhood sports hero Bo Jackson would be joined by Will Ferrell, Winston Churchill, and musician Dusty Springfield. “Will Ferrell makes me laugh, and I like the ‘60s era music,” Dr. Lance says. “I also enjoy history.”

He says the coolest thing he has ever done was take a helicopter tour of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. “We have amazing national parks out west,” he says. “It was a great experience to see it from the air.”

Dr. Jessica Smith joined The Joint Chiropractic team of healthcare providers in 2016, and the Clayton clinic family in 2018. A graduate of Logan University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy, and a master’s degree in nutrition and physical performance before getting her doctorate in chiropractic.

Dr. Jessi, as her patients know her, could not be more happy than doing what she does. “The thing I love most about chiropractic is helping others feel better and restoring their ability to live the life they want to,” she says. “The second-best thing about this field is helping my pregnant mothers and children. Pediatrics and pregnancy is one of my passions.”

A native of Florissant who worked previously in O’Fallon, Dr. Jessi enjoys volleyball and spending time with her daughter and their border collie/Labrador mix, Colby.

Her first-hand experience led her down the chiropractic path.

“I started going to a chiropractor when I was 11 for headaches,” Dr. Jessi says. “From the moment I walked in I knew chiropractic was for me. From that point on, my chiropractor started mentoring me to be a chiropractor.”

Having worked for The Joint in Sunset Hills, previously, Dr. Jessi loves the work that she’s doing in Clayton: “I like that I can help so many people feel better in an affordable way.”

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Some people have a sweet tooth, but Dr. Jessi says she’s never without Frank’s Red Hot sauce in her kitchen. “I eat it on everything,” she says.

Given the opportunity to share her love of hot sauce with any four characters from history, Dr. Jessi’s ideal dinner party would include Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, and Jackie Kennedy. “I like that each one of these women were powerful,” she says. “They set their own rules and broke the mold to empower women to be more.”

Not surprising, given her love for pediatrics and chiropractic, Dr. Jessi says the coolest thing she has ever done took place shortly after a birth. “I was fortunate enough to adjust a 2-hour old baby,” she says. “To help someone so small and beautiful was a great experience.”