Who We Are

Dr. Chris LoRang

Owner and Chiropractic Physician

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Dr. Chris LoRang (he/him/his) serves as owner and  chiropractic physician at Capital Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center. Dr. LoRang is also Co-founder & Certified Functional Medicine Hyperbaric Clinician at Iowa HBOT, located within Capital Chiropractic. Dr. LoRang received his BA from the University of Iowa in Social and Culture Perspectives on Health, with a minor in Jazz Studies. He then graduated Magna Cum Laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.

He specializes in family and pediatric care, acute and chronic back pain, and athletic injuries and performance, as well as the diagnosis of spine and extremity conditions. His holistic approach includes acupuncture, dry needling, soft tissue rehab, dynamic stretching, take-home exercises, and nutritional coaching to allow each patient an opportunity to become involved with their own outcome.

Dr. LoRang co-founded Building Your Baby From the Ground Up. This educational platform promotes baby-led movement by empowering parents, caretakers, daycares, and clinicians with clear and evidence-based guides. He has presented at conferences around the country and been published in national publications on this topic of baby-led movement.

Dr. LoRang is also a Wahls Protocol Health ProfessionalThis protocol is a radical new way to treat chronic autoimmune conditions.

Dr. LoRang is Certified in Dry Needling by the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (AAMT).

Chris serves as board member of the Waveland Park Neighborhood Association, board Member with the Roosevelt Cultural District, and was a past board Secretary for the Iowa Chiropractic Society. In addition to helping people through manual medicine, he enjoys family time, cooking, bicycling, gardening, playing guitar with his wife, Abbie Sawyer, and noodling on the saxophone.


Dr. Sarah Brown

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Dr. Sarah Brown (she/her/hers) received her Bachelor of Science from University of Iowa.  She graduated from Des Moines University's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in 2006. 

Dr. Brown believes she found not only a career but a passion as a physical therapist. She’s able to fuse the importance of movement, connecting with people and her love for science and biomechanics. She enjoys helping people better understand their bodies and empower them with the knowledge to help themselves. 

Dr. Brown is Certified in Dry Needling by the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (AAMT).

Outside of work she stays busy with her two kids, Ellie and Jack, husband, Daniel, her dog (Stella), and the rest of her immediate family. She enjoys yoga, biking, reading, music, traveling, and being outdoors as much as possible. 

She is an Iowan at heart, born and raised, but has lived in New Mexico and Colorado. This has helped her appreciate the mountains, culture, a variety of foods and an understanding that everyone is unique.

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Dr. Ryan Hartley

Chiropractic Physician

ryan-hartley-capital-chiropractic-des-moinesDr. Ryan Hartley (he/him/his) received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Exercise Science and Biomechanics. He went on to graduate with honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA, in 2020.

While attending chiropractic school, Dr. Hartley was the club president of the Motion Palpation Institute and an intern in the Palmer Sports Rehab Department. He utilizes various techniques such as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, and soft tissue rehab for a multifaceted approach to patient care. His passion for movement and patient-centered care allow him to effectively treat a wide variety of conditions.

Dr. Hartley is Certified in Dry Needling by the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (AAMT).

When he’s not in the clinic, Dr. Hartley enjoys cycling, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, playing soccer, and spending time with his wife Colleen and their dog Walter.


Nurse Practitioner--We are currently searching for a new NP to join our team. Know someone who would be a good fit? Please have them reach out at office@capitalchirodsm.com.


Abbie Sawyer

Co-Founder

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Abbie Sawyer (she/her/hers) co-founded Capital Chiropractic with her husband Chris in 2013.

She specializes in outreach and special events, like the rotating local artist exhibitions, the Winter Wellness Market, and public lectures with Dr. Terry Wahls.

A Des Moines native, Abbie loves this thriving community. In addition to spending time with family and friends, traveling, and experimenting with new recipes, Abbie is a musician and founder of Mama Bare Botanicals, a line of natural skin care products.


Mary

Patient Coordinator and Hyperbaric Technician

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Mary (she/her/hers) is a Patient Coordinator with the Front Desk Team, as well as a Hyperbaric Technician with Iowa HBOT. Mary joined the clinic after years of customer service experience ranging from financing in the auto industry to salon managing. She loves helping people and making them feel welcome. 

A Des Moines native, Mary loves being back in DSM, for all the restaurants, live music, and wonderful community. Mary is known for her warmth and kindness, as well as her passion for singing and performing, good food, and spending time with family.


Susie

Patient Coordinator

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Susie (she/her/hers) is a Patient Coordinator with the Front Desk Team at Capital Chiropractic. Susie joined the team upon retirement from a 37 year career at Wells Fargo in Human Resources. Both career endeavors have allowed her opportunities to meet new people; she loves helping and hearing their stories.

Born in Kansas, Susie spent much of her youth hopping from the midwest to the west coast, eventually landing in DSM where she has spent the past 41 years: a true testament to her love of this city's community. Her favorite pastime activities include: biking, listening to live music, golfing, and above all; spending time with her husband Terry, children, grandchildren and her dogs. Her goal for the upcoming year is to spend more time volunteering within the community.


Brittany

Patient Coordinator and Hyperbaric Technician

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Brittany (she/her/hers) is a Patient Coordinator with the Front Desk Team, as well as a certified Hyperbaric Technician with Iowa HBOT. She graduated with honors from University of Dubuque with a BS in Exercise Science. Brittany’s passion for movement, health, and fitness has been with her since adolescence, participating in volleyball, basketball, track, and softball up until her college career, where it switched to sand volleyball and intramural sport teams.

In recent years, Brittany has found additional passion in yoga and the study of holistic health, with her prime passion always being her family. Having lived in many cities, Des Moines has become the perfect home for Brittany, with her love of live music, great food, and beautiful scenic adventures all being fulfilled. Brittany is blessed to be a part of the wonderful team at Capital Chiropractic, with the patients, environment, and co-workers all being amazing. She is happy to be surrounded by such wonderful people and hopes to be a bright light to those around her.