What happens when a lifelong martial artist becomes a massage therapist, then a chiropractor, then builds a thriving practice and a massive online following—all while continuing to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
In Episode 30 of Coffee Time with Carlos Machado, Carlos sits down with his friend, longtime Jiu-Jitsu student, and official chiropractor, Dr. Stratton Poulson, founder of Apex Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas.
This is a wide-ranging conversation about much more than chiropractic.
Carlos and Stratton talk about Jiu-Jitsu injuries, training longevity, neck and back health, recovery, nutrition, sleep, workplace ergonomics, chiropractic education, social media, YouTube, Instagram, marketing, entrepreneurship, seminars, mentorship, and what it really means to build a career around something you love.
Stratton has trained in martial arts since childhood and eventually found his way into chiropractic after experiencing firsthand how chiropractic care helped him recover from a Jiu-Jitsu injury. His path took him from martial arts and massage therapy to Parker University, the Dallas VA hospital, and eventually his own practice in Dallas.
Along the way, he discovered another powerful tool: content creation.
What began as simple videos filmed on a phone eventually grew into a huge social-media presence, including a YouTube audience of more than one million subscribers. But the most interesting part of the story isn't simply the follower count. Stratton explains how he learned to use content to attract local patients, how he identifies videos that perform well, how he uses advertising to reach people in his local community, and how the same platform that helped grow his chiropractic practice eventually opened the door to teaching other chiropractors around the world.
JIU-JITSU, INJURY & TRAINING LONGEVITY
The conversation begins with a little Vietnamese iced coffee—and quickly moves into one of the central themes of the episode: how to stay healthy enough to train Jiu-Jitsu for the long haul.
Carlos and Stratton discuss the difference between training hard and training intelligently.
For the average Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, the goal isn't necessarily to become a world champion. It may simply be to enjoy the art, stay active, improve, and keep training for decades.
That means learning when to push and, perhaps even more importantly, when to tap.
Stratton shares personal experiences with injuries, including problems involving his neck, and explains how some of his own early injuries came from trying to fight through positions instead of recognizing when it was time to let go.
Carlos brings the instructor's perspective, discussing the importance of teaching students not only what techniques to perform, but how to train.
The two discuss training culture, intensity, ego, tapping early, protecting training partners, and the importance of creating an academy environment where people can train hard without unnecessarily destroying their bodies.
NECK INJURIES, BACK PAIN & CHIROPRACTIC
Stratton explains why neck pain, back pain, headaches, migraines, nerve irritation, and jaw problems are common issues he sees in his practice.
He also discusses his particular interest in TMJ/TMJD, headaches, migraines, and neck pain, as well as the different ways symptoms can originate from joints, muscles, discs, or irritated nerves.
The conversation explores why a disc problem on an MRI does not automatically mean someone should have surgery, and why symptoms and the actual clinical presentation matter.
Carlos and Stratton also talk about the importance of knowing when conservative care is appropriate and when a patient needs to be referred to another healthcare professional.
How do you get people through the door?
His answer became content.
At first, the videos weren't particularly polished. They were filmed on a phone with basic equipment. But each video became an opportunity to learn.
Better lighting.
Better presentation.
Better understanding of the platforms.
Eventually, that consistency started producing results.
HOW STRATTON POULSON BUILT HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING
Carlos and Stratton go deep into the mechanics behind Stratton's social-media growth.
Stratton explains how he started with Instagram, why he recommends beginning on the platform you already understand, and how his content evolved as the platforms themselves changed.
He describes the unpredictable nature of social media: sometimes you can post repeatedly with little response, and then one video suddenly takes off.
His YouTube channel eventually experienced several major viral moments, producing enormous jumps in subscribers.
But Stratton explains that going viral isn't necessarily the entire goal.
Can you turn attention into actual local customers?
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES
This section is especially valuable for chiropractors, Jiu-Jitsu academies, gyms, and other local service businesses.
Stratton explains the difference between having followers around the world and reaching people who can actually walk through your front door.
A chiropractic office in Dallas doesn't necessarily benefit from having thousands of followers in another state.
The same is true for a local Jiu-Jitsu academy.
Stratton explains how he used organically successful content and then put advertising dollars behind the videos that were already demonstrating strong performance.
He also discusses starting with a relatively small advertising budget and gradually increasing it as the marketing produced new patients.
WHAT MAKES A VIDEO GO VIRAL?
Carlos and Stratton break down what Stratton believes makes social-media content work.
The discussion centers around three major ingredients:
Entertainment.
Value.
Emotion.
A successful piece of content has to compete with everything else the viewer could be watching.
Stratton explains why chiropractic treatment videos naturally lend themselves to social media: they can be visually interesting, surprising, educational, and emotionally engaging.
The lesson extends far beyond chiropractic.
Whether you're a martial arts instructor, gym owner, therapist, contractor, restaurant owner, or another local business owner, the same principles can be applied to creating content that earns attention.
FROM CONTENT CREATOR TO TEACHER
As Stratton's online audience grew, another opportunity appeared.
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Introduction
04:00 — Stratton's Jiu-Jitsu background and journey into chiropractic
13:00 — The Jiu-Jitsu injury that changed Stratton's career direction
19:00 — Chiropractic school, Parker University and clinical training
26:00 — Chiropractic safety, injuries and common misconceptions
33:00 — Jiu-Jitsu injuries and why training culture matters
47:00 — Neck injuries, triangles, chokes and long-term Jiu-Jitsu health
54:00 — Sitting all day, movement and workplace health
1:01:00 — Sit-stand desks, monitors and ergonomic setup
1:08:00 — Walking treadmills and finding what actually works for you
1:14:00 — Neck pain, headaches, migraines and TMJ
1:28:00 — Recovery, sleep, nutrition and supplements
1:35:00 — Food choices, meal preparation and lifestyle
1:41:00 — Building Apex Chiropractic and the challenge of getting patients
1:46:00 — Social media, viral videos and growing an audience
1:55:00 — Marketing budgets, advertising and local businesses
2:00:00 — Final thoughts and the importance of longevity
ABOUT DR. STRATTON POULSON
Dr. Stratton Poulson is a Dallas-based chiropractor and founder of Apex Chiropractic. He has a lifelong background in martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and previously worked as a massage therapist for more than a decade.
His chiropractic practice focuses on areas including neck pain, headaches, migraines and TMJ-related problems. He also founded Apex Chiropractic Education, where he teaches hands-on chiropractic seminars and online courses for students and clinicians.
Stratton has also built a large online audience through chiropractic treatment and educational content on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
CONNECT WITH DR. STRATTON POULSON
Instagram: @StratPoulson
YouTube: Dr. Stratton Poulson
TikTok: @Dr.StrattonPoulson
Apex Chiropractic — Dallas, Texas: https://www.apexchiropractic.org/
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