03/18/2026
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**10th Annual 2026 SAVMP Freedom Ride Sponsor Spotlight:**
In the early 1960s, communities like Stoughton, Wisconsin were built on personal relationships. Doctors knew their patients by name, neighbors looked after one another, and a handshake still meant something. It was in this spirit that Dr. Alan Zelm opened the doors of Zelm Chiropractic Center in 1961, beginning what would become a lasting tradition of natural health care for families across southern Wisconsin.
Working alongside his wife, Joann, Dr. Zelm built the practice one patient at a time. Chiropractic care was still growing in recognition during those years, but Dr. Zelm believed deeply in the body’s natural ability to heal when the spine and nervous system function properly. His approach was simple and sincere: listen carefully, treat thoughtfully, and care for every patient as if they were family.
Word spread quickly. Patients who found relief told their friends and neighbors, and the small clinic became a trusted place where people could turn for help with back pain, injuries, headaches, and everyday aches that come with hard work and active lives.
As the years passed, the clinic grew along with the community it served. In the 1970s, Dr. Craig Brue joined the practice, bringing additional expertise and helping expand the center’s ability to care for more patients. The spirit of teamwork and dedication strengthened the clinic’s reputation as a place where skill and compassion went hand in hand.
The Zelm name would soon become more than the founder’s—it would become a family tradition. In 1987, Dr. Mark Zelm, Dr. Alan Zelm’s son, joined the practice, continuing the philosophy his father had established decades earlier. His leadership helped guide the clinic into a new era while preserving the personal approach that patients had come to trust.
The family legacy continued to grow when Dr. Ann Metzler, Dr. Zelm’s daughter, opened a second clinic in McFarland, Wisconsin in 1990. With this expansion, Zelm Chiropractic Center was able to reach even more patients throughout Dane County while maintaining the same commitment to individualized care that had defined the practice from the beginning.
Through changing times and evolving healthcare practices, the mission of Zelm Chiropractic Center has remained remarkably consistent: help people feel better, move better, and live healthier lives without unnecessary medications or surgery whenever possible.
Today, more than six decades after its founding, Zelm Chiropractic Center remains a respected and familiar part of the community. Generations of families have walked through its doors—parents who once came as young patients now bringing their own children for care.
What began as one chiropractor’s vision in 1961 has grown into a legacy of service, built on trust, family dedication, and the belief that good health is one of life’s greatest gifts.
And in many ways, the story of Zelm Chiropractic Center is also the story of the community it serves—neighbors helping neighbors live healthier, fuller lives.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Zelm Chiropractic Center for sponsoring our 10th Annual SAVMP Freedom Ride in 2026.
https://www.zelmchiropractic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/zelmchiro/
