Corrimal chiropractor Dr Carsen Tannberg ready to retire – at age 94

A car accident in his late 30s was the catalyst for Dr Carsen Tannberg to become a chiropractor – a career he’s been so passionate about, it has kept him working until age 94.

But the Corrimal Family Chiropractic Centre owner is now looking to sell and enjoy what he can of his retirement.

“I feel I have enjoyed working as many years as possible, but my age is catching up a little bit with me,” he said.

Dr Carsen said the sudden passing of his wife last year and the need to finally enjoy some retirement after practising for more than half a century prompted the decision.

While most workers retire in their 60s, Dr Carsen kept going to help his patients.

“I have benefitted so much from chiropractic in my life that I want to pass on the little bit of knowledge I have as long as I possibly can to help people reduce their suffering,” he said.

Dr Carsen came from a medical family in Germany but wasn’t originally on a path to become a chiropractor.

“I became involved in a motor vehicle accident, which led me to the fact I could not walk anymore,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I was bedridden for quite some time and, from a medical perspective, they wanted to operate on me.”

He said he was reluctant to consider spinal surgery because the success rates at the time were often unreliable.

“I did not like the idea for the simple reason I was quite athletic in my life,” he said.

“I used to row internationally, I used to mountain climb, and I did not want to have my back fused with clamps and screws.”

After his cousin encouraged him to see a chiropractor, he was able to walk again within weeks.

“I asked him, `What did you do?’ and he tried to explain it to me from a neurologic perspective,” he said.

“I kept pestering him, asking him more about it because I was intrigued by it, and he said, ‘Well, why don’t you study it?’.

“I thought, well, if it can help me to be mobile again and not have a spinal fusion, maybe I can help other people in my life to do that.”

At that point, he was studying chemistry and pharmacology in preparation for a medical career after surviving a tumultuous childhood in Germany during World War II.

In 1945, at 14 years of age, he was captured by the Russian army and managed to escape three times.

His mother tried to help him flee, but they missed the ship MV Wilhelm Gustloff after her bag, filled with jewellery, went missing.

Later, they discovered the ship had been bombed and sunk with all his classmates aboard.

Another attempt to escape failed when his mother refused to sign the necessary documents.

That ship, too, was bombed and destroyed.

Dr Carsen said living through those experiences profoundly shaped his outlook on life.

“I think we’re here for a purpose. We’re here to help people and, of course, to enjoy our life to the best we can and learn as much as we can,” he said.

“We can waste our time or we can learn about what’s happening.”

At 94, Dr Carsen’s thirst for learning means he still attends seminars around Australia, including recently driving to Sydney for a seminar held over a couple of days.

“I’m always trying to find out what is happening in chiropractic and how chiropractic is improving,” he said.

“I was hoping I would see someday in my life the cooperation between chiropractic and medicine and medicine and chiropractic, because we have two different pathways of getting people well in this particular area.”

His chiropractic education began at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, graduating in 1968. He later practised chiropractic for 10 years in his own clinic in Canada and studied naturopathic medicine.

Moving to Wollongong in 1987 with his late wife Airynae and son after getting to know a local when travelling around the world, he soon established the Corrimal Family Chiropractic Centre.

“I liked the people. I liked everything that was going on over here because it was a free, open, big country and so that encouraged me to come to Australia.”

He said he was glad to have seen chiropractic’s considerable advances during his career.

“With the advancing technology we have, we can do things today we could not do 50 years ago with chiropractic,” he said.

“We can work with clients now with equipment which we did not have and be very effective with the many different types of techniques and modalities.”

But that work will now be passed on to another as he chooses to sell Corrimal Family Chiropractic Centre.

“If another person takes over the business and if they wish me to stay on for a few months, I would be happy to help them with the transition of the practice and some of the patients.”

And what does retirement look like for Dr Carsen?

“The plan would be to enjoy a little bit of time, take my little dog for a walk, be grateful, and still continue to learn.

“I’m very grateful I’ve been able to survive all the challenges I have.”