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As a Certified Athletic Trainer and Chiropractor, Wayne Higashi, D.C., has over 20 years of experience in working with athletes and patients achieve their health goals. Dr. Higashi, D.C., graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and Southern California University of Health Sciences and is now a licensed member of the California Chiropractic Association and the Vice President of the Santa Monica Chapter.

Frustrated by the lack of patient-first care in the medical system, Dr. Higashi and his wife, Stephanie Higashi, D.C., established Health Atlast in 2012. Their multidisciplinary clinics allow an array of doctors to communicate effectively to give every person the attentive, personalized treatment they deserve.

Dr. Higashi, D.C., cares about every patient. By listening to the patient and obtaining a thorough health history, exam and x-rays if needed Dr. Higashi, D.C., gets to the root cause. Each patient leaves with a greater understanding of their body and a personalized course of treatment to greatly improve the quality of their lives and athletic performances.

His life-saving efforts go beyond the chiropractic field, as Dr. Higashi, D.C., is also a certified rescue diver and has American Red Cross CPR certification. Dr. Higashi, D.C., aims for every patient to feel safe, heard, and healthy when under his care.

About the Practice

Suzan Starler, DC, Cert. MDT, is a board-licensed chiropractor who provides comprehensive holistic care at her private practice, Dr. Suzan Starler Investigative Nutrition, in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. As a functional medicine practitioner, she combines her experience and expansive knowledge to help her patients finally understand what’s happening in their bodies and the steps they can take to actively support their own health and healing.

After completing her Bachelor of Science in human biology at the University of Los Angeles, California (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Starler earned her Doctor of Chiropractic at Southern California University of Health Sciences (formally known as the Los Angeles Chiropractic College) in Whittier, California.

Since earning her Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Starler has expanded her knowledge, completing post-graduate work at the McKenzie Institute International® and the Institute for Functional Medicine®. Some of her coursework includes clinical nutrition and diversified technique, nutritional management of underlying causes of chronic disease, and breaking the complex web of leaky gut.

Dedicated to her profession, Dr. Starler is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT) by McKenzie Institute International and has advanced clinical training in Nutrition Response Testing® and Quantum Neurology®. She’s also a professional member of the American Chiropractic Association, McKenzie Institute International, Santa Monica Professionals, Holistic Chamber of Commerce, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

When it comes to health and wellness, Dr. Starler tells her patients there is always hope and healing takes time, consistency, and self-discipline.

Dr. Cayo grew up as the youngest in a family of four in the Hollywood Hills. As a gymnast, she valued discipline and good work ethic which served her in her personal and professional career. Her father was a doctor of anesthesiology who inspired Dr. Cayo to pursue a career in the medical field. At an early age, she had a gift for service. Dr. Cayo’s mother encouraged her to become a chiropractor instead of a physical therapist, so she went to San Diego State University and received her bachelor’s degree in biology.

In 1996, she graduated as cum laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles. Working in several chiropractic offices, she acquired a tremendous amount of experience treating patients with various problems such as headaches, sports injuries, neck, and lower back pain. With extensive study in cranial therapy, she developed her own treatment protocol for migraine and tension headaches. Dr. Cayo immerses herself in wellness principles and practices. She dedicates herself to a healthy lifestyle, implementing exercise, nutrition, yoga, and meditation. She is a loving mother of two daughters. 

Marissa Gonzalez, MS, OTR/L, CHT, is a highly skilled occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) specializing in upper extremity rehabilitation from shoulder to finger. She offers expert care to patients at Ortho 1 Medical Group in San Diego, California.

With a passion for helping patients regain function and independence, she delivers personalized, evidence-based care to support recovery from injuries, surgeries, and chronic conditions affecting the hands and arms.

Marissa earned her Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from San Diego State University and went on to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of St. Augustine. She achieved the prestigious CHT credential, demonstrating her expertise after completing over 5,000 hours of hand therapy practice and passing a rigorous certification exam.

Her diverse clinical experience spans neurorehabilitation, inpatient acute care, geriatrics, skilled nursing, and home health care, equipping her with a holistic, patient-centered approach. 

Whether addressing post-surgical recovery, nerve conditions, or repetitive strain injuries, Marissa tailors treatment plans to help individuals return to daily activities and improve their quality of life.

Outside of work, Marissa enjoys spending time with her husband, toddler, and two dogs. She loves exploring the outdoors, visiting museums, and discovering new restaurants.

Dr. Spencer is a native of Encinitas, CA, and has been licensed by the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners since October 2025. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Riverside in 2021 and her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Southern California University of Health Sciences in 2025.

She has been an advocate of chiropractic her whole life, having sustained sports injuries throughout her childhood that were successfully treated through chiropractic care. She uses these experiences to help focus her practice around a variety of topics such as pediatrics, family care, sports injuries, and preventative treatment. She incorporates a variety of techniques to best suit the needs of every individual patient, such as Diversified, Thompson drop table, Cox flexion/distraction, SOT blocking, Activator technique, and the Sigma Station.

Dr. Spencer enjoys golfing, staying active in the community, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Berry is licensed by the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners and a certificate holder of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He is licensed by the State of California as a Radiography X-ray Supervisor and Operator. He did his undergraduate studies in biology at the California State Universities, Chico and San Diego. Dr. Berry achieved academic honors while attending the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic where he graduated with the Doctor of Chiropractic degree and then completed his clinical internship in early 1997. He has been a colleague of La Costa Chiropractic since 1996, and the Clinic Director since 2005.

Dr. Berry continuously challenges and updates himself with continuing education seminars, conventions and symposiums focusing on a variety of topics including sports injuries, traumatic injuries, pediatrics and advanced topics in clinical chiropractic. He received a postgraduate diploma from the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance in electromyographic theory, technique, and interpretation.  Dr. Berry was the recipient of the "Chiropractor of The Year" award in 2009 from The Masters Circle group.

Dr. Berry sees patients of all ages and uses a variety of techniques in his practice including; Diversified, Upper Cervical Specific, Thompson drop table, Cox flexion/distraction technique, and Activator method. Dr. Berry directs his practice towards allowing chiropractic to help improve his patients' health naturally while addressing their symptoms, prevention, overall spinal function and wellness. Dr. Berry takes pride in the fact that he has helped many patients avoid surgery, require less medication, recover from injuries, and help conditions where traditional medicine was unsuccessful.

Dr. Berry enjoys being active in the North County community. He is a member of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, has served as the team chiropractor for the North County Cheetahs semi-pro football team and has provided his services to the San Marcos High Football Team.

Out of the practice, Dr. Berry is a native Californian and was born and raised here in North County. He was an oarsman for the San Diego State University Men's Crew Team and currently enjoys surfing, snow skiing, exercise, outdoors, and time with his wife and children.

Mission: To educate our patients and help our patients improve their health and wellness naturally, through chiropractic care.

After retiring in 2006, Dr. Lee Wood comes full circle as he rejoins our clinic and the La Costa Chiropractic & Wellness family.

Dr. Wood began 30 years ago with the opening of La Costa Chiropractic and over the years provided the best in health and wellness for many of North Counties residents. During his retired years Dr. Wood passed on his knowledge and skills to fellow chiropractors through seminars and coaching.

With his return, Dr. Wood brings the latest, most cutting-edge chiropractic technology: the Sigma Station. To learn more about the improved health benefits associated with the Sigma Station, schedule a consult with Dr. Wood today.