Dr. Lance was born and raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia. As an avid soccer player and champion weightlifter he was always drawn to sports and recreation. From a young age he was drawn to athletics and pushing the edge of his physical capabilities, (and to this DAY! he's worked out five days a week since the age of 14!) Dr. Lance is a graduate of Marshall University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in Journalism. Not really having a clear picture of what he wanted, he entered the workforce and through the process of elimination, he figured out the things he didn't want to do! After three years of building and home and home sales to mortgages, he knew he needed change and wanted to make a greater impact. In 2010 he listened to a soul nudge that brought him back to the idea of chiropractic care and how it can change a life, a seed that was planted ten years before! Four years later he graduated with honors from Cleveland University in Overland Park, Kansas where we earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic and met his wife, Dr. Aliya Gard with whom he practices with today! Dr. Lance has seen first hand in his own life with injuries and accidents how chiropractic helped with pain, but more importantly, he came to understand how it helped him function better. Every facet of life has improved with regular chiropractic care.

Dr. Lance is active in the local chiropractic community and serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association. He holds advanced training and certification by the Council on Extremity Adjusting, Chiropractic Wellness Specialist, Activator Method adjusting, Flexion Distraction and diversified techniques. In addition to chiropractic care, Dr. Lance is excited about performance nutrition, fast and loud cars, and pushing himself to physical limits in CrossFit. When he's not in the office, you can find him at the beach, boating at the lake, fixing things for fun, hiking or otherwise adventuring with his wife, Dr. Aliya and their two active boys.

Dr. Aliya Gard hails from the rolling hills of Western Massachusetts. Always fascinated by people and patterns, she completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of Southern Maine. Without a driving desire for a specific career, she joined the corporate ranks at a Fortune 500 insurance company and devoted the next five years to the corporate ladder. To balance the demands and stress she found in this world, she dove deep into yoga, a pivot which would later change the course of her career. Mindfulness and presence led to clarity and the realization that corporate life was not for her, so she broke away from that life to travel and take deep dives into her yoga and the body mind connection. After some time abroad she returned to the states, where her path crossed with chiropractic and a mentor that would lead her to a whole new world of health and understanding of the human body, and bing! it was that lightbulb moment when she finally realized what she wanted to be when she grew up! In 2010 she received her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College, where she also met her husband and business partner, Dr. Lance Gard.

Dr. Aliya’s primary role at Gard Wellness Center is chiropractic care for prenatal and pediatric patients, acupuncture, and head of the Functional Medicine program. She is a living example of what she preaches and came to each of her specialties on the heals of personal experience and amazing results! She knows the power and vitality that exists when our bodies and minds are well-nourished, properly exercised, and expertly aligned (thanks Dr. Lance) Her passion is delivering that knowledge and power to others!

Dr. Aliya holds certification in acupuncture, from the Society of America, in Webster Technique for pregnancy from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), and has completed over 200 hours of advanced study for the CCACP certification in Pediatrics and Pregnancy chiropractic, also from the ICPA. Her Functional Medicine training has been ongoing since 2018 with over 500 combined hours from the Institute of Functional Medicine, Apex Seminars, and FMFT. She is an active Rotarian at the Cary-Kildaire club, a business start-up mentor with LaunchCary, an active member of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association and sits on local boards including the Physicians Advisory Board for Health Network Solutions.

When she and Dr. Lance are not in the office you can find them parenting two active boys, doing CrossFit, hiking, wakeboarding, exploring and reading about ways to improve life and health.

Emma is one of our Certified Clinical Chiropractic Assistants, and our lead Radiology Technician. She returned to her hometown of Raleigh, NC after graduating from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. She enjoys working out with her friends at Camp Gladiator, and spending as much time outside as possible. When she's not at work she can be found exploring the Greenway trails and breweries of the Raleigh/Cary area.