Welcome to Friday Club. Insider, our ongoing series where we sit down with founders, creatives, and individuals who are reimagining how we live, move, and feel. For this edition, we’re stepping inside Ethica – a human-first chiropractic clinic in Hong Kong – and meeting the mind (and hands) behind it: Ronan Chan.
Ethica grew out of Ronan’s discomfort with how rushed and transactional healthcare can feel. His clinic is built as a counterpoint: emotionally present and genuinely accessible care in a space designed for peace, not performance. Here, education comes before quick fixes, and care plans are shaped with patients rather than sold as pre-set packages.
Ronan’s work sits at the intersection of mental health and traditional chiropractic, with a focus on the whole person – posture, lifestyle, stress, and the stories our bodies hold. In this edition of Friday Club. Insider, he shares how he’s trying to rebuild trust in care, why accessibility is non-negotiable, and what truly human-centred healthcare could look like in Hong Kong and beyond.
Read More: Broken Bones, Open Minds – My Journey Through Hong Kong’s Accessibility Gaps
What first drew you to chiropractic, and how has your understanding of it evolved as you’ve trained?
Like a lot of people, my first real interest in chiropractic came from its presence on the internet – all those videos and clips you see. I found it therapeutic just to watch. When I started training, I realised it was also very therapeutic for me to provide the treatment. The whole process felt rewarding, and over time it became a genuine passion. That’s really why I wanted to go into chiropractic.
I also came to see that neuromusculoskeletal health often needs a broader approach. It’s more like a ‘shotgun’ approach than a single precise fix, because everyone is different. That’s part of why research in this area is tricky: one method might work brilliantly for one person and not at all for another – and that’s completely valid, it just means they needed something else.
Because healthcare can feel very transactional these days, it’s hard for people to find the right mix of treatments they actually need. My hope is that patients can explore different options and pick out what works best for them, instead of being stuck with the same modality over and over again.
What does the name Ethica mean to you, and what kinds of day-to-day experiences made you decide to build something different?
Ethica is really just born from the word ‘ethical.’ It’s a reminder to myself, and to anyone who becomes part of this space, that our main mission is to provide ethical healthcare as much as possible.
It didn’t come from one big traumatic event, but from lots of small frustrations: five-minute appointments, too much medical jargon, really confusing prices. All of that creates a lot of fear in patients and doesn’t give them space to actually talk about how they feel.
That’s what Ethica is for. We’re trying to build a dynamic where care feels real and human, and where we’re as transparent and as honest as possible.
Ethica doesn’t feel like a typical clinic – what kind of environment did you want to create, and why was that so important to you?
I find that a lot of clinics are really designed just to be efficient, which is perfectly fine. But on a personal level, I wanted a place where I could work comfortably and be happy, so that I can feel and perform at my best.
At the same time, I see the environment as part of the treatment itself – not just a peaceful backdrop. I want my patients to feel comfortable, and for the space to feel timeless so they don’t feel rushed. That creates a really nice dynamic where patients feel the best they can, and in turn, the outcomes of the treatments are the best they can be.
For people who are still unsure what chiropractors really do, what are the biggest myths you’d like to clear up?
I think one of the biggest myths is that chiropractors only work on your back. People assume it’s just the spine, but we actually work on the whole body. We look after the entire neuromusculoskeletal system – anything related to the nervous system, muscles, joints, and bones. We don’t do surgery, of course, but shoulder or hip pain is a good example: we work through the shoulders, arms, legs, and so on. Our main goal, especially here, is to help you move better, improve how your nervous system communicates, and reduce fear-based movement or hesitation. There’s a lot more going on than just ‘cracking backs.’ Spinal manipulation is one of our tools, but we do much more than that and try to tailor our approach to what each patient actually needs.
The second myth is that what we do is very painful. Online videos can make it look like we’re using a lot of force, but in reality it’s usually very controlled and quite gentle. There are even softer techniques we can use, depending on what the patient prefers and what their body needs. It really shouldn’t hurt – and if you ask most people who’ve been to a chiropractor, they’ll usually say it feels quite relieving.
People are often skeptical, and I understand there are misconceptions around the history of chiropractic – though that’s true for many healthcare professions. I think what most people are curious about is how we differ from physiotherapists. In my experience, the main difference is our focus: chiropractors tend to lean more into passive, hands-on modalities, while physiotherapists are often more focused on active modalities like exercise and stretching programmes. We still incorporate exercise and active rehab, and in modern practice chiropractors and physiotherapists actually work quite closely together. So I’d say the real difference is in how we approach a problem, while our end goal is very much the same.
Accessibility is one of Ethica’s core values – what does that look like in practice, from how you structure treatment plans to pricing and scheduling, and even the atmosphere you create for patients?
What I tend to see is that a lot of clinics create packages. They can be very enticing, but here I try to avoid that as much as possible. I’d much rather build a care plan with the patient, tailored specifically to them. I don’t say, ‘You have to come in this many times.’ Instead, we check in: how do you feel today, how do you feel about next time, do you feel like you need to come back soon? I want the patient to have real control over their own care.
At the same time, I give as much as I can within each session. I don’t keep adding on different modalities and charging separately for every little thing. I really don’t like that side of healthcare. I think we can move away from it by letting patients take more ownership and encouraging them to ask questions. That’s when real education happens and they start taking control of their own life, rather than handing everything over to someone else.
Financially, I try to make care as accessible as possible across different demographics, including migrant workers. I don’t love talking about prices, but it’s important to say that I want to provide care without it becoming a financial burden.
Accessibility also means timing. I open as many hours as I reasonably can so people can come in when it actually fits their schedule. I don’t force anyone into fixed weekly slots or rigid routines – we keep it flexible and talk it through, so everyone’s on the same page.
And then there’s emotional accessibility. I want to create a space where people can really talk and express how they feel. That tells me much more about their goals – why they’re coming in and what they actually want from care. Instead of staying in that grey zone where no one says what they really need, we can be clearer, and that guides the care plan in a much more meaningful way.
For someone feeling nervous about their first chiropractic visit, what can they expect from a typical first session?
It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious about a chiropractic visit, especially because it’s still relatively new here in Hong Kong compared to many other countries. But the process is actually quite simple. You come in, you tell me about your pain, and you tell me your story. I genuinely want to know more about you as a person so I can understand what might be causing the pain in the first place. A lot of people come in with chronic pain, and there’s usually much more behind it than a single injury. That bigger picture helps me guide you, and it also gives you space to talk about how you’re really feeling – which can already be very therapeutic in itself. Most importantly, it lets you share your goals. It might be something as simple and meaningful as, ‘I want to be able to pick up my child without pain.’ That becomes our focus. Instead of just chasing pain relief, we work towards a specific movement goal or something deeper – whatever really matters to you.
Before any spinal manipulation or other techniques, I explain what I’m going to do so you feel comfortable and informed. Consent is very important – we don’t just jump straight in. I also encourage you to explore different movements and treatment options with me. I see it as a big toolbox we work through together to find what feels best and works best for your body, and that then becomes the core of your care plan. It’s not always about immediately ‘cracking backs’ or going straight to dry needling. There are many different tools available, and I try to tailor each session to how you are on that day, rather than repeating the exact same routine over and over again.
What is your bigger vision for Ethica?
I hope for Ethica to become an example of what ethical, human-centred healthcare can look like. At the same time, I want to build a community around more accessible health and wellness, so more people – especially here in Hong Kong – can explore different ways of taking care of themselves. I don’t want to shut out any discipline. I’d rather see healthcare and wellness communities meet in the middle, stay curious, and learn from each other instead of discouraging one another. There’s a lot of infighting between professions, and I’d really like to shift that perception here in Hong Kong.
I also want people and patients to take more charge of their health by asking more questions: How much does this cost? What does this actually do for me? What are my options? I’d rather they be engaged than simply accept whatever pills or treatments they’re given. That’s where real education starts, and for me, that’s a core value.
Part of this comes from seeing how many chiropractors there already are overseas, while Asia is still in a growing phase. I want to use that momentum to spread a more positive, thoughtful message about chiropractic. In places like the US, there’s fantastic work being done, but also controversy and skepticism. I’d like to offer a different example here in Asia – to show another way of practising. Hong Kong is my home, so this is where I want to start. Hopefully, over time, that message can grow beyond Hong Kong as well.
Follow Ethica on Instagram to stay up-to-date on their latest offerings.
This post is in partnership with Ethica.
Catherine Pun
A Hong Kong native with Filipino-Chinese roots, Catherine infuses every part of her life with zest, whether she’s belting out karaoke tunes or exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations. Her downtime often includes unwinding with Netflix and indulging in a 10-step skincare routine. As the Editorial Director of Friday Club., Catherine brings her wealth of experience from major publishing houses, where she refined her craft and even authored a book. Her sharp editorial insight makes her a dynamic force, always on the lookout for the next compelling narrative.
