Today we’d like to introduce you to Torsten Stein.
Hi Torsten, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
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I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and if you had told the younger version of me where life would eventually take me, I probably would not have believed you.
At 7’2”, I was always easy to spot in a crowd. My height naturally led me to basketball, and the game became a major part of my life. Basketball eventually opened a door that changed everything: it brought me from Germany to the United States, where I played college basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey from 1985 to 1989. After college, I continued playing professionally overseas.
For many years, basketball gave my life direction. It allowed me to travel the world, experience different cultures, and meet incredible people. But like every chapter in life, eventually that chapter came to an end. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that sometimes the end of one dream is simply the beginning of another one—you just may not realize it at the time.
My experiences as an athlete, along with my own physical challenges and experiences with chiropractic care, eventually led me in a completely different direction. I became fascinated by the human body and by the idea that understanding how the body functions could help people improve their quality of life.
That curiosity eventually became my new passion: chiropractic.
I went back to school and began building an entirely new career. It was not always easy. Starting over and reinventing yourself takes courage, especially when you have already spent years pursuing one particular dream. But I discovered something that has stayed with me ever since: you are never too old, and it is never too late, to begin a new chapter in your life.
Today, I am proud to own and operate Stein Chiropractic in Arizona. I practice the Gonstead System of chiropractic, which appealed to me because of its detailed and individualized approach. I enjoy taking the time to understand each patient and their unique situation rather than believing there is a one-size-fits-all solution.
Of course, my height is still something people immediately notice. Over the years, I have embraced it and became known to many people as the “7 Foot 2 Doc” therefore my social media handle is @7foot2doc”.” What once simply made me stand out has become part of my identity and even a way to connect with people. Sometimes people come into my office curious about the extremely tall chiropractor, but hopefully they leave knowing that I genuinely care about helping them.
When I look back at my life—from growing up in Berlin, to playing basketball in the United States and professionally overseas, to eventually becoming a chiropractor and business owner in Arizona—I realize that very little happened exactly the way I originally planned it.
And maybe that is the point.
Life does not always take us where we think we are going. Sometimes the unexpected turns, the setbacks, and even the endings are what lead us to the places where we are supposed to be.
Basketball gave me opportunities I could never have imagined. Chiropractic gave me a new purpose. And through both journeys, I have learned that success is not always about following a straight path. Sometimes it is about being willing to take a chance, start over, and continue moving forward when life takes you somewhere unexpected.
Today, I am grateful for every chapter of that journey. I am grateful for the people I have met, the places I have seen, and the opportunity I now have to help others. If there is one thing I hope my story shows, it is that no matter where you start, how old you are, or how different your life may look from what you originally planned, there is always another chapter waiting to be written.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would not say it has been a completely smooth road. Like most people, my journey has included unexpected changes, challenges, and times when I had to figure out what came next.
For many years, basketball was a huge part of my identity. When you spend so much of your life pursuing one goal, it can be difficult when that chapter eventually comes to an end. Transitioning from being an athlete and building a completely new career was one of the biggest adjustments of my life. I had to go back to school, learn an entirely new profession, and essentially start over.
There were also challenges that came with being different. At 7’2”, I have always stood out, whether I wanted to or not. People often see the height before they see the person. While I have learned to embrace it and even make it part of my identity as the “7 Foot 2 Doc,” there were certainly times in life when being different came with its own challenges.
Building a business also has its ups and downs. I can’t thank my wife (and boss) Claudia enough. Becoming a chiropractor was one accomplishment, but becoming a business owner brought an entirely different set of challenges. You are not only responsible for helping your patients; you are also responsible for making decisions, managing the day-to-day operations, and finding ways to keep growing and adapting.
There have been moments of uncertainty and times when things did not go according to plan. But looking back, those struggles taught me some of the most valuable lessons. They forced me to become more adaptable, patient, and willing to reinvent myself.
I think one of the biggest things I have learned is that struggles are not necessarily signs that you are on the wrong path. Sometimes they are simply part of the process of getting where you are meant to go. My life certainly has not followed a straight line, but every challenge, career change, and unexpected turn has helped shape who I am today.
In many ways, the difficult parts of the journey have made me appreciate where I am now even more.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Question: You’re known as “The 7 Foot 2 Doc.” How did your extraordinary height become part of your professional identity, and what is it like being one of the tallest chiropractors people will ever meet?
At 7’2”, I have spent my entire life being noticed before I even had the chance to introduce myself. No matter where I went—growing up in Berlin, traveling the world as a basketball player, or now walking into my chiropractic office—my height was always the first thing people saw.
For a long time, I was simply known as “the tall guy” or “the basketball player.” My height helped shape the opportunities I had in life, especially in sports, and basketball eventually brought me from Germany to the United States and allowed me to travel and play professionally.
But when my basketball career ended and I became a chiropractor, I found myself starting a completely different chapter. Once again, my height made me stand out—but this time, I had the opportunity to turn something people immediately noticed into something that became part of my professional identity.
“The 7 Foot 2 Doc” happened naturally. People remembered the extremely tall chiropractor, and before long, I realized that being different could actually be an advantage. It became a conversation starter and a way to connect with people before they even became patients.
Of course, there is a funny side to being 7’2” in this profession. Chiropractic tables, chairs, counters, doorways, and just about everything else are designed for people considerably shorter than me. I often joke that I have spent my entire life adapting to a world that was not built for someone my size.
But being “The 7 Foot 2 Doc” is about more than just height. The name may get people’s attention, but I want my work to be what they remember.
I take pride in providing individualized chiropractic care and taking the time to understand each patient’s unique situation. I practice the Gonstead System of chiropractic because I appreciate its detailed, hands-on approach and the importance of looking carefully at the individual rather than treating everyone exactly the same.
In many ways, my height has taught me an important lesson: being different is not necessarily something you need to overcome or hide. Sometimes the very thing that makes you stand out can become one of your greatest strengths.
I never imagined that I would go from being a 7’2” kid growing up in Berlin, to playing basketball in the United States and professionally overseas, to becoming a chiropractor and business owner in Arizona. But today, I have embraced every part of that journey.
People may come across “The 7 Foot 2 Doc” because they are curious about the height. But my hope is that they leave knowing there is much more to the story than simply being tall.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory, in hindsight, is simply spending time with my mom and dad.
Nothing flashy. No single grand trip or milestone I can point to. Just being around them—talking, riding in the car, sitting at the table, doing ordinary things that felt unremarkable then and feel like the whole point now. At the time it was just life. Looking back, those hours with them are the ones that stayed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://worldstallestchiropractor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7foot2doc
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@7foot2doc45
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@7foot2doc
