What are you missing from your workout?

By Guest Blogger , Michele McCauley

What are you missing from your workout? Is it flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, cardio, mental peace? With one session of Pilates, you can achieve all of this….so why aren’t you doing Pilates?

Joseph Pilates, born in the late 1800’s, is credited to his strong work in sports and fitness.  After WWI, Joseph Pilates developed exercises for the military using bed springs and beer keg rings, which simulate todays’ current equipment like the Reformer and Magic Circle.

Pilates came to NY in the late 1920’s with his wife Clara.  Ballet dancers have practiced Pilates, as they found the exercises are effective in keeping core muscles strong, increased flexibility for long limbs, and better posture.  These exercises are currently used today to make athletes stronger in sports like cycling, swimming, running, surfing, golf, tennis, and Yoga tooJ

Just an hour of Pilates is far more effective than an hour in the gym.  Why? The body utilizes more muscles in one Pilates exercise than in most weight bearing workouts.  Also the most crucial benefit of Pilates being, that there is no impact on the joints.

Many physical therapists are now using Pilates exercises as part of their rehabilitation program.  The exercises are performed with muscular control with emphasis on drawing energy from the core.  And again, no impact on the joints!

Many people suffer from back pain.  Tight hamstrings, weak hips, and no core strength are often the contributing factors to back pain.  Pilates focuses on building core strength and spinal alignment, the end result is better posture and no back pain.

I started practicing Pilates a decade ago, during my third year of running road races.  After practicing Pilates for just one year, I was the second place female finalist in a local 5 mile road race. This was astonishing to me and I credit Pilates for my increased performance in skiing, cycling, and swimming too!

Since 2008, I have instructed Pilates to an outstanding number of people. Each client is designed an individually, customized program to help regain flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, cardio, and mental peace.  We work together to maximize their abilities and limitations to reach their fitness goals.  I am quite accustomed in working with clients of all ages and fitness levels.

If you would like to learn how to intensify your mat practice in Pilates or Yoga, become stronger and faster in your sport, eliminate back pain, and discover the other numerous benefits Pilates has to offer, then visit MBM Studio for a demo or log onto www.movementbymichele.com.

Hope to see you soonJ

 

What are you missing from your workout? Is it flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, cardio, mental peace? With one session of Pilates, you can achieve all of this….so why aren’t you doing Pilates?

Joseph Pilates, born in the late 1800’s, is credited to his strong work in sports and fitness.  After WWI, Joseph Pilates developed exercises for the military using bed springs and beer keg rings, which simulate todays’ current equipment like the Reformer and Magic Circle.

Pilates came to NY in the late 1920’s with his wife Clara.  Ballet dancers have practiced Pilates, as they found the exercises are effective in keeping core muscles strong, increased flexibility for long limbs, and better posture.  These exercises are currently used today to make athletes stronger in sports like cycling, swimming, running, surfing, golf, tennis, and Yoga tooJ

Just an hour of Pilates is far more effective than an hour in the gym.  Why? The body utilizes more muscles in one Pilates exercise than in most weight bearing workouts.  Also the most crucial benefit of Pilates being, that there is no impact on the joints.

Many physical therapists are now using Pilates exercises as part of their rehabilitation program.  The exercises are performed with muscular control with emphasis on drawing energy from the core.  And again, no impact on the joints!

Many people suffer from back pain.  Tight hamstrings, weak hips, and no core strength are often the contributing factors to back pain.  Pilates focuses on building core strength and spinal alignment, the end result is better posture and no back pain.

I started practicing Pilates a decade ago, during my third year of running road races.  After practicing Pilates for just one year, I was the second place female finalist in a local 5 mile road race. This was astonishing to me and I credit Pilates for my increased performance in skiing, cycling, and swimming too!

Since 2008, I have instructed Pilates to an outstanding number of people. Each client is designed an individually, customized program to help regain flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, cardio, and mental peace.  We work together to maximize their abilities and limitations to reach their fitness goals.  I am quite accustomed in working with clients of all ages and fitness levels.

If you would like to learn how to intensify your mat practice in Pilates or Yoga, become stronger and faster in your sport, eliminate back pain, and discover the other numerous benefits Pilates has to offer, then visit MBM Studio for a demo or log onto www.movementbymichele.com

Hope to see you soon!

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

 

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!


Click here to book now!

 

4 Healthy Tips for Busy Moms

By guest blogger, Denise Pettigrew, RN, Certified Holistic Health Coach

As Moms, we all have the hardest job in the world.  We take care of the kids, the husband, the

house, the pets, and, on top of all that most of us have our own busy careers.  Unfortunately, we

always seem to end up last on the list and put our needs on the back burner.  The best Mother’s

Day present you can give to yourself is to stop putting yourself last!  I know, I know, who has time

for locking the bathroom door and reading your favorite romance novel in a luxurious bubble bath

with lavender candles, over a glass of wine.  Here are five easy tips that we can all incorporate in

our busy lives by honoring ourselves !!!  And if you take care of yourself you will have more

energy and joy to take care of everyone else.

#1 Find Gratitude and Joy

I know how busy and stressful being a Mom can be.  But just remember, these days will be gone in

the blink of any eye and one day we look back longingly at the days when our children were

young.  We have been blessed to raise these amazing little girls and boys and watch them grow day

by day from little children into young adolescents and young adults.  Try to savor the joy in those

moments.  Find something to be grateful for every day.

#2 Avoid Sugar

Sugar is one of the most unhealthy, yet widely consumed foods.  It is highly processed, has

absolutely no nutritional value and is destructive to our bodies.  It is found everywhere.  Not only

in sweets like cookies and candies, but in places you wouldn’t expect it like ketchup, salad dressing

and peanut butter.  Avoiding sugar is one of the most healthful things you can do for yourself.

Sugar causes weight gain and obesity.  About 20 years ago researchers concluded that the fat in

our diet was making us fat and sick, but recent research has proven that it is not the fat, it is the

sugar.  We know that sugar causes type 2 diabetes and contributes to many diseases including heart

disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.  Sugar also ages us more quickly through a process called

advanced glycation end products (AGE’s).  Sugar is extremely addictive (and food manufacturers

know this), so, the more you eat or drink, the more you want.  The best strategy is to jump the

canyon and dramatically cut down on eating excess processed sugars and sweetened foods.  Our

taste buds are very adaptive.  After a few days off of sugar you will start to become more sensitive

to the taste of sweet things so that the sweetness of an apple becomes a delicious dessert.  And,

once you stop eating or drinking sugar, you will no longer crave it.  So, enjoy your healthy fats, but

ditch the sugar !!

#3 Eat Whole, Unprocessed Foods

Processed foods are an illusion.  They often appear to be healthy with claims like low fat, low carb,

vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains whole grains, etc.  But go ahead, read the label on any food

that comes in a box, bag or can.  Can you understand, or even pronounce, most of the ingredients?

If you can’t understand the ingredients chances are your body can’t either.  Processed foods are

making us unhealthy, sick and fat.  Food is information to our bodies.  The food we consume

interacts with every cell in our body and actually impacts the expression of our genes.  Eating a

diet of healthy whole foods has the ability to turn on our good genes and turn off our bad genes.

So, just because you have a family history of heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, does not

mean that has to be your destiny.  Eating whole foods and fruits and vegetables that contain

valuable phytonutrients can dramatically decrease your risk of disease, help you lose weight and

increase your energy.    Our bodies were designed to eat whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts,

legumes, and healthfully raised dairy, chicken and meat.  So go ahead, eat some real food!

#4  Learn to say “No”

This last tip is especially important for Moms.  There is no shortage of demands and requests being

placed on our already overloaded schedules.  We can take a lesson from our toddlers – just say

“no”.  You know the usual requests ­  volunteering at our school, social engagements, creating the

perfect Halloween costume from scratch, or baking homemade cookies for the school bake sale.

Just remember – you don’t have to make everyone happy (trust me you couldn’t anyway, even if

you tried), don’t feel guilty, you don’t have to say yes to everything everyone asks you to do.  You

only have so much time and energy.  Learn to prioritize how you are going to spend those precious

I specialize in helping women in mid­life overcome weight loss resistance, fatigue, and hormonal

imbalance issues.  It is my goal to help women find their optimal health and vitality through

nutrition and lifestyle.

I offer a free one hour health history consultation.  Call or email to schedule your appointment. 

Denise Pettigrew, RN

Certified Holistic Health Coach

67 Willard Ave.

Portsmouth, NH   03801

(603) 988­-2544

http://www.denisepettigrew.com/

healthcoachdenise@comcast.net

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

 

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

Relief With Craniosacral Therapy

 

By Guest Blogger, Dr. Jessica Paskalis of Atlantic Physical Therapy

Physical Therapists’ generally have two primary goals as a profession. We want to help alleviate pain and get people moving, whatever that level of activity may be. It sounds quite simple but in actuality there are so many factors that need to be assessed and understood to help make that happen. We look at the type of pain and level of pain, posture, range of motion, strength, sensation, how you move, if and how daily activities are impacted including sleep. We have to understand how all the major systems in your body work and impact one another including your musculoskeletal system, nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, endocrine system and gastrointestinal system. Considering these factors many physical therapists are working to take a more holistic view in addressing client concerns and achieving client goals.

 

As a physical therapist it is important to provide comprehensive physical therapy, consultation and treatment to improve and enhance mobility, flexibility, strength, endurance and overall health through a blend of “traditional” physical therapy techniques, working on general health goals and integrating additional methods learned from additional experience and continuing education. These techniques include but are not limited to:

 

Range of Motion

Joint Mobilization

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Craniosacral Therapy

Myofascial Release

Plyometrics

Balance and Coordination Training

Endurance Training

Therapeutic Exercise

(stretching and strengthening)

Core Strengthening

Postural Education

Gait Training

Ergonomic Consultation

Fall Prevention

Home Exercise Program

Food Plans and Diet Education and Modification

Pilates

Yoga

Modalities

 

Physical therapy can address chronic and acute muscle, joint, headache and back pain resulting from:

 

Arthritis

Orthopedic Diagnoses

Post Surgical

Joint Replacement

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Rotator Cuff Repair

Arthroscopic Surgery

Sports Injury

Acute and Chronic Sprains and Strains

Stress & Tension

Migraines

Deconditioning

Tendonitis

Bursitis

Plantar Facsitis

Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction

Fibromyalgia

Dietary Factors

And many other factors.

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, non-invasive light touch form of therapy.

 

The Craniosacral system consists of the fluid and membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. This system is also comprised of the bones of the cranium (the skull, face and mouth) down along the vertebral column to the sacrum and coccyx (or tailbone). Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by and flows through this system creating a rhythm or pulsation that flows through out the soft tissue (fascia) of the body.  When constriction or resistance is present in this fascia it alters the rhythm or flow creating dysfunction within the body.

 

The gentle techniques of Craniosacral Therapy assist the body to resolve these “resistance patterns” and re-establish the natural flow or rhythm within the body.

 

Craniosacral Therapy is client-focused. The client’s individual needs and response to treatment determine the pace of each session.  Since it is client-focused and each session is unique Craniosacral Therapy is a suitable treatment for individuals of all ages from babies and young children to the elderly.

 

 

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, non-invasive light touch form of therapy.

 

The Craniosacral system consists of the fluid and membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. This system is also comprised of the bones of the cranium (the skull, face and mouth) down along the vertebral column to the sacrum and coccyx (or tailbone). Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by and flows through this system creating a rhythm or pulsation that flows through out the soft tissue (fascia) of the body.  When constriction or resistance is present in this fascia it alters the rhythm or flow creating dysfunction within the body.

 

The gentle techniques of Craniosacral Therapy assist the body to resolve these “resistance patterns” and re-establish the natural flow or rhythm within the body.

 

Craniosacral Therapy is client-focused. The client’s individual needs and response to treatment determine the pace of each session.  Since it is client-focused and each session is unique Craniosacral Therapy is a suitable treatment for individuals of all ages from babies and young children to the elderly.

Jess PT office

As a local provider I work diligently to provide a more holistic approach to physical therapy.

I have been practicing for over ten years. Initially obtaining my physical therapy degree from Northeastern University, graduating with my Master’s degree in 2002 and my Doctorate degree in 2006.  I have worked in a variety of settings including; acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, residential facilities, schools, out-patient clinics, athletic facilities, aquatic centers and home care working with clients of all ages.  This experience has helped me to look at physical therapy and health from several angles and work to help my clients as completely as I can. I specialize in Craniosacral Therapy* and am a Certified Early Intervention Specialist treating children from birth through school age. I have studied Pilates, yoga and general strength and conditioning training. Recently I became certified as a FLT lifestyle educator, which allows me to more effectively support people around their daily food plan and nutritional goals.

If you would like to schedule an appointment or find out more about how physical therapy may be able to help you please call 603-427-9014

You can find me at Atlantic Physical Therapy on Islington Street in Portsmouth.

 

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

 

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

 

 

 

Healing Hands Supports Local Business, Offers Mother’s Day Deals

By Jim Cavan

Published in the Exeter Patch http://exeter.patch.com/blog_posts/healing-hands-support-local-business-offer-mothers-day-deals

We all have a pretty good idea of what “think local” means for individual consumers. Eschewing big box stores for family owned storefronts, buying products made in town, state or country – the low hanging fruit, so to speak.

In the world of small business – where stress runs high and the margins can be razor thin – the blueprint might not seem so obvious. Which is what makes the model put forth by the husband and wife team of Dr. Jessica and Brian Caruso so inspiring.

The Carusos, who own and operate Healing Hands Community Chiropractic, have managed to grow their downtown Portsmouth office with a mix of old fashioned hard work, community outreach, and – increasingly – innovative partnerships with other area business owners.

The Carusos’ forthcoming Mother’s Day Special highlights that last point particularly well: Any active Healing Hands patient who is a mother and pays a visit for care on Wednesday, May 8th will receive coupons good for substantial discounts at three additional area businesses, as well as a complimentary gift from a fourth (while supplies last).

One free half-hour massage at Inner Truth Massage; 50% off a manicure at Mei Zen Spa; $25 off an acupuncture treatment from Natural Entities; and one free Gerber Daisy from Flowers by Leslie.

Not a bad return on an already relaxing investment.

Truth told, the Carusos’ strategy of local cross-promotion has been months in the making. Be it through their regular classes and tutorials, active involvement with the Chamber of Commerce, Catapult Seacoast or online avenues like Facebook, they have long made one-on-one engagement an important component to their own business’ foundation.

“The idea is to work together to try and get the other some extra exposure,” Dr. Jess said. “At the same time, it’s a great way to thank our patients by putting them in touch with people we feel they could benefit from working with.”

Caruso says the Mother’s Day promotion is part of a broader effort to incentivize active patients – those who have paid a visit in the last 30 days – to continue treatment. Called “Patient Perks,” the program will include a rotating group of discounts, many of which will coincide with popular holidays.

“We just launched a tab on our website, where patients can view what these extra perks are,” added Caruso.

The Carusos’ plan is to offer these seasonal promotions in addition to select “ongoing perks,” of which Inner Truth Massage is currently the lone cornerstone.

The relationship between the two businesses is an instructive one: Having moved into a space just across the second floor hall from Healing Hands, Tamar Thomas, owner of Inner Truth, found in Caruso a philosophical ally of sorts. The result was a common perspective – and proximity – tailor made for collaboration.

“I was a patient of Dr. Jess’s early on, so I was thrilled to find out that the office across the hall had opened up,” recalled Thomas. “Jess and I both really value the idea of preventive care – that choosing to be healthy shouldn’t be a privilege based on one’s financial situation.”

Similarly fed up with a health care industry that was no longer about the health and well being of patients themselves, Dr. Jess and Brian Caruso opened Healing Hands Community Chiropractic last September – their second location following their flagship Londonderry office, launched in 2006.

Inspired in a large part by a similar program spearheaded by the People’s Organization for Community Acupuncture (POCA), the Carusos chose to offer their services on a sliding scale, becoming the first chiropractic office in New England to institute such a model: $20-$40 per visit, and all without income verification.

Not only does the approach give patients the financial breathing room necessary to achieve improved health and wellness; it also helps establish a bond of patient-doctor trust so often lacking in today’s increasingly depersonalized medical world.

“We want the doctor-patient relationship to be a true partnership,” noted Caruso. “And we feel like that sense of collaboration and community is something they can take back out into the world.”

Now, the Carusos are broadening that commitment to community cooperation to include more business-to-business partnerships. They hope the result will be livelier, more robust Seacoast commerce – one where like-minded businesses and locally oriented consumers are encouraged to foster more genuine long-term relationships.

“I always think of the Mother Teresa quote, ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples,” said Caruso. “That’s what the ‘community’ aspect of Community Chiropractic is all about.”

Not a chiropractic patient yet? Not a problem – you can easily book a new patient appointment by visiting http://www.HealingHandsCC.org.

Home Remodeling That’s Good For The Environment

by Guest Blogger, Nathan Johnson of Visions Kitchens

“It’s been a lot of learning and fun since the day we’ve started this company, it keeps getting better thanks to the people we keep working with. I love being able to do the good things that we do. Saving lots of waste from going to landfills, giving back to local non-profits, donating time and money to local groups making positive change in our communities. It’s great, I love it and am thankful that this is how I can live my life. I’m thankful I am able to always act and be a person I want my children to be. I couldn’t do that when I worked for other design center companies; it was all about get the money and move on.” – Nathan Johnson

 Whether you are building a new home, remodeling an existing one, or are looking to reface your cabinets and counter tops, at Visions Kitchens you will receive exceptional design services and high-quality products.  We work with you to create your dream kitchen, bathroom, office, closet or any other room in your home that you always wanted, while keeping the ideas and concepts of green design at its core.

Your new kitchen will benefit from our knowledge of both new construction and remodeling, and we will engage you in our consultative design and selection process. We will assist you in considering all the finer points and details to meet your specific individual needs and desires providing a truly customized interior space that is designed and constructed specifically for you! You are sure to be delighted upon the completion of your project with Visions Kitchens.

With our wide range of stock and custom cabinetry experience, we jump into your design project feet first saving costly time. providing to you valuable knowledge, superior products, integrity and performance, Visions Kitchens is the right choice to deliver the quality and value that suits your discerning and distinctive style of living.

By utilizing Visions Kitchen and Design’s computer based design services, you can avoid costly design errors and mis-communication that can occur. 20/20 design software is incredibly accurate and flexible-allowing us to be as detailed as your design situation requires.

With a simple conversation to go over your notes, we’ll start drawing while you get back to your daily life. Rest assured knowing that we are constantly applying a critical eye to ensure proper fit and function of the cabinetry design, and will notify you of any potential issues we identify.

You will receive your completed drawings in a timely manner. Need it faster? We do everything possible to meet those tight last minute deadlines for design plans and revisions. We can get cabinets in as quickly as 2-3 business days or same day pick up at our off site location.

Green Specialties

At Visions Kitchens we believe that green means products that are good for the planet and safe for your home. To be good to the planet cabinets should be made of materials that are sustainable, renewable and/or recycled. The lumber should be legally harvested, legally exported and FSC Certified if applicable.  Lastly the cabinets/countertops should be manufactured with care to minimize waste and pollution.

Along with being good to our planet we think that your cabinets and countertops should to safe for your home and family. Chemicals like urea-formaldehyde are frequently used in products around the home including the plywood, particle board and glues used in most cabinetry. The finishes on most cabinets will off-gas volatile hydrocarbons into your home for a long time after the cabinets are installed. Green cabinets and counters contain no added urea-formaldehyde in the lumber or glues and the finishes contain no or very low VOC’s.

Green cabinets and counters are actually increasing being made with renewable and salvaged/recycled materials. Bamboo is becoming more and more popular as a cabinet choice for it’s obvious advantages – incredible strength and extraordinary renewability. Stranded bamboo makes a dramatic statement as when used in flooring, countertops or cabinets. Standard and carbonized bamboo are popular cabinet choices. Newer products like Dakota Burl, made from sunflower seed husks, and Kirei Board, made from sorghum stalks, use waste products to make beautiful materials for cabinetry. DuraPalm is another product that takes an agricultural waste product and turns it into a beautiful material for cabinetry.

Another exciting material is salvage lumber made from century old submerged logs and disassembled old farm buildings and factories. First growth lumber has an unmatched beauty with extraordinary grain. It’s the most beautiful “recycling” you”ll ever see.

LEED Design and Credits

LEED Credits have become an important consideration for many of today’s  building projects.  One of the things that some people don’t consider are the abundance of LEED credits that can be attained through your kitchen and Visions can certainly help you take full advantage of them.

What sets us a part from the other options?

* Offer products sourced from companies which practice sustainable harvesting

*  Specialize in low or no VOC products

* Personal attention to each customer

*  Experienced and professionally trained in design

* Products include bamboo and other sustainable woods

* Because they don’t have a traditional showroom, their business has much smaller carbon footprint and less waste

* Make use of reclaimed or recycled cabinet or countertop materials

* Design expertise utilized to achieve points towards LEED certification

* Donates and works with local non-profit groups and organizations

 

What People Are Saying About VK:

“When we were thinking about remodeling the kitchen in our 1930’s era home, it was our great, good fortune to meet Nathan Johnson. After a complimentary consultation in our barely functional kitchen, Nathan came up with an awesome and unique design. Although I love the range angled in a previously useless corner and the tons of storage the new design created, my favorite feature is the island with six drawers (including a dish drawer) and gleaming quartz top. Nathan recommended products that fit our needs and preferences without breaking the bank. I would heartily recommend Nathan to anyone with a challenging kitchen redo!”  -K Pearce

 

We would truly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you in person, learn more about your needs and wants, and more fully describe our services. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today with any inquiries you may have. Sample drawings are available by request.

About Nathan Johnson – VP / Senior Designer:

 

Nathan has more than 8 years of experience in both residential and commercial design working with homeowners, architects and contractors.  He has a degree in Interior Design with a focus on sustainable design.  Nathan is also a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the Green Alliance and is on the committee for the U.S. Green Building Council, NH Chapter.  He is a member of the Black Thunder Singers a Native American Singing group (Native American Music Award winners), was in the movie “Crooked Arrows” and is Hunka Lakota. He and his wife Danielle are raising their two sons using Traditional Native values. Danielle operates her own business providing organizational assistance to corporations and businesses.

Vision Kitchens is located at 70 High St Hampton, NH 03842

603-601-7459 office

866-428-8037 fax

603-531-7221 cell

njohnson@visionskitchens.com

www.visionskitchens.com

facebook.com/visionskitchens

 

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.


Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!


Click here to book now!

 

Postpartum doulas provide vital support to the Community

by Guest Blogger, Darcy Sauers of Dover Doula

Postpartum doulas are knowledgeable professionals who assist families during the critical 12 week period immediately after the birth of their baby.  They “mother the mother” and offer physical, emotional and informational support to the family, as well as practical help.  My expertise in mother and baby care enables me to assist with postpartum comfort measures, breastfeeding support, non-judgmental guidance in infant care techniques, information on normal postpartum restoration, and family emotional assistance through this major transition.

 

As a postpartum doula, I provide essential support during the modern postpartum experience, a time when many mothers today feel uninformed, isolated and anxious.  Traditionally, the postpartum period was a “nesting period”, when a new mother was attended by other experienced mothers.  They helped take care of her and her family, so that the mother could focus on the vital tasks of postpartum recovery, emotional adaptation to great change and getting to know her precious little one.

 

Today, few families have such support, and frequently become exhausted and overwhelmed by the immense work of becoming parents.  Postpartum doulas gently guide and support families through this transition so that they may get off to the best start with their new baby.

 

The practical help that is included with my postpartum doula services varies from client to client and day to day.  But it usually includes:  simple meal preparation for the family, comforting and diapering the baby, answering the phone and door, taking care of the baby and older siblings while the parents nap, shower or take a much-need break.  I even assist with light household chores such as laundry and dishes.

 

If you are pregnant and live in the Seacoast area, I encourage you to contact me to schedule a free prenatal meeting to discuss your postpartum needs.  In this meeting we discuss everything from your experience with babies to your relationship with your mother-in-law.  We’ll discuss any food allergies/preferences, your plans for feeding the baby, your cares and concerns and create a plan around your specific needs.

 

Once your baby is born, I come to your home to offer experienced, non-judgmental support.  At each visit, I chat with mom to assess the day’s situation.  Throughout my shift, I provide mom with nourishing snacks, meals and plenty of water.

 

A postpartum doula is not a maid, though, nor is she a nurse.  I leave diagnoses and clinical procedures to medically trained personnel, but will make referrals to medical professionals if I notice anything of concern.  It is commonly felt that a doula can help a mother stay healthy and reduce her chances of postpartum complications.  I do this by educating the mother and enabling her to focus on her recovery from birth and to rest as much as possible.  I always keep my clients well nourished and hydrated and help to reduce incidences of sleep deprivation and postpartum depression.

 

Studies have shown that with the help of a postpartum doula, breastfeeding duration is increased, while feeding problems and depression decrease.  Also, parents report feeling more confident and less stressed or anxious.

 

Many women express concern at the cost of hiring a postpartum doula, but with some planning and some calls to your insurance company I find that most families can make it happen.  I’ve even had clients who were reimbursed for doula care from their Flex Spending Accounts.  Other clients “register” for doula care and take advantage of the gift certificates that can be purchased on my website.  I firmly believe that every new mom needs support.

About Darcy of Dover Doula:

 

Darcy Sauers of Dover Doula offers postpartum doula services, lactation counseling and prenatal yoga classes in the Seacoast area.  She is nationally certified by DONA (Doulas of North America).  Darcy is knowledgeable about many aspects of the postpartum period, including infant care and development, normal postpartum restoration and cesarean recovery, breastfeeding assistance, postpartum depression, facilitating bonding and more.  For more information, visit her website www.doverdoula.com.  To schedule a free, no obligation prenatal consultation, call her at 603-988-5945.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

 

 

Spring detox for the skin

by Guest Blogger, Jane Balshaw of Euchlora

 

While the calendar says spring is almost here, we are still under a bit of snow here in the Northeast.  Nature has its own calendar ways, dumping snow & rain when it feels the need to eliminate, raising and lowering temperatures on a whim and tricking our senses into thinking we are all together in a different time and place.   It’s these sensory changes that regulate our skin.

 

Our bodies are a mirror of the world around us, with our internal waters ebbing and flowing in sync with the tides of the ocean, expanding and contracting with temperature, and our skin measures it all.  Loaded with sensory nerves like a mass of diodes, our skin registers and displays the information from our external environment (think windburn or suntan) but it also measures the information from our internal environment as well; what goes into our bodies and what our body manufactures itself.

 

“You are what you eat” is an old adage that would be more aptly stated as, “What you eat creates what you are” because food as fuel only stimulates the functions of our body to do what it should do, to release hormones that tell guide it.  In fact less than 20% of what we eat ever makes it outward to the skin but the hormones that food stimulate always make it there.  Chocolate does not cause acne (like the old school dermatologists used to claim) but the overindulgence of any stimulant will spike the adrenaline hormone which in turn can cause acne.

 

After a winter of cold temperatures our body has stored up composites of our food including all those not-so-good concentrates like chemical additives that mimimic misdirected hormones.  This storage of toxic waste in the body can contribute to toxic inter-cellular waste in the skin as well, triggering malformation of the cells which in turn creates early aging and breakouts.  So with spring and the warmer weather nearly here, it is time to think about deep cleansing and detoxifying the whole body to improve your skin.

 

The old-ways wisdom of “taking a tonic” in the spring was in fact true.  Drinking “juiced” blends of spring greens is detoxifying because nature knows to pack itself full of what we need this time of year.  Getting a lymphatic drainage or aromatherapy massage as well as chiropractic adjustments will aid the body in releasing waste.  And also getting a detoxifying facial will have amazing results; all of these practices working hand in hand are ‘tonics” for your skin.

 

I am a skincare specialist and make-up artist practicing for over 30 years with a holistic approach in caring for the skin and am now located in Portsmouth at Strawbery Banke.  My clients see me for reasons as simple as customized skincare products for home use, a custom-blended cosmetic color or for on-going help with problematic skin through consultation and facials.

 

This spring I am offering:

 

The SPRING FIZZ FACIAL

Awaken your skin from it’s winter slumber with this invigorating fizzy facial.  Your skin’s circulation will be tickled with effervescent herbal tonics and warm/cold massage will help to tone muscles & detoxify cellular waste built up through the slumber months.  The result is smoother, more colorful, deeply cleansed skin that is recharged for the warm weather to come. Includes a free-of-charge hand/arm fizz massage.

70 minutes $85.00

 

My daughter Whitney Bakaleinikoff is a certified Holistic Diet Counselor and she offers this detoxing juice blend recipe for us all this year.  Yum!

Blend the following ingredients in a high powered blender until you have a bright green sweet, zingy shake.

 

  • a handful of organic spinach
  • 1/2 peeled Meyer lemon, plus a bit of zest
  • 1/4 c. fresh pineapple
  • 1/4 c. pineapple juice or orange juice
  • 1/2″ fresh peeled ginger
  • sprinkle of cayenne
  • a small handful of chia or flax seeds
  • fresh water to cover the ingredients

 

These ingredients are rich in antioxidants, enzymes and essential fatty acids to reduce inflammation, enhance cellular respiration and aid in overall body detoxification. Great for spring allergies, sluggish digestion, joint/muscle pain and inflammation, immunity and overall increased vitality.

About Jane Balshaw:

Jane Balshaw of Euchlora

From stage and camera makeup artistry to skincare innovation and spa development, Jane is firmly established as a master aesthetician. When Jane developed the renowned California spa and skin remedy center Dom Ivana, which featured the full spectrum of her skincare and makeup creations, Departures Magazine called her “a skincare genius.” She sold Dom Ivana at its peak and now Jane is at it again. Euchlora is her newest creation, offering her passion and expertise in a scaled down setting perfect for inclusive, individualized care. Her Euchlora line of skincare, make-up and services bridges the gap between science and art, blending her dermaceutical knowledge with an innate understanding of fundamental aesthetic principles. This balance of function and form translates into the colour of beautiful skin.

Contact Jane:

Euchlora Custom Skincare and Color Cosmetics

454 Court Street, ste. 203 & 204

Strawbery Banke

Portsmouth, NH 03801

603-491-7305

jbalshaw@comcast.net

www.Euchlora.com

Euchlora on FaceBook

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

 

 

 

 

Increasing Body Awareness Through Massage Therapy

By Guest Blogger, Tamar Thomas. LMT- Massage Therapist/Owner at Inner Truth Massage

 

Receiving regular massage therapy as part of a preventive wellness regimen has so many health benefits. You’ve surely heard the list: Increased circulation, improved immunity, removal of lactic acid and toxins, relief from headaches and muscle soreness, faster recovery from injury, etc. The documented research includes not only physical benefits, but a mind body connection as well.

 

In my opinion, the most important benefit massage provides is an opportunity to go inward and be aware of oneself in the moment. To “climb out of your head and into your body,” as my anatomy instructor used to say. It is a magical hour where you are not sleeping, but not moving; just observing being present in your body. Going inward during bodywork helps us connect with our highest self, with who we really are, and to experience the way we would ideally feel every day- relaxed, centered, happy, and healthy.

 

The state of deep relaxation that a massage delivers helps us “hear” our body’s signals more clearly, whether it is an awareness of hidden stress or the need for more or less of something in our lives.  Have you ever come down with a cold or flu, and realized that you have been demanding too much of yourself? If you had been listening to the signals, to slow down and nurture your body’s demands for rest, you could have possibly prevented the illness. You were probably feeling stressed, tired, and overworked.

 

So many of us go through daily life completely disconnected from our body. A dull ache in a joint, throbbing between the shoulder blades, or a tension headache, and we tend to pop an ibuprofen before considering the cause. We have such constantly busy minds catering to the tasks at hand, the to-do list, and to others’ needs that it is easy to overlook the messages our bodies are sending us. Massage therapy provides the perfect opportunity to turn off the internal chatter and just listen. Once we have slowed down and are tuned in to our physical self, it is so much easier to recognize and take the steps needed to heal. Be it more sleep, hydration, stretching, mindfulness of habits, applying ice for inflammation, or making that appointment for chiropractic care, awareness is the first step.

 

Massage also helps us bring awareness to subconscious holding patterns or tension. It is so common for a client on my massage table to announce, “I didn’t even know I was sore there until you started working on me!” We can hold chronic muscular tension in our neck, shoulders, back, and/or hips, often without an awareness that we are doing it.  Here’s a test: Take a few deep breaths and ask yourself as you’re reading this, “Am I holding tension anywhere in my body right now?” Pause and breathe. Do a mental scan from head to toe and ask for feedback from your body. Where are you holding your stress? What did you find?

 

Another way to connect our mind and body is through exercising gratitude for the parts of us that do feel good and that unconsciously keep us alive and thriving. Donna Gates from Positively Positive writes, “How many of us are thankful for our health and for the body itself? The body, with all its senses, strength, and flexibility, is the one thing that we could be most grateful for. Many times we forget about the many miracles that the body performs on a daily basis. Because our bodies are always with us, keeping up with the tempo of life, we have a tendency to take the body for granted. Only when something goes wrong with the body do we appreciate it.” I find the following exercise really helpful for communicating with subconscious holding patterns in my body and to remind myself to be grateful for where I feel good.

Awareness and Gratitude Exercise

  • Focus on the rhythms of your breath. Are you taking short, shallow breaths or long, deep ones from your chest or belly? Take a few breaths to fall into your own rhythm.
  • Consider how your entire body is feeling. Any areas that you’ve been neglecting? How do they feel? Take note of any pockets of tension, tightness, soreness or fatigue. Where does discomfort live in your body – your head, neck, shoulders, back or feet, perhaps?
  • Where does your body feel relaxed, content, and comfortable? Take a moment to be thankful for this feeling. On the in-breath think, “I am” and on the out-breath think, “At peace.” No matter what is going on around you, it is always possible to find an inner sense of peace and calm.
  • Say the following aloud or to yourself now and throughout the day: “With each out-breath, I am releasing pent-up tension and stress. With each in-breath, I am restoring physical well-being.” Just this act of attention and awareness has the power to bring you more energy and reduce stress.

You may be wondering how I can help you as a massage client to be more in the present moment and bring your consciousness into your body through massage. Here are a few things I do in my practice:

  • I take the time to ground myself and to create a safe space for allowing you to just “be”, leaving my own “stuff” out of the session with 100% attention on you and your needs.
  • I really listen to you before the massage taking into consideration your personal preferences for pressure, temperature, favorite aromas, past injuries or tension patterns, current needs and energy level, etc
  • During the massage, I am always tuned in to the rhythm of your breathing and I use it to guide the pace and depth of my pressure and flow. Slow, calm breathing is an indication that your body is welcoming in the work, while holding the breath is a sign that the work is too deep.
  • Your body knows exactly what it needs to heal itself, so by listening to your body and connecting with your higher self, I am able to listen as well, and can adjust my work so that you receive exactly the kind of session that you need at that time.

Here is a challenge for you: Be a little bit more aware of your body today. Slow down and be mindful of your body’s needs. Take a moment to really be still and listen. You may be surprised at what you hear.

 

About the Author:

Tamar Thomas, LMT is a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist. She has owned and operated Inner Truth Massage since 2008 and has recently moved her practice to 40 Pleasant St in downtown Portsmouth- Across the hall from Healing Hands Community Chiropractic. She is thrilled to be collaborating toward Healing Hand’s motto “Wellness for All” and has extended an exclusive ongoing offer to HHCC patients: A 25-minute back and neck massage on a scale of $20-$40. Manage your massage appointments online at www.innertruthmassage.com or call Tamar at (603) 616-2828 for more information.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

One Chiropractor’s Harrowing, Hopeful Journey

Posted on February 13, 2013 at 1:15 pm

Portsmouth Patch: http://portsmouth-nh.patch.com/blog_posts/one-chiropractors-harrowing-and-hopeful-journey

Exeter Patch: http://exeter.patch.com/blog_posts/one-chiropractors-harrowing-and-hopeful-journey

BY Jim Cavan

Dr. Jessica Caruso didn’t go to Harvard Medical School, although she has read Gray’s Anatomy. She’s never directed an open-heart surgery, though numerous “Top Doctor” awards have graced her mantle.

There are few whose journey through the medical world have been more all encompassing—or more mettle testing—than Caruso’s. It’s a journey that’s taken her from death’s cusp to surgeon’s knife, from addiction to redemption and just about everywhere in between.

Today, Caruso oversees a 3,000 square-foot multi-faceted chiropractic center in Londonderry, a second “community chiropractic” office in Portsmouth, and a loving family that recently welcomed its latest addition—baby Jackson—into the fold.

It’s a life at once charmed and fully charged. And it almost never was.

Even nearly two decades of distance can’t de-crystallize the memory: In 1996, when she was in college, Caruso was hit head-on by a drunk driver. The resulting injuries required more than two years of regular physical therapy, not to mention myriad cortisone shots, painkillers, and muscle relaxers.

They may have helped mask the trauma, but it wasn’t long before the medication began exercising its own vise-like grip on Caruso. Before she knew it, she was hooked.

“When one medication stopped working, they gave me another, until it got to a point where my quality of life just started going downhill,” recalls Caruso. “I’d be walking around in a cloud all day, and that doesn’t even account for the physical side effects – the hair falling out, the digestive issues. It became apparent that this stuff was totally toxic.”

Caruso says experience with painkillers helped her come to grips with a fundamental flaw of the health care system—the ad nauseum prescribing of medication for another’s side effects that amounted to “putting a band-aid on another band-aid to no end.”

Just a few months after her own accident, Caruso learned that a childhood friend had been struck and killed by a drunk driver. The incident jarred Caruso, who at that point began looking at her own survival in a new—and bracing—light.

“I’d spent a lot of time and energy trying not to be angry, and something like this happens and you realize, ‘I could have died,’” says Caruso. “That’s what really made me re-evaluate the treatment I was getting.”

A few years after her accident, during a routine trip to a local gym, Caruso was offered a complimentary spinal screening by a local chiropractor. Little did she know the experience would change her life forever.

“Just by putting her hands on me, she pinpointed a lot of my issues almost immediately,” Caruso says. “As she started explaining how the nervous system works—how it connects literally the whole body—a light went off in my head.”

Within two weeks—or roughly six “adjustments”—Caruso began feeling better, physically as well as psychologically. As the need for painkillers slowly waned, Caruso noticed her quality of life improve rapidly.

At the time, Caruso—who ironically enough was working as a member service rep for a large health insurance company—couldn’t afford to continue with the admittedly intensive process of follow-ups. Once again, her chiropractor stepped in, helping Caruso land a job working at the front desk of Dr. Bill, a fellow chiropractor in Weymouth, where she could continue treatment for free as an employee benefit.

As her health and well being improved, Caruso realized she wanted to pursue her own future in the field that had given her so much. For the next two years, she would work from five in the morning until one PM as a personal trainer at the gym, steady the chiropractic desk for most of the afternoon, and attend pre-med classes at a local community college in the evenings.

“I was literally working around the clock,” Caruso chuckles, at once nostalgic for and happily distant from those halcyon days. “But I knew it’s what I need to do.”

After three-plus years at New York Chiropractic College—during which she conducted her internship with Dr. Bill—Caruso became an officially licensed chiropractor in January 2005. Having grown up just outside of Boston, Caruso had begun to set her sights on “a smaller life, a kind of fresh start,” ultimately settling on Southern New Hampshire as the genesis point of a new career and new life.

It was then, during an 18-month associate-ship with a Manchester-based chiropractic office, that Dr. Jess began dating Brian Caruso, who she’d met while on a White Mountain camping trip. Dr. Jess had already begun laying the groundwork for a brand new Londonderry practice—Healing Hands, a name she says she’d always kept in her back pocket for the day when having her own practice became reality—and commissioned Brian to help build her website.

Thanks to an all-encompassing approach—everything from pregnancy, pediatric and family-focused chiropractic care to reiki, massage therapy and childbirth education—Healing Hands took off. But the stress of having to manage both ends of the business began taking a toll. One night, tried and tired, Jess and Brian had what a former called a “heart to heart” about where all of it was headed.

“We sat down, and just talked about what my dream practice would look like,” recalls Caruso. “By the end of it Brian decided to leave his job and help me run the business, and Healing Hands became our first baby.”

The comparison is an apt one: the business doubled in size within its first year. All the while, Dr. Jess’s chiropractic perspective—honed from having grown up experiencing many of the health issues now commonplace in modern society – began to take on a more family-focused flavor.

“Chiropractic isn’t just about treating back pain,” exclaims Caruso.“It’s about getting families to understand how to embrace a good, healthy lifestyle, and that means engaging them from the prenatal stages all the way through. Today we are seeing more and more cases of childhood obesity and diabetes, as well as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Something needs to change.”

In January 2010, Caruso received a letter informing her that Healthy Kids, New Hampshire’s Medicaid program for children, would no longer be covered by the state. Now, instead of $15 or $20 co-pays, families had to shell out upwards of $50 per visit, per person—a difficult calculus for even financially comfortable patients.

Rather than choose to combat the country’s health care crisis exclusively on its own terms, the Carusos instead decided to parlay their flagship practice’s success into a second location on the Seacoast—one where individuals could pay what they could, when they could, while still receiving top-notch, progressive treatment.

“Every family is different, so it’s never about there being a right way or wrong way to do things,” says Dr. Jess. “There’s a balance to be had. Everyone should have a seat at the table when it comes to health care, and we thought that the Seacoast was the perfect place for that idea to really take hold.”

Today, Healing Hands Community Chiropractic—located on Pleasant Street in downtown Portsmouth—is a totem to the Carusos’ unwavering belief that a village is only so strong as its weakest citizen. Coupling traditional chiropractic services with a bevy of health seminars, workshops, community blog, and charitable initiatives, Healing Hands’ dynamic, community-oriented approach marks the culmination of a journey over a decade in the making.

But what truly sets Healing Hands apart from others in the industry is in their uniquely egalitarian financial model: Inspired in a large part by programs including the People’s Organization for Community Acupuncture (POCA), Healing Hands charges on a sliding scale—anywhere from $20-$40, all without income verification or insurance company hassles.

Not only does such a system give patients the financial breathing room necessary to achieve improved health and wellness; it also helps establish a bond of patient-doctor trust so often lacking in today’s increasingly depersonalized medical world.

“We want the doctor-patient relationship to be a true partnership,” says Caruso. “And we feel like that sense of collaboration and community is something they can take back out into the world.”

Having launched two separate chiropractic practices in approximately six years—all in the midst of a still-dragging recession and an insurance landscape undergoing seismic shifts – Dr. Caruso knows better than just about anyone what’s at stake. She likens her work’s mission to an old parable about beached starfish: A stroller notices a boy picking up starfish washed ashore, watching him as he tosses them back into the water one at a time.

“You can’t possibly save them all,” says the beach stroller. “There are thousands on this beach. You can’t possibly make a difference.”

To which the boy replies: “But I just made a huge difference to that one!”

“It’s about fostering a liberating environment where the doctor-patient relationship is first and foremost,” says Caruso. “The health care system isn’t going to change overnight, but we have to start somewhere. This is our attempt to throw that first starfish back into the ocean.”

It’s an against-all-odds ethos that registers heavily with Dr. Caruso – not surprising, given her own years-long journey from pain to purpose; from uncertainty to razor-focused resolve—a journey much closer to its beginning than its end.

“I look back upon the car accident I was involved in close to two decades ago as a gift—a gift to help others,” she says. “To paraphrase the great Dr. Wayne Dyer: ‘How am I to help people overcome big things if all I ever get are small things?’’”

Learn more about Healing Hands Community Chiropractic at www.healinghandscc.org.

Pregnancy and Birth – Keeping it REAL.

by Guest Blogger, Amy Peterson of Hound Hill Doula and Great Bay Doulas

“Every pregnancy is unique”. Women frequently hear this response when they share questions or concerns about their pregnancy.  But in truth, there are so many things about pregnancy that are universal, and it is important to know that you are not alone in the feelings, experiences, and sensations of pregnancy.  Just like young girls commiserate about boys, compare their developing bodies and dream about their futures; pregnant women too thrive in an environment of shared experience.

 

In an effort to bring pregnant women together in a relaxed social setting, the Great Bay Doulas began their popular Mocktail Parties in the spring of 2011 and they are going stronger than ever!  What’s a Mocktail Party?  It a big bellied girl’s night out, a cocktail party minus the alcohol; it’s an opportunity to get together with other pregnant women and share excitement, milestones, fears and questions.   Krista Maltais, Darcy Sauers and Amy Peterson, three seacoast area certified doulas and lactation counselors, host these fun events at local venues on a monthly basis.

 

Each event has a theme – whether it’s baby calming or breastfeeding; and the doulas come prepared to answer questions and facilitate discussion, as well as offering lots of opportunity for hands on practice.   With their realistically weighted Great Bay-bies in tow, the doulas tackle baby wearing, swaddling and labor positioning.  There are birthing balls to practice with and wraps and slings try.  Often the parties include moms who have just given birth and can share their fresh perspective on the experience. The doulas keep it real. From placenta pills to postpartum depression, no topic is taboo. The casual, fun atmosphere makes it easy to bring up difficult topics and to connect with the other moms in lasting friendships.

 

The Great Bay Doulas are honored to have the support of many local businesses including Baby-Go-Round and Healing Hands Community Chiropractic. With the support of many local and national businesses they are able to offer some amazing door prizes, samples, and special coupons or offers to all of the guests.

 

Come join the fun as their new series begins with “Breast Start”, on March 7th, 2013 at Baby Go Round in Hampton Falls.  Explore your options for birth in our area, and find out what birth is really like!   Visit the Great Bay Doulas website for more information at greatbaydoulas.com  and follow the conversation at facebook.com/GreatBayDoulas.

About Amy Peterson CD(DONA), CLC

Hound Hill Doula

With experience in Emergency Medical Service, infant group daycare direction, and specialized foster care for NHDCYF, Amy has been working with infants and families all of her adult life.  In 2009 she became a doula, and is certified in labor support with DONA International, and in lactation counseling with Healthy Children’s Center For Breastfeeding.  She is continually moved by how empowered mothers become when they take ownership of their birth experience. Amy strives to help women trust their instincts and their body’s ability to birth; instilling confidence and a joyful appreciation of the journey toward parenting.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!