Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/633996
124 | MARCH 2016 nshoremag.com BY JOHN TAMILIO III, PH.D. Dr. Ryan Hewitt helps clients live a healthier lifestyle by addressing the roots of their ailments. Holistic Healing photographs by Elise Sinagra Although public opinion varies, especially among those seeking alternative and holistic healing, many consider chiropractic care akin to quackery. The most vocif- erous skeptic is William T. Jarvis, Ph.D., who claims, "Chiropractic is in-depth the most significant nonscientific healthcare delivery system in the United States." Dr. Ryan Hewitt and his wife, Kendra, are challenging and changing this perception. The Merrimack Valley Wellness Center (MVWC) of North Andover, FACES which the couple owns and operates, offers nothing pseudo-scientific. It is a polished, efficacious, and multidis- ciplinary pain-management pro- gram, "program" being the operative word. Patients who suffer from neck, shoulder, and back pain typically visit a chiropractor to be adjusted. At MVWC, however, they find much more: a holistic wellness program. "The majority of our patients come because they want a whole-body approach," says Kendra. "They look at Ryan as their health coach." While Kendra is their wellness coordinator. "Wellness is a catchphrase, a buzzword," Dr. Hewitt explains. "A lot of people don't know what it means to be well." At MVWC, people join a wellness center where they receive the tailored care neces- sary to reach their potential. This care is physical, mental, emotional, and nutritional. Upon ascertain- ing a patient's toxicity levels and deficiencies, they treat the actual causes of poor health, rather than the symptoms. The latter are typically "masked," according to Kendra, by most prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. Ryan serves as physician and health coach, while Kendra acts as wellness coordinator.