Friends of Motherlode: Pinnacle Chiropractic & Family Wellness

 

By Shannon Magsam, nwaMotherlode.com mom

A college injury helped Dr. Kelley Hensley make up her mind about which medical field to pursue. She was studying pre-medicine at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., when a softball injury sent her to a medical doctor for help.

After a few weeks – and no relief from the back pain – she told her coach, “There’s something in there that’s not right.” She knew that the pain pills and muscle relaxers weren’t addressing the underlying problem.

So she took the advice of her coach and went to see a chiropractor. Within two visits she finally had relief from her pain.

“That’s when I knew what I wanted to do,” she said.

After five years in the field and a clear passion for the profession, Dr. Hensley – one of nwaMotherlode’s newest sponsors — still keeps her rates low so she can help more people and takes great pleasure in making her patients feel better.

And she so clearly does!

Just after Gwen and I met with Dr. Hensley recently, I recommended her to a Fayetteville friend who was having some pain issues, including headaches. I was so impressed with Dr. Hensley that I had no reservations about making the recommendation. I didn’t even know my friend took the advice until she called me on the way home from the appointment. I think the word ecstatic might describe her tone.

 “I feel amazing!” she enthused when I answered the phone. “I don’t even know how to describe this. There are no words. She has got magic hands.”

That’s what pregnant patients tell Dr. Hensley when they come in suffering from the usual pregnancy symptoms: back, ligament and pubic pain. Dr. Hensley specializes in kids and pregnant women. Yes, kids! She said the infants and young children who get “adjusted” benefit by improved immune systems, better attitudes, colic relief and they even sleep better. (To hear more from Dr. Hensley about these two issues, see the video podcast below.)

Of course, those are great benefits no matter what your age.

When Dr. Hensley was pregnant with both of her sons (4-year-old Carter and 17-month-old Grayden) people noticed that she wasn’t “waddling” or complaining of pain. Her secret: regular chiropractic care. She’s totally set up to take care of pregnant women in her office and she loves helping women have easier pregnancies.

Dr. Hensley also helps if a baby is breech. There’s an 80 percent success rate using the “Webster” technique, she said, to help get the baby in the right position before delivery.

While she obviously doesn’t do x-rays on pregnant women or kids, Dr. Hensley is able to check out a patient inside and out. She even has a special tool for people who hate the sound of the “popcorn” which is really just gas escaping from a joint (like when you pop your knuckles).

What we like is that Dr. Hensley doesn’t stop at just alleviating pain. She’s passionate about wellness and believes in a “whole-listic” approach. While it’s most important to help free patients from pain, she also counsels them on nutritional and emotional issues. Her overall goal is to maximize a patient’s total health.

Pinnacle Chiropractic & Family Wellness also has massage therapy in-house. They have two massage therapists on hand for all types of treatments, including pregnancy massage.

Dr. Hensley said the most common misconception is that once you visit a chiropractor, you’ll have to keep coming back indefinitely. That’s not the way she does business.

Why do people get so bent out of shape? Dr. Hensley said it’s a cumulative effect. Falling as a kid, car wrecks – they can all cause problems when taken together.

“The pain’s usually the last thing to show up,” she said. “Fortunately, the pain is usually the first thing to go.”

You can find Dr. Hensley at Pinnacle Chiropractic & Family Wellness, 3201 Market St., Suite 105, in Rogers (in the shopping center across from John Q. Hammons Convention Center). She can be reached at 479-715-6901. Click here or on Dr. Hensley’s family picture above to visit her website.

Below is a short video postcard from Dr. Hensley describing a few of the things she can do for pregnant women and kids. She’s an experienced doctor but she’s also a fellow mom who is easy to talk to. We think you’ll like her approach.