"My experience at FirstHealth of Andover began about 9 months ago following my suffering a sharp pain in my lower back after stepping off of a high curb. I had been experiencing some occasional pain and stiffness in my back for some time, but had chosen to self medicate my self with Aleve and a poorly conceived exercise program, which even included a Roman Chair machine.

My father had been to FirstHealth for treatment of a stiff neck with acupuncture, and had commented to me on the fantastic results/treatment he had received. I decided that I had nothing to loose, so I asked him to get me an appointment.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, not having had acupuncture before, and I was a little apprehensive. That apprehension did not last long, however, when I met with Lisa for the first of what would prove to be a series of sessions to work on the problems I was having.

To say that Lisa had her work cut out for her would be putting it lightly. The poor condition of my back was a result of many years of neglect and daily over/misuse.

It wasn’t long before Lisa suggested that I consider having a therapeutic massage, as the problem I was having seemed to be deeper than the acupuncture could heal. Having complete faith in her advice, I set up an appointment with Jim the following weekend. 

I had not had a massage before, so I was a little apprehensive but, as with Lisa, my concerns faded quickly.  Jim explained everything in detail that I should expect from the session, specifically to let him know immediately if anything he did caused pain. On a 1 to 10 scale he hit a couple of 3s during the first session, but we managed to get though it.

I also found out, during that session, that I really should be using some form of arch support. This was my initial exposure to “body mechanics” and how little I really knew about it.

By this time I was feeling better, but I was still plagued by recurring issues with my lower back, and from time to time my upper shoulder region. I continued to schedule acupuncture and massage sessions but I really didn’t seem to be making much progress.

Lisa made note of this as well made the suggestion that I might benefit from a different approach. She explained to me that the problems I was having were more likely the result of a deeper problem with the mechanics of my body, not simply an old injury, which was my impression.

Lisa’s diagnosis led to the next phase of my treatment and an appointment with Donna Schneider, the resident back rehabilitation expert. The way I and especially my back feel now, it’s difficult for me to remember just how it was, but I do remember being very impressed.

As with Lisa and Jim, Donna took the time at our first meeting to get to know me and understand what way going on with my back, but especially what was going on with the mechanics of my body, which didn’t take Donna long.

She explained to me that the root of my problems lie in the fact that the core muscles in my body, specifically my upper back and lower abdominals were not “on line”, and probably hadn’t been for some time. This had led to a poor foundation for the rest of my muscles to work on and my body to function on.

As with most people, I had learned to adapt and just push through it that is until my back had had enough.

After the initial new client interview, Donna proceeded to teach me some of the basic exercises and stretches I would be doing to correct the imbalance in my body. I must admit that although she only worked me for a little while, I did leave a bit worn out, but pleased with my decision to put my trust in her.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say, that it has been my impression that everyone I have met at First Heath has left me with a positive feeling and that they truly have my best interests at heart. I can recall mentioning on several occasions, that I am amazed at how many people of the same high caliber all work at the same place.

To a point, recently I began to develop considerable pain and discomfort in the area below my left knee. I explained to Donna that it seemed to develop following the fist walk I took outside, with new footwear by the way, since the weather broke.
Concerned, she advised me to take it easy the rest of the week and was able to schedule me for an appointment for that weekend where she would look into the problem, and evaluate my new walking shoes. I had also recently purchased new work boots which I wore into the building and which did pass muster. The new hikers that I had bought for walking, were another matter entirely, they failed miserably.

As with everything, Donna explained in detail that the shoes were not right for me because they did not offer the outer support that my feet needed and did not complement the arch support insoles that, by the way, she had helped me to get.
Did I mention that Donna is a tremendous resource of knowledge in muscle structure, body kinetics, diet, I could go on…? She advised me, surprise , on the best place to get shoes that were right for me, and even made time for me to stop by and evaluate them prior to my wearing the outside.

But, I digress.

I began seeing Donna twice a month to chart my progress and to learn new variations of the exercises that I was doing, usually slightly more difficult versions, and things progressed well.  Periodically, I would also schedule acupuncture sessions and massages to help when things got rough with my back. I’m fairly sure that I have availed myself of the skills of nearly everyone who works there including Carole and Marie for massages, and Jason and Rebekah for acupuncture, at one time or another. If I have forgotten someone, I am sincerely sorry.

Slowly, with Donna’s guidance, my own efforts have begun to pay off and I have managed to progress from back rehab to actual physical development, well the beginning stages anyway. During my rehab, Donna designed an exercise plan tailored to my strengths and weaknesses and to my schedule, which is also evaluated at each, now monthly, session.  We have also found time to discus modifications in my diet to help improve things with my health/weight management as well.

It amazes me how much I have learned about body kinetics, muscle structure, hydration and how it effects the muscles (thank you again Lisa) and even about myself in such a short time.

We all follow many different pathways in our lives some of which lead to tragedy, some lead to triumph. I’m not sure which path I am on right now, but thanks to my friends at FirstHealth, I do think I am on one to better health."

Sincerely yours in health,


Paul W, Haverhill