Inner Brilliance Chiropractic

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Dr. Holly is moving to Canada!!!

May 16, 2019

If you are reading this blog post, then you likely already know my big news:
I’m moving to Canada. Yes, really.

I have already made the announcement to the entire Inner Brilliance Chiropractic practice; by mail and email I have introduced Dr. Justin Goslin to the practice. The transition process will begin next week. And, I am writing this blog post to share more of my own story about this change.

I know this probably comes as a very big surprise, and I am truly sorry for that. Our connection has always meant so much to me. And if it had been possible, I would have preferred to be able to share this news sooner. I felt that I couldn’t share until it was confirmed and until I had found the best possible chiropractor to care for my beloved IBC clients.

This has been a very challenging decision for me, but I have decided to relocate to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to begin my next chapter of delivering exceptional chiropractic care. You may not know that I spent a lot of time in Canada while growing up. All my summers in Prince Edward Island, and 2 years in Toronto before moving to Portland, Oregon to attend Chiropractic College. My original plan was to return to Canada after completing my chiropractic education. In fact, I took my Canadian National Board Exams during my last year of school. I went to Vancouver, BC several times to meet and observe chiropractors there... but instead, I built a practice in Seattle for 24 years.

Last fall, while visiting my folks in Alberta, my partner and I started to consider if we would ever want to (or even could) move to Canada. We were casually researching this as a “someday, maybe” consideration. When I reached out to my Canadian classmates to find out more about practicing chiropractic in Canada, I was offered a completely unexpected opportunity to return to Canada while continuing my career in chiropractic. I will be taking over the practice of a former chiropractic classmate who is retiring. Initially, she will mentor me, so I will learn new techniques (especially cranial work)- which is very exciting for me. She has been getting great results working with kids who are challenged with seizures, stuttering, other speech disorders, vision issues, headaches, and behavioral issues. I will serve a large community of hardworking farming families who value chiropractic and often choose it as their first line of health care.

Our new home will be just 1½ hours away from my father and stepmother. I am glad to be moving closer as my parents age. Together, my partner and I chose to accept this opportunity to go to Canada, the challenges of new experiences, people, culture, and living in a different part of the world. It will be a big transition for us. I am grateful for the opportunities in this next chapter of life.

I am excited, but also grieving. I have really loved my time in Seattle. I love this region, this city, my many communities, and dear friends, clients, and colleagues. I have loved my practice. My heart feels like it is breaking, and I will hold each of you in my heart always. I would like to thank you for the faith and trust you have shown in me (and my staff) at Inner Brilliance Chiropractic over the past 24 years. I have tried to give the best of myself in every encounter with you. Because of you, I have become a better doctor and I am wiser as a person. I will miss each of you. But I am comforted and relieved to have found in Dr. Justin, a chiropractor who has the skills, and the level of integrity and compassion to continue providing you with excellent chiropractic care. I sincerely hope that you will be able to develop the kind of open and trusting healing partnership with him that you and I have enjoyed. I wish you all the very best in life and in health.

With Love and Light,
-Dr. Holly :)

Monday, June 11, 2018

Trauma and Pain: How emotional events can be related to pain.

Dr. Holly Hochstadt

Recently, a new patient emphatically stated: “This is a physical issue, it has absolutely nothing to do with my emotions”. I’d like to share how emotional challenges (as well as chemical and physical ones) can compromise our body’s ability to heal and to thrive, sometimes resulting in physical pain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition recognizes how multiple aspects are connected in creating your overall state of health.

We all have overloads in life; some people call these “traumas”. By “overload”, I mean any experience that you are not able to integrate and adapt to in that moment; these then become stored in the body in the form of tension. They may be physical overloads: sports or other injuries, sudden change in activity, car accident, or bad ergonomics. They may be chemical overloads: something we breathe in, eat or drink, put on our bodies, or use in our home or yard (this would also include sensitivities to food, caffeine, chemicals, drugs, pollens, and dehydration, viruses, bacteria, mold, etc.). Lastly, overloads may be emotional: big or sudden stressors such as divorce, conflict, confrontation, moving away from community, assault, abuse, death of a loved one, or ongoing stressors such as pressure at work, home, or school, as well as feeling stuck in a difficult situation, or having fear or concern about the larger world, such as politics, human rights, the environment, or global health.

Tension stored from the overloads of life compromises our body’s internal communication systems. When our body can’t coordinate itself properly, information between the brain and the body is not properly delivered or received and this seriously limits our capacity for healing and for health.

Stored tension limits health by compromising our:

Efficiency in any of the body’s activities
Adaptability and flexibility with challenges
Resiliency in being able to bounce back and recover from overloads
Capacity to clean, renew, repair, and heal
Perception of the world around us
Reactions to events and experiences
Ability to be present, calm, and grounded
Ease in healing
Expression of our unique gifts in the world
Ability to thrive

Simply put, optimal communication is essential to optimal function.

So, when function is compromised, we can have any kind of symptom: back pain, insomnia, digestive trouble, depression, headache, low immune function, recurrent injuries, anxiety, vertigo, skin rash, muscle twitches, and many more...

In order to optimize your health, holistic providers consider ALL the types of overloads you have experienced. Then, by working with you to help reduce the amount of stored tension in your body, we are simply helping your body to re-engage with what it knows how to do: express it’s capacity to coordinate healing and create higher levels of health: physically, chemically, emotionally -this inherently includes mental, social, and (for some) spiritual health. The primary intention that I bring to all patient care is to do everything I can to help your body optimize its ability to heal. I absolutely take the big picture view that all aspects of health are relevant to healing. I have found this to be the most effective way to help people to truly heal, and be more comfortable, whole, and able to express their gifts in the world.

Here are a few interviews that explore research, theory, and protocol for dealing with trauma (of any kind) stored in the body in order to optimize health and decrease physical pain:

Dr Bessel van der Kolk on How Trauma Lodges in the Body
and on Trauma and Resilience Land in Our Bodies
Peter Levine on Freedom from Pain

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Inner Brilliance Chiropractic is Moving!

I am so excited to share this news... It's time for new growth!
My office building (of almost 23 years) was sold last month and the offices are being converted back to residences. This news is bittersweet, as I essentially did a lot of my professional "growing up" here. Certainly it has been a wonderful space to practice and provide care for all of you over the years. I have so many good memories... And, I am definitely ready for something new!

Over the last couple of years, I had been feeling a strong pull to practice in community with other like-minded providers. Also, after over 20 years of having a walking commute to my office since I moved to NE Seattle 2 years ago, I had started driving to the office... I was longing to get back to a walking commute.

Where to?

I am so excited to begin practicing in 2 new locations as of the first week of April. In both cases, I have found fantastic colleagues with whom I will share gorgeous, functional practice space (with easy parking too). I really can't wait to serve all of you with gentle and exceptional chiropractic care in my new locations this spring.

My primary practice will be with Core Chiropractic & Wellnessin the heart of the Lake City neighborhood. I will be at Core on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays! I am so grateful to join a beautiful practice that has such a fabulous, inspiring, and caring team. We will have front desk support for you too! And, yes, I will resume my walking commute! :)

My second location (on Fridays) will be on top of beautiful Queen Anne Hill at The Center for Classical Five Element Acupuncture. It is a lovely, peaceful space that I am so grateful to be able to share with you. It allows me to continue to serve my Queen Anne based clients locally.

More to come...

My current practice location in Lower Queen Anne (Uptown) remains open through the end of March.

All contact information for IBC remains the same for now.

Please note, my office will be closed February 22nd - March 2nd, while I am on yoga retreat.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Additional updates and details will be shared as it all progresses.

And, yes, we will have an Open House event to welcome you to Core Chiropractic... date and time TBA.

With lots of Gratitude, Love, and Light,
Be well!
-Dr Holly

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

I Can’t Believe It Happened To Me...

So, over the past 5 years, I have had some health challenges: lots of joint pain, a frozen shoulder, rosacea, headaches, digestive issues, brain fog, etc. Nothing major, but absolutely limiting my overall quality of life. Initially I chalked it up to the stress of several big changes going on in my life. But after “working on my health” for years… I was still dealing with these issues.

A couple of months ago, I had a flare-up of pain in my low back. While I have a history of low back pain that goes all the way back to high school, I hadn’t had anything like this in probably over 10 years, and this time even had some new tingling sensations show up too. I kept doing yoga as best I could, went to my fantastic acupuncturist for a treatment, had a nice massage, got a quick chiropractic adjustment from an out-of-town colleague at a gathering, and then had a great craniosacral session. All of these seemed helpful at the time, but my condition wasn’t improving, and now 3 weeks had passed, and I was tired of being in pain and feeling so cautious and physically limited.

I considered what to do next, and decided to go see a local chiropractor who I had been under regular care with some years ago. I needed a new approach, and I knew it. As soon as I started getting adjusted, things began to change. My low back pain was improving, yes (and YAY!); but also, my skin got a bit better, my energy increased, and my sleep improved. My digestion seemed a bit better, my headaches decreased, and my joints were feeling better. My brain fog was lifting, and my mood lightened; I felt more hopeful and positive about the world, my life, and my future. WOW. Then I thought about it. Before starting back into regular chiropractic care, I had slipped into getting adjusted just once every 1-3 months, and that had been going on for years... The chiropractors I was getting adjusted by are not in Seattle, so we were meeting up periodically to connect and to adjust each other. In my 22 years of practice, there had been times when I was getting adjusted regularly in Seattle, or nearby, but then, somehow, I had let it decrease to just at those gatherings, which had been monthly, but then shifted into being less frequent…. So, I really hadn’t been getting adjusted much at all. But, wait, I’m a chiropractor! What the heck?! Chiropractic care helps us integrate life’s challenges, come out of overload, maximize adaptability, and function at our fullest natural potential. And, I hadn’t been giving my own body’s nerve and communication systems that supportive, restorative care to function at my best. Life always brings challenges, and I felt like I’d had a bit of the “snowball effect”- the overloads of life had built up, and I was directly experiencing a significant decrease in my quality of life. But, again, I’m a chiropractor! How did I let this happen to ME?! How could I possibly have failed to provide myself with the care that I teach my clients about and that I provide in the office every day? How could I have forgotten the fundamental concept of chiropractic care as a path to create, restore, and optimize health? I was really shocked, and, actually, kind of embarrassed.

As I pondered how it happened, I realized: I’m human too. We all get overloaded sometimes. We all forget sometimes what works for us, or what our resources are. We get busy, caught up in productivity, activity, and the frenetic pulse of city living. For the past 4 months, I have continued to receive regular (at least weekly) chiropractic adjustments. That back pain I had? Most of it is long gone. But my health has steadily continued to improve in so many ways; I feel like I’m finally healing. My body is working through lots of old stored stress, and my overall health and adaptability (to handle what is coming at me now) is increasing every week. I’m so grateful to be getting adjusted again. And, after my initial shock and shame about being the chiropractor who wasn’t getting adjusted, I’m so glad I had the chance to relearn the lesson of what an incredible difference chiropractic makes when it comes to health. I love facilitating health through chiropractic care. Please let me know if I can help you, or if you have any questions.

Monday, February 29, 2016

End-of-Life, Palliative Care, and House Calls Available with Dr Holly

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Inner Brilliance for injuries?

In chiropractic, we like to say that healing only happens one way.... from the inside-out! Meaning that your body does the healing. No one can heal you, it's something that your body does for you. Certainly medical intervention sometimes takes a role in assisting the body, but how does chiropractic care fit into the picture?

Chiropractic care can play an essential role for anyone healing from an injury. Whether you had a fall, a car accident, a sports injury, or a repetitive strain at work...chiropractic care facilitates and supports your healing process! As your body works on repairing tissues after any type of injury, there is a lot of internal communication happening. Chiropractic helps your body and your nerve system to have the best possible communication with that wisdom inside of you. This inner wisdom is truly the source of our bodies' capacity for healing. Supporting full and clear communication with it, through chiropractic, greatly facilitates your speedy healing and your best possible outcome.

Many of our clients at Inner Brilliance Chiropractic have experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in how well they were able to handle (and recover from) all sorts of life challenges. We believe that those who have had an injury also deserve the same exceptional level of quality chiropractic care. Our sole focus is supporting you in your recovery. Optimize your recovery with chiropractic care!

FYI:

-Doctors of Chiropractic are able to make referrals (when appropriate) for additonal types of care to assist you in your healing. These may include: massage therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, podiatrists, diagnostic x-rays, primary care physicians, etc.

-At Inner Brilliance Chiropractic, if you've been injured in an auto accident, we bill your insurance company for you.

Happy healing!

For more information, see Inner Brilliance Chiropractic, the office of Dr. Holly Hochstadt, a chiropractor in Seattle.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

"Is there anything I shouldn't do after my adjustment?"

It's a question I am frequently asked, and if you are familiar with my practice or my blog, you likely already know my answer!

No, there really isn't anything that you should inherently avoid after getting adjusted!

However, if you listen for it, your own inner brilliance will guide you to what would (and what would not) serve you best. You are unique, and so is your healing process! It just might be that breakdancing after getting adjusted could be the perfect thing to support one person's process, and could cause total overload for another. But the same thing is true of a nap, or a glass of wine, or a walk, or a yoga class, or going to a movie, etc! There isn't a script for health; we don't come with a road map or an owner's manual.

By now, most of us have figured out some of the things that help us to process and integrate the stuff of life, and also how to get re-centered within ourselves. And yet, in any moment, what we need could be different. The way to know what's right for you is to listen to that voice inside, your "intuition", or as I like to call it, your "inner brilliance".

If you can't hear it, try doing one of the things that have worked in the past to help you get reconnected. If that doesn't do it, or the voice is faint, that is a great time to come in for an adjustment. By optimizing your system, getting reconnected to your self, and clearing your connection with your inner brilliance, you will be able to take the best possible care of yourself.

Your frequency of care is always up to you, and always based on your goals. Whether you choose to come in quarterly, monthly, or weekly is often based on how much you've got "on your plate". But, it's always up to you to decide how often to optimize your system and your connection with your inner brilliance! I look forward to seeing you when the time is right!

For more information, see Inner Brilliance Chiropractic, the office of Dr. Holly Hochstadt, a chiropractor in Seattle.