Page 20 - Valley Life & Health

20 SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2019 THE MORNING CALL

ACollaborative

ApproacHto

healthcare

AT THE RESTORATION

SPACE, INTEGRATIVE
ISN’T JUST A BUZZWORD

By Patrick O’Donnell, Special to The Morning Call

The Restoration Space
founders Julie Spencer, left,
and Megan Eyvazzadeh want
to “take the anxiety out
of medical visits and
healthcare treatments.”

he word “integrative” seems to be was hatching,” she says, “we knew that it was patients and go home,” Spencer says. “If you are
everywhere these days. But ask what it the foundation of this practice to hold a blend being treated by more than one practitioner here
Tmeans, and you’ll most likely get anything of these research-proven and evidence-based at TRS, then we do our best to communicate
but the right answer, say the founders of The collaborations for our patients and clients.” The with one another (per patient/client permission)
Restoration Space — a health and wellness center goal, she says, is to change the way patients about each of our plans of care, our treatment
that opened last year in an old Victorian mansion experience and view health care. effectiveness and what we each talk about with
off Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem. “Though patients and clients often arrive to the client to make sure we are all on the same
“‘Integrative’ is almost overused at this point, address their physical symptoms, (for example: page and working toward the same goal: the
as is ‘alternative,’” says Restoration co-founder pain, muscle spasms, range of motion limitations), client’s well-being and making sure the patient’s
and physical therapist Dr. Julie Spencer. “We we look at things that surround those symptoms goals are met by working collaboratively, not just
often hear that people think anything ‘alternative’ that may be a cause or an effect of them,” side-by-side.”
equates to some sort of voodoo and doesn’t have Spencer says. “Either way, they affect the physical
a scientific background, and we hear that they symptoms … [there might be] psychological A Focus on Trauma
think ‘integrative’ just means ‘one stop shopping.’” aspects, nutrition aspects, nervous system aspects, One aspect of The Restoration Space’s
The reality, though, is altogether different. organ system aspects, emotional aspects.” treatment modalities is a focus on the effects of
“Integrative whole person care means we are So if a patient comes in complaining of joint trauma — another often-misunderstood term.
addressing various components of the health pain and mentions digestive issues, treatment “Trauma is more than just the physical results
(or whole health) of a person and working them might consist of physical therapy, acupuncture, of an accident or event … It turns out it goes
simultaneously and collaboratively to reach yoga, a nutrition assessment, and counseling … far deeper than that,” says cofounder Dr. Megan
the common, and of course the ultimate goal: all coordinated to work together. Eyvazzadeh, a physical therapist who worked
the healthiest state of the person achievable,” for seven years in the shock trauma system at
Spencer says. In other words, the treatment the former James Lawrence Kernan Hospital in
is integrative. Baltimore, Md.
Not Just Another Buzzword “We are not just a space where multiple It was there, she says, that she became
“When the idea of The Restoration Space independent practitioners just rent rooms, treat interested in and studied the widespread