Page 21 - Valley Life & Health

THE MORNING CALL SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2019 21

Dr. Megan Eyvazzadeh,
effects of traumatic experiences. “We store a physical therapist, has
emotional events as chemical changes in our a special interest in the
physical body, and that can change how we effects of trauma
on the human body.
move, feel, react, breathe, and essentially live
our lives,” she says. “The effects of trauma can
be subtle at first; their end results not being
felt for years.”
Eyvazzadeh says childhood trauma is just
one example of this. “It doesn’t always have
to be abuse or an accident, but an adverse
event — a parent who is incarcerated, or
just witnessing a natural disaster — and
the part of our brain that reassures us we Space
are safe goes into overdrive, or sometimes
underdrive,” she says. “This part of the brain
is connected to everything.” Restoration
Think about the lyrics to the old song “Dry
Bones”: The leg bone’s connected to the knee The
bone / The knee bone’s connected to the of
thigh bone … courtesy
“It turns out that song was right,”
Eyvazzadeh says. Trauma causes “a cascade of Photos
changes — changes in our pH, changes in our
posture, changes in how we interpret signals
coming into our brain from all of our sense organs.” up, when it comes up, in the way that guides the As part of that community, they offer a book
And the implications of that, she says, can person to better health.” club, Scrabble club, mindfulness walks and movie
have long term effects on our physical and mental nights. “We have had mini mani-pedi nights and
health. “Based on the ACES [Adverse Childhood Spotlight on Women’s Health mom/daughter events and pre-teen self-esteem and
Experiences] study and subsequent studies, we Another aspect of the practice is a focus on empowerment events,” she says. “The idea is that I
know that having experienced adverse childhood women’s health (although Eyvazzadeh points out would love for women of all ages to know that if they
events increases risk for all sorts of social and that they routinely see men, and the practice is need anything, we are the place to come.”
medical dysfunction.” designed for all adults from the teenage through “Two of our Pilates instructors have ad-
Those effects, she says, can include a senior years). vanced certifications in their field for pregnancy
shorter lifespan and a host of health problems “I have been working with the women’s and postpartum recovery,” Spencer says. “One
— including an increased risk for “heart disease, health population for 15 years now,” Spencer of our massage therapists, Clover Fasolka, is
obesity, lung disease, cancer, autoimmune disease says, “and since I started, the one thing that kept near completion of her training as a doula — a
— the list goes on. At the end of the day, what becoming more and more clear was that there professional trained in childbirth who provides
it means is that we need to treat what comes was so much more our medical culture in general emotional, physical, and educational support to
should and could be doing for women.” a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor,
As part of that, she says, one of aims at The or has recently given birth. Rachelle Matias, our
Restoration Space is to take the anxiety out acupuncturist, works with women in all aspects
of healthcare visits. “It was important to us to of their life, with a particular interest in women
create the look and feel of a home vs. a medical struggling with infertility as well as addressing side
practice, although we maintain high standards for effects of menopause.”
the healthcare we provide,” Spencer says. The integrative nature of the practice, natu-
“The idea was to tap into the parasympa- rally, extends beyond its doors. “We frequently
thetic state of our patients and clients: That’s see patients or clients referred from outside pro-
the part of the nervous system that promotes viders,” Eyvazzadeh says. “For example, we work
rest and low stress levels and good feelings. It’s closely with the orthopedic surgeons and sports
the place where healing happens,” she says. “We medicine doctors in the Lehigh Valley for their
wanted people to feel that they could come in patients post-surgery or injury. A client might
and stay for a cup of coffee just as much as to get be referred from oncology doctors at a local
their treatment. We wanted to create a sense of hospital — they receive the medical management
community. There is more and more evidence of their disease at the hospital, but come here for
in research that creating a sense of community supportive care.”
is superior to feeling isolated or ‘the only person “Our patients may walk in with one purpose,
going through this’ when it comes to healing.” but we truly believe that as they sit in our space
they realize it’s a place where they can truly
become empowered in their health
and maybe even feel healthier than they even
realized was possible,” Spencer says.
“We work closely with
the orthopedic surgeons To find out more about The Restoration
and sports medicine Space, visit therestorationspace.com or call
doctors in the Lehigh 484-241-4220.
Valley for their patients
post-surgery or injury,”
Eyvazzadeh says.