“When new patients come in, I let them know I have a lot of tools — a big tool box!” explains Dr. Edward Feldman of Feldman Wellness Center in Kingston. A Doctor of Chiropractic and Diplomate of the National Board of Chiropractic, he is also registered in Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy, certified in the Feldenkrais^® Method and in the advanced Clinical Nutrition Response System.

“I was always interested in the natural approach to healing: the mind/body approach,” he points out.

This philosophy led him to investigate chiropractic, and after graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo, he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College.

“Chiropractic is complementary to traditional medicine,” explains Dr. Feldman. “The course of study is similar to that of medical school, a four-year program, but with special emphasis on anatomy.”

Proper Alignment

In chiropractic, the emphasis is on the spine and nervous system and keeping both at a level of optimum function. If the spinal vertebrae become misaligned, a number of problems can result, including headache, backache, shoulder and neck pain, sciatica, and more. Through a series of adjustments to the spine, the chiropractor can help restore the spine to correct alignment.

“Chiropractic can be helpful to people of all ages, including children and babies,” reports Dr. Feldman. “Regular treatments can restore proper alignment and function.”

Sometimes, however, even after chiropractic treatment, patients may continue to experience problems,” he points out.

“Often after an incident, such as a car accident, a fall, etc., a person may seem recovered, but in fact, there can still be a problem internally. The body is incredibly resilient, and after a fall, accident, etc., it can seem to get better, but there has actually been a long-term reaction, which has never been fully resolved.”

In this situation, Dr. Feldman frequently utilizes CranioSacral Therapy. This is a special hands-on therapy during which he identifies the palpable rhythms of the cerebral spinal fluid.

“These rhythms are likened to the pulses that the heart produces,” he explains. “When the heart beats irregularly, your body feels uncomfortable and can indicate unhealthiness. However, when it is beating regularly, you would never think twice about it. Similarly, when I make contact with the body, I am looking to feel movement throughout your whole body, trying to sense the inner rhythm of your nervous system. We call this inner rhythm the breath of life. When this life force of energy is not moving properly, it becomes blocked and your body is no longer moving as a whole system. Chronic issues, such as back or neck pain, headaches, digestive issues, or breathing problems can begin to arise.

Sense of Safety

“There are many reasons why the breath of life can become blocked,” continues Dr. Feldman. “These include physical or emotional trauma or chronic stress. This blockage can manifest in many different ways. That pain in your wrist could actually be a manifestation of a problem elsewhere in your body, such as your neck/shoulder junction. That headache you are experiencing could be a result of the fall you had many years ago that left a restriction in your tail bone. That TMJ you have could have arisen from whiplash in a car accident, or even from too much dental work.

“What is unique about this therapy is the client’s sense of safety during a session that allows the nervous system to settle. Now, the body has time to open up and feel again after being shut down both mentally and physically for so long.”

Benefits can include restored energy and vitality, alleviation of pain, and improvement in digestive disturbances.

In addition to CranioSacral therapy, Dr. Feldman often incorporates the Feldenkrais Method as part of the healing process. Developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, with whom Dr. Feldman studied, this is a special therapy, which helps train the body to adapt to new patterns of movement. As Dr. Feldman explains, “This extremely effective movement therapy is based on sound neurological principles that benefit your body and mind through sequences of gentle, no-stress movements. Learn how changing some of your habitual ways of moving can increase your energy and alleviate chronic pain and fatigue.

“Lessons include guided attention and easy movements that teach you how to reduce unnecessary muscular effort and improve your awareness of the whole self in action. Results can be extraordinary and may include greater vitality, more flexibility, decreased tension and stress. Doing regular Feldenkrais classes is a great way to keep your body tuned and in balance.”

The Wellness Center offers both individual and group sessions in the Feldenkrais Method.

First Meeting

“I highly recommend CranioSacral therapy and the Feldenkrais Method,” notes a patient, who has been helped by Dr. Feldman. “In my very first meeting, all the tension in my neck went away within less than half an hour, when he applied CranioSacral Therapy. Through Feldenkrais exercises, I not only began to alter the way I moved, but also strengthened my neck and arm, as this method complemented the CranioSacral Therapy.”

Most recently, Dr. Feldman has added another treatment option to his Wellness Center: Advanced Clinical Nutrition. He completed a post-graduate training program in Nutrition Response Testing, and has found it to be of great benefit to his patients.

“This is a non-invasive method of analyzing the body to determine the actual root causes of health conditions, and assists the practitioner in determining the patient’s nutritional deficiency or imbalance so it can be corrected,” he explains.

Dr. Feldman works with patients to make specific changes to diet, eating habits, and routines to bring about the best results. Through these diet changes, and consuming whole food supplements (actual food in capsule form), patients have been able to lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and alleviate food allergies, says Dr. Feldman. It is a very individualized therapy, customized to each patient.

As he points out, “The body has the full potential to fully repair itself when given the right nutrients.”

Adds a pre-diabetic patient, who has benefitted from Nutrition Response Testing: “Dr. Feldman tested me, and found out what organs in my body were weak and needed to be boosted and which foods were adding to this weakened condition. I followed his recommendations exactly as he laid them out for me, and my improvement was immediate. After only one week of healthy eating and taking my supplements, my digestive problems vanished, and I lost two pounds.

Energy Level

“My second week on the plan was even more successful. Besides dropping an additional three pounds, my energy level was supercharged! My thinking is clear. My focus is great. My health has improved tremendously. I could not have put myself in better hands.”

Dr. Feldman now looks forward to helping even more patients at the Wellness Center. “All the treatments are very individualized. I take into consideration the whole person, including their lifestyle. With this treatment approach, and incorporating the different therapies, I feel we can help people who were not helped before. We are trying to make a permanent resolution of the problem, not just a quick fix that doesn’t last.

“I’d like to get the word out to more people, so they can benefit from our in-depth model. Essentially, our method is an in-depth treatment of the body as a whole. Our therapy emphasizes not just local treatment of a shoulder or neck or hip, but identifies global patterns of action throughout the body and how it moves or doesn’t move as a whole integrated system.”

Dr. Feldman sees patients Monday, Tuesday, Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Wednesday until 7, and Saturday morning. He can be reached at (609) 252-1766. Website: http://www.feldmanwellness.com.