INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CENTER
Your body was designed to heal itself … and we know how
to stimulate that response, so you can feel your best!
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CENTER
Your body was designed to heal itself … and we know how
to stimulate that response, so you can feel your best!
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
What's different about ihc ?
Our approach to healing involves slowing down and listening … and teaching. That’s probably the biggest difference, but I’ve been very fortunate to be able to create a rather unique approach to practice that marries my love of people with my interest in psychology and the skill set I developed working with my hands on a potter’s wheel. It’s very fulfilling. Oh, and music, lol.
We consider palpation of the tissues to be a form of listening because, in essence, as we palpate the tissues we're trying to hear what the patient's body is saying, while we're assessing tension patterns and limitations in normal movement through touch. We also consider palpation to be an art form … and it is. Seriously. Our goal is to be masters of our craft.
A keen sense of touch allows us to feel subtle patterns of tension in the tissues and the work we do helps restore balance.
Almost two decades in private practice has taught us ( that almost always) the patient who's experiencing pain is moving their body in certain ways in response to their pain. This is especially relevant as it relates to upper body pain such as neck pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain and headaches.
We've determined the reason the patient does this is because they're seeking relief from their pain. It’s instinctual, and it happens on autopilot without them realizing they’re doing it. To a patient who's in pain, to do something versus doing nothing feels good, even if it's not an actual "feel good" sensation. To take it a step further, we’ve also determined that there’s a strong tendency for the patient to do these movements out of their subconscious mind. Even though (on some level) the sensation feels good to the patient at the time they're experiencing it, (again, almost always) these movements have the unfortunate "bigger" effect of facilitating tension in the tissues and it becomes a vicious cycle.
When this happens the tissues aren't able to settle down more completely, even with regular care because, in a sense, the tissues are being constantly bombarded with irritation. Helping our patients make this type of connection and empowering them to improve their self care is our specialty. We call it the psychology of healing and our awareness has come from slowing down and listening. The reason it’s become so important to us is because we’ve determined it’s the biggest way we can serve our patients … to help them better understand “why” their body is doing what it’s doing. So we can help them learn how to do a more effective job “managing” the normal tension between monthly treatments, which as it turns out, just means doing things a tad differently outside of the office. We’ve determined that taking the extra time to teach our patients and reinforce the right messages is what makes the difference between good results and excellent results. And it’s excellent results we’re after!
We've put a few of these unique observations into play in our practice because we've found that it leads directly to better therapeutic outcomes. It’s also what allows our patients to only need to be treated once a month after the first 2 months of care … and be able to live a rather pain free life.
We've figured out how to get almost anyone who walks thru our door to the once a month stage treating them only 12 times in 2 months. There are exceptions, but they're far and few between. Versus 3 times a week for 3-4 weeks, then … (whatever! lol).
If you decide to stick around for once a month care so we can keep you healthy after we resolve your chief complaint, as long as you are treated with an Adj/massage within 4 weeks … we allow you to come in during the month, if you feel like you need to, for a courtesy adjustment. No charge. The initial 12 treatments is your “buy in” in the practice, and allows you to receive the courtesy Adj, as long as you’re here once a month so we can keep you running like a top.
Our experience is that most people sort of take the position that they’ll believe it when they see it, lol, that they can live a rather pain free life being treated only once a month … but you can go from here directly to our review section and see for yourself what people have to say about our care. We’ve seen it happen so many times we literally can’t count.
21st century healthcare
You’re in charge of your own care!!!
21st century healthcare
You’re in charge of your own care!!!
You're in charge of scheduling your own care.
There's no receptionist and no hold music … by design!
How Does That Work ?
Step 1
Step 2
Filling out the New Patient paperwork and bringing it with you will allow us to begin working with you when you arrive. We run on a rather tight schedule for a doctor's office. Typically, you won’t have to wait to be seen.
Step 3
We’re in the charming River Market neighborhood in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri right across the street from the River Market West streetcar stop.
Our street address is 317 Delaware St.
Dr. Rob created a unique environment for his practice by constructing everything in the office on site (all cabinets and countertops, from scratch) with his own hands out of a natural wood product called MDF. His little brother, Cory, who was 12 at the time (2001) gets a lot of the credit because he helped him lift the 4x8 sheets of lumber up on his table saw! In hind site, he says, it’s hard to believe the two of them did all of the construction completely on their own, but they did! … Great job guys!
Dr. Rob's resumé:
1989 UMKC bachelors in Psychology, minor in Biology
1989-1991 Missouri Department of Youth Services; Youth Specialist: worked w/ adolescent boys at a residential facility located at Watkins Mill State Park
1991-1993 Apprentice Potter: worked for a local studio potter (worked in exchange for learning) for a year and a half. Primary responsibilities: mixed a thousand pounds of clay a week starting out with dry chemicals in a claw footed bathtub, loaded and unloaded kiln which was big enough to walk in, waxed the bottom of pots before they were glazed and fired.
1993-1995 Studio Potter: designed, produced and sold hand thrown pots out of my own studio
1995-1999 Doctor of Chiropractic; Cleveland Chiropractic College
1999-2001 rented office space from another chiropractor prior to founding Integrative Health Center
2001-2018 Private Practice; Integrative Health Center
1989- … and I have 29 years of sobriety mixed in starting in 1989, which has changed my life a great deal for the better!
$150 Exam/Consultation/Initial Adjustment Appointment (90min)
Includes a detailed exam, initial adjustment, and needle acupuncture, and typically lasts around 90 minutes. Dr. Rob will spend most of the time performing his exam and beginning to help you understand what he calls the fundamentals of how the tissues work, so you''ll understand why it's relevant to do things a little differently outside our office. We've learned this is the best approach to help you more effectively manage your ‘normal tension.’
Acupuncture is used primarily to "get a hold of the patient's pain symptoms", so we can begin correcting the biomechanical problem, which is most often the cause of symptoms. Using acupuncture we're able to produce a local relaxation response in the tissues as well as a more global relaxation response so you'll feel very relaxed as you leave our office, which will make it possible for you begin letting go of your tension immediately.
$50 Adjustment (à la carte) After you complete your initial treatment plan and you're only being treated once a month (Adj/massage) if you feel like you need an adjustment during the 4 week interim, we provide that for you as a courtesy because we want you to live without pain. You might say we guarantee our work!
$120 Monthly Maintenance Care:
Patients benefit the most from being treated (only) once a month with an adjustment immediately followed by deep tissue massage. The muscles are in the most relaxed state immediately following the adjustment, so the therapist is able to more effectively work out the deeper tension. Works well for the body, mind AND spirit (for real) ... and it only takes a one hour commitment once a month.
healthcare that feels good
Come chill out with us … and we’ll get you better!
healthcare that feels good
Come chill out with us … and we’ll get you better!
CHIROPRACTIC
Spinal Adjustments are performed by hand with light force. Dr. Williams considers spinal adjusting – especially the neck – to be an art form. And his patients report outstanding results. Initial adjustments are followed with the patient laying on the traction table, which gently stretches the soft tissues attached to the spine. It not only feels awesome, along with the initial adjustments, it helps prepare the soft tissues to receive deep, therapeutic massage that we pair with subsequent adjustments.
This strategic and thorough approach provides better long term results.
The first adjustment is followed by needle acupuncture to increase the effect.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. As part of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body that control the flow of energy, called Qi, pronounced /Chē/. Acupuncture has been effectively used for the treatment of neck pain, upper and lower back pain, chronic headaches, migraines, shoulder pain, and sports injuries, along with a myriad of other conditions. It's a great adjunct to chiropractic treatment, and because both treatments are more powerful when paired together, one session can take the place of three to four spinal adjustments.
DEEP TISSUE WORK
As the name implies, the work is slow, deep and very specific working on targeted muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Contrary to a widely held myth, deep tissue work doesn’t have to hurt to be effective. We've found it to be most beneficial when paired with the spinal adjustment. Immediately following the adjustment, muscles are in their most relaxed state, which allows our therapists to work deeply for the greatest therapeutic effect without being painful. Sufferers of chronic pain will find significant relief from the combination of treatments. After the initial course of treatments you will only need to be treated once a month to maintain the effect long term.
Be well kc!
We look forward to serving you!
Be well kc!
We look forward to serving you!
We're across the street from the River Market West streetcar stop
on Delaware Street.
