Flow Chiropractic and Family Wellness Center

I met Dr. A when I was 13 months pregnant with my second child and unable to walk or even sit due to what I later discovered was a ruptured disc in my lumbar region. While my HMO initially advised me to wait out the pain, offered opiate painkillers I was not comfortable taking, and recommended exercises I could not perform, Dr. A traveled to my home for my initial session and actually looked at my back and body. Her first adjustment enabled me to walk taller and longer than I had since my initial injury. When I had a setback and my progress stalled, Dr. A correctly identified that I had a ruptured disc and helped arm me with information needed to advocate for more invasive medical intervention that was also pregnancy safe. In addition to adjustments, she took time to connect me with a stabilizing belt, exercises, and ways of moving that helped me function enough to do things like watch my 4-year-old, take showers, prepare quick meals, and slowly but surely build strength and endurance. Through it all, Dr. A demonstrated again and again her incredible gift for trauma-informed body work. At a time when I didn't trust anyone to touch my body--myself included--I knew I was in good hands with Dr. A. She is gentle and confident, sincere and compassionate, and she possesses an innate ability to listen well and connect deeply. From our first meeting, I felt safe with Dr. A. This safety and trust helped me not only move again but also rebuild my own trust in my body and in myself. I returned to Dr. A after giving birth as I dealt with recovery for both c-section surgery and my ruptured disc. She laid the groundwork for physical and mental recovery, giving me the confidence to move forward--body and mind--in a healthier way for myself and my kids. Today, I am back to work, able to hike, hold my kids, and once again feel strong in my body. Thank you, Dr. A for helping me return to my life and body in a deeper, richer way.

Dr. Ariel has magic in her hands! I started seeing Dr. Ariel in 2020 in the height of the pandemic while pregnant with our first ivf miracle baby. She took care of me throughout pregnancy, during which I’d walk into her office with all kinds of pain from my growing belly and my significant scoliosis and walk out literally free of pain with so much more mobility. I’ve gone to many other chiropractors over the years and there is NO ONE else like Dr. Ariel. She helped me prepare for birth and get baby in the optimal position. Most recently I’ve been seeing her after a late pregnancy loss and her work has been so healing physically but also emotionally. A few weeks ago my son woke up with raging ear pain and was screaming from pain all day until we walked into Dr. Ariel’s office. I left with a happy child free of ear pain and we even avoided antibiotics directly because of Dr. Ariel’s adjustments. She can really do it all. What a gift to be cared for and supported by her!!!

While pregnant, I started seeing Dr. Ariel at the beginning of my 3rd trimester after I began to have pain in my pubic area and lower back, and saw her until I delivered my son. I was planning to see a chiropractor closer to my due date because I had read about all the benefits chiropractic care lends to delivery, but I was so thankful to find her when I did. Dr. Ariel's adjustments are gentle but extremely effective. In addition to explaining what was happening to my body, she also provided guidance on the appropriate types of exercises and movement best suited for me. As a result of my visits, Dr. Ariel helped me to alleviate the pain I was experiencing, and make me feel more comfortable in my growing body. I also felt more confident in the birthing process knowing my baby was in the optimal delivery position, much of which I attribute to my consistent chiropractic visits. Seeing Dr. Ariel was a little sliver of "me time" as the setting is very relaxing and comfortable. As soon as my son was born I took him in to see Dr. Ariel for an adjustment as well as have my postpartum body reevaluated. The birthing process impacts both mom and baby, and I knew chiropractic care was something I could do to help us both adjust. Since seeing Dr. Ariel, my son is less tense and he can move his neck more freely. I highly recommend Dr. Ariel during pregnancy, postpartum, and once baby arrives!

Early into my third pregnancy, I started experiencing lower back pain/sciatica.  At the end of both of my previous pregnancies, sciatica was a majorly painful problem, however I never sought out help.  My midwife (new care for my third) suggested I meet with Dr. Ariel and I'm beyond grateful that I did.  Dr. Ariel's understanding of the body, especially within perinatal, and how to care for it is outstanding.  I saw Dr. Ariel consistently through my second and third trimesters.  Because of the regular care, my pain was minimized and we addressed issues as my body changed before they became problems.  Not only was my pregnant body (back, hip alignment, etc.) looked after, but Dr. Ariel helped realign and create more mobility in my neck - a chronic issue for me that I didn't realize was the cause of my other ailments, namely migraines which I have not had again since seeing Dr. Ariel.  Approaching my delivery, I felt "in tune", as best prepared for labor physically as I could be.  Dr. Ariel is not only amazing working on the body, but she also has sound advice about pregnancy, the baby in utero, postnatal care and general wellness.  She quickly became a trusted sounding board for me in our sessions.  Since having the baby, I have continued to see Dr. Ariel as has my daughter.  Labor is no joke on your body, and Dr. Ariel helped realign me and get back to a place of stability very quickly.  When my daughter presented challenges with digestion and colic, Dr. Ariel was able to draw the connection of a neck tilt/compression that she helped my daughter work through so that it didn't become something more serious like torticollis.  Further, Dr. Ariel's office is an incredibly comfortable place for mama and baby, and big kids alike.  In efforts to remove any reason to not come and seek care, Dr. Ariel's office welcomes everyone to hang in the waiting room with her awesome Office Manager Nicole, so that Mama (or Dad) can get their time in with Dr. Ariel.  Dr. Ariel is lovely and so incredible at what she does.  I highly recommend coming to see her!

This is my second review of Dr. Ariel's practice. The first was concerned with her help during the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I believe she contributed to the ease of my labour and birth and I continued seeing her after we welcomed our little one. I have to admit that the first month after the baby was actually tougher than I expected (tougher than the birth itself!). The lack of sleep, the baby and us getting used to each other, the little one's need to be constantly held- and all of these when the body is trying to recover from the birthing experience (however "easy" and wonderful this experience might have been). I have had pain I never knew before the baby- my back and neck, especially, after hours of breastfeeding and baby-carrying, gave me enormous pain. The first change I realized after starting to see Dr. Ariel this second time around was the ease of these pains. Every week has been better since then. Not only has she eased the already existing pain, but she has also given me incredibly easy-to-do exercises/moves to prevent further pain. Currently, I have no neck pain whatsoever, the back pain is almost gone, even though the baby is considerably heavier by now! I have developed pain on my heels and knees, unfortunately, and I am looking forward to bombarding Dr. Ariel with questions about those spots. Dr. Ariel also worked intensively on re-aligning the pelvis. This is crucial because of the birthing experience itself, but the postpartum period has effects on the pelvis, too. As a new parent, my focus has been on the baby. I have not paid much attention to my posture, to how often and for how long I stand up, bouncing the little one and so on. Dr. Ariel has shown my body the care I have not been able to show. In a couple of days, I am taking my baby to Dr. Ariel for infant alignment. After all, babies have gone through a traumatic experience, too-being born cannot be easy:) What is more, I have been reading about how a simple, painless adjustment can help babies with issues like reflux, and with developmental milestones. This re-alignment usually helps with sleep, which is great for both the babies and the parents! I cannot think of a better place to trust my baby to. I look forward to writing another review focusing on Dr. Ariel's help with infant-care.