Testimonials

“Ten years ago Heidi Sheffels dramatically changed my life. I had been suffering from chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain for many years. The condition had evolved into excruciating daily headaches. When an injury while working at home exacerbated these conditions, I became truly miserable with now debilitating headaches. The additional pain had a profound impact on my work and home life every day. Doctors I had seen handed me pills, but no long term treatment or answers. As residents of the Steamboat Island community since 1996, my wife and I drove past Heidi’s little shop, Steamboat Health and Wellness, and the neighboring (at the time) Chiropractor office every day. At the depths of my pain and misery, my wife suggested I pay a visit to these providers. I had never seen either type of medical provider before and decided, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. The chiropractor, Mike Milton, took X-rays and examined me. Dr. Milton stated he could see the problems, and that he could “get me right.” But because my muscles were so locked up he would not be able to attain any movement without further injury. This is where Heidi came in. Her demeanor was a mix of sympathy, caring, hope, and professionalism. She examined me and said she could make me better but it would take some time.

Communicating directly with the chiropractor with an agreed-to collaborative plan of action, Heidi expertly set to work. Over the course of daily sessions the first week, I felt my neck, shoulders, and back slowly but surely unlocking and relaxing. Yes, the sessions were painful and I was sore, but Heidi was up front about these factors as a necessary component of healing. The fact that I saw steady progress carried me through the soreness and fortified me with hope, that kept me coming back. After around 4 sessions with Heidi, Mike was able to make the first chiropractic adjustments. That provided an additional instant level of relief. Though my headaches (and other pain) had subsided noticeably, I was “not there yet”. Over the course of about a month, under their collaborative care, I ping-ponged back and forth between Heidi and Mike. The appointment intervals quickly stretched out from daily to twice a week to once a week. At about 2 months, my headaches and back pain were now in the background noise. And my range of motion was better than it had been for years, and I moved into maintenance mode for a few more months. I have been largely headache free since.

Heidi’s compassion to help me get well, her expertise as a therapist on what areas to target and how to work them to heal me, and her professionalism in collaborating directly with another invaluable medical provider regarding my treatment plan, were the keys to enabling my rehab from my chronic pain and recent injury. And the hope she immediately exuded was priceless…

Since that time ten years ago, Heidi has successfully grown her practice from her alone to several therapists. She has assumed a less direct role, so I have been working with some of her massage therapists when needed. Recently, I again suffered an injury while working at home. This caused a persistent painful flare up in the neck and shoulders. When the massage therapist struggled a bit to make as much progress as we wanted over a number of sessions, I requested Heidi join a session to provide her insights given her past experience working on these same types of issues on me. Heidi immediately obliged, free of charge. It was a breakthrough session as the massage therapist (who enthusiastically embraced having Heidi present to give guidance) became instantly calibrated to what I needed and how much pain and pressure intensity I could take. All subsequent sessions have been very productive. I feel am well on the road to getting back to normal levels of activity. It is very personalized care.

So, in closing, if you have a chronic painful condition, a recent injury, or need rehab, you should consult Steamboat Health and Wellness to see what treatment they can provide for you and your specific condition. In my experience, they will treat you with compassion, honesty, respect, and professionalism. They will coordinate with other providers when necessary. And most important, if you let them, they will do everything they can to see your problem through ’til you are the best you that you can be. January 2016. All opinions are my own and based only on my own experience with the massage therapy provided to me.”~Mark T.