After years of Fruitless Searching, Meeting Dr. KeithParmenter was a Revelation!
Article by Jon Frangipane Photos by Debra Todd
I’ve been complaining to doctors for over 20 years about a shoulder problem; a nagging pain, about six to eight inches down my back, from my right shoulder. It seemed to create a weakness I felt, especially when swinging a tennis racquet.
And I was so restricted that I was unable to reach in back of my head and grab my left ear with my right hand; not that it was something I couldn’t live without.
Let’s try an MRI, a doctor said. Let’s try a CAT Scan, another doctor suggested. Well, through the years, no doctor had found a solution, nor helped in any way. So, I began experimenting with various exercises at the gym on my own, but with little success. Occasional deep massage sessions and acupuncture showed no improvement.
By a stroke of luck, an actor friend, after hearing my plight, said, “I have just the person who can help you. He uses a system of acupuncture, a process called Tuina, along with Rolfing that is simply amazing!” He saw that I was not biting. “Oh sure,” I said, “after 20 years of trying, you have the answer? I scoffed. “I know what acupuncture is, but what in the world is Tuina and Rolfing, anyway?”
This conversation was just 2 weeks ago at this writing. Last Friday, my first therapy session lasted about 90 minutes. I discovered that the combination of Tuina and Rolfing releases bound up connective tissue (fascia) that often restricts opposing muscles from functioning in concert with one another, resulting in improved rib alignment.
Long story short — after 20 years, and immediately after my first session, I was able to reach behind my head and grab my left ear with my right hand and the pain had abated.
To a skeptic like me, the combination of acupuncture, Tuina and Rolfing seemed like a real stretch of my actor friend’s imagination. But, this week, to my amazement, I had much better control, and much more confidence with my tennis swing. And, at least I wasn’t lobbing the ball 50 percent of the time.
Doctor Keith Parmenter with offices in Boca Raton gave my right shoulder back to me in one single 90-minute session. I will be forever grateful.
Because the words Rolfing and Tuina were new to me, perhaps others may be interested in this wonderful therapy, so I asked Dr. Parmenter a few questions:
Q: What made you believe the combination of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rolfing would be more effective than just one or another?
Parmenter: The treatments cover different scopes of the human body. Acupuncture covers the neurological system, Rolfing covers the muscular system as well the neuro-muscular system, and Tuina covers muscular. And, it is this combinationI believe that leads to total wellness.
Q: Do the amount of sessions depend on the severity of the problem?
Parmenter: Every patient can be healed differently. The actual diagnosis and the individual’s ability to heal determine the length and amount of treatment.
Q: I notice that many of your patients are children. Do most come for treatment of sports-related injuries?
Parmenter: The fact of the matter is that most of my patients are middle-aged and older. However, the vast majority of patients are treated for sports-related injuries.
Q: What would you say are the 3 most frequently requested injury treatments?
Parmenter: Chronic lower back pain is most prevalent. It is followed closely by cervical pain and overuse injuries.
Q: Do professional athletes reach out to you for help?
Parmenter: Pro athletes from the entire athletic spectrum reach out to me frequently from all over the globe. If am not there to help them, I will find the right person in the area who can help them. I have spoken to many trainers, Rolfers, and Acupuncturist over the phone, and make sure my patients are directed to the right person.
Q: Is there a professor. or anyone you feel you owe your success to?
Parmenter: Yes. I owe all my success and the knowledge I’ve gained to Dr. Mark Adducci, DC. He may not have realized how much he had given me on the day he allowed me to be partners with him 19 years ago. He showed me how to be a caring physician, and taught me things that no other professor has. Dr. Adducci also taught me that it is not always about how much money I would be making at the end of the week, but how many people I helped. And I can truthfully say that I owe all of my success to him. God Bless him and his family for leading me in the right direction.
For further information, please call Dr. Keith Parmenter at 561-368-9400, located at the Medi-Plex Center, 5458 Town Center Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton.
