Today we’d like to introduce you to Janine Pulley.
Janine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in college, I began to experience sharp, shooting low back pain that was so intense that I could not stand for more than about 15 minutes at a time. Aside from the pain itself, it was a problem because I could not stand while waiting in line at the cafeteria for food and I had pain from walking to classes. When I told my mom about this pain, she brought me to a chiropractor. My mom had gone to a chiropractor when she was younger for migraines, which were completely cleared up by treatment.
So I went to the chiropractor and after a few adjustments, I was able to stand for as long as I wanted without pain – and the headaches and neck pain that I didn’t realize were connected resolved too. I had always thought that neck pain and headaches were normal and that I would live with it forever. Not anymore! Around this time, my seasonal allergies from childhood also went away too, allowing me to come off all medications.
I had been studying Biomedical Engineering instead of pre-med with the intention of becoming a holistic MD or a DO. But after my experience, I realized I wanted to become a chiropractor because I wanted to help people get better without using drugs or surgery. I wanted to help people reclaim their health the way I had.
After finishing my undergraduate education, I went to study chiropractic at New York Chiropractic College. I choose NYCC for its evidence-based approach to chiropractic care and acupuncture program. I studied acupuncture at the Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at NYCC. I have found that it is a very effective complementary practice that allows me to help even more people. My blend of Eastern and Western medicine is the holistic approach to healthcare that I have always wanted to offer.
When I graduated, I wanted to start offering both services right away. However, what I found was that if I were to work for another chiropractor, I would most likely not have the time or ability to practice acupuncture – so I decided to start my own practice. 5 years later, my practice is growing and I have been able to help hundreds of people on their journey to true health.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a relatively smooth road, thankfully. I had the guidance of a business coach and a professional coach from the start, so I have been able to avoid many common pitfalls.
Getting initially started in practice was my biggest struggle. The whole process took months longer than I anticipated. I was not working during this time so that I could focus on getting my doors open as soon as possible, so every month delayed was very stressful.
The number one challenge was finding affordable office space. There were two offices I found that were the size and price I wanted. I was wary of one building whose owners had a bad reputation among other professionals in the area. The other space seemed “95% perfect” so I was excited to get the lease signed. However, the realtor never gave my deposit check to the landlord, so the landlord signed a lease with someone else, losing me the space. I was devastated.
But then this experience turned into the silver lining story I frequently tell my patients today. A few days later while looking for new space online, I found the space I am currently in. It had been posted for just 2 days when I saw it online. In the end, I signed a lease with this space, which was brand new and built out just the way I wanted – it was 100% perfect. If I had signed that other lease, I would have missed out on a much better place with more exposure and a more professional feel.
The next challenge I faced was securing financing. One of the reasons I was devastated by “losing” the first lease was because I could not get the financing started until I signed a lease. Once I signed, the process was able to move forward. I got extremely lucky with my financing too – because I was a small business, I had to get an SBA secured loan. That meant it had to go through a process at the SBA, which usually takes about a month but can take several months. Again, I was very fortunate – my loan got through this process in about a month, just 2 days before the Republicans shut down the government back in 2013. Because the SBA is “non-essential,” it was part of the shutdown.
Since then, there have been minor struggles that every small business faces, but these two challenges put them in perspective.
Pulley Chiropractic & Acupuncture – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My practice is a holistic practice that integrates Eastern and Western medicine – acupuncture and chiropractic. I am a dually licensed practitioner, the only one I know of in the area. To put it in perspective, there were only three of us in my chiropractic class of 100+ students who studied acupuncture at the same time. The two approaches are complementary and produce fantastic results. Most patients who choose my practice come to me specifically because I offer both services.
I specialize in a type of chiropractic called ABC. Advanced Biostructural CorrectionTM (ABCTM) is a state-of-the-art treatment that addresses the underlying biostructural issues that many patients suffer from. I adjust patients from head to toe to ensure that I fix any and all biostructural problems that are present. It is the only way I will get adjusted, and I drive an hour one way to get treated every Saturday. There are only 2 practitioners currently in the state. I have patients who drive from as far as Keene, NH, and Burlington, VT, to see me for this approach. I am currently level III and EndoNasal certified (highest level is IV).
As for acupuncture, I offer Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture along with adjunctive therapies, such as cupping, moxibustion, 7 star needling, tui na (TCM massage and bone-setting), and gua sha (aka scraping).
I am most proud of being able to integrate both therapies for optimal results and to be able to tailor the right treatment for every patient.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far was helping one of my patients reclaim her health. She is an older woman with Parkinson’s who had to use a cane to walk and had significant trouble with mobility. She had always been a little afraid of chiropractors, so I was honored when she gave me a chance. I was able to get her standing more upright and more stable, so that she no longer had to use a cane. She can also get around in general more easily. Now her and her partner can walk along the beach and her family barely recognized her because she is so much happier now.
Contact Info:
- Address: 102 Peters St Ste 1
North Andover, MA 01845 - Website: www.pulleychiropractic.com
- Phone: 978-237-5106
- Email: drjanine@pulleychiropractic.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pulleychiropractic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrJaninePulley
- Other: https://plus.google.com/+PulleyChiropracticAcupunctureNorthAndover
Image Credit:
Janine Pulley
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