

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hines.
Melissa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After many years of chronic illness as a child and teenager, it allowed me to figure out that I wanted to work in a healing profession. Going to Simmons College in Boston, I have always been a strong advocate for women and empowering women. While at physical therapy school I knew that I did not want to practice traditional physical therapy and I sought out mentors in Washington, DC who are amazing healers and were able to help me find my niche of women’s health and myofascial release.
After moving back to Boston after a couple of years living on Washington, DC, I soon realized that there were not many resources in the women’s health world, specifically with pelvic floor physical therapy and perinatal care. I also specialize in men’s pelvic floor physical therapy because they are also a majorly underserved population. And I truly believe that in order to make the women’s health care system better, we have to work full circle.
After working with the pelvic floor population and chronic pain conditions, I soon realized that this was a multidisciplinary approach in order to maximize healing potential. Luckily, my sister and co-founder, Molly Hines is an Integrative Nutrition specialist so we decided to open a business, Wellest Integrative Health together. This allows us to have close communication regarding patients and we are always thinking outside the box when it comes to chronic musculoskeletal dysfunction and inflammation, which tend to go hand in hand. How can you heal musculoskeletal dysfunctions without looking at the cellular level as well!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge thus far has been figuring out the business side of things. While I am confident in treating clients, I lack skills when it comes to marketing/social media/and the business aspect. I am a very organized person so that has helped with being on top of things but I have had to do a lot of research in order to figure out how to run the business. I am the type of person who has not had a personal Facebook page for over 5 years so I am a little out of the loop with social media marketing. All of it is a learning process and I just started up a personal Facebook page so I can start a business page!
Another big struggle has been connecting with other holistic health care providers in the area. Having moved back from Washington, DC about a year and a half ago I have had to seek out acupuncturists, naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, OB/gyns, urologists, etc. Building a network in a new city can be challenging.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Wellest Integrative Health story. Tell us more about the business.
Wellest Integrative Health is a wellness clinic specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy, orthopedic physical therapy and integrative nutrition. We are a sister run business who work closely with one another when communicating with clients. The pelvic floor physical therapy component includes a wide variety of diagnoses…bladder incontinence/leakage, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, lower back pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, pregnancy/post-partum care, constipation, infertility, tailbone pain, menstrual pain, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, vulvodynia, pudendal neuralgia, and many more! As far as orthopedic conditions go, many of the clients we see have failed other forms of treatment and are seeking more holistic treatments to help with their pain.
Different than most physical therapy clinics in the area, we have one hour long one-on-one treatments where you are in the hands of a physical therapist. We do not utilize physical therapy aids or assistants. Because we see so many chronic pain conditions, the hour long treatment is really valuable. We also differ in our approach because we utilize manual therapy, meaning our hands are on the client for the duration of their physical therapy session. We utilize myofascial release, visceral manipulation, and craniosacral therapy, and GYROTONIC in order to treat clients. This truly is the missing link to physical therapy and healing. We also provide Integrative Nutrition counseling as an adjunct to physical therapy services. With any chronic pain condition often there are internal dysfunctions arising whether it be with the endocrine system, chronic inflammation, gut flora, yeast overgrowth, etc. With this integrative approach, we are not only tackling the musculoskeletal system but also the cellular level through nutrition and supplementation.
This is our motto…Wellest Integrative Health thrives to inspire individuals to take control of their health through movement, nurturing nutrition, and integrative body work. At Wellest Integrative Health, we strive for health through mind, body, and spirit. We strive to create a nurturing environment that incorporates all aspects of being. We provide the resources and services needed so the individuals can make informed, health promoting changes and decisions in a way that empowers our clients. In the end, we hope you can be your best self.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Having dealt with and overcome chronic illness since a young age, it has made me a problem solver and given me the gift of healing touch. With any hardship, there are two ways to look at life and I have chosen to have a positive outlook which has really helped me with starting a business. There are many unknowns when starting a business, but having a positive outlook and forward thinking are key. Similarly with dealing with chronic pain, you have to keep stepping forward or you will not find your way.
I also understand my clients when they come in to see me and they feel like they are feeling frustrated. I understand because I have been through this in a time of my life and that has been invaluable when working with clients. I am a keen listener and have developed these intuitive skills through my long journey with chronic autoimmune disease. I have seen many doctors without diagnosis or hope. I have experience the traditional medical field and its limitations. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel for people dealing with chronic pain and that really helps with my treatments and building a business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 364 Boylston Street, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02116 - Website: www.wellesthealth.com
- Phone: 857-246-8234
- Email: melissa@wellesthealth.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wellest-Integrative-Health-941951622613129/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wellest-integrative-health-boston
Image Credit:
W. Sam Nipatnantaporn
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