Guiding, teaching and treating is what we do!

FirstHealth of Andover works in collaboration with other medical providers to find solutions for today’s challenging family health concerns. We have a unique niche in that many of the methods or techniques used in Integrative Medicine may very well be described as older home remedies or kitchen medicine. These may combine with very old techniques such as acupuncture therapy for instances where inflammation, spasm, circulation or pain are at the center of a patient’s complaint.

The goal has always been the same. Relieve a patient’s suffering and teach them to be independent guardians of their own healthcare. This type of medicine was practicing and guiding our patients in preventative medicine long before it was a corporate catch phrase.

We serve family's health care. As a community based Integrative medical center, we see patients from infants receiving care for chronic ear infections, coughs or reflux all the way to the elder citizen who wishes to find relief for arthritis. Our model is to listen to the complaints, refer to other practitioners both in the clinic and our many area collaborators, while designing an effective treatment plan that fits their time and money parameters.

We will let our patients speak to you in their own words. It is a unique privilege to serve the community using these Integrative Medical Therapies. Changing lives is an honor and a responsibility that both inspires and humbles you on a daily basis.

Please view our patient video stories

http://www.firsthealthofandover.com/videos.htm

Please feel free to browse through our patient video and written testimonials.

http://www.firsthealthofandover.com/Testimonials.htm

Other examples include:

"We just wanted to say thank you to David Sollars for everything! We were blessed with a little baby girl named Grace. We don't think it would have happened without you!"


Sincerely,
K&A, MA


I have known about Dave Sollars for over two years now. I met his wife before and we have talked about a consultation for over a year now. I just did not have had the time to seek advice from him. This time, however, I had all the pressure to make the time. I went to his office and discussed my problem. To my surprise, he knew my condition, and devised a plan to address it. From that moment on, my life changed. I was able to wake up during the weekend without a bitter taste in my mouth. I was very surprised that I did not have any headaches and most important that I had the time to help my wife to take care of our children. To date, I have not been sick. It has been the beginning of a new life for me. I can now enjoy my weekends and family and there is less overall stress to cope with. Thank you." E.P., Arlington, MA

Acupuncture Effective for Depression During Pregnancy

More good news on the effectiveness of acupuncture this week. A recent study has shown acupuncture to be an effective method for treating depression during pregnancy! This is great news because many women are hesitant to take an antidepressant during pregnancy and acupuncture is a safe alternative. Also, depression during pregnancy has negative impacts on not only the mother, but also the baby and the entire family. To read more on this topic check out the news article here.

Gua Sha for Pain Relief

Gua Sha is an East Asian healing technique that has been researched and shown to be effective for many types of pain syndromes. Gua means to rub and Sha refers to small reddish petechiae that arise as part of the therapy. This Sha or petechiae will last for 2-4 days. The interesting thing about Gua Sha is that when performed, over time the darkness of the sha lessens and eventually goes away as the underlying tissue heals.

Check out this study showing the dramatic effects of Gua Sha for pain - Gua Sha Study

Also, for more information on Gua Sha this website is very informative - www.guasha.com

For those of you that spend hours in front of a computer and have a habitually tight neck and shoulders, monthly acupuncture treatments with Gua Sha can be very beneficial to ease that strain.

~Jason Henson, MAOM, L.Ac.

Study Shows Effectiveness of Electro-Acupuncture for Knee Arthritis

It's wonderful to see modern research catching up with what acupuncturists have known for a long time.... Acupuncture is an effective treatment for managing knee pain.

Check out this article for more info on the study - Reuters

How much acupuncture can help for knee pain depends on how much damage has been done. We see people who are just in the beginning stages of arthritis who can often have complete pain relief, and we also see people who are in need of knee replacement surgery and we work with them to help manage their pain and have more comfort until they are ready to schedule the surgery. In any case acupuncture has been shown to be effective in yet another condition!

~Jason Henson, MAOM, L.Ac