by Rachel Schreiber
Tucked in the back of Ann Arbor’s landmark purple Victorian houses are the offices of chiropractor Dr. Bob Rose and Upledger craniosacral therapist Joan Geddes Rose. They are the husband and wife owners of Rose Chiropractic.
Dr. Rose grew up in Detroit when the city was “just a bunch of trees.” He attended Wayne State University and later Palmer College to study chiropractic. “I was a meditation and yoga teacher in the early 1970s and I had a painting and decorating business,” he recalls. “While I was still at Wayne State, doing my practicum in special education, I realized teaching was not for me. One day I went to pick up my painting partner at his chiropractor’s office. I saw a brochure, “Why Don’t You Become a Chiropractor?’ I asked the doctor what chiropractors do. In two sentences he summed up what the yogis have said for thousands of years. The nervous system controls and regulates the rest of the body. If there is any interference to the energy moving through the nervous system, the body suffers. Chiropractors remove interference by adjusting the spine. Combining yoga and mediation with chiropractic was powerful for me.”
Joan, a native of Ann Arbor, graduated from the U of M with degrees in English language and literature and library science. She began practicing craniosacral therapy 14 years ago and was certified through the Upledger Institute. Her reason for switching professions? “Love,” she confesses. “And boredom. Bob and I were just about to get married when he lost his receptionist. Besides, I was tired of being a librarian. I became Bob’s receptionist, but found that I wanted to do more. In 1981, I studied massage therapy in Southfield with Irene Gauthier. Bob and I were the first team in Ann Arbor to combine adjustments and massage therapy. Craniosacral therapy came later. I use light touch, hands-on techniques to focus on the movement of fluids in the body, especially cerebral spinal fluid, which bathes the brain and spinal cord.”
The Roses are committed to excellence in their healing arts and regularly take classes to hone their skills. Dr. Rose is Advanced Rated in Activator Methods, a low force spinal adjusting technique. Recently he renewed his Michigan Chiropractic license by attending an Activator Methods seminar in Chicago.
In January, Joan spent a week studying pediatric craniosacral therapy at the Upledger Institute in Florida. He says, “We realized early on there is more to healing than technical expertise and from the start we have worked to develop a healing atmosphere in our office through the qualities of personal warmth, a friendly welcome, acceptance and respect.” Joan says, “More than one client has stated they feel better just being in the office.” To tackle difficult health problems, Dr. Rose and Joan often offer their combined skills and attention. Dr. Rose states, “For a person suffering from fatigue, joint pain, headaches, and depression we may develop a program that centers around spinal adjusting and craniosacral therapy, exercises and creative visualization sessions. One of our happy patients wrote, ‘I have moderate to severe disc disintegration, but I can still water ski, dance and rollerblade with little discomfort.”’
This healing duo also enjoys working with pregnant women and their partners. Dr. Rose is certified in the Webster Technique, a technique that is used to prevent distosia, the number one reason that c-sections are performed. Dr. Rose adjusts the woman’s sacrum, pelvis and round ligaments so the baby can drop into the best possible position for delivery. Joan offers sessions in pediatric craniosacral therapy, one of her specialty areas, before, during and after the pregnancy. She states, “I use craniosacral techniques with parents and the new baby. The touch is light and gentle. It is especially wonderful to draw the new dad in so that the family is a blended unit.”
Joan says, “It is a real honor for us to be able to work with people, help them to blossom and reach their goals. It always has been and it always will be.”
If you have found this story interesting, informative or inspiring, please let Dr. Rose or Joan know! Rose Chiropractic is located in The Parkway Center, 2345 S. Huron Pkwy, Ann Arbor, 734-973-6898, http://drrose.chiroweb.com.