Our Approach: The RAARE Method
We believe that your body has a story, and your pain is a message. While many providers focus on isolated symptoms, we see you as a whole, interconnected system. Our approach is designed to help you listen to your body, regulate your nervous system, and uncover the true source of your pain that exists beyond the physical. This is how we create lasting change.
Step 1: Reset
The Goal
This initial phase is about calming your nervous system and creating a safe, healing environment within your body. Before we can build strength and correct movement, we must first get your body out of its defensive, high-alert state and build resiliency.
The How
Education to help you better understand your pain and your healing process, so you can consciously use the tools you are about to develop.
Hands-on somatic work, including massage therapy, joint mobilization, dry needling, cupping, or other bodywork therapies, to interrupt the pain cycle physically, which helps the mind feel safe.
Breath work, mindfulness, and guided meditation to interrupt the pain cycle mentally and emotionally, which helps the body feel safe.
Brainspotting therapy to subconsciously process your pain, bridging the gap between your conscious experience of pain and your body’s experience of pain.
Nutrition audit to regulate your body’s internal hormonal and chemical environment, which helps the mind feel safe and reduces inflammation.
Health Coaching for accountability throughout the entire process. This is the most important piece for integration and sustainable change.
The Why
For driven individuals who are constantly in "go" mode, the nervous system can become overstimulated, contributing to and perpetuating the pain cycle. This crucial first step helps you find a sense of peace and safety in your body, allowing you to move forward with the rest of the process. This step is usually the most involved and continues to be utilized as we move into Steps 2-5.
Step 2: Align
The goal
We teach your body how to find proper, effortless alignment. This isn't about rigid posture; it's about finding a natural, neutral position that allows your core to engage automatically and effectively.
The How
Education on why posture is so important for stability and pain reduction.
Postural testing to demonstrate how posture immediately impacts your current state and to help you find your personalized effortless position.
Mindful retraining of postural alignment, without extra exercises you don’t have time for.
The Why
When your body is out of alignment, other muscles have to work overtime, leading to strain and compensation. By restoring natural alignment, we create the perfect foundation for all movement, making your body more resilient and efficient.
Step 3: Activate
The goal
This step is about reconnecting the brain with the core. We focus on fully isolated core activation, helping you build a stable and secure center from which all movement originates.
The How
We will first educate you on what your core is and why being able to tap into it mindfully is so important.
We then offload your body to teach you how to turn on your core, strengthening the nervous system connection to it.
This is not about planks, crunches, and ab work. Spoiler: your abs are not your core!
We start with pure core activation, then begin to add isolated, and then more complex movements to strengthen the brain-core connection, as well as build endurance in your core stability.
The Why
Your core is your body’s anchor. For many with chronic pain, this connection has been lost. By reactivating it, we provide your body with an internal sense of stability and security, preparing you for the next phase of healing.
Step 4: Retrain
The goal
Now that your foundation is in place, we begin the process of relearning proper biomechanics, muscle sequencing, and mindful movement. This is where we integrate your new skills into functional, real-world activities.
The How
We will teach you how to move from your core first through all of your daily activities, which are connected at their foundation.
This step involves teaching you how to perform usual movement tasks (bend, reach, squat, climb the stairs, etc.) by teaching you which muscles to fire and when to fire them.
We will mindfully retrain these movements, without extra exercises you don’t have time for.
The Why
This phase is where the healing becomes tangible. By consciously correcting how you move, you stop reinforcing old, painful patterns and start building new, resilient ones.
Step 5: Evolve
The goal
This final step is about creating sustainable, lasting change. We build on the foundational patterns to incorporate harder, more challenging movements and create a goal-oriented home exercise program or improve upon your current exercise routine.
The How
After Step 1: Reset, Step 5: Evolve is the most personalized to you. We integrate the previous steps into your overall health goals in order to challenge the foundations with physical movement that will help your body build strength, confidence in movements you previously feared, and resilience against future acute injury.
These functional sessions progress over time, empowering you to feel and own your progress, so you can continue to reach for new heights.
The Why
Healing isn't just about getting out of pain—it's about staying out of it. This phase ensures you have the tools and confidence to maintain your progress, so you can truly thrive and live a life unburdened by chronic pain.
Client Testimonials
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I am very grateful for the care that I received from Hannah! Unlike previous treatments where I was only given temporary relief, Hannah took the time to identify the underlying cause of my issue. She thoroughly assessed my condition, explained everything in a way that was easy to understand, and created a treatment plan to meet my personal needs. Not only did I experience improvements, but I also feel that the root cause was being treated. I highly recommend Hannah and New Heights Physical Therapy to anyone looking for comprehensive and effective approach to physical therapy.
Mary S. - Google Review
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Dr. Hannah & Dr. Megan changed my life by guiding me through breath work, exercises, nutrition, hormones, dry needling, brain spotting & so much more. I went in feeling very lost and unsure of the next steps in my health journey, so I took a leap of faith and decided to enroll in their Elevate program & I’ve never looked back. I walked out today with a new found confidence in myself, my brain, and my body. I would so highly recommend New Heights Physical Therapy for any aspect of your health journey- they truly do it all!
Molly K. - Google Review
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I would HIGHLY recommend New Heights Physical Therapy. I unexpectedly ran into debilitating, painful neck issues and Dr. Hannah was a lifesaver. She not only lifted my pain, but diagnosed potential root causes, provided me with an actionable plan and supported and guided me along my journey to wellness. She was a savior physically and mentally and even now when I am in a more grounded, healthier place, she continues to be a knowledgable, caring resource in the health and wellness field.
Teresa W. - Google Review