Trusted Referral: Dr. Braxton Pulley at East Village Chiropractic

Dr. Braxton Pulley, owner of East Village Chiropractic
Dr. Braxton Pulley, owner of East Village Chiropractic

Our team can only do so much, so we trust other healthcare providers to complement the wellness services we offer at East Village Spa. Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to Braxton Pulley, DC, owner of East Village Chiropractic at 300 East Locust Suite 140. (515) 288-8058.

How long have you been providing chiropractic services? Our office opened in 2004.

What services do you offer? We provide chiropractic care for a variety of back, neck, arm, and leg injuries and chronic pain conditions. We also provide school physicals for student athletes.

What are some of the reasons people seek your services? Our primary focus is to make sure anyone that is hurting finds out what is happening and gets help. We are excellent at diagnosing conditions and provide fantastic care where we can. If we can’t help, we will work with the entire medical community to help find the best answer or referral for that person.

Are there specific conditions that you’ve had exceptional success treating? We have had great treatment responses to neck and back pain syndromes as expected for chiropractors. Several other injuries that have responded well to our care include shoulder and arm problems, hip problems, and issues with the feet. The combination of soft tissue work and chiropractic adjustments seems to provide great results with these challenges.

How do your services complement the services at East Village Spa? Most people working 9 to 5 with 2.5 kids and the picket fence often don’t have the time to properly take care of their body.  We help people get started on the road to good health, but more is needed outside the care we can provide.  The expertise and care provided by the massage therapists at East Village Spa is wonderful not only in aiding and treating muscular problems, but keeping you healthy overall.

What can people expect during their initial visit? The first visit is very straightforward and takes about 30 minutes. We have the usual forms to complete (which can be done early at www.eastvillagechiro.com) and then you will sit down with the doctor to determine what is going on with your pain or the concern that brought you in for a visit.

After an exam focusing on your areas of complaint, we will discuss what your diagnosis is and what options you have to take care of it. Often, we can help, but if we can’t, we will refer you where you can get the help you need.

Do you accept insurance? Yes, we accept most forms of insurance. Our staff will contact your carrier to verify your coverage to make the process easier for you.

How can people learn more about your services? Please visit our website at www.eastvillagechiro.com. We are also on Facebook and Google+ as EastVillageChiropractic. Also, don’t hesitate to call (515) 288-8058 with questions or to schedule an appointment. Dr. Pulley also welcomes your e-mails at [email protected].

To learn how East Village Spa services can be beneficial in conjunction with your chiropractic care, talk to Dr. Pulley or learn more about our services at www.EVDaySpa.com

East Village Spa and East Village Chiropractic have won Des Moines' Best awards year after year. We are proud to work closely with Dr. Pulley!
East Village Spa and East Village Chiropractic have won Des Moines’ Best awards year after year. We are proud to work closely with Dr. Pulley!

More Waxing FAQs: Your most delicate questions answered!

Our friend Colleen from Star 102.5 and I chatted awhile back about how it seems like all of a sudden lots of women our age (and quite a bit older) are starting to get bikini and Brazilian waxes regularly.  Colleen invited her East Village Spa esthetician Camille to visit with her on air to share a few pointers with her listeners who might be considering getting waxed for the first time.

We wanted to share the info with you too since we didn’t have time to cover it all on-air. Plus we know that your most burning questions might have been to delicate for a morning radio show.

Colleen (left) and Camille discussed waxing on air on Star 102.5

Q: Isn’t bikini waxing just for twenty-somethings?

A: Maybe that used to be the case, but we see lots of women who are older, even grandmas, in for regular maintenance bikini and Brazilian waxes!  First of all, hair starts to migrate as we age so while someone might not have felt the need to wax at 22, they might notice more hair creeping further down their legs in their 30s or 40s. Second, women wax for many reasons, whether because they like the look or they like not worrying about stray hairs when they wear a swimsuit.  We find it is popular with busy moms and athletes who feel like they get less irritation from workouts like running and biking without hair.  Shaving is really hard on the skin so many women are just ready to be done with razor burn.

Q: Does waxing hurt?

A: Yes! But we all agree that the more you wax, the less it hurts.  Your skin becomes used to it and your hair grows back finer over time.  A product like the Relax and Wax “no scream cream” applied 45 minutes before a wax service can help dull the sensation. Most of us feel like waxing hurts way less than painful razor burn.

Q: I’ve shaved forever, do I actually need to grow out my hair to wax?

A: According to Camille, you will need at least 1/4 inch of hair for the wax to work (most people can do this in 2 weeks). If your hair has grown 3-4 weeks, you’ll get a better result because the hairs on a different growth cycle will have had time to catch up.

Q: What about my “backside?” Do people really wax that?

A: The majority of people who get Brazilian waxing wax the back side as well. To quote one of our team members, “It looks odd if you wax the front and not the back.”  Our estheticians have been waxing many years and guessed that 95% of Brazilian wax clients opt to wax the backside during a Brazilian.

Many first-timers are most freaked out about the backside before their visit, but all of our estheticians agreed it is the easiest spot for them to wax, and the least painful for the client.  One of our estheticians also wanted to reassure self-conscious guests that in 6 years of waxing she has seen lots of rear ends and the space between the cheeks looks about the same on every single woman and this is no big deal for your esthetician.

Q: Do I need to get on all fours if they wax my backside?

A: At East Village Spa, our estheticians prefer having the client stay on their back but bring their knees up to their chest when doing the backside.  They only use the “all fours” or other methods like side-lying for reaching the backside for women who can’t bring their knees to their chest (for example, someone who has had a hip replacement or who is farther along in a pregnancy).

Q: Is the esthetician there when I undress?

A: No, you will have privacy to disrobe from the waist down and your esthetician will leave you with a cleansing wipe to thoroughly clean the area to be waxed. You’ll be able to drape yourself with a towel for modesty while she re-enters the room, but she will remove the towel while she’s working.

Q: Is it weird for the esthetician doing my wax?

A: Camille said this is the number one question her first-timers ask and she has been waxing for years and sees it as a part of her job to help people with skin care and grooming, very much like it is normal for a doctor to examine and treat people. Camille typically sees 10 or more Brazilian wax clients each week; sometimes 50% of the services she provides in a typical week are waxing services!  She knows her clients appreciate her fast, safe, and professional services and she’s happy to be able to provide something that helps women.

Wax pot east village spa

For more information, check out the FAQs section on our website here.

Have other questions about female waxing or ready to schedule? Give us a call at (515) 309-2904 or book online here!

East Village Spa’s Top Picks for International Day of Yoga

June 21st is the 2016 International Day of Yoga. Many of our team members and clients benefit from their regular yoga practice.  We wanted to share some of our favorite local yoga instructors and some ideas for experienced and new yogis alike!

groupyoga2Our esthetician, nail technician Hannah recommends Ben Spellman from Good Vibes Yoga, with classes throughout Des Moines and at Shakti Yoga.  She also recommends Brette’s classes at Shakti Yoga.  For a different twist on Yoga, she also suggests trying the acro yoga classes at Power Life led by Brett Aronson and Tiffany Thomas.

Our massage therapists Tiffany, Jamee, Camdine love going to Ofelia Moore’s yoga classes.

If you’re completely new to yoga and find it a bit intimidating, a good place to start is your local YMCA.  The South Suburban YMCA is welcoming with classes for diverse ages and fitness levels including gentle yoga, great for those new to yoga, aging adults, or people with injuries.  The YMCA’s Restorative Yoga classes can are beneficial for athletes and help boost energy levels. Many people are already YMCA members and classes are FREE with your membership so why not?

Not sure where to start? Of course, it is always best to work with an experienced instructor to make sure you’re doing to poses properly to avoid injury, but if you can’t make it to a class or want to see more of what Yoga is about, check out the library of free videos at www.doyogawithme.com.

You can also look into one of the FREE International Day of Yoga events like the Iowa Circus Academy’s free class at the Des Moines Social Club.

yoga

We know there are lots of excellent yoga instructors, studios, and pop-up classes throughout the metro.  We’d love to hear from you, please share your favorites!

Celebrate National Iced Tea Day!

I’ll admit to being a few cups of coffee in (early morning) while driving to work when I heard on the radio that it is National Iced Tea Day so I couldn’t resist a stop at my favorite East Village neighbor, Gong Fu Tea for an iced herbal tea.

Can’t decide which kind of iced tea you’d enjoy to help you cool off today?  I got some suggestions from tea expert, George Taylor at Gong Fu.

Herbal Tea Suggestion: According to George, a fruit-flavored herbal tea like Fruit Fantasia (my pick today!) with a Rooibos base is a great choice.  He explained that because rooibos absorbs flavor well, it is frequently used as a base for many herbal teas.  Because it does not contain caffeine, it is a good choice for an evening beverage or for kids. These teas are high in vitamin c and antioxidants.  The fruity rooibos blends like raspberry delight, peach rooibos, or fruit fantasia might even work as a juice substitute for kids, especially if you add a touch of natural sweetness from honey.

Green Tea Suggestion: George recommends Moroccan mint.  It is great hot, but when iced, the mint really pops to make it super refreshing and cooling on a hot day.

Black Tea Suggestion: In the midwest, a good, straight black iced tea is popular.  George suggests the ceylon black tips tea.  He recommends it because while it is a nice standard black iced tea, it is a much better quality version than the mass marketed brands.  This tea is not too light or too strong and doesn’t become astringent when iced.

Gong Fu Tea Collage
Left to Right: Gong Fu Awning, My Fruit Fantasia iced tea in progress, our friend George Taylor, who is one of our favorite reasons to visit Gong Fu, and the beautiful vibrant red Fruit Fantasia.

Visit Gong Fu, just a block north of East Village Spa, at 414 East 6th Street.

 

 

 

Ideas for Dads

Did you know that 47% of spa goers are men?  According to the International Spa Association President, Lynne McNees “The number one reason both men and women visit a spa worldwide is to learn how to manage their stress. Men and women may deal with stress in different ways, but surprisingly, they both find spas as an outlet.”

Father’s day is a perfect opportunity to share the benefits of stress reduction and pain relief with the men in your life.  The following our are top suggestions for gifts for dads (or grandpas!)

Products for Pain Relief:

tiger balmTiger Balm patches and salves are great for guys who complain of soreness.  Our massage therapists incorporate tiger balm into many sports massages as well.  The patches are great self-care and really popular with men.

kneipp arnicaKneipp arnica products are another popular choice for guys. The joint and muscle active gel has an instant cooling effect, while the arnica cream is unscented and absorbs into skin quickly.  They are great for arthritis pain, bruising, inflammation or tenderness.

Stress Relieving Products

kneipp sweet dreams

Whether he tosses and turns all night or needs some general stress relief, Kneipp herbal baths have lots of solutions.  The Sweet Dreams bath includes Valerian and Hops and is a perfect prelude to a good night of sleep.

Gift Certificates

East Village Spa gift cards are a perfect gift for father’s day!  You can purchase them in a denomination or for a specific service.  Some of the most popular treatments for men are:

  • The EV Signature Massage which is great for stress relief
  • The Athletic Edge Sports Massage which addresses specific injuries are areas of tension
  • The Wellness Massages (30, 50, or 75 minutes “no frills” therapeutic massage)
  • The Men’s Hand and Foot Treatments (a relaxing nail grooming service)
  • The Wellness Facial is perfect for men with dry skin or shaving irritation.

Gift cards are available in the spa or through our website!

menspedicure
We aren’t joking, men LOVE pedicures!

Resource: ISPA Male Consumer Insights Study, 2014.

Healthy Summer Salad: Blueberry, Kale and Quinoa

Yesterday was a perfect day for a cold salad on a warm deck with a chilled glass of white wine or iced tea.  I’d been traveling for 10 days and I could tell my body was craving “real” food so I turned to a favorite, Blueberry, Kale, and Quinoa salad.

Ingredients:

3/4c. dry quinoa cooked prepared according to package directions*

1 1/2 c. blueberries (p.s. the blueberries I got from HyVee yesterday were so good they almost didn’t make it into the salad!)

4-6 big handfuls of Kale from a bag of salad-ready Kale (it will be tender enough you won’t have to pre-cook it)  No Kale? Spinach works great too!

3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/2-2/3 c. chopped pecans, lightly toasted (toss them in a dry pan on medium heat to lightly toast, you’ll know when they’re ready because they’ll get more fragrant)

2-3 T. Olive oil

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

*If you don’t have package directions, bring 3/4 cup quinoa with 1 1/2 c. water to a boil on the stove top. Cover pan and continue to simmer on low to medium-low heat 15 minutes.  If all water is not yet absorbed, cook a few more minutes.

Instructions:

Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to make dressing

Mix all ingredients together except for dressing

Toss with dressing to coat and chill for at least an hour to let flavors combine.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.   Serve cold or room temperature.

blueberry salad