Patient Testimonials

Below are some patient testimonials and stories, and some quotes from patients after their visits, all quotes in their own words. All patients have given permission for these to be printed, and privacy of patient identity is protected. Patient results vary and these are given for the sole purpose of giving you examples of patients’ experiences in their own words.

1.     After researching for months, I found Dr. Ilene Spector, an osteopathic physician. My 18-month-old daughter had episodes of vomiting, balance problems, and reflux, symptoms associated with benign paroxysmal torticollis. The initial appointment with Dr. Spector included a thorough inquiry into the history of my daughter’s health followed by a gentle osteopathic manipulation. I noticed significant improvement after the first treatment. The appointments were a month apart in the beginning and soon were spaced farther apart. My daughter is now three and we see Dr. Spector on an as needed basis. We feel so blessed because our daughter no longer experiences the symptoms that kept her from experiencing a normal life. I also saw Dr. Spector when I was expecting my second child. I was experiencing back pain near my left rib area. I was so amazed at how wonderful the manipulation felt. It was such a subtle manipulation and after just two days I felt significant improvement in back pain. Each manipulation was subtle, yet yielded incredible results. I highly recommend Dr. Spector and feel blessed that we have such a passionate, knowledgeable doctor in our community.

~L.D., Grand Junction, CO

2.     I am an avid runner, but suffered a debilitating back injury in 2009 when I was swept over a waterfall. I had been in constant discomfort ever since, making running a painful and unpleasant experience. In January, 2013, I was referred to Dr. Ilene Spector by a friend who also experienced relief from seeing her. I must admit I was a bit skeptical that anyone could relieve my pain without surgery. But after one visit, my back pain was almost completely gone and I was immediately able to regain my former running form. Less than 10 days after my first visit I ran my best race since before the injury, and I was pain-free the entire way. I consider this turnabout a virtual miracle!

~G.H., Colorado Springs CO

3.     I have been seeing Dr. Spector for 6 months now, once per month, and my life has been given back to me!  I have had two cervical spine fusions and although I had not given up complete hope about controlling my pain and gaining back mobility, I was greatly discouraged.  I was beginning to force myself to look at the horizon in a very limited way that was more like survival than living.  I experienced “immediate” relief within a couple of days after my first session with Dr. Spector, and it’s only become better since then. I have little, if any pain now, and I’m able to exercise and hike with a smile on my face because it feels great.  Thank you Dr. Spector!

~S.A., Grand Junction, CO

4.     Diagnosed with curvature of the spine (scoliosis) in 1960, I’ve undergone two back surgeries and have metal rods in my back. Since that time I have lived with back, neck and shoulder pain and have had headaches daily. When Dr. Spector works on me I feel a subtle rolling, wavelike sensation throughout the muscles she is working on, allowing body tissue to relax and tightness and pain to fade. Since Dr. Spector has been providing osteopathic treatment for me, I have had almost a complete absence of pain in my neck, back, and shoulders and only occasional headaches.

~B.R., Grand Junction, CO

5.     Dr. Ilene Spector has been a Godsend to me. For 9 months, I suffered daily with severe nausea, excessive sweats where I had to change clothes 3 or 4 times a day to keep dry and overwhelming fatigue. My Doctor ordered brain scans, heart tests, ultrasounds, a scope of my stomach with biopsy, nuclear tests, numerous blood tests with 5 blood cultures grown, basically every test they could think of and everything came back normal. I even had my gall bladder removed. Nothing helped. Finally two of my Doctors decided to send me to Dr. Spector. I am so grateful I found Dr. Spector.  The osteopathic cranial treatments are not painful or uncomfortable and yet, it is powerful medicine. Three days after my first treatment, my nausea went away and I was able to stop taking the nausea medication I had been on for 9 months that didn't work that well. Can you imagine how thrilled I was to wake up and my nausea was finally gone? I have now had a total of four treatments and I am doing well. My nausea is gone, I still have an occasional bout of sweats but the intensity is about 30% of what it was before. Some days I am fatigued, but I think that is to be expected after being so ill for so long. Overall, I am so much improved my husband and friends are amazed but most of all, I am amazed. I would highly recommend Dr. Spector to you. She has helped me beyond my expectations. Dr. Spector is a very kind and compassionate woman and her healing powers are extraordinary.

~Best Regards, M.L.D., Grand Junction, CO

6.     I went to Dr. Spector with horrible chronic jaw pain a year ago. She was able to identify and diagnose the problem, and through her osteopathic treatments and her referral to a dentist for his adjunctive work, I am now PAIN FREE! Dr. Spector has a rarified expertise in the way she works with the body as a whole. Her work is very soft and subtle, yet it slips under your consciousness and causes many physical changes. She works on a deeper level than the more well-known musculoskeletal manipulation. I highly recommend people with chronic pain, including back pain and headaches, experience Dr. Spector's osteopathic treatment. I know it works.

~A.B., Gunnison, CO

7.     Dr. Ilene Spector is magic. With her gentle ways and outstanding medical knowledge, she can relieve pain, stress and help the body to function at its fullest potential.  A visit with Dr. Spector is well worth the time and money.

~M.D., Gunnison, CO

8.     Last autumn I hit my head really hard. Several months later I started feeling nauseated and dizzy, as if I was going to pass out. It was a truly scary feeling. Nothing felt normal. I was not a functioning human being. I GOT MY LIFE BACK through cranial osteopathic work with Dr. Spector. I no longer felt as though I would pass out and the nausea stopped. The biggest thing for me was this constant fear of passing out. Treatment with Dr. Spector took that fear away. I feel awake, more energy, like a new woman, not depressed like I was. Thank you Dr. Spector.

~B.F., Crested Butte, CO

9.     I had chronic pain in my lower back and hip for the past 10 years due to a serious car accident. I was considering trying a chiropractor, because my body felt all crooked and out of alignment, but I heard about Dr. Ilene and decided to try her out. After my second visit, I felt like everything was back where it should be, and I was completely pain-free for the first time in 10 years! I really liked the way she explained everything she was doing in normal language I could understand. And everything she said about the body being all connected made perfect sense! I also like how gentle her treatments were, and she gave me some great exercises to keep me in alignment. She is a very effective healer!

~K.H., Gunnison, CO

10. Dr. Spector did an excellent job of treating my entire person, rather than just my symptoms.  I felt better physically and emotionally after my treatment. Her way of practicing helped me to a speedy recovery after my motor vehicle accident. She's great, I'd recommend her to anyone.

~H. E., Gunnison, CO

Other comments from patients after visits with Dr. Spector:

“Your touch is so stabilizing, like you’re hardly doing anything yet so much is happening. It feels very comforting.”

“Dr. Spector has brought me back to the ‘land of the living’. I feel like myself for the first time in months!”

“Yesterday (after her first osteopathic treatment) was the best I’ve ever felt. It was the best day of my life, life-changing. Usually I’m so tense. My heart and chest were so open and relaxed, my neck felt easy, no pain, my chest and thorax opened up. My posture was better, I stood up straight easily, usually I am hunched over with tension. I’m usually so tense. There was a freedom, a space.”

“I’m excellent, feeling so good. I was in such a cycle of pain, struggling to keep my head above water. Since coming (to Dr. Spector for osteopathic treatment) so much is changing, I’m out of the cycle of pain and despair. I’m not living in a prison of my body now.”

“I have experienced chronic lower back pain for over 20 years and have sought relief through various traditional and alternative therapies. While these therapies helped me feel better, the effect was only temporary. During a recent and very debilitating flare-up, I decided to give Dr. Ilene Spector and osteopathy a try; it was one of the best decisions of my life! My body immediately responded to this gentle and non-invasive approach, and I continue to heal today as the time between my appointments grows longer with each session. After so many years of on-and-off pain, it finally feels like the root of my back problem is being addressed, and that true and long-term healing is mine! How blissful to feel comfortable in my body again as osteopathy brings it back into balance; Dr. Ilene Spector has made a believer out of me!”