Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hope Ramales. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Hope thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Absolutely! A couple of events lined up perfectly to spark my passion for what I do and how I do it. I went into Chiropractic wanting to help people, like I think anyone who goes into the field. As I went through medical schooling, I had the opportunity to see other Chiropractors and Naturopathic Doctors during their clinical rotation at my school. I was struggling with hair loss, chronic fatigue, constant bloating, and constipation, so I thought why not visit one of future doctors at our school clinic to see if they have any advice for me. It was then that I was finally given a diagnosis and provided with natural options that WORKED. I finally was able to understand what was happening in my body and how I can fix this on my own, which is something I was never given through the numerous doctors’ appointments I’d had in modern medicine. Around the same time, I had started my externship to somewhere I thought I’d work at after school. I thought I had it all planned out, until I got there and realized what that meant for me. It meant see patients for less than 5 minutes each and adjusting anywhere from 40-60 patients in a day. I left every day feeling like I didn’t know anything about the person I was laying hands on and wondering if I could be doing more to help them. So collectively, these two events happened and I decided I was going to start my own practice and create an office that dedicates time and options to people. Which is what I’ve done! I truly couldn’t feel more passionate and truly grateful for what my career looks like at Health with Hope Chiropractic.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am both the chiropractor and owner of Health with Hope Chiropractic. I find often times people think this means I work on the spine, and the spine alone… but this isn’t true! I, of course, do chiropractic adjustments, but I also do other things. To start, when it comes to adjustments, I adjust any joint that may be bothering you. So, if you are experiencing shoulder, foot, jaw, hand, etc., I can adjust it! Basically, any joint in the body I can adjust. I see a lot of patients with jaw pain, as I’m finding this is an area in Kalamazoo that is lacking in providers. This involves the use of an activator, which is a small little tool that taps on the joint. It’s comfortable and I’ve seen a lot of big progress in my patients who have had jaw pain or TMJ. The activator is a tool I can also use on any joint if my patient isn’t comfortable with having a more hands-on adjustment. I cater to the comfort of my patient’s, so if there is ever anything that may make them nervous, I make sure to provide alternative options, or we don’t have to address certain areas that they aren’t comfortable with. I pride myself on being a Chiropractor that leans into making sure everything feels safe and comfortable to anyone I’m treating. To me, if you’re feeling at all stressed about coming in, it defeats the purpose.

Outside of the adjustment, at Health with Hope Chiropractic, I offer other inflammation reducing modalities such as cupping therapy and electrostimulation therapy. These are both very different therapies used for different reasons, but ultimately the goal of them both is to reduce pain and inflammation. Sometimes people need more than just an adjustment to feel better, especially when the muscles and the ligaments/tendons play a larger role in a person’s pain. I like to treat BOTH the soft tissues and the bony structures at my office because they work together to help you move throughout the day. If we only address one area, likely it won’t be as beneficial in my experience.

The area I’m most passionate about is nutrition. I do a good amount of nutritional guidance in my office as well. I write prescriptions for bloodwork and imaging when this makes sense so we can deep dive into issues of concern. I find often patients come into my office craving more answers and to dive deeper into other issues such as gut health or hormones. This is something I absolutely LOVE doing. I love giving sustainable lifestyle changes and supplemental options to give my patients natural ways to reduce their symptoms. This is an area in our society that tends to lean more on band aids than real fixes, so this is where I like to come in and provide guidance. We find the root cause of the symptoms through bloodwork/imaging and then come up with a plan together at Health with Hope Chiropractic.

As you can see from listing the multiple options above, I need time to be able to provide all of these options for my patients. At Health with Hope Chiropractic, I dedicate anywhere from 20-60 minutes of dedicated one-on-one time with my patients at their appointments. Time is something I find incredibly valuable and that is often lacking in a provider’s office, which is why I created my practice. I wanted a space that never feels like it’s rushing the people who come in.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Honestly, understanding how the body works and form are critical. Being a chiropractor is a very physically demanding job, so we need to be somewhat in shape to properly do it. I strive on being a provider who practices what they preach, so I lift weights or move my body in some way every single day, just like I tell my patients they should. I’ve heard numerous times from patient’s “Man I didn’t think I’d need to think every time I bend over as I get older”. This is honestly something that has nothing to do with age and is what we should actively be doing every single time we go to lift something up or grab something off the ground. It doesn’t matter how old you are, injuries can happen at any age. My biggest piece of advice to anyone, not just chiropractors, is to move often.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I really think just being kind, providing a listening ear, and being honest. I do think I’m good at what I do, but I truly think that most people fall in love with Health with Hope Chiropractic because they will always be met with kindness and they will feel heard. I have found in my own personal experience at other appointments that I leave feeling like I was rushed and no one actually listened to my concerns. I heavily prioritize making sure there is enough time dedicated to discussion with my patient’s and making sure that I am listening to anything they want to discuss. I’ve also worked really hard to meet many people and small businesses in the Kalamazoo area so that I never meet my patients with dead ends. Even if I might not be able to help someone with a concern in my office, I like to have other people who I trust in my corner for them. So, I guess long story short being met with options, safety, empathy, and care are usually what keep people wanting to continue coming into my office and why they tell other people they love about me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.healthwithhopechiropractic.com
• Instagram: dr.hoperamales
• Facebook: Dr. Hope Ramales
• Linkedin: dr.hoperamales

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