City Lifestyle

Want to start a publication?

Learn More

Featured Article

New Year, New You

Meet the local experts that can help you on the path to a better health!

Meet Your Local Chiropractor – Dr. Kristen Hook of Ideal Health & Body

Dr. Kristen Hook has been a resident of Westfield, MA for nearly 20 years and has worked as a chiropractor in Western MA for the past 19 years.  She now owns and practices at Ideal Health & Body on Court Street in Westfield.  After a high school soccer injury led Dr. Hook to a chiropractor, she became increasingly interested in the musculoskeletal system and how chiropractic care can help various conditions without the use of drugs.  She went on to study at New York Chiropractic College, graduating summa cum laude in 2000. 

While in chiropractic college, Dr. Hook was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  She remained in school while undergoing aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  Fortunately, Dr. Hook recently celebrated 20 years of remission, but she looks back on that difficult time as an opportunity to explore nutrition and the impact our diets have on our wellness.  Several years ago, Dr. Hook became a weight loss consultant, utilizing the Ideal Protein weight loss method.     At Ideal Health & Body, you will find a unique blend of chiropractic services along with weight loss and lifestyle advice to help you achieve optimum health.  Dr. Hook provides chiropractic care for the entire family and treats a wide range of conditions.  She employs a conservative approach to alleviating pain but also seeks to find the underlying cause of your symptoms.  Dr. Hook believes that chiropractic care, proper diet, exercise, and positive attitude can optimize your body’s potential. Dr. Kristen Hook is passionate about helping others become the healthiest version of themselves.  Therefore, she is offering a “New Year, New You” promotion in which all new patients will receive:       • Chiropractic consultation • Examination • Adjustment • Therapy (if needed)  OR • Weight loss consultation (Ideal Protein Protocol) FOR ONLY $20.20  (Offer expires January 31st)  

Meet your Local Physical Therapist, Dr. Roger St. Onge of Move Athletics 

Like many new serviceman in the marine corps, Dr. Roger St. Onge joined right out of high school and found himself out of shape. Local to Springfield, MA, he started CrossFit to get fit, achieved his goal, and then helped others to do the same. Once out of the marine corps, he coached CrossFit for 6 years and saw many of his athletes go to the doctor for various ailments. Often times, these athletes were told that CrossFit was bad for them, even when several of them had complete health transformations, including losing hundreds of pounds, weaning off diabetes medication, etc. They would then see a physical therapist who would give them advice to stop doing weights, stop working out, do more reps/less weight, etc. And this was all without ever looking at the movement patterns to identify the root cause of the issue.

Roger decided that he could do better. He felt there was an underserved population and, with his background, he was well-suited to provide a solution. Roger enrolled in the Physical Therapy program at American International College and graduated with his doctorate in 2014. He then went on to complete 3 years of residency and fellowships at Boston University and the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy.

With his extensive experience coaching and competing in CrossFit, combined with his degree and training, he was ready to make difference. In 2019, with the goal to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and athletics, he founded Move Athletics Physical Therapy.  Move Athletics’ patients are active adults and athletes of all ages, who need help getting back to the sports and activities they love. Move Athletics works to identify the underlying root cause of the pain, to empower patients to stay active throughout recovery, and to give them the least likely chance to ever find themselves in that situation again.

Move Athletics offers wellness programs and ongoing visits to be preventative instead of reactive. Once initial treatment is complete, Move Athletics sees patients on a monthly follow-up basis, to provide any work they might need to help them avoid future issues. Call Move Athletics at 413-203-9359, and mention Westfield Lifestyle to receive your free phone consultation.

Meet your Local Orthodontist, Dr. Sean Willcutts of Reen & Willcutts

Dr. Sean Willcutts is owner of Reen & Willcutts Orthodontics, with offices in Westfield, West Springfield, and Chicopee. Originally from Western Massachusetts, Dr. Willcutts is proud to serve and support his local community. As a Board Certified Orthodontist, he has extensive knowledge of childhood growth and development and the impacts orthodontics can have on overall health. He references the American Association of Orthodontics recommendation that all children be evaluated by an orthodontist by age 7. This allows early monitoring of tooth development and early diagnosis of developmental problems. 

Referrals are not needed and initial exams are free, so he encourages parents bring their children in for an early examination.

Dr. Willcutts received his dental degree from Boston University Goldman School of Dentistry where he graduated among the top of his class. He later practiced general dentistry for four years and did additional studies specifically in cosmetic dentistry and smile design. This interest in aesthetics led Dr. Willcutts to complete an additional three year residency in Orthodontics at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.  His unique background of general dentistry and orthodontics allows Dr. Willcutts to provide comprehensive treatment planning to both children and adults who look to improve their smile and overall oral health. 

At Reen & Willcutts Orthodontics, Dr. Willcutts utilizes some of the most advanced technology in treatment planning, including Itero™ intraoral digital scanners and virtual outcome simulation. Patients are actually able to see time lapsed virtual simulation of their teeth aligning and a simulated outcome before ever beginning treatment. Dr. Willcutts says this allows patients to feel comfortable with their decision to begin treatment and excited to achieve the end result. 

Dr. Willcutts is currently accepting new patients and offers treatment options which include traditional braces, clear ceramic brackets, and Invisalign™ clear aligners.