Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Hennenhoefer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I entered medical school already with a passion for the musculoskeletal system. My initial plans were to go into rheumatology, but during my time in school, I fell in love with my current field after my exposure to osteopathic manipulative medicine. Students attending an osteopathic medical school all get training in this form of hands-on treatment; however, very few continue on to use it in their various specialties. I decided to do my residency training in neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM), which emphasizes this type of treatment to address non-surgical muscle and joint problems.
After completing my residency, I knew I wanted to open my own practice where I could help people address a wide variety of muscle and joint issues. I looked at a few areas, but my wife and I quickly fell in love with this part of North Carolina. I have been practicing in the Chapel Hill area now for about 6 years and looking forward to many more years to come in the Triangle region.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. I opened my practice in the summer of 2019, and we all know what happened early 2020. Like many businesses, the pandemic was quite a strain on the clinic. Fortunately, we were able to come out the other side, and I was grateful to be able to continue to provide care during that time.
Probably the biggest challenge we continue to face is how unknown this modality of treatment is. That there is a whole field of medicine where physicians specialize in using a hands-on approach to supplement the treatment of musculoskeletal issues is just something people aren’t typically aware of. Admittedly, it is an uncommon field for doctors to go into, but there can be a lot of benefit to seeing the same clinician for your medical evaluation, hands-on work, and home exercise recommendations.
As you know, we’re big fans of Osteopathic Musculoskeletal Medicine. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our clinic is a small medical practice specializing in addressing non-surgical muscle and joint problems. We address any part of the body including shoulders problems, back pain, knee joint issues, and more. Our primary method of treatment is a form of relatively gentle hands-on work known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) almost always followed with some home exercise recommendations. In addition, we also offer dry needling, trigger point injections, and a type of regenerative medicine treatment known as prolotherapy.
Our practice operates outside of insurance. While that can sometimes present its own challenges, overall it allows us to dedicate the needed time and focus often required for complex issues. Counterintuitively, it also helps keep down costs. Due to current plan high-deductibles and often decreased coverage, people find the out-of-pocket cost is usually less than when seeing a specialist through their insurance.
We pride ourselves on determining the root cause of problems and really taking the time to educate people about what is going on. This way, our patients feel more like a partner on their treatment path, where they truly understand why we’re doing what we’re doing, and what our goals of treatment are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drhosteopathic.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drhosteopathic
