My Story

I have been my own guinea pig over the past 50 years as I have built the model of care that I now practice.

Bones, joints, muscles, chemistry, organs, vascular, lymph, emotions, energy. These are all components of the self.

We must ferret out seemingly confounding relationships in our body to whole.

I was the fourth of six children born into a natural health-focused family. My dad was a chiropractor naturopath in a small town in Eastern Oregon.

After college, I decided to go to chiropractic college to follow in my dad’s footsteps. At that time naturopathy was not licensed in most states, so it seemed a good plan to select chiropractic since it was licensed in all states, and many states had broad scopes of practice that replicated the practice of naturopathy. My love was always maternal/child health. And even in my first year of school, I started taking post-graduate classes in caring for moms and kids. I also enjoyed taking additional esoteric classes such as Applied Kinesiology (the functional neurology and functional medicine of its day), Total Body Modification (like Body Talk), Sacro Occipital Technique, Craniopathy, Cranio Sacral Therapy, Neuro Emotional Technique, and many others.

Sacroiliac Pain from a Tilted Uterus

Over time, I developed right sacroiliac pain. I was adjusted and treated with a myriad of techniques. I had massage, many brands of chiropractic, and acupuncture. I went to shamen and energy healers. I worked out and built muscle and flexibility. I practiced Ashtanga yoga. And still the pain persisted. Then I heard about Arvigo Maya Abdominal Therapy. I took the introductory class and the teacher gave each of us a free session so we could see what it felt like. She found that I had a retroverted uterus tilted back toward the right sacroiliac joint. She gave me a long and very painful treatment and peeled my adhesed uterus off the back wall of my pelvis. I had a recollection of being bucked off a horse when I was about ten, and taking a hard fall. (The body loves to tell its story). Now, I very rarely have any discomfort in my right SI. If I do, I know it means my  uterus needs a bit of TLC, and I give it to her right away.

Right Dropped Kidney From A Broken Left Leg

When I was in grad school I had a terrible bike crash and broke my LEFT leg. I had surgery and a plate and seven screws were installed. Several weeks after the surgery, I noticed that my RIGHT inner leg was very flabby where it had been firm and muscular before. I was perplexed, but was focused on rehabbing my left broken leg, so did not pay it much mind. Over time I had extensive chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture with limited change to my right leg. A few years later, I developed very painful varicosities in my right lower leg. I was perplexed and took all the correct herbs for varicosities. They could eliminate the pain if I took enough, but they did not change the varicosities themselves.

I learned about the Barral Technique of visceral manipulation when I took a class in Holistic Pelvic Care. In the second Barral class, we practiced finding the kidneys and discovering if there were a nephroptosis (dropped kidney). My partner had never done the technique before, but diagnosed me with a grade three pelvic kidney. That means the kidney had slid down the fascial funnel it lives in all the way from its home by the diaphragm way down into my pelvis to nestle with my cecum and ovary (and iliac veins and arteries)! No wonder I had a flaccid inner thigh and later varicosities. The kidney was blocking my lymphatic and venous return. After my kidney was returned home in a treatment that took about five minutes by a novice, I had about 75% improvement in my presentation, and no pain in my lower leg. I thought that was pretty darn good!

Right Venous & Arterial Problems Develop Years After Left Injury

About ten years after my bike crash, I developed a sensation of warmth in my right lower quadrant where that dropped kidney had been. I went to a massage therapist friend who found that my external iliac artery was backing up and causing the sensation of warmth. She freed the artery from its constraints, and that symptom never came back. That artery had probably been squeezed by the kidney and that is what caused the fascial constraint that showed up over a decade later.

A number of years ago I began to notice a deep pain in my right calf. I was concerned that I had a deep vein thrombosis so began to take blood thinners like fish oil and anti-clot medicine like nattokinase. That took away the discomfort. But if I missed a dose, the pain was right back. I became concerned about flying and was obsessed with doing all the foot and ankle twists and lifts to prevent a blood clot on the plane. Soon after, I got a new patient with pelvic pain. She had the most tortuous iliac veins I had ever seen. That night I checked my own and found that she might not have won the prize after all. I drained my own internal, external, and common iliac veins on the right assiduously for a week and my right calf pain went away completely. Also, the remaining varicosities in the right leg and the flaccidity of my right inner thigh went away.

Chiron Is the Wounded Healer

Through my own injuries and ailments I have come to understand the body much better.

I want to share what I have learned with you.

May we all be whole.

I currently live in Sarasota, Florida and practice at Natural Women’s Health Institute. I come to Portland, Oregon every month or two and see patients for a week or two.

Education
2011-2012 Postgraduate Midwifery Fellowship

    • Alma Birth Center
    • Portland Oregon

2008-2011 T32 Postdoctoral NIH Research Fellow

    • Center for Complimentary & Alternative Medicine
    • CAM Research Training in Neuroscience & Stress
    • Oregon Health & Science University
    • Departments of Neurology & OB/GYN sitting in urogynecology
    • Portland, OR

2007 – 2008 Midwifery Training

    • Maternidad La Luz
    • El Paso, TX

1996 – 2008 PhD Applied Medical & Biological Anthropology

    • University of South Florida
    • Tampa, FL

1996- 2008 MPH Epidemiology

    • University of South Florida
    • Tampa, FL

1991-1994 Doctor of Chiropractic

    • Los Angeles College of Chiropractic
    • Whittier, CA

1986-1989 BA Anthropology

    • The College of William & Mary
    • Williamsburg, VA

The origin of pain is not necessarily the location of pain

  • Peterson, Caroline; Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Thomas. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Exercise, Spinal Manipulation, and Neuroemotional Technique for the Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2012 20:18
  • Peterson, Caroline A Case Study of Chiropractic Management of Pregnancy-Related Heartburn with Postulated Fetal Epigenome Implications. EXPLORE: The journal of science and healing. 2012 8(5):304-8
  • Peterson, Kristopher; Peterson, Caroline A case series evaluating the accuracy of manual muscle testing for predicting fetal sex. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2012 11:1-6
  • Peterson, Caroline Is Maternal Personality and Copy Style Related to Breech Presentation? Evaluating the Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic models of risk factors for breech presentation. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology and Health 2011. 25(3):133-158
  • Peterson, Caroline; Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Thomas. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Exercise, Spinal Manipulation, and Neuroemotional Technique for the Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2012 20:18
  • Peterson, Caroline A Case Study of Chiropractic Management of Pregnancy-Related Heartburn with Postulated Fetal Epigenome Implications. EXPLORE: The journal of science and healing. 2012 8(5):304-8
  • Peterson, Kristopher; Peterson, Caroline A case series evaluating the accuracy of manual muscle testing for predicting fetal sex. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2012 11:1-6
  • Peterson, Caroline Is Maternal Personality and Copy Style Related to Breech Presentation? Evaluating the Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic models of risk factors for breech presentation. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology and Health 2011. 25(3):133-158
  • Peterson, Caroline; Rdesinski, Rebecca; Biagioli, Frances; Chappelle, Kathy; Elliot, Diane. Medical Students’ Perceptions of a Behavioral and Social Science Curriculum. Mental Health in Family Medicine 2011 8:215-26
  • Peterson, Caroline, Are race and ethnicity risk factors for breech presentation? The Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing 2010. 39:277-291
  • Peterson, Caroline, Midwifery and the crowning of healthcare reform. The Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 2010. 55(1):5-8.
  • Peterson, Caroline, Baer, Roberta D., Clark Lauren, Folk Illnesses. In Handbook of Immigrant Health, ed. Sara Love. Pp. 183-202. Plenum Press, NY 1998
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation January 2015 Portland, OR
    National College of Naturopathic Medicine Neurology Symposium
    “Neuroplasticity in the Fourth Trimester: How Biology and Culture Influence Your Baby’s Bushy Brain”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation March 2014 Miami, FL
    Miami Chiropractic Conference
    Prevention of Medical Errors during Pregnancy, Infancy, and the Postpartum
  • Peterson, Caroline; Peterson, Kris Oral Presentation. April 2013 Captiva, FL
    Neuro Emotional Technique Success Conference
    “Hypothesized Neurological Pathways & Epigenetic Implications of Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Peterson, Kris Oral Presentation. October 2012 San Diego, CA
    Neuro Emotional Technique Success Conference
    “Hypothesized Neurological Pathways & Epigenetic Implications of Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom. Oral Presentation October 2012, Half Moon Bay, CA<
    Neural Emotional Technique Gathering of Eagles Conference
    “A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Three Treatments for Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: Exercise, Spinal Manipulation, & Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom Oral Presentation, June 2012, Long Beach, CA
    Association for Certified Nurse Midwives
    “Conservative Management of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: a pilot RCT.”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation March 2014 Miami, FL
    Miami Chiropractic Conference
    Prevention of Medical Errors during Pregnancy, Infancy, and the Postpartum
  • Peterson, Caroline; Peterson, Kris Oral Presentation. April 2013 Captiva, FL
    Neuro Emotional Technique Success Conference
    “Hypothesized Neurological Pathways & Epigenetic Implications of Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Peterson, Kris Oral Presentation. October 2012 San Diego, CA
    Neuro Emotional Technique Success Conference
    “Hypothesized Neurological Pathways & Epigenetic Implications of Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom. Oral Presentation October 2012, Half Moon Bay, CA
    Neural Emotional Technique Gathering of Eagles Conference
    “A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Three Treatments for Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: Exercise, Spinal Manipulation, & Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom Oral Presentation, June 2012, Long Beach, CA
    Association for Certified Nurse Midwives
    “Conservative Management of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: a pilot RCT.”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Oral Presentation, November 2011, Montreal Canada
    American Anthropological Association
    “The Midwife, the Obstetrician, and the Shaman: Beyond Odent. Midwife as Shaman and Provisioning during Labor.”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. November 2011, San Francisco California
    Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology and Health
    “Breech Presentation as an Expression of Maternal-Fetal Attachment: A case-controlled retrospective study and a case series of breech presentation treated with Neuro Emotional Technique.”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Talmage, Dorrie, Adams, Al. Oral Presentation. October 2011, Portland, OR
    Association for Behavioral Science and Medical Education
    “Measuring Student Development of a Schemata for Patient Care Over the Course of the Curriculum.”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Rdesinski, Rebecca; Biagioli, Frances; Chappelle, Kathy; Elliot, Diane. Poster
    Presentation. October 2011, Portland, OR Association for Behavioral Science and Medical Education
    “Medical Students’ Perceptions of a Social and Behavioral Science Curriculum.”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom. Oral Presentation. April 2011, Portland Oregon
    Symposium for Portland Area Research on Complementary & Alternative Medicine
    “Comparing Chiropractic Care with Exercise for the Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Haas, Mitch; Gregory, Tom. Oral Presentation. November 2010, Denver, CO
    American Public Health Association
    “Preliminary Results from a Pilot RCT Evaluating CAM Intervention for Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain”
  • Peterson, Caroline Poster Presentation. September 2010, Las Vegas, NV
    Awarded 1st Place for Research Poster. $250 Johnson & Johnson award Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
    “Risk factors for breech presentation: Eastern and Western paradigms compared and contrasted”
  • Peterson, Caroline Invited Roundtable Discussion Organizer and Discussant. December 2009, Philadelphia, PA
    American Anthropological Association
    “Culturally Sensitive Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Methodology”
  • Peterson, Caroline Panel Chair & Panalist. October 2009, Toronto, Canada
    Association of Maternal Research
    “When Does Mothering Begin? The Maternal/Fetal Relationship in the Intra-uterine Environment.”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. September 2009
    Grand Rounds for National College of Natural Medicine
    “Breech Presentation: Risk Factors, Models, and Management”
  • Peterson, Caroline Panel Chair, Discussant, and Panalist. March 2009, Santa Fe, NM
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Where Do Babies Come From? Direct-Entry Midwifery vs. ACOG and the AMA.”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. March 2008, Memphis TN
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Bridges and Birthing on the Border”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. March 2007, Tampa FL
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “ACOG and Breech Presentation: The Impasse between Love and Policy”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. October 2005
    Anthropology Colloquium, University of South Florida
    “Fieldwork Experience for Dissertation”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. September 2005
    Epidemiology Seminar Series, University of South Florida
    “Preliminary Secondary Data Results for the Breech Baby Study”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. December 2005, Washington DC
    American Anthropological Association
    “Breech Presentation as an Accommodation to Socio-Cultural Allostatic Load”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. November 2005, Philadelphia, PA
    American Public Health Association
    “Socio-Cultural Risk Factors for Breech Presentation”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. April 2005, Santa Fe, NM
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Breech Presentation, Allostatic Load, and the Environment”
  • Peterson, Caroline Poster Presentation. February 2004, Tampa, Florida, University of South Florida
    Health Sciences Center Research Day Poster “An Inquiry into the Risk Factors For Breech Presentation.”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. April 1998, San Juan, Puerto Rico
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Recognizing Flow in the Workplace: An Evaluation of Technical Workers’ Satisfaction on the Job Using the Experiential Sampling Method”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Levine, Cheryl, Panel Co-Organizer and panelist, April 1998, San Juan, Puerto Rico,
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “An Analysis of PhD Applied Anthropology Programs: Do they hit the mark?”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. March 1997, Seattle, WA,
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Toward Fulfillment of the Declaration of Alma Ata: Suggestions for Developing the Role of Nicaraguan Sobadores in Health Care”
  • Peterson, Caroline, Adams, Al. Oral Presentation. March 1995, Albuquerque, NM
    Society for Applied Anthropology
    “Enabling a Culturally Aware Curriculum”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. December 1994, Habana, Cuba
    Symposium of Physical Anthropology “Luis Montane”
    “Bushmedicine and Superstition on St. Eustatius, NA”
  • Peterson, Caroline Oral Presentation. February 1994, Tampa, FL
    Symposium of Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Social Issues
    “Sobadores as Integral Health Care Providers in Nicaragua”
  • Peterson, Caroline; Platt, Kitty and Forrester,Sepi. Poster Presentation. June 1993, Monterey, CA,
    Chiropractic Consortium on Research
    “An Assessment of the Levels of Caffeine [Consumption] in a Chiropractic Student Population”

Caroline Peterson is an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church.

My Universal Life Church Ordination