Pueblo Women Join Forces To Ease Pain, Improve Lives

May 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Pueblo, Colo. - Kennette Oldham and Tawnya Salas have a lot in common: they grew up in Pueblo County experiencing the freedom of working and playing outdoors; they each had a strong female role model in their paternal grandmothers (both named Virginia); and they spend their professional lives relieving people's pain.

So it seems natural that they have decided to work together in the same office as well.

Acupuncture by Tawnya Salas and Better Bodies Therapy are bringing together their considerable talents in traditional Chinese medicine and massage therapy, respectively, so that they can better serve patients in the Pueblo community. Their new space is located in the old Pueblo Telephone Company at 126 D Street, #100C, Pueblo.

"Working with colleagues optimizes the opportunities you can provide to people to improve their health," said Salas.

"Massage therapy is a tool to help people feel better by releasing the connective tissue that binds all of our body's systems together and aiding the parasympathetic nervous system; it helps people find more balance in life," said Oldham.

"Acupuncture is very effective for improving people's immune systems, their vitality and energy. Massage therapy and acupuncture complement each other and other methods of treatment," observed Salas.

May will mark the 12-year anniversary for Better Bodies Therapy and the 10-year anniversary for Acupuncture by Tawnya Salas. When Salas recently began considering moving into a new space, it seemed a perfect fit that long-time colleague and friend Oldham join her.

"I was looking for a building that was more easily accessible for my patient and more centrally located. And since I wanted to move anyhow, I thought it was a good time to ask Kennette to share space with me," said Salas.

Both women were drawn to their fields through personal experiences.

"I was in a car accident and was not satisfied with taking pain medications long-term," recalled Salas. "I tried acupuncture and was not only very pleased with the results, but also fascinated with the entire procedure. My acupuncturist encouraged me to take courses, which was excellent advice. I am a Diplomate in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs and a licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Colorado."

Oldham's story is similar. "My son suffered from asthma and I began to investigate alternative therapies to offer him some relief. We visited a kinesiologist, which piqued my interest in massage therapy," shared Oldham. "I am a certified Massage Therapist, and I take and teach courses so that I'm always learning something new."

Acupuncture and massage therapy are tools that can provide total wellness to a patient. "While we help a lot of people who are in pain," says Salas, "both massage therapy and traditional Chinese medicine have a distinct role in preventative health care, as well."

"Non-traditional therapies such as ours are oftentimes people's last resort, even though both have been proven through medical research to be of great benefits to our bodies," Oldham states.

Salas was raised in Pueblo County, and graduated from County High School. "I loved playing in the ditch, and the dirt, and the fields with my cousins, brother, and sister," said Salas.

Oldham grew up in Rye, Colo., on a ranch with her parents, two sisters, and a brother. "I was a Rye High School Thunderbolt and grew up driving the tractor, chasing cows, and being a 'tomgirl,'" laughs Oldham.

Coincidentally, when asked about role models, each woman named her paternal grandmother: Virginia Salas and Virginia Carlson.

Oldham's nearest neighbor as a child was her Grandmother Carlson, five miles away, "My grandmother was such a strong, fearless woman, who could ride anything that wore hair. She passed on a tough, never-give-up attitude to me."

"Grandma Salas had a fighting spirit. Her outlook on life was that 'you can do whatever you want. Don't let anyone tell you any different,'" says Salas.

For women who are looking to start a business, Oldham had this advice, "Believe in yourself and you can do it."

"Don't listen to other people," added Salas. "All you need is motivation and passion and everything else will fall into place."


Kennette Oldham, massage therapist, owns Better Bodies Therapy, therapeutic massage therapy tailored specifically to the patient's needs. For more information, visit http://www.betterbodiestherapy.com or call 719-250-5675. Tawnya Salas, acupuncturist, owns Acupuncture by Tawnya Salas, Pueblo's source for professional acupuncture treatment and traditional Chinese medicine. For more information, visit http://www.pointbacktohealth.com or call 719-545-6189.