Testimonials

Dr. Demmerle is caring, practical, knowledgeable and listens to your body’s innate signals of health – rather than merely focusing on disease and imbalance. She is compassionate, funny, easy to talk to and relates exceptionally well. Hands-down the most effective and efficient osteopathy in Charlottesville. You can literally feel her decades of study and practice in her hands.

K.S., Charlottesville, VA


I was recommended to go see Dr. Demmerle for my 10 year old daughter.  She has learning disabilities along with sensory, auditory and vision processing challenges and anxiety.  I went in not really sure what to expect but after just one session, I noticed an improvement with my daughter.  She went from not being able to hold a conversation, getting lost mid-sentence or “zoning out” to much more focused and present.  Now after a few more sessions, she is the most comfortable in her skin as she has ever been.  She seems happier, more alert and confident.  I really feel that the cranial sacral therapy has helped her tremendously and was worth exploring.  Dr. Demmerle is extremely knowledgeable and kind and has a way of putting children at ease.  Her gentle demeanor is helpful in the therapy sessions.  Overall, I would highly recommend parents try this treatment for their children similar to mine, as I have seen significant improvement.

Kelly C.


After a complicated pregnancy, traumatic delivery and two surgeries within the first year of his life, our then twenty-two month old son struggled to sit and balance the weight of his head on his shoulders.  His torso, neck and head were extremely rigid and awkwardly aligned.   It was with heavy but hopeful hearts that we brought him to Dr. Demmerle for Craniosacral Osteopathy.   Now, more than two years later, he continues to see her and we are profoundly grateful that she came into our lives.  We were absolutely AMAZED by the changes we saw in Kaden after just a few sessions with Dr. Demmerle – his rib cage and shoulders opened up and he began to move much more naturally.  He began making enormous strides in every aspect of his development.  We were also genuinely impressed that our child, who typically became hysterical and combative when approached by other doctors, allowed her to work on his back, neck and head with absolutely no hesitation.  She developed an instant rapport and he responded beautifully to her kind and gentle touch. Beyond her many talents as an osteopath, Dr. Demmerle is a warm, thoughtful and generous human being: the kind that every parent of a special needs child hopes to encounter on their family’s journey.  She has always been willing to share her knowledge and experiences, not only as a doctor but also as a mom, and that has made her an invaluable resource for our family.

Anita and Matt S., parents to Kaden (Cleft Lip/Palate, Hypotonia, Infantile Scoliosis, Autism)


As an athlete with a back injury sustained in high school, I have proceeded through life being told the pain was “natural” and “unfixable” by most doctors. Two visits to Dr. Francis have drastically reduced my pain and improved my overall wellness to levels I had forgotten existed. Thank you!

Lucas, 20


After our first session with Dr. Demmerle, the first thing we noticed was a more relaxed demeanor in our little one. She seemed more at ease. 

That same day, she started making letter sounds she rarely used before (if at all). In the last few weeks since our appointment, she has started stringing more sounds together and making longer strings of sounds. We now have a full words that she had not said before. We have also noted more blending of sounds independently. She also has been initiating verbal interaction with strangers (kids walking to the bus and she said hi! Other people also commented on her speech improvements.

She is mimicking more than she was before the appointment. Her mirror neurons – it’s like they’re suddenly firing at full capacity and before it was at 50%.

As far as her GI issues, we haven’t had to use the interventions we had in place before our first appointment. I wouldn’t say it resolved 100%, but it has definitely improved. She can eat bananas AGAIN! 🙂

We’re looking forward to seeing how she feels after her next appointment! 

A


I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Demmerle for a little less than a year and recommend her practice without hesitation. I have had four treatments with her and feel better than before my treatments; better than before my pregnancy! In the past I would see other practitioners who would make my body feel better (joints, neck, knees, feet), and then gradually after two weeks, the progress would seem to wear off. However, my treatments with Dr. Demmerle have been truly healing. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. The pain in my foot that I thought I would just live with for the rest of my life is gone. That weird circulation issue in my legs brought is also gone. After a fourth treatment, I feel so great, I want to do all I can to maintain my very healthy feeling body. Thank you, Dr. Demmerle!

Sarah, 28 years old


Infant Colic, Flat Head 

When our two-month-old son was diagnosed with plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), our family doctor referred us to Dr. Demmerle for osteopathic treatment. Her gentle touch had almost immediate results.  Within a few weeks our baby had a greatly improved range of motion, became more relaxed and easier to hold, and seemed to feel more comfortable all around. He no longer holds his head in the position that was causing the flat spot and we’ve been surprised to see additional improvements we did not realize the treatments would address: better latch while nursing, less fussing and arching while being held, and quieter, easier breathing. I’m very glad we met Dr. Demmerle and were able to get the help our baby needed.

Mother to Baby Anna