Pier Boutin MD

07/06/2025

LOCATION CHANGE
Hello Friends,

I’m excited to invite you to a free talk I’ll be giving this coming Wednesday, July 9th at 4 PM, "Arthritis and Inflammation" at Crissey Farm Great Barringto n

In this talk, I’ll talk about the role of inflammation in arthritis and how to stop the pain and joint destruction. This program will offer information about options to maintain a stronger body as we age.
You can register for free by calling (413) 854-9609 or registering online www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/betterhealth

I hope to see you there!n

Bring a friend to one of our FREE Destination: Better Health programs. Pre-registration is requested. Please call (413) 854-9690. You can also register online https://www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/community-wellness/destination-better-health/

07/24/2024

01/08/2024

Let’s talk Bone Health! So much fun with nutritionist Thais Harris.

Supporting bone health: nutrition and hormone balance for women over 40, with Dr. Pier Boutin and Thais Harris, BCHN

12/29/2023

What a crazy year it’s been.

Soumya and I went to visit her family in the Atlas Mountains this summer, only to return home and head back a few weeks later to help them after the devastating earthquake.

I’m so proud of what she has accomplished and will continue to accomplish through Soumya’s Journey.

Soumya will be returning to Morocco on January 5th for three weeks to bring more winter supplies and work on securing the paperwork and building for the women’s cooperative.

If you'd like to support rebuilding the Atlas Mountains, keeping her community warm this winter, and establishing the flagship project, the women's cooperative to empower the women of her village, visit the soumyasjourney.org/donate to donate!

We'd like to thank you for your continued support this year.

12/27/2023

We really can all make a difference in someone’s life, with our own skillset. If we all do acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, we can make a large impact!

Thank you for pointing this out in your review, Barbara!

"Dr. Boutin has written an inspiring account of being at a crossroads in her life and choosing the courageous and generous path without any idea how it will all turn out. Her story of this choice and the life she creates is both gripping and heartwarming. Her life with Little Mo shows us the power of each of our lives to make a true difference in this world."

You can pick up your own copy of “The Little Mo Effect” at https://www.amazon.com/Little-Effect-compassion-charismatic-lives-including/product-reviews/B0BNTQYJGY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_next_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2. All proceeds go to Soumya's Journey !

12/26/2023

Every day in my orthopedic practice I coach patients about the power they hold against the formidable force of arthritis. Too often, I see patients with enlarged and painful knees who can no longer get up from a chair without help.

I encourage my patients diagnosed with arthritis of the knee to keep moving their joints despite the pain.

The results are clear when they do. Patients who stay active despite arthritic joints often delay or eliminate the need for joint replacement surgery. That’s because muscles around the joints weaken with disuse. These muscles are key to protecting the joint.

To learn more, check out my article, "Arthritis is your warning not to stop moving" on Women's Health Network at https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/joint-health/arthritis-is-your-warning/

12/21/2023

I'll never forget these special days with Thor, Ace, and Little Mo.

Here's a bit about our Christmas together:
"In the short time left with Little Mo, we decided to celebrate my favorite holiday early-Christmas.

I decided to go all out by transforming the house into a colorful winter wonderland. Little Mo would experience his first Christmas in the same grand fashion that I had as a child. We had to move the
festivities because Little Mo's departure date had been set for mid-December...

That night in the darkness we turned on the tree lights and surprised Little Mo. His joyful reaction made it worthwhile. He clapped and tried to jump-he had yet to build enough leg strength for his feet to clear the floor. His delight enthralled us. He put his arms around us and started to sing in his lilting accent, 'Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...' He stamped everything with his special signature."

"The Little Mo Effect" is available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/Little-Effect-compassion-charismatic-lives-including/dp/B0BNTQYJGY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S7OQTYHLF9LE&keywords=the+little+mo+effect&qid=1703199700&sprefix=the+little+mo+effec%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1

12/20/2023

Exercising as you age can get a bit tricky. As we get older, the importance of exercise magnifies. But at the same time, your body starts to react to it differently. So your old workout routine can actually hurt you — if you don’t make a few changes.

So here are the six tips I recommend to women like me who want to continue their regular exercise routine:

1. Get enough rest days: As the years pass, your body recuperates more slowly after intense workouts. Rest days can vary from walking to a light spin on the bicycle to sometimes doing nothing.

2. Learn to cross-train: Since older bodies recover at a slower pace, varying workouts from day to day becomes essential. It’s also important to mix cardiovascular exercise with muscle-building workouts.

3. Keep - or add - strength training to build muscle: Although walking improves your heart health, it’s not a great muscle-building exercise unless you walk steep hills or stairs. Strengthening exercises include moderate hikes, bicycling, kayaking, swimming, weightlifting, stair climbing and strength classes.

4. Transition to low impact activities: The rate of injuries with higher impact sports increases with age. This is something I know from experience, and most of us should transition to low impact activities.

5. Warm up: Muscles tend to start up more slowly as the years go by. Warming up the muscle slowly before an intermediate or intense workout becomes critical to avoid injury.

6. Stretch warm muscles: Stretching becomes more important as our tendons and ligaments tighten and tear more easily with age. It’s best to stretch warm muscles. That means gentle and sustained stretching during or immediately after exercise.

For more details, you can read the full article of "How to exercise as you age: 6 tips from an orthopedic surgeon" on Women's Health Network at https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/other-womens-health/how-to-exercise-as-you-age/

12/18/2023

I’m so glad my message about compassion and caring for others comes through in “The Little Mo Effect”.

Thank you, Martin, for your review!

"What a beautiful story of one person's overwhelming compassion for a 4 year old stranger. It is a story of sacrifice and support, of love and caring. A story of sensitivity beyond what anyone can imagine. If only there were more people in the world ready to help others who are less fortunate, we would all be in a much better place. This is a must read for anyone who has a small place left in his heart to care for others."

You can get your copy of “The Little Mo Effect” at https://www.amazon.com/Little-Effect-compassion-charismatic-lives-including/dp/B0BNTQYJGY!

12/15/2023

These pictures were taken during our trip to Morocco last summer, only a few months before the devastating earthquake.

During this trip, we looked at potential buildings for a school and Soumya met with 20 girls and women to distribute clothes and reusable menstrual kits (from The MoonCatcher Project) and teach about menstrual health--something not spoken about there.

In one month, she'll be heading back with supplies to help keep the people of her village warm during this cold winter and continue working on Soumya's Journey 's flagship project, the women's cooperative.

Please consider donating to Soumya's Journey at https://soumyasjourney.org/donate to support the people of the Atlas Mountains!