Both doctors and patients alike are bonding with the philosophy of integrative and complimentary health and wellness approaches, combining traditional and alternative treatments to achieve better comprehensive results. The partnership is designed to treat the whole person, including the mind, body and spirit–not just the specific affliction or disease. This is based upon our unique, incredibly sophisticated biology and the connection between the brain and the immune system, emotions and disease. While some of the therapies may be unconventional, a guiding principle within integrative medicine is to use therapies that have some high-quality evidence to support them. Integrative medicine got a boost of greater public awareness — and funding — after a landmark 1993 study. That study showed that one in three Americans had used an alternative therapy, often under the medical radar. The Duke Center for Integrative Medicine is a classic model of integrative care. It combines conventional Western medicine with alternative or complementary treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, biofeedback, yoga, and stress reduction techniques — all in the effort to treat the whole person. Proponents prefer the term “complementary” to emphasize that such treatments are used with mainstream medicine, not as replacements or alternatives.
The main principles of integrative medicine include:
• Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body’s innate healing response
• Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body
• A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
• Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
• Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
• Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
• Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development
Integrating Chiropractic Care to Support a Healthy Lifestyle
Chiropractic care is quickly becoming one of the most “alternative” health practices, as people are discovering that by maintaining a fully functioning nervous system through adjustments, many of their former issues begin to disappear. Dr. Corey Dousharm, DC of Mosier-Timperley Chiropractic says that some of the most common issues that she sees in her office, and that chiropractic help alleviate or eradicate completely, is colic, reflux and ear infections in kids and headaches, neck/back pain, and allergies in adults. She explains, “Chiropractic supports a healthy lifestyle by making sure that the spine is aligned, and the nervous system is providing input to the rest of the body (ie immune system, vital organs, muscles, etc). Spines need taken care of just like teeth do! If it is moving incorrectly, decay and arthritis may begin to take over the vertebrae, causing aches and pains to manifest. Pain is always the last indicator of an issue, so don’t wait too long to get checked out! With proper spinal care, delivered by a knowledgeable Chiropractor, people are able to live the lives that they were meant to. Whether it is playing with kids/grandkids, exercising, or doing everyday things around the house, Chiropractic is your best source for a happy, healthy life!” Dr. Dousharm adds, “If you are looking for care for your family, do your homework. Find a Chiropractor who provides EXACTLY what you are in search of. If you just found out that you are pregnant, find a Chiropractor who has had extra training in working with women through and after pregnancy. If you have a colicky infant, find a Chiropractor who specializes in kids. It truly is important to find the best fit for you and your family, as I have found that better results come when there is a stronger bond of trust formed between the doctor and patient. I am always available for free consultations. Not sure if Chiropractic is for you? Give me a call and we can chat about concerns and questions you may have. Even if you don’t feel comfortable with me, I have a great network of other trustworthy Chiropractors in town and I would be happy to find you a better fit. Your care is a priority to me and I will make sure that you get it!”
Dr. Austin Weaver, DC also emphasizes that when deciding on an alternative health choice, chiropractic is a very safe and effective option to conventional medicine and surgery. Chiropractic treats patients by providing a specific thrust, known as an adjustment, to a restricted joint to provide improved motion allowing the nervous system to function more efficiently. Recent studies have shown that an adjustment, performed by a chiropractor, along with exercise can relieve short term and long term pain more effectively than medication alone. Thus, the side effects or complications are minimal to none and the results are greater with chiropractic care. Another great benefit of chiropractic is the emphasis placed on proper posture and nutrition. These are critical to leading and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Improper posture can lead to a myriad of health issues like early osteoarthritis, headaches, neck and back pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and countless others. Also, by improving nutrition chiropractors are able to improve recovery times and health issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, and so on. Therefore, along with the chiropractic adjustment, daily lifestyle changes are advised and taught to help improve the overall health of a patient.
Dr. Weaver says, “Chiropractic care is very effective in relieving musculoskeletal pain and many times I hear people say, ‘I’m not in pain, so why should I see a chiropractor.’ Chiropractic provides preventative healthcare for your body much like a dentist would for your teeth. A spinal and postural check allows the chiropractor to find and remove joint restrictions and strengthen imbalanced muscle groups. These restrictions cause imbalances in the spine and muscles which can lead to abnormal movement and risk of injury. The spine and nervous system are used 24 hours a day and control just about every movement and function of the body, which is why it is important to be checked regularly. He adds, “In my experience with patients, chiropractic care provides the most benefit to the patient when it is integrated into everyday life. Improved posture and ergonomics, muscle balance and stability, improved nutrition and exercise, and adjustments are all ways a chiropractor can impact your health and wellness. I teach and provide these services to all my patients, so that they can play an active role in improving their health on a daily basis. Massage therapy, Acupuncture and physical therapy are also very valuable to the chiropractic patient. These other methods can aid in muscle relaxation and reducing spasm which directly affect the spine, as well as offer pain relief. While chiropractors can offer these services, not all do, so it is always good to check before scheduling an appointment. I offer a unique approach in using whole body vibration that can help with stretching, strengthening, and relaxing muscles in a shorter period of time. Whole body vibration is now used by many professional sports teams and the Cornhuskers too!
Dr. Weaver offers three simple tips to help you improve your posture and health today, whether you are at work or at home. First, bring your head back aligned above your shoulders. Most people are slumped over their desks reading or looking at a computer screen all day. By bringing the shoulders back and the head upright, this will help relieve the tension in the upper back and base of the skull. Next, when sitting, have your feet flat on the ground and a support behind the lower back. This will allow for a natural position of the spine that enables the muscles to relax and not become fatigued. Lastly, drink half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you are 180lbs., you should drink 90oz. of water per day. This will curb your cravings, help eliminate toxins and waste, give you more energy, and improve your skin.
Integrating Alternative Treatments and Supplements that Support a Healthy Lifestyle
When looking to supplement a healthy diet and exercise regimen, Body by Vi is an excellent choice and WAY more than just a “protein” drink! It can replace a complete meal, and is excellent for post workout for muscle recovery as well. Jackie Patterson, a promoter of Body by Vi, notes that this is important because a lot of people that lift weights and exercise concentrate on protein alone. This idea ignores the fact that your body needs to have the correct fruits, vegetables, and fiber as well, not to mention extreme importance of drinking your water! Not only can you lose weight on Body by Vi, but you get better overall nutrition with one shake per day and we have programs for leaning down and adding muscle as well. The benefit of the Body by Vi 90 day challenge is 2-fold: It is a LIFESTYLE, not a diet. By following the program for 90 days, it becomes part of your daily routine and this is time frame that people can both commit to and see long term results with. Body by Vi is delicious nutrition and can fit into ANYONE’s lifestyle. Although whole foods are ideal, most people are not able to afford, or take the time to shop the outer aisles of the grocery store, prepare the food in a nutritious manner, and eat it in the correct proportions. For this reason, Body by VI is a perfect fit! We make it simple–put 2 scoops of the shake mix in a shaker cup, add milk, juice or water, and SHAKE! All the fruit, vegetables fiber and protein you need for a complete meal. We also have nutritious cookies for between meal snacks, and our product has just been released as a cereal also! Body by Vi products are safe and recommended for everyone—they are gluten-free, lactose-free, and contain less than 1g of both sugar and fat. They are also diabetic friendly and safe for kids and pregnant women. Exercise is not even part of the program, but with the increased energy as a result, it is quickly incorporated! I am also a personal trainer, and I encourage all of my clients to use Body by Vi. Among my clients who have tried the product, all have achieved their results MUCH faster than doing meal plans of their own. When you feed your body the right foods, it performs at an optimum level and will start healing itself from the inside-out. Therefore, it is important to be conscious of the ‘non-scale’ victories, such as losing inches, having more energy, and possibly reducing medications or ailments. As an additional bonus, you can get the product free with our amazing ‘Three for Free’ program. As we all know, FREE tastes better and we often find increased success when we do something with others. We also have a 90 day results guarantee, so if you don’t see any results you haven’t lost out on anything. I encourage anyone interested in trying Body by Vi to set up a time where we can discuss your goals and how I can help you achieve them!”
Kristin Hain, owner of Healthy Home Fitness, agrees that when it comes to nutrition, feeding your entire body system is very important. She says, “Too many ‘diets’ over-restrict calories and deplete the body of needed nutrients to give the customer a ‘quick fix’ weight loss, but it doesn’t work and isn’t healthy long-term. We have nutrition products that work at a cellular level, improving the body’s numerous systems such as cardiovascular, digestive, etc. When you start feeding the body dense nutrition, it will start to respond internally before you notice the changes on the outside. But when the body becomes healthy internally, the results you get from a fitness program and solid nutrition plan will last longer and become part of your lifestyle. I don’t think this should be titled ‘alternative’, but with so many companies focusing on quick fix ‘diets’, it’s unfortunate that educating people to live healthy is the alternative. I hate the word ‘diet’ and I will never use this with my customers. We look at nutrition and improving the body’s systems on a cellular level with a combined use of our nutritional products such as Shakeology or Ultimate Reset and daily healthy eating. As a Team Beachbody Coach, I provide online fitness and nutrition consulting that is free of charge to my customers using any of our fitness programs or nutritional products (i.e. P90X, T25, Slim in 6, Tai Cheng, Shakeology, etc). I provide guidance on nutrition, how to modify exercises if needed, suggestions for fitness programs as the customer improves their fitness level and encouragement and support as they go through one of our programs. We look at all aspects of health and strive to help customers make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary change. This includes educating people on how to make good food choices and choosing a fitness program that is right for the individual, not the masses. We have over 50 options for in-home fitness programs to meet the individuals’ needs, goals and current situation. She adds, “It’s my passion to help another person improve their life and I’m always excited to work with someone new. I work with people locally and also nationwide so there’s no location restriction. For those who are in or near Nebraska, we have a great family fun event coming up on Sat. September 28th at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. The event will include exclusive training, testimonies and casual family fun at the pumpkin patch. Plus, we’ll be auctioning off a hot air balloon ride to one lucky guest at the event!”
Pine Lake Health offers several services that are considered non-traditional to the family practice aspect of health care, but are important to overall good health. This includes weight loss programs, men’s wellness programs and aesthetic programs. Heidi Lewandowski of Pine Lake Health says that in her experience, most people are not aware that they offer anything beyond the scope of a family practice until they are actually seen in the office. The providers at Pine Lake Health believe in providing the highest quality of care available, and are open to providing traditional and alternative options for wellness that will benefit patients of all ages. They have recently introduced their FDA approved, medically managed weight loss program, which supports the loss of 3-7 pounds per week on average providing that patients follow the protocol and don’t cheat. This highly effective weight loss method provides long lasting results, the ability to maintain muscle mass and energy levels while burning fat, and a wide variety of meal options. Their aesthetic programs include Botox® Cosmetics, JUVÉDERM® and Latisse®. JUVÉDERM® smoothes away wrinkles, and the procedure takes approximately 30 minutes and provides both instant and long term results. With just one treatment, you’ll get smooth and natural-looking results that last up to a year. JUVÉDERM® is manufactured using HYLACROSS™ technology, creating a smooth-consistency gel. It is infused with lidocaine to improve comfort during treatment. With JUVÉDERM® you get the smooth results you expect, with the improved comfort you want.
For a nutrition-packed “alternative” health product, try liquid Vemma! Vemma is an acronym for its nutrient-dense ingredients: Vitamins-Essential-Minerals-Mangosteen-Aloe. It is a clinically studied, physician-formulated blend of 12 full spectrum vitamins that are proven to be vital to your overall health and well-being! Vemma is available in all 50 states + 50 countries world-wide. Choose from one of four different delivery systems, which ALL contain the core Vemma formula:
VEMMA: Daily liquid vitamin/supplement. Receive 98% absorption, directly into your blood stream. All you need is a 2 oz. shot to “Drink Your Daily Vitamins”.
VERVE: A healthy energy drink that contains 80 mg of a natural form of caffeine, called guarana seed extract. Choose from three different formulas: Zero Sugar, Low Sugar or the new Bold (more caffeine but only 45 calories and 5g of natural sugars).
NEXT: Ideal for children ages 2 to 12, Vemma NEXT is the finest and most complete children’s supplement anywhere! This product contains a half dose of the Vemma formula along with DHA omega-3, to support a child’s growing mind and body. This product contains NO preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.
BOD-E: “Healthy Weight Solution”. Bod-e Burn, Bod-e Cleanse and Bod-e Thirst all contain 20 grams of protein in addition to 1 oz. of our Vemma formula. Or, try our newest product from the star of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition”, Chris Powell. Vemma helped Chris to develop his own product, the “Powell Perfect” Bod-e meal replacement shake (available in vanilla or chocolate ice cream).
According to Vemma Brand Partner Anne M. Cook, all products come with a 30-day, empty bottle, money back guarantee…so try one of Vemma’s delivery systems risk-free today!
Harnessing the Power of Integrative Approaches
The brain is amazing, including its ability to link our entire body’s systems together in such a sophisticated manner. BrainWaveBalance of Lincoln provides brainwave optimization, a clinically tested and proven neuro-technology that recalibrates neural oscillations. In simple terms, it trains the brain. Technically known as HIRREM, an acronym for high resolution, relational, resonance-based electroencephalic mirroring, this process empowers you to maximize your brain to overcome physical or psychological obstacles and accomplish what you desire. According to Patti Tenney of BrainWaveBalance of Lincoln, Brainwave Optimization stresses total individuality in a holistic content, being based on the ratios of brainwaves within an individual brain. Therefore, you can measure success against personal ratios, not that of an expected norm or a one-size-fits-all approach. Tenney states, “The system is completely non-invasive and individually tailored to bring balance and harmony to the brain. Benefits are usually recognized in the first 1 to 3 sessions, with 10 to 30 sessions generally required to create long enduring results. During your first visit the Brainwave Technologist will conduct an introductory review to discuss goals and areas in your life where you would like to see improvement. An assessment is performed on the initial visit to gather brainwave data from different parts of your brain. Our proprietary software processes the assessment and goal data to produce an individualized plan just for you. The BrainWave Optimization sessions involve computer translation of brainwaves into sounds that represent optimum patterns for YOUR brain. These sounds vary, allowing your brain a means of observing itself at optimum levels. In a private room, you relax in a comfortable anti-gravity chair and your sessions usually last about 90 minutes for adults and 75 minutes for children. During Brainwave Optimization, sessions can be done every day or multiple times per day.” Over 50,000 people worldwide have had successful and proven results utilizing Brainwave Optimization, unleashing the power of a maximized mind to support the most balanced and productive life possible. Imagine possessing the capacity to triumph over addictions, anxiety, depression, pain, PTSD, panic attacks, chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, anger, ADD/ADHD and challenges to learning and performance! This breakthrough technology also assists with relaxation, self-regulation and meditation. Ultimately, this process produces exercises to balance and optimize your brain in a way that is non-invasive and individually tailored to bring harmony to the way your brain functions.
Many Americans have never heard of integrative medicine, but this holistic movement has already left its imprint on many of the nation’s hospitals, universities, and medical schools. While many of our new and contemporary health products, services and resources have been labeled as “alternative,” they have many real benefits when combined with traditional health practices to promote comprehensive wellness. Integrative medicine seeks to create a culture of wellness that educates and empowers people to be active participants in their own care, and to take responsibility for their health and wellness through whatever means works best on an individual level. This includes encouraging partnerships with many different types of local health sources, as well as utilizing all appropriate therapeutic approaches and evidence-based global medical modalities to achieve optimum health and healing. Integrative health seeks to, you guessed it, integrate the best of Western scientific medicine with a broader understanding of the nature of illness, healing and wellness that we have gained from new technology, research and contemporary practices that show great promise. The nature of our own health is a constant work in progress, and we learn new things about our amazing human bodies and how to best care for and maintain them every day.