NATURAL MEDICINE + Treating the whole person

Natural medicine seeks to improve health and treat disease by assisting the body's innate capacity to recover from illness and injury. It encompasses manual therapy, supplementation, herbal medicine, acupuncture, counsel, environmental medicine, etc. This section, will focus on nutrition, phytomedicinals, homeopathy, lifestyle modification and soft-tissue/massage techniques. A good health care program should involve everything from healing injury to looking at the individuals diet and environment.

Diet and Nutritional Counseling - Studies have shown that poor diet and nutritional imbalances can contribute to a number of serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. An overall healthcare program, including a nutritional component, can help maintain good health and minimize the risk of developing these conditions. A good nutrition program takes your specific diet and personal nutritional needs into account.

Supplementation, Phytomedicinals and Homeopathy - Even if we eat a diet rich in vegetables, low in saturated fats and high in fiber, it is almost impossible to get all the nutrition we need from our modern food sources. Supplementation is great way to get the components of essential nutrition and/or fill in the gaps to make them readily available for the body's use. Phytomedicinals and/or homeopathic remedies are natural medicines that you use alone or in conjunction with conventional pharmaceuticals. Phytomedicinal refers to plant based medicine, such as soy, while homeopathy is a natural form of medicine that uses immeasurably small doses of medicines to stimulate the body's own defense and healing process.
Homeopathy focuses on bringing the entire body back into homeostasis, or balance. It is a popular form of medicine in Europe and India, and it has been used since it's founding in the late 18th century.
Always consult a physician before using supplements and phytomedicinals to make sure there are no known interactions with any current medications you are taking.

Lifestyle Modification Counseling - Good health is much more than the absence of pain or disease. The lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis can greatly affect your long-term health. We now know that years of seemingly small unhealthy lifestyle choices can, over time, turn into very large health problems. Examples of lifestyle choices and behaviors that can have negative effects on your health include: lack of regular exercise, smoking, poor diet, excessive mental stress, over-reliance on medication, excessive consumption of alcohol, poor posture, improper office ergonomics and improper lifting.

Soft-tissue Techniques and Massage Therapy
More often than not, the soft tissue (muscle, tendon or ligament) component of an injury or chronic condition is overlooked or under appreciated. Whether there has been a traumatic injury or a slow growing condition due to overuse, abuse, the normal aging process, or post surgical pain/swelling, the soft tissues go through their own degenerative changes and must be treated specifically. Damage to these tissues can result in adhesions, trigger points, muscle cell inhibition, weakness, ligament laxity, reduced blood & lymphatic circulation, and compensatory changes in the regional and remote structures. Myofascial release, transverse friction massage, nimmo trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, etc. in conjunction with other procedures help improve circulation and reduce pain.

Myofascial Release – A gentle, hands-on technique which restores equilibrium and releases restrictions and discomfort in the body’s myofascial system. (Fascia is tissue that covers each of the muscles in the body). Myofascial Release Therapy helps relieve pain associated with headaches, whiplash, lumbosacral pain, TMJ, post-traumatic stress disorders, birth trauma and structural imbalances, stress and anxiety, muscle and joint pain, arthritic pain, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, insomnia, myofascial pain, sports injuries, scar tissue and movement to the soft tissue of the body.

Deep Tissue Massage – Deep tissue massage is a systematic manual application of pressure directed toward the deeper layers of muscle and fascia, as compared to Swedish or relaxation massage which are more superficial. There are many types of deep tissue massage. They all break up adhesions and fascial restrictions thus decreasing pain and increasing range of motion and ease of movement.

Lymphatic Massage – Manual lymphatic drainage techniques use light pressure and touch that stimulates the lymphatic system to transport cellular wastes for elimination. These techniques are useful in assisting the body in ridding itself of toxins. It is also helpful as a therapy for lymphedema conditions, post-operative trauma, upper respiratory and sinus infection.

Medical Massage – Massage promotes blood and lymphatic flow, relieves tension, stimulates nerves, and stretches and loosens muscles.