A “Whole-istic” Approach to Better Health
By Courtney Dimpel
Been to see your local MD lately? Whether it was for your annual check up, a quick visit to urgent care, or for something more specific related to an illness, it’s undeniable that traditional Western Medicine is more focused on treating your symptoms with prescriptions than more holistic methods including chiropractic, acupuncture, dietary changes, homeopathic remedies, herbs and supplements.
Dr. Lonna Larsh and Dr. Carol Shwery have partnered to offer a different approach to healing. Larsh and Shwery come from very different, yet complementary backgrounds. Dr. Shwery has been a dedicated integrated health care professional for over 30 years, as well as a frequent speaker and teacher in the Santa Cruz community on a wide variety of health concerns and natural health solutions. She is a Doctor of Chiropractic, has certifications as a Clinical Nutritionist, FirstLine Therapy Practitioner, Menopause-Type Doctor, and taken hundreds of hours of postgraduate study in Functional Medicine. “I love combining my clinical knowledge, insight, intuition and personal conviction to discover the cause of a person’s health challenges. I partner with each person to achieve their health goals and to change their lives in powerful positive and lasting ways,” said Shwery.
Dr. Larsh, MD is a holistic family doctor who strongly believes health care should be a partnership between a doctor (or other health care provider) and an individual. She believes her role is to provide that information regarding your health, along with a plan to get you on the right track mentally, physically and psychologically. Dr. Larsh opened her own family practice in 2007, after 14 years as a family practitioner, including obstetrics at Santa Cruz Medical Clinic.
“I believe that our very best health is not something that just comes to us,” said Dr. Larsh, “It is something that we have to work for. At the same time, working for our best health can be, and should be fun. I believe that health is the sum total of a web of interconnected factors that include what we eat and how we digest our food, how we move, how we sleep, how we relax, and how we relate to each other. Health is the place where our genetics and our environment come together.”
Many people have never heard of “Integrated Medicine,” but this holistic movement has left its imprint on both patients and medical institutions alike. “We form a partnership with our patients and through our integrative approach, treat mind, body and spirit all at the same time,” said Dr. Larsh.
While some of their therapies used may be considered “nonconventional” by Western standards, a guiding principle with their treatment modality is to use therapies that have high-quality evidence to support them. Some of these include: Urine, saliva, adrenal, intestinal permeability, toxicity, and last but not least – your stool, which hides many secrets about one’s health and well being.
Integrated medicine centers have grown in popularity across the country over the past decade. According to the American Hospital Association, the percentage of U.S. hospitals that offer complementary therapies more than doubled from 8.6% – to almost 20% between 1998-2004.
Typically, new patients looking to dig deeper below the surface of their health, come in and speak to both Dr. Larsh and Dr. Shwery at the same time. Their first 1-hour consultation is free, and consists of a conversation about your past and present health, your goals, and a questionnaire that provides some insight about you, your personality and health habits. From there, they begin the testing to investigate some potential root causes of your symptoms or ailments. “We are problem solvers,” said Dr. Shwery, “We put all the pieces of your health puzzle together to help people live the best, and most comfortable life they can. To witness a person healing, regaining balance and experiencing the joy of health in their life – this is my joy!”
So, what makes integrative medicine so appealing? We live in a time where our healthcare system is overloaded. The number of patients to health-care-provider ratio continues to increase, creating a stressful work environment where doctors, nurses, and their supporting staff are taxed and short on time. “It’s not that Dr.’s don’t care,” said Dr. Larsh, “It’s the system in which they work – they can’t afford the time. That is where we are different. We go further than treating the problem you have now, because we have the time to spend with our patients.”
Payment is usually out of pocket, although insurance companies increasingly are covering more holistic therapies including nutritional counseling, chiropractic treatments and biofeedback tests. The cost of treatment varies and depends on how much people want to do, and how many tests are administered.
Both Dr. Larsh and Shwery want people to be heard and want to provide answers to their health related questions. They offer patients a combined 60 years of experience in medicine, and truly believe that if people want to feel better and are willing to work on improving your condition and health, they can help!
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Dr. Carol Shwery & Dr. Lonna Larsh 831 Bay Ave., Capitola. Tel # 831 476-6906. Call for a Complimentary Consultation.