Chart your own path to good health
Editor’s note: This is the sixth part of a series on achieving better health.
Sandpoint has an amazing array of healthcare providers, from physicians to holistic providers. Many moved here after having successful practices in large cities. The best way to find what you are looking for is to ask — ask people who have gotten well. There is a lot of good information on the internet. It’s easy to see who is more interested in selling rather than educating. Here are some reliable sites:
n www.mercola.com
n www.bulletproof.com
n www.drweil.com
Don’t be confused by the names: alternative medicine, functional medicine, holistic medicine, natural medicine and integrative medicine, essentially they are the same. Every so many years a new term is created to make it seem that the new practitioners are better. There are subspecialties like homeopathy and Oriental medicine (acupuncture). Then from there you get into an endless list of body, movement, and exercise therapies along with herbal, nutritional and psychological approaches.
Don’t think you need to find the perfect therapist doing the perfect therapy. The best approach is multi-disciplined. Start with a good referral. If you like the person, try them. If you don’t like them or their therapy isn’t giving you what you need, try someone else. Use the previous articles to guide your path to being strong. You are your general contractor. Hire your subs to do particular tasks.
Often you will “fix” one problem then become aware of another pending issue. Keep going. Let your experience be the judge. If after a few sessions you don’t see an improvement, find someone else. You are only risking money and time. With alternative therapies, you are very safe. If for some reason you don’t feel safe, don’t do it.
Nothing is a panacea. If someone tells you he will cure everything, you may want to think about not using him. Certain therapies will be very good for particular issues and others. For example, rolfing is best for issues related to stress, structure, and soft-tissue. Outside of those issues, you should see someone else.
Take one action
Take charge of your health. Be willing to try something different if what you are doing is not working. Invest in your health, it’s the best investment you can make. Don’t use the excuse that if my insurance doesn’t pay for it, I won’t do it. Know, if you don’t make this investment, you will be the one paying sometime in the future.
Here is a short list of proven therapies that have excellent practitioners here in Sandpoint. Try one: acupuncture, holistic nutrition, massage, cranial-sacral therapy, rolfing, biofeedback, mindfulness stress reduction, Pilates, super slow weight training, yoga, homeopathy, naturopathy, PTSD therapy, somatic psychotherapy and men’s groups. I have benefited from all these therapies and have studied a few of them. I consistently recommend clients to these therapies — I want everyone to have a higher level of health.
Owen Marcus, MA, is a certified advanced rolfer and the author of “Power of Rolfing”. He can be reached online at www.align.org or www.sandpointwellnesscouncil.com, and by phone at 208-265-8440.