Therapies
Below are descriptions of the therapies we use in our clinics. Click the circle on the right to open the window for more information.
Functional Nutrition
Functional Nutrition takes in the whole picture then breaks it apart to help you achieve optimal health.
By considering your environment, diet, stress, genetics, among other things we are able to help you find a healthy balance in all levels of your life.
One of your symptoms may be fatigue. This can be linked to many chronic illnesses or perhaps just simply not getting enough restful sleep at night.
What good would it be to send you home with sleeping pills if the fatigue was actually linked to a thyroid malfunction?
Taking into account your life and body as a whole contributes to a more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
By using functional medicine, a scientifically based method of medicine, to treat chronic illness you are on your way to complete balance and health for both your mind and your body.
Zerona Fat Loss Laser and Detoxification
Welcome to the Optimal Living Institute- Zerona Fat Loss Laser and Detoxification Division!
How much time, effort, energy and money have you spent on trying to lose weight and get healthy?
We know that many of you are swimming in frustration. Some of you are trying to do it on your own, while others have tried expensive programs with little to no results. Some have even reached your goals but then fell back into old patterns quickly and lost all that you worked so hard for.
The practitioners at the Optimal Living Institute have worked hard to utilize cutting edge science, develop systems, bring on technology and then provide the education to not only understand how your body works, but to also maintain lasting results.
Dr. Sarah has 20 years of functional nutritional and clinical detoxification training that she utilizes along with cutting edge Zerona Fat Loss laser technology to create customized, efficient programs designed to optimize weight loss and detoxification.
How Does Our Program Work?
At the Optimal Living Institute, your practitioner will take a detailed health history, evaluate your health goals, and create a customized treatment program including personalized nutrition, lifestyle coaching, and Zerona Fat Loss laser technology.
If you are struggling with more advanced metabolic weight loss concerns, the practitioners will recommend appropriate scientific testing such as blood panels, laboratory testing, or any additional diagnostic support to get you your best results.
What is Zerona?
Welcome to Zerona Z6 – the clinically-proven new treatment that painlessly reduces inches and removes stubborn body fat. Zerona Z6 revolutionizes body contouring in a safe, effective treatment. There are no needles, no incisions and no recovery time needed.
How is Zerona different from Coolsculpting or Liposuction?
Zerona is a pain free, cost effective, natural fat loss laser with no side effects or downtime. The Zerona technology will drop an average of 3.5 inches off of the waist, hips and thighs in 10-12 sessions.
Treatments such as Cool-Sculpting and Liposuction generally cause significant discomfort, toxicity, and are invasive and costly. They can have significant side effects such as neuralgia, bruising, adema, blistering, infection and are generally unhealthy for your organ systems.
Some even cause irreversible damage and uneven fat distribution if lifestyle is not maintained diligently after treatment.
How Do I Start My Program?
The Optimal Living Institute will schedule your initial consultation which includes healthy history, before measurements and pictures, dietary and lifestyle coaching, and your first Zerona session. Your program will include multiple Zerona sessions and regular check-ins to monitor your progress. We offer several customized pathways designed to help you obtain your optimal weight loss goals.
Call today to schedule!
Far Infrared Sauna
Promotes Healing
- Through the important energy force of infrared light, the white blood cell count rises. Why is that good? Because more white blood cells mean greater immunity. Greater immunity means greater health and a better quality of life.
- Provides a powerful boost in blood circulation. Like a cleansing flood, the fresh oxygen washes away stagnant toxic impurities along with your weary emotions and feelings.
Weight Loss
Burns up to 600 or more calories in just one 30-minute session. Deep penetrating far infrared heat melts subcutaneous fat at 40c-104f, thus shaking loose the embedded toxins, acids, and gasses, and allowing them to be directly expelled out of the body through heavy perspiration.
Skin Improvement
Excellent for increasing blood circulation to the skin, which is essential for beautiful, youthful, glowing skin.
- You will notice a new “inner glow” as the skin becomes free of accumulated dirt and dry skin cells, due to the deep cleansing of impurities by the sauna.
- Improves the conditions of acne, eczema, psoriasis, burns, and any skin lesions and cuts.
- Open wounds heal quicker with reduced scarring.
- Removes roughness, leaving skin baby smooth and soft.
- Firms and improves skin tone and elasticity.
Acne
Infrared Lasers versus Infrared LuxSauna or Infrared Lamp
“Infrared saunas are becoming a very popular method to treat acne – particularly very resistant cases. They seem to work by shrinking the sebaceous glands, and you get relatively quick results.” ~ Jeffey Dover, MD, Boston, ELLE Magazine March 2004
Three to four infrared sauna treatments appear to open pores that have been malfunctioning for years, forcing out clogging cosmetics, loosening dry outer skin, and healing acne and scars, WITHOUT PAIN.
Sunburn
According to the Clayton’s Electrotherapy, 9th Edition, infrared radiation is the only antidote to excessive ultraviolet radiation.
Scars on Skin
Scars fully formed may be gradually softened. Burns and other wounds or incisions may heal with significantly reduced scarring.
Cellulite
Cellulite is a gel-like substance made up of fat, water and wastes, which are trapped in pockets below the skin. An infrared sauna can assist in eliminating this condition, as profuse sweating helps clear this form of unwanted debris from the body. European beauty specialists confirm that a sauna will greatly speed any anti-cellulite program. Due to at least twice the depth of heat penetration into cellulite, combined with up to 10 times the level of heating in these tissues, an infrared sauna is FAR more effective than any conventional sauna.
Pain Relief
Effective for arthritis, back pain, muscle spasms, headache, etc.
Injuries
Radiant heat helps with sprains, strains, arthritis, muscle spasm and pain.
If you are an athlete, an infrared sauna is all good news. It allows oxygen debt to be repaid more quickly. This leads to quicker healing and greatly improved repair of sprains and muscle pain.
Relaxation & Enjoyment
Remove stress in the comfortable, warm temperature. Half an hour per day of relaxation renders amazing long-term health benefits.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
Over the last 25 years, Japanese and Chinese researchers and clinicians have completed extensive research on infrared medical treatments and report many amazing discoveries. In Japan, there is an “infrared society” composed of medical doctors and physical therapists dedicated to further infrared research. Their findings support the health benefits of infrared therapy as a method of healing.
** Far-Infrared Sauna therapy is available ONLY at our Coeur d’ Alene location.
Colon Hydrotherapy Division
Welcome to the Optimal Living Institute- Colon Hydrotherapy Division.
The importance of gut health is one of the most underrated aspects of overall wellbeing.
You don’t have to be struggling with diarrhea, gas, bloating, and constipation to have severe dysfunction occurring in the digestive tract. You could be presenting with fatigue, mood disorders, skin conditions, headaches, weight gain, or even autoimmune disorders.
According to recent surveys, 70 million Americans suffer from bowel problems. 74% of Americans are living with digestive issues, and 4 out of 5 women suffer from continuous constipation from their youth onward.
In fact, most people are carrying 5 to 20 pounds of toxic waste inside of their digestive tract! For whatever reason, whether it is poor diet, stress, or an excess of environmental toxins, sometimes our bodies’ natural processes need assistance.
Hippocrates said it best when he said that, “all disease begins in the gut”. Colon Hydrotherapy supports gut health by assisting in the removal of old waste that gets built up in the colon over time. Removing old waste allows an environment where “good” gut bacteria can flourish and healing can occur.
Colon Hydrotherapy is a safe, gentle infusion of filtered water into the colon. The waste is softened and loosened, resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis. Waste will be evacuated through a disposable tube and speculum.
The introduction of water and natural evacuation will be repeated several times during the session. The FDA registered device used is designed to cleanse the entire length of the colon.
Colon hydrotherapy cleanses the walls of the colon and encourages the restoration of the colon’s natural tone, which creates an environment for good bacteria to thrive and promotes balance.
Approximately 70% of the immune system and 75% of all your neurotransmitters and produced in the gut. Having a healthy gut means balanced hormones, balanced weight, better moods, and an overall healthier system.
Each appointment lasts about 45 minutes but one should allow an hour for each visit. Our therapist will take a personalized health history at your first appointment. Most patients average 6 to 12 visits depending upon severity of health conditions.
Your colon hydrotherapist will design a personalized program and work closely with you to achieve optimal results. Call Optimal Living Institute today and get started on a new you! Health and Happiness
Cold Laser Therapy
- Post-surgical recovery
- Treatment of sports injuries
- Muscle and ligament sprain/strain recovery
- Increased circulation
- Increased range of motion
- Faster healing of open wounds
- Scar tissue development reduction
Erchonia Lasers emit visible coherent light that is applied to a problem area, causing bundles of light energy to pass through the skin layers and stimulate the membrane of the cell.
By doing this, you increase the intra-cellular energy of the cell. Within the injured musculoskeletal tissue, low-level laser light increases microcirculation and enhances tissue regeneration.
The overall effects are decreased pain and inflammation and an increase in the range of motion. This technology has been used by numerous professional athletes, including Lance Armstrong, and by multiple Olympic competitors.
“My energy has improved and systemic inflammation is much lower. I recover faster. Everything works the way it is supposed to.” ~ K.F. from San Francisco, CA
For more information on Cold Laser Therapy and the equipment, we use visit erchonia.com
Clinical Nutrition
Nutritional Healing
Your body needs proper nutrients in order to heal itself. Eating processed foods and too few real “whole foods” creates deficiencies of these necessary building blocks. As these gaps in proper diet increase, symptoms of body dysfunction develop. The Optimal Living Institute utilizes an advanced analytical muscle testing technique to communicate with your body. This process helps determine the symptom’s cause, the support the body needs, and the best products and precise amounts your body requires to heal itself.
Nutrition Response Testing
Our analysis is done by testing the body’s neurological reflexes and acupuncture points. Each neurological reflex represents a specific organ, tissue, or function. The acupuncture points are selected from the ancient Chinese system of acupuncture. By testing these reflexes and responses, we have a system to determine exactly what deficiencies you have and what your body needs.
We monitor your body at each visit in order to identify what the body needs and how well we are meeting that need. This system has proven to be extremely accurate clinically and allows us to predict, with certainty, what is needed and wanted by the body to get you to the next stage of improved health.
Accessing the Clinical Nutrition Reflexes
The Clinical Nutrition doctor contacts specific points and reflexes with their hand. With their other hand, they test the muscle strength of your extended arm, for example. If the reflex being contacted is active, the nervous system will respond by reducing energy to the extended arm, and the arm will weaken and drop. These responses can be analyzed and can signify internal body function. Through this, the doctor is able to find underlying dysfunctions that could be adversely affecting your health.
What Exactly is Designed Clinical Nutrition?
Designed Clinical Nutrition is exactly that: designed – specially prepared based on a specific plan; clinical – pertaining to the results gotten in clinical use or actual practice on thousands of patients over many years; nutrition – real food, designed by nature to enable the body to repair itself and grow healthfully.
Designed Clinical Nutrition is whole food in a tablet, capsule or powder, concentrated in a vacuum, cold-process system that preserves all of the active enzymes and vital components that make it work as intended. These real food supplements have been designed to match the needs of your body, as determined by the results found on your individual Nutrition Response Testing analysis. Through Designed Clinical Nutrition we are able to address deficiencies and determine the underlying causes of chronic symptoms that affect your everyday life which may be due to your personal eating habits and routines and is likely also due to the lack of quality in foods commercially available in grocery stores or restaurants today.
Designed Clinical Nutrition is often misconceived as “over-the-counter” vitamins. In reality, our plans are based on whole food while most “over-the-counter” vitamins are engineered chemical fractions of vitamin structures. For example, carrots are high in Vitamin A Complex. A complex is something made of many different parts that work together. Synthetic Vitamin A does not contain the whole Vitamin A Complex found in nature. If a vitamin is not derived from whole food, it can often make you more deficient and nutritionally out-of-balance because it does not contain all of the co-factors found in nature that make the vitamin work. This typically creates additional health problems and chronic symptoms.
Getting Started!
STEP ONE: Initial Consultation
- Complete a detailed Health Nutrition History (the more we know about your lifestyle and health the better we can serve you)
- Meet with your Clinician to discuss health history and “next steps” to begin customizing a program for you
- Blood work, urine test, and/or saliva test may be requested at this time (results from these tests may indicate areas of your body that need nutritional support)
- Your Clinician will also discuss the use of Nutrition Response Testing which compliments/validates the previous tests *Please allow about 2 hours for your initial exam
STEP TWO: Report of Findings
- Receive your specific plan that addresses your individual needs based on test results
- Layout steps to complete your program
- This is designed to be an affordable and manageable program
STEP THREE: Follow Up Appointments
- 20 Minute Appointments
- Nutrition Response Testing to determine progress and results of nutritional changes
- Possible modifications to your Nutrition Plan may be made based on your results
- Appointments will be scheduled 2 – 8 weeks apart depending on body response and healing
Now you know the complete 1-2-3 package:
- What we do
- How and why we do it
- What you need to do to have the potential of restoring your health and staying healthy
It is Possible to Restore Your Health!
What could be more natural? What could be more correct? Each cell, tissue, and organ in your body is in the process of replacing itself every day, month, and year. The health of each organ is dependent on making the correct nutrients available to upgrade or to maintain the health of the body at a cellular level. Designed Clinical Nutrition provides the right basic materials. Nutrition Response Testing tells you when and what to use to bring about the desired results.
Chiropractic Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the science of human movement.
Applied Kinesiology is a system that provides feedback on the functional status of the body. It was developed in the 1960s by Dr. George Goodheart, in which he discovered that the evaluation of normal and abnormal body function could be accomplished by using muscle testing. Since this original discovery, the examination has gone on to evaluate the lymphatic, nervous, endocrine, meridian, vascular, cranial, stress, and nutritional systems of the body. All of these components are vital in maintaining the “Triad of Health”.
The “Triad of Health” is composed of the Chemical, Mental, and Structural elements of the body. If any one of these components is out of balance it can cause the whole body to go out of balance. This can result in anything from chronic pain and disease to anxiety and depression. By using Applied Kinesiology we can help bring back the balance to the body and return health and vitality.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Muscles are tested in different areas of the body in a manner that evaluates each specific muscle. During the examination, the doctor will find some muscles that test strong and others that test extremely weak. The “weakness” indicates not only dysfunction of the muscle, but possibly poor control of an organ, gland, or other tissues on the same nerve, vascular, acupuncture, or nutritional grouping. The doctor then decides which therapy is the best for that dysfunction. Sometimes the body needs a manual chiropractic adjustment and muscle manipulation. Other times you may need cold laser therapy or nutritional support. Every patient is different and it is the job of your Kinesiologist to find the best approach to your body.
What are the benefits of Applied Kinesiology?
The basic principle behind kinesiology is getting to the root of your ailments and not just simply treating symptoms. By looking at the body as a whole, holistic techniques promote healing to more than one area at a time. Things such as depression, muscular aches and pains, allergies, skin disorders, arthritis, backache, digestive problems, osteoporosis, rheumatism, congestion, dyslexia, asthma, accident trauma, and irritable bowel syndrome are just a few of the ailments Applied Kinesiology can treat.
Athletes have found Applied Kinesiology to be useful in everything from diagnosing injuries to enhancing strength, endurance, and performance. Many people have also discovered the benefits of this science to help with stress, tension, chronic fatigue, concentration, memory recovery, boost energy levels, and improve daily quality of life.
“After my second visit, I began feeling much better. Now I’m sleeping better, my energy level started improving and no more headaches. I am now able to eat regularly, I am getting quality sleep at night and I have not experienced any more digestive problems.” ~ J.C. from Stockton, CA
ARP
ARP stands for Accelerated Recovery Performance.
ARP is a technology that uses patented bioelectrical current simultaneously with an active range of motion and other exercise techniques to speed up the body’s natural ability to heal.
WHEN DO WE USE ARP?
Treatment of all muscle related injuries
- Relaxation of muscle spasms,
- Prevention and retardation of disuse atrophy,
- Increase of local blood circulation,
- Muscle re-education,
- Maintaining and increasing range of motion.
Post-surgical Rehabilitation
ARP protocols can also be specifically used with the ARP to accelerate muscle rehabilitation of the following:
- • Shoulder • Elbow • Wrist • Hip • Knee • Ankle • Foot • Cervical and Lumbar spine
HOW DOES THE ARP WORK?
The body is driven and controlled by electricity and when injured, it develops a type of “short-circuit” in its electrical system. Using the ARP technology, we can locate the actual origin of that short-circuit (often not where you think it would be) and rapidly repair it. By utilizing ARP Wave technologies, we correct how the body communicates with the brain to repair itself.
BENEFITS OF THE ARP
- Rapid identification, treatment and permanent elimination of pain
- Accelerated Recovery – typically 1/3 the time versus conventional (and often non-permanent) treatments
- Improved Performance and Injury Prevention by strengthening weakened muscles
The ARP Trainer has been directly involved in the winning teams of championships such as the 2007 Super Bowl, 2007 European Hockey, 2007 Grand Prix of Volleyball, 2006 Stanley Cup, and 2006 World Bowl.
“Now I have returned to full activities. I am intensively engaged in everything I ever did previously, including playing the piano intensively, and the pain is effectively gone.” ~ Anonymous from San Rafael, CA
For more information please visit arpwave.com.
Massage Therapy
Total Reflexology or Trigger point Therapy, is the science of human muscle pain and stress reduction.
Total Reflexology, as practiced at The Optimal Living Institute, is a system of bodywork and Holistic Health Practices that bring about results in greater flexibility and pain reduction.
Some conditions that respond well to Total Reflexology are:
- Back Pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Lower Back Problems
- Achilles Tendon Tightness
- Whiplash
- Repetitive Stress Injury
- Muscle Tightness
- Neck and Shoulder Injury
- Foot, Knee and Ankle Problems
- Headaches
- Athletic and Sports Injury
- Fibromyalgia
- Chiropractic Support
- Muscle Spasms
Ionic Cleanse
Ionic cleansing is a type of treatment that draws toxins out of the body. By decreasing concentrations of metals, poisonous chemicals and other excess matter in muscles and organs, ionic cleansing works to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of body and mind.
THE BENEFITS OF ION CLEANSE
- Decreases stress and fatigue
- Improves skin conditions
- Improves bowel function
- Decreases headaches
- Decreases body swelling
- Improves the symptoms of arthritis
- Detoxification support
- Immune support
Recall the way your body felt the last time you walked along the beach and the waves were breaking at your feet — You probably breathed deeper into your lungs and abdomen, your brain cleared, and your joint pain subsided.
You actually felt relaxed. These invigorating reactions were caused by the ionization of trillions of water molecules as they crashed to the earth.
As you walked along the beach, your body absorbed millions of these negatively charged ions, which alkalized your blood and tissue. According to Dr. Theodore Baroody, author of Alkalize Or Die, acid waste attacks joints, tissues, muscles, organs, and glands, causing minor to major dysfunction.
He believes that avoiding disease and maintaining vitality as we age requires the maintenance of an alkaline environment.
This is how Ionic Foot Bath looks like in 10-minute increments.
The Ion Cleanse creates precisely the same environment as a walk along the beach, only more powerfully because your feet are in direct contact with the ions being manufactured in the water.
Place your feet in the water, turn on the unit, and within seconds millions of ions enter your body and begin to neutralize these tissue acid wastes.
“I’ve enjoyed more sleepfull nights in two-three months than I’ve had in twenty years, which helps me breathe deeper everyday!” ~ S. B. from Sausalito, CA
For more information visit amajordifference.com