Review our FAQ below.

1. What is Functional Medicine?
In order to understand the definition of “Functional Medicine” we must first define the term. The definition of Functional Medicine is returning the normal and specific contribution of a body part to the maintenance and performance of your body. 

Functional Medicine recognizes each part of your body provides a definite purpose and/or particular kind of work, and participates in a group of related actions with other parts of your body. This contributes to a larger action especially : the normal and specific contribution of the organ systems to the maintenance, movement and performance of the body, while playing a role in the health and wellbeing of the larger whole. Functional Medicine recognizes that if a part is unable to fulfill its contribution, the action it is participating in will be impaired. This often results in symptoms far removed from the original dysfunction.

It is also helpful to understand what Functional Medicine is not. Functional Medicine is not the Conventional Medicine you are familiar with. Conventional Medicine focuses primarily on finding disease or tumors that form in the organs and tissues of your body. In contrast, Functional Medicine endeavors to detect and recognize imbalances before they become disease or tumors. The standard medical education has badly neglected functional medicine. A significant segment of our population is afflicted with ailments for which the diagnostic testing and medications of conventional medicine are of little or no use. There are disorders where no specific tissue or organ damage can yet be discovered that would explain why a person feels the way they do. Such imbalances often become recognized later on when tissue changes begin manifesting as disease processes. This makes Functional Medicine of great interest to those whose suffer without knowing why. The usual diagnostic search by elimination and exclusion is futile, as well as prohibitively expensive. Conventional Medicine lacks the proper attitude, suitable instrumentation and pertinent instructional background, which are necessary for diagnosing functional imbalances. 

Functional imbalances can be detected early, from the beginning of the disease process. We now have the technology that in the past was not available. Wellness Alternatives uses a number of diagnostic methods for the diagnosis and evaluation of functional imbalances. Functional Medicine recognizes the body as being self-regulating through feedback loops and that disease occurs when this self-regulation has become disrupted. When these feedback loops get stuck or disrupted, imbalances and dysfunction occur. People often recognize this as being “sick”. The goal of Functional Medicine is to assist your body in returning to dynamic balance. Functional Medicine focuses not on the endpoint or pathological state, but on the dynamic processes which underlie and precede it. While acknowledging the existence of disease as well as trying to understand it, Functional Medicine focuses on the underlying processes and seeks a treatment which removes, replaces, repairs and restores the underlying events causing the problem. 

2.  Does Functional Medicine have a plan for how to take care of me?
Yes, it does, by recognizing that each body part plays a role in maintaining your health. Functional Medicine is able to understand the function and alterations in metabolism and apply conservative therapies such as body work, diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes to optimize and change physiology. Factors that change your metabolism, altering your body’s physiological responses are evaluated first. These factors can be very frustrating without a logical prioritization of the patient’s dysfunctions. What makes Functional Medicine complex is that many systems are involved with metabolic alterations and these defects differ from one individual to another. The same exact protocol cannot be applied to patients with the same symptoms. Wellness Alternatives will save you tremendous time, energy and resources by prioritizing the systems that profoundly impact your body’s physiology. We recommend that before emphasis is placed upon symptoms, the following imbalances be examined and managed initially.

· Identify and manage any and all structural alterations in body structure
· Identify and manage adrenal and blood sugar management disorders
· Identify and manage any and all gastrointestinal disorders and food sensitivities
· Identify and manage any alterations in liver detoxification
· Identify and manage any imbalances in essential fatty acid metabolism

Many body parts contribute to a specific function long before the function occurs. There is a logical sequence and order in which things must occur for a particular function to occur. Functional Medicine identifies and names the break in the sequence and order, rather than naming the symptoms. Functional Medicine uses the “4 R” program to restore normal function. The “4R Program” which stands for remove, reinoculate, replace and repair is used to return normal function to your body.

3.  What is Sacro Occipital Therapy / Chiropractic?
SOT is a method of chiropractic treatment, blending osteopathy, chiropractic, craniopathy and splanchnology (scientific study of the viscera and its organs). The guiding principles of SOT are the basis of Functional Medicine and were being taught long before the development of Functional Medicine. These guiding principles are:
Movement is Life and Life is Movement
The body is alive so it is moving totally and continuously
This movement is synchronized from one part to another
No single part can be understood except in relation to the whole
No part of the body can be isolated from its relationship to the other parts of the body
No part can exist only in and of itself
When a part loses its synchronization and reciprocation, it continues to move but that movement is inappropriate to the state of the rest of the body
After the primary lesion, everything the body does is defensive in nature
The defensive measure continues until the primary lesion is corrected

Sacro Occipital Technique is a unique method of chiropractic CRITICAL POINT ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT. Critical Point Analysis is achieved by recognition of specific patterns of disharmony, which occur in defense of the body. Critical Point Treatment is a technique derived from the fact that in any highly complex system there is a specific, critical point at which the smallest input will result in the greatest change. The focus is on the correction rather than naming the dysfunction.

¬ Is Sacro Occipital Technic “Eastern Medicine”?
Many assume this wonderful Technic practiced by Dr. Peterson is of eastern origin. They are correct in the eastern part but not every healing art come from the Far East. Sacro Occipital Technique was founded and developed in Eastern Nebraska by Dr. M.B. DeJarnette. For more information go to http://www.sorsi.com/SOT_History.cfm 

4.  What to expect on your first visit?
You will be required to fill out registration forms and depending on whether you desire Sacro Occipital Therapy, Functional Medicine, or both, you may be asked to fill out a Metabolic Assessment Form regarding your health
- The registration forms can be found at http://www.wellnessalternatives-stl.com/downloads.htm 
The first visit will be approximately 30 minutes

¬ Sacro Occipital Therapy / Chiropractic
Your visit may include but not be limited to:
A Functional Chiropractic examination
A report of findings explaining your physical condition including any organ system currently activating neurological indicators
An evaluation regarding the Seasonal Synchronicity of your body
An explanation of the treatment procedures to be used
A potential prognosis of how long it will take to structurally restore your body

¬ Functional Medicine
Your visit may include but not be limited to:
Team counseling with two to three team members typically participating
Lifestyle, nutrition, stress, signs and symptoms, health concerns and preventive disease concerns will be discussed- including a health history
Information regarding your current condition
Personalized presentation regarding your condition
An evaluation of the treatment options available- allowing you to choose the best plan for you.
A customized plan with protocols and goals to bring you to optimal health
Analysis of the protocols specific to your condition, lifestyles and concerns
Detailed instructions on how to follow the recommendations
Educational material
Informational CD for your review at home
Nutritional counseling as determined necessary
Our certified and trained staff provides expertise in cutting edge treatment protocols and state of the art laboratory testing. We use supplements that have been researched from companies that have high quality control standards, i.e. Hoodia is readily available from almost any supplement retailer. However, one of the companies we recommend has found the Hoodia being imported is sub-standard and will not accept any shipments or produce any supplement containing Hoodia.

¬ Sacro Occipital Technique and Functional Medicine
Your visit may include but not be limited to:
You will receive the benefits of both protocols
Combining these protocols provides the speediest of recoveries, improving digestion, synergistically helping the body to heal, balance, and utilize the treatment protocols to their fullest extent so that optimal health can be achieved as quickly as possible.

¬ Nutritional Counseling
Your visit may include but not be limited to:
Healthy eating is key to any treatment protocol and we can provide assistance to help you reach your wellness goals as quickly as possible. These services are available and can be customized to meet your personal objectives. Nutrition history, lifestyle, concerns and treatment protocols will be discussed with a team or with a single staff member. 

‘You are not what you eat, but what you absorb.’ 

¬ Massage Therapy
Your visit may include but not be limited to:
Discuss your health history and goals
Analysis of your condition
Localized or full body assessment
Therapeutic massage
Myofascial massage
Trigger point therapy
Treatment plan
Personalized therapeutic exercises

5.  How often will I have to come in for counseling or treatment?
¬ Functional Medicine
Following your first visit, we well have a staff member call at 2 weeks to evaluate your progress. Our staff will be available to support or assist you during office hours via email, phone, or in person. You and the team at Wellness Alternatives will reassess your condition every thirty days (typically using the Metabolic Assessment Form).
If little or no change in your condition is noted or observed you will be recommended to do additional lab testing which may include one of the following:
· Saliva
· Blood
· Stool
· Urine
The average person needs six to nine months to restore proper function to the priorities of Functional Medicine. 

¬ Sacro Occipital Therapy
With this total body Chiropractic Technic you will be seen only once a week. Your nervous system needs three days to recognize the changes made to it and then time to heal after any body work. The exception to this is if you are in tremendous pain and the goal is to eliminate the pain so the healing process may begin. Then your body needs some time to heal, thus once a week. 

The average person usually responds in six to eight weeks, much the same as the time it takes to mend a broken bone.

¬ Nutritional Counseling
We find that many people are nutritionally challenged. Each individual has their own specific problems. Everything from education to ongoing support is available. Some clients need a one visit informational consultation and others prefer to come in every 2 weeks until they are in control of a healthy nutritional state. This can be determined at your first visit or can be combined with Functional Medicine.

6.  Massage Therapy
Therapeutic massage benefits will be evident with each massage. If your massage was for sports therapy, generalized health benefits, or pain, an evaluation of your progress and on-going needs will be discussed at each visit with your Licensed Massage Therapist. Outcome based therapy, which is massage therapy aimed at specific physical conditions, is often recommended once or twice a week and progress evaluated at each visit.

7.  How much will it cost?
We are conscious of your health care budget when recommending treatment protocols and will provide the best cost effective treatment protocols for you.

Do we accept insurance?
No, we do not. We have chosen to price our services on a consistent basis for all our patients. Those who are fortunate to have insurance can be assured they are paying no more or less than any other patient receiving our same quality service.

If we did accept insurance, our prices would have to be higher and our service inconsistently applied to conform to what insurance would pay for. We do provide you with the necessary paperwork to enable you to work with your insurance to seek reimbursement. 

Individualal Consultation Cancellation or Missed Appointment Policy

Twenty-four hour cancellation notice is required if you must cancel your individual consultation. If you do not cancel your consultation within 24 hours or if you miss an appointment, Wellness Alternatives has the right to bill you for the full amount of consultation. To cancel an individual consultation, please call 636-227-4949.

As all services are provided by appointment only and this time is reserved for your exclusive use, we must request 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment. There is a 50% charge for cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance and 100% for no-shows. To cancel an appointment, call 636-227-4949, fax 636-779-1456 or email Dr. Peterson at dpeterson@wellnessalternatives-stl.com.

What are the fees?
Functional Medicine

- New Patient

- $100.00 for 30 to 40 minute consultation, including Functional Medicine presentation, analysis and recommendations and lifestyle/nutritional consultation
- 30 day Reassessment

- $40.0 per fifteen minute duration
- $40.00 for each additional fifteen minutes
- $15.00 Lab processing fee when necessary
Supplements
- Recommendation for supplement protocols are based upon questionnaire and lab analysis combined with information obtained during the consultation.
- The daily cost is usually less than what one would spend at Starbucks daily
Sacro Occipital Therapy
- $78.00 for a new patient
- $46.00 for each additional visit
- Packages available with discounted rates – available on request
Sacro Occipital Therapy and Functional Medicine first visit
- $131.25 for a combined SOT & FM new patient (25% discount)
- Packages available with discounted rates – available on request
Nutritional Counseling
- $32.50 per fifteen minute duration
Massage Therapy
- $40 for 1/2 hour massage
- $65 for 1 hour
- $85 for 1 ½ hour
- $105 for 2 hours
- Packages available with discounted rates- available on request
- Gift certificates available

8.  When is laboratory testing done?
We use state of the art – blood, saliva and stool testing facilities
We use a questionnaire to determine the initial treatment recommendations. This is done to eliminate the possible “False negatives” and “False positive” test results that often occur when using lab tests to determine initial treatment protocols. This saves money, time and resources by not chasing lab tests that are actually compensating for the true cause of your condition. 
We use appropriate lab testing based upon careful screening of your condition. 
We use lab testing when your response to the protocols are changing, slowing or failing to show any progress. 

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