On a wall in the Institute for Restorative Health’s waiting room is a world map with colored pins marking the United States, Canada, and a few outlier nations.
Each pin was placed by a patient, indicating from where they traveled to the clinic since its February opening in Derby. A majority of them come from outside of Kansas, and surprisingly, a number of them come from outside of US borders.
Tina Walker, a functional medicine certified health coach at the clinic, says it’s because the business offers a unique combination of disciplines you won’t find anywhere else.
“We’re looking to work with the body so that it can heal itself and resolve the symptom on its own without chemical intervention,” she said.
Broadly, the clinic approaches treatment through three different disciplines: energy medicine, functional medicine, and biological medicine.
Unlike traditional medicine, Walker said, professionals at the Institute for Restorative Health go beyond prescribing medicine to address one symptom or a set of symptoms.
“We’re also looking at lifestyle factors because those are huge when it comes to your health,” she said.
This usually means forming a plan with patients to incorporate healthier habits – such as a balanced diet, exercise and relaxation – into their lifestyles once they go home.
Another feature that separates the business from traditional medicine is its patient volume.
The clinic sees around 12 patients per week, Walker said, due in-part to the large amount of time patients spend there. A visit can be five or six hours, which typically includes a one-hour session with a doctor and several hours of therapy.
Therapy rooms rely on technology to emit various forms of light and vibrations, which the owners say boosts the body’s ability to heal itself.
Alongside homeopathic medicine, supposed benefits of the therapy include higher energy, increased circulation, reduction of pain and allergies, and better resistance in the immune system.
The business is owned in an equal partnership among the four professionals at the clinic.
Aric Cox, Jonathan Streit, and David Jowdy are licensed doctors of chiropractic. Walker does not have a medical degree but is a national board-certified health and wellness coach.
All four owners have various certifications in wellness and alternative medicine, including biological medicine, functional medicine, and nutrition. The group met while working at a previous practice.
“I think we’re on the edge of where medicine is going because people are so disenfranchised with franchised medicine anymore that people are looking for different things,” Streit said.
A majority of the clinic’s patients are chronically ill, Cox said. A smaller portion are people without chronic illness seeking to improve their overall health.
The clinic’s services are not covered by insurance.
“Because we’re so unusual, insurance wouldn’t cover what we do, but we do offer payment plans through care credit,” Walker said. “A lot of times people will use their health savings account to cover the out-of-pocket expenses that they incur.”
Programs are designed based on where patients live and what kind of conditions they have. For example, an international patient may spend every day at the clinic for two weeks before returning home; a local patient may visit on a weekly or monthly basis.
An initial case review, which includes lab work and a 90-minute comprehensive exam, costs around $1,100. Because of variability among patients, Walker did not specify pricing beyond that.
Working with patients at the Institute for Restorative Health goes beyond treating physical symptoms, the owners agreed. It’s also about improving their mental and spiritual wellbeing – and enjoying it along the way.
“We love what we do and we have fun every day,” Jowdy said. “We all collectively genuinely enjoy what we’re doing, and that part of it uplifts everyone that’s here.”
