Thrive & Decide Guide to Divorce and Beyond

Holistic Healing Unveiled: Integrating Mindfulness and Medicine for Optimal Wellness

• Sarah Thress • Season 1 • Episode 13

Share episode

Discover the transformative power of holistic health with Dr. Dana Winchester, a pioneer in integrating Western medicine with holistic healing at the Winchester Institute. Throughout our enlightening conversation, Dr. Dana shares her remarkable journey from pre-medicine studies to establishing a comprehensive wellness facility almost two decades ago. With a unique blend of chiropractic care, massages, and rehabilitation services, the Institute is dedicated to tailoring treatments to meet individual needs, from youth athletes to those facing menopause. Listen to my personal experiences as a long-time patient, and learn how the Institute's innovative approach has helped me and many others transition from acute pain to an active lifestyle.

In this episode, we explore how the Winchester Institute puts patients first, ensuring that everyone receives a personalized treatment plan based on a detailed initial assessment and comprehensive history review. Dr. Dana emphasizes the importance of addressing stress and incorporating mindfulness practices like meditation and conscious breathing into recovery. The conversation also touches on the Institute's flexible payment options and membership model, making holistic care accessible to a wider audience. Whether you're an athlete or navigating life's transitions, Dr. Dana's expertise offers invaluable insights into achieving optimal wellness. Join us for an inspiring discussion that promises to enhance your understanding of holistic health and wellness.

To work with Dr. Dana Winchester or to learn more:

https://www.thewinchesterinstitute.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thewinchesterinstitute/

https://www.facebook.com/winchesterinstitute

Hi and welcome to Thrive and Decide. I’m your host Sarah Thress. This podcast is intended to help women who are going through a divorce, continplating divorce or have lost a spouse feel seen, heard, understood and not alone. All the beautiful souls who share on here are coming from a place of vulnerability and a common belief that sharing your story will help others. You will also hear from industry experts on what to do and not do while going through a divorce.


Sarah Thress
614-893-5885
Sarahthressrealtor@gmail.com
Thrive and Decide Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559936633799
https://www.facebook.com/SarahThressRealtor/
https://www.instagram.com/sarah_thress_realtor/

Real Estate Podcast Come To Find Out:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/come-to-find-out/id1704949604

Real Estate First Time Home Buyers course: https://sarahthress.graphy.com/

Sarah:

Hi and welcome to this week's episode of Thrive and Decide. This week I have Dr Dana Winchester on and she is of the Winchester Institute, which is kind of a whole body health and wellness institute, which I obviously am not going to explain it as well as she is, so I'll have her explain it here in a minute. But I have been going to Dr Dana for gosh like 15 years now and I've seen her for chiropractic care. I've also gotten massages there. By the way, the absolute best deep tissue massage I've ever gotten is by Daniel at the Winchester Institute. So if you're ever in need of that, definitely ask for him. But also, she is all about health and wellness from a holistic viewpoint. So I've recently been talking to her about my perimenopause issues and if she had some ideas of how to kind of navigate this new world that I'm in.

Sarah:

So, anyways, I really just wanted to get Dr Dana on here so that she could talk to us about, you know, the Institute and you know hopefully, uh it she'll talk about some things that will resonate with you and then you can go and check her out as well. So, dana, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you, sarah. So, dana, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you, sarah. Yes, so, like I said, I've been coming here for like 15 years but I'd love for you to kind of share the story of you know what kind of sparked this in you. That said, hey, I believe in, you know the Western medicine, but I also believe that there is a holistic way of healing people. So I guess, just kind of walk us through your journey of how you became who you are now.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Thanks, sarah. I went to Miami of Ohio and graduated with a pre-medicine degree from there and then went to Palmer College in Davenport, iowa, for my doctorate in chiropractic. From Iowa I moved back to the Columbus Ohio area and recognized quickly that our community needed a holistic hub of services and information all surrounding holistic preventive health care. And you're absolutely right. I wanted to make sure that we incorporated at times the need for more invasive treatment options when that was the case, but that we were also taking the time to educate and teach patients about a more conservative care model, and so that's kind of what sparked the foundation of the Winchester Institute A little over 19 years ago. This April will be my 20th year in business and practice, and the Winchester Institute is a complete health and wellness facility.

Sarah:

Our foundation service is Gonstead Chiropractic, and then from there we have a lot of really supportive modalities, services, products and treatment options yeah, now I know I've come to you with like injuries, um, whether it be old gymnastics injuries that flare up or, you know, new injuries, because I still think I'm, you know, in my 20s and able to, you know, do all the things um, but you guys have, you know, a great uh rehab center as well in here. Can. Can you kind of talk about how did that come about? Was that just always your?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

vision to have? That? That's a great question. So for the first couple years I was in practice, I did not have a fully functioning rehabilitation department. I quickly recognized the need, maybe a couple of years into practice and when I was able to financially support. Adding on to the practice at that time and that was probably one of my best decisions in business was to make sure that I was able to take a patient from acute care high pain levels, poor quality of life and transition them into an active phase of care so that they could become more stable and strong and prevent future exacerbation or injury or pain and be able to do all the things that they need and want to be able to do.

Sarah:

Yeah, yes, and then the massage side of it. You know, I know that it. I think it's been here ever since I started coming but, has that always been a part of your practice, and you know why. Why do you feel like that is such an important piece in care?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yes, Soft tissue therapies are integral to manipulation and chiropractic care. They're very supportive and it's all part of rehabilitating the musculoskeletal system. So to leave one out, meaning to only focus on the nervous system or the bones and the skeleton of the spine and not address any soft tissue disorders or conditions, is just not the best way to get a patient like back to 100%. So the massage was always part of the clinic. Of course that has grown to what it is today. We generally have about seven to eight therapists on our staff at any one point in time. From a massage department perspective and you're right, those therapists are clinical. They're really skilled in. You know all aspects of patient care. They understand the holistic side of treatment. They understand patients going through menopause, they understand the youth athlete, they understand our aging population or maybe someone with sciatica very well. So I think you're just going to get a higher level or higher quality service here than maybe you would at like a general massage facility or spa location.

Sarah:

Yeah, I absolutely agree. In fact, I had my daughter in here. She comes to see you now, you know, and she's a student athlete and you know soccer players, soccer is her life. And when she started to have hip issues she was like you know, mom, what can I do? And I was like, oh, you need to go see Dr Dana, and so she's coming. But she also was able to get a massage and you know, she kept saying, like you know, I need to get a massage, like where should I go? And you know she of course was getting, you know, all these recommendations from her friends like, oh, go to Massage. Envy, go here, go there. And I was like, no, like you need to go where they know what they're doing and where it's for your sport. So not just a relaxation massage, but something that's actually going to help you and it was so helpful.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

That's great news. Yes, our therapy should be very individualized and tailored to the patient in front of us. So our therapists are prepared for that and we continue our education regularly together so we are prepared for all kinds of patients and how to best handle their current situation. The massage techniques that are utilized are very clinical and skilled as well. They're going to be doing maybe, gua sha with patients, which is an East Asian, old Chinese form of medicine, using instruments to work on the tissues versus just our hands, and we do myofascial release, we do trigger point therapy and specialized stretching with patients. So it's much more than just you know, maybe, what we'd get by the definition, the true definition of massage.

Sarah:

Yeah, exactly, I love that you put it so much more eloquently than I did. That's why you are who you are, thank you.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yes.

Sarah:

Now, I know that you also are very passionate about the supplements that you I don't even want to use the word prescribed but like that you suggest and recommend for people to take and I know that you're very you know, like that you do a lot of research into the, the things you know how, what is it like, what is a process that you go through and looking at, you know, like the, the different supplements that you suggest or recommend or whatever, like what would actually make your list. Like what does it have to have?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yeah. So that's a really, really great question because a lot of people don't realize the lack of vetting of these companies, the lack of um, our government testing, you know, these products on a regular basis. They are not FDA regulated at all. Over the counter supplementation that would also go for, like energy drinks and different forms of vitamins and things like that. So, making sure that we are taking product that is regularly standardized, regularly inspected for quality assurance maybe not, maybe definitely third-party tested we want to make sure that the product has independent, separate, non-biased third-party testing of the ingredients and that those companies are actually able to speak to the results of that testing on a very regular basis. The vendors that we utilize here at the practice are all doing these things on a very regular basis and we're very particular with our vendors. We currently utilize four different companies to purchase product from for patients.

Sarah:

Wow, well, and I know that you know just from the the different, you know the different supplements that you've given me. You know, I know that you've really like researched them, and what I also love is that if I come back to you and I tell you, you know, like the black cohosh, for instance, that you told me that I should take, uh, it tastes horrible. I'm still working on it.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

I did reach out to the vendor on that and, um, they had suggested orange juice being one of the best um liquid carriers. Maybe that you could put that you know, your dropper or your little cup of your cohosh in there and it helps to mask the flavor intensity at least of it, and there are a couple of other products that have some of that in there. But you're maybe not just not going to get the concentration level that I think would be most helpful for you.

Sarah:

Yeah, well, and I love that you say that, because I think that unfortunately sometimes people will go on Google or WebMD or whatever and they're like, oh, I should take black cohosh. And then, you know, maybe they just go and they try and find the cheapest or the gummy form of it or whatever, and you know to your point that may be so overly processed that you're not actually getting the benefits of, you know, having the black cohosh directly.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yes, yeah, maybe it's not bioavailable either. It's not as readily recognized by ourselves to be able to be utilized in a way that's helpful to you. Yeah, yeah.

Sarah:

What would you say are the most common um supplements that you cause? I know that you are very individualized and you know obviously it's not a one size fits all with you ever, which I love Um, but what would you say is like the most common that you recommend, especially for like perimenopause or for pain? Or you know, because I know again, you've always said you know turmeric is good for you versus taking like Advil every day. You know, obviously Advil has its place, but you know you recommend turmeric, which I take, and now I take very little, you know, anti-inflammatories or anything like that.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yeah. So I would say probably the most recommended products that are supplementation that I'm talking to patients about are probably turmeric, boswellia, maybe magnesium. Remember, a lot of patients are starting under treatment because they don't feel well or they hurt, they're actively or acutely inflamed, and so we're working to lower inflammation not just through our services but through the patient's diet and through supplementation. So I would probably be recommending turmeric, boswellia and magnesium, most frequently, turmeric being from a root. We're looking for products that have high curcuminoids compounded in the turmeric root or powder. Obviously, ingesting turmeric or sprinkling turmeric to our food is a great way to help lower inflammation, but you're just not going to get the concentration you need to really make a difference in how you feel and function. Boswellia is from an Asian fir tree and Boswellia combats or attacks inflammation from a different route than turmeric does. So it's wonderful or they're very it's wonderful to take them together. They are synergistic, they compound each other and they work great. They are synergistic, they compound each other and they work great. There are a lot of studies showing that the turmeric and the Boswellia together can work just as well as some prescription grade anti-inflammatories. Again, if the quality and the quantity of the product is on point.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

And then lastly, magnesium, which a lot of people are familiar with. Magnesium is great for lowering muscle tension tightness associated with muscle tension or abnormal muscle tone or behavior. But a lot of times patients complain about the side effects of increasing magnesium dosage or quantity, causing loose stool or maybe even diarrhea and GI cramping. So we have been utilizing a transdermal magnesium product now for a couple of years. That's been working great for patients. We know that we absorb very well through our largest organ, which is our skin, and applying magnesium to the skin can help bypass the loose stool and the stomach upset or GI cramping and upset with an oral magnesium supplementation.

Sarah:

Wow, I love that you dig so deeply in it, because you clearly care so much about your patients, but you also care so much about making sure that they're doing it in a healthy, natural way, instead of just writing a prescription for some over-the-counter or some prescription of something You're like. Let's try this first, and what I've noticed just from following what you say is that I do get the relief that I need that's great, sarah.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

That's good to hear.

Sarah:

I love that, yes now I know you are also big into like breathing, meditating things like that. Can you kind of speak a little bit to like the meditation, the breath, breath and how you feel, like that really complements what you do here at the Institute.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Sure, absolutely. I think we find that patients have such high stress levels today and that certainly aids and adds to their complaints and their pain levels, their inability at times maybe to get better as quickly as we would want them to. So really making sure we're focusing on what we can do, not only in the office but when the patient is at home and you know, walking about their day, that they are doing and know what things they can do, that really do make a difference. And you know, taking the time to be mindful, whether it be through meditation or being conscious and aware of our breathing habits and patterns, can all make a huge difference, and that is scientifically proven. And so the more patients are educated on that and reminded throughout the year and months on these techniques is very important to compliance. So we hope to be that for patients in our community as well as that, you know, ever present reminder of what we can all be doing to stay as healthy and as well as possible.

Sarah:

Yeah, I love that, excuse me, and I love that you incorporate all of that and you understand that it's not just, hey, we're going to manipulate your back and then send you on your way. It's oh okay, you also need this and you take the time to listen to what people are going through and then you know, you find ways to help them and meet them where they're at.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Absolutely. That's one of the things we pride ourselves on as physicians and service providers here is making sure we really understand the individual goals of our patients. For some people it might be super important to be able to, you know, return to a 10 or 15 minute jog several times a week, and for others it might just be, you know, to be able to walk our dog, you know, through the neighborhood or down the block and back, or to be able to stand to cook a healthy meal at home. So understanding what the goals of our patients are helps us to become better providers for our patients, and I think that's really important.

Sarah:

Yeah, I agree. So if someone listening to this was like man, I really need to get in there and talk to her. What would be like? What's the process? So someone you know, obviously you call and you make an appointment, but then what do you? Do you know on the first appointment to just kind of assess everything?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Sure, yes. So when a patient comes into the practice, you will initially receive a quick tour of the facility, just so you can feel comfortable when you're coming and maybe get exposed to a bit more of the services we. So you can feel comfortable when you're coming and maybe get exposed to a bit more of the services we offer. Then you'll spend about 30 minutes, maybe 40 minutes, with your provider, kind of talking about your complete history from head to toe, going back as far as we can remember at times about different symptoms you've experienced, injuries that have occurred, and just making sure we're really understanding how you're feeling on a regular basis and maybe what some of your goals are. As a patient a new patient of ours, most of our patients the majority will receive full spine x-rays and the physician from there will fully analyze those films. So practicing a very skilled, individualized form of chiropractic called Gonstead means that we follow very particular methodology of patient treatment and analyzation of our patients before we just start adjusting. So before your second visit we will have fully analyzed your x-rays and be ready to speak to um. You know the information that you provided on day one, plus adding in the information we're able to find out about you through x-ray, and then we review that information with you and make sure that you're able to see your spine and see the things that we're looking for.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

On that second visit we will also make a diagnosis, and I think that's another thing missing in healthcare today is, you know, patients walking out from doctor's visits not really understanding what is wrong, what's going on with their bodies and what they can start doing to help themselves be better, healthier people. So often patients come in and they may have been to several other providers before seeing us and they still don't really have a clear understanding of what is wrong or what's the true root cause of their symptoms or their dysfunction, and so we really want to make sure that you understand that after being a patient here, and so I feel like patients will generally receive that by the end of their second visit and then you will be reminded of that frequently throughout care, because it's hard to remember those things, especially when you may have not gone to school for a health-related or medically-related field and it might just be foreign information to you. So we make sure that we come back and hit on those topics and those terms most frequently so you really get it.

Sarah:

Yeah.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yes.

Sarah:

I love that. Yes, now I obviously another question that people always have is you know cost and you know, is my insurance going to cover it? I know I personally have, over the 15 years, have had different insurances and you know some of them have been accepted, you know, and some of them have not totally get it, because every insurance is different. But what I love about you is that you are not like, oh, you don't have insurance, then we can't take care of you, or oh, we're going to price gouge you and make you pay exactly what we would be charging the insurance companies and things like that. So I love that you have a membership option as well. Could you kind of speak about that and maybe you know why you came up with that model?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

Yeah.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

So you know, insurance premiums and deductibles and co-pays have grown over the years and coverage has minimized for patients, and so we wanted to be able to find a way to be able to introduce care to patients that maybe don't want to use their insurance or find that using our membership programming is just a better option for them.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

We do have very set fee schedules in the practice, and that's also something that is, I think, very helpful to patients and helps keep us organized. We don't um have um very gray pricing schedules or anything like that. Um, you know, generally speaking, what we would bill to an insurance company we actually would pass on to the patient, unless we're able to partake in a um membership, um type of pay scale for the patient. So we have a couple of different membership options and we are in network with most major insurers and then from there it's really just up to whether or not the individual policies cover specialty care like chiropractic, and how much coverage a patient may get. And obviously for providers, I think staying in network with some of these major insurers is becoming harder and harder, just because of the requirements placed upon not only the patient but the doctor as well to provide care in a certain way that may not always be at the best interest of the patient.

Sarah:

Yeah, yeah. I love that. At the heart of every decision you make, it's about the patient. It's never about like what's in it for you.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

So I love that yeah.

Sarah:

Yes, Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your day. I know you're very, very busy, so I appreciate you taking time out of your day. I know you're very, very busy, so I appreciate you taking time out. Is there anything else that you would just want to? You know that maybe we didn't cover that. You're like man, I just really want to make sure people know this. Is there anything that maybe we didn't cover that you can think?

Dr. Dana Winchester:

of Sure.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

I think, generally speaking, many people don't recognize and don't have the information present to be able to make an educated choice on chiropractic and when should they see a chiropractor? But just to remind everybody, we do have very comparable classroom hours to primary care physicians and in some areas, like radiology and x-ray review and nutrition and preventive healthcare, we actually have more hours of education and then from there, you know it's up to the individual provider to stay relevant and pertinent to you know what's happening in the world today and what new advancements in preventive healthcare are and different services and techniques we can offer for our patients. But chiropractic is a wonderful portal of entry into the health care system and I think it's underutilized. I think if more patients started in our offices, I think cost would go down and time. You know, looking and seeking for answers would be much easier for patients and you know we are clinically trained to be able to refer out when necessary. So certainly if someone isn't a chiropractic candidate or case, that's definitely something we will talk about right away with our patients.

Sarah:

Um, that's definitely something we will talk about right away with our patients. Yeah, yeah, which I know you do, because my mom also comes to you and she, you know, has had issues that you're like. Hey, we can help with this, but we're not going to be the end all be all for this issue. So here is this physician I'm going to recommend you and you know, and then you send over a referral and she's able to get in. So absolutely.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

We try to help integrate other treatment options into patient care plans and making sure we're looking at the full picture when we, when we take care of a patient, not just the services and the treatments that we offer, but what else does this patient need? Yeah, yeah, I love that. Yes.

Sarah:

Well, thank you so much again for taking time out. I'm going to have all of your information in the show notes so anyone that's listening, if they want to check it out. You know I'll have links to your website, your socials, you know, and obviously the phone number so that they can call and get scheduled, so they can figure out what their plan of care is, you know, going to look like when coming here.

Dr. Dana Winchester:

That sounds wonderful. Thank you again for meeting with me and inviting me to be part of your podcast today. Yeah, absolutely.

Sarah:

Thank you so much and we'll see you next time on Thrive and Decide.