How San Antonio Prime Wellness Got Started
Many of you are familiar with Dr. John Ledbetter, D.O., but if you aren’t, here is a background of who he is and why he started this clinic. Dr. Ledbetter is a doctor of osteopathic medicine and has been in practice since 2000 (wow!). He chose to go into osteopathic medicine and family practice because he is passionate about preventative medicine and holistic patient care.
Dr. Ledbetter loves helping his patients at his main family practice office, but he noticed that many traditional healthcare treatments were only a band-aid and did not address the root cause of symptoms. This realization inspired Dr. Ledbetter to start San Antonio Prime Wellness.
“I want to re-establish the doctor-patient relationship, without constraints of outside influences, and move the practice of medicine away from prescriber to provider.” – Dr. John Ledbetter.
What is Holistic Health?
The word “holistic” is a huge buzzword in the health space right now, but what does it really mean (and more importantly, does it really matter)? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines holistic as “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.”
So, a holistic approach to healthcare looks like taking the entire person into account when treating a disease or condition rather than only focusing on the part of the body suffering from the illness. Take weight loss, for example, a holistic approach could be:
- talking to the patient about lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise)
- using medication and supplements if necessary to support their goals
- discussing stress-relieving practices or coping mechanisms to help with emotional eating
- assessing the patient’s gut health or hormone health to determine if the weight gain is coming from gut dysbiosis or excess/low hormone levels
The State of Our Current Healthcare System
A holistic approach sounds great in theory, but as you may have noticed, holistic treatment is pretty challenging to accomplish in a traditional healthcare setting. Just think about the way the healthcare system is organized: there are different specialties of medicine, and doctors stay in their assigned lane and refer to other specialties when needed.
This can undoubtedly be frustrating for the patient when they are trying to get answers to their health issues and end up seeing four different doctors who might all be saying different things.
For example, you might see an endocrinologist if you have hormonal issues. But, if you end up also having digestive problems, you will have to be referred to a separate gastrointestinal doctor to treat those symptoms. And, on top of all that, you start having eczema that came up out of nowhere, and now you have to see a dermatologist. Does this sound familiar to anyone?🙋♀️
Most of the time, you are put on a list of medications to treat your ailments individually, and that can work to keep those symptoms at bay in the short term. However, no one ever stops to ask the question: What if these symptoms are all connected? What if your hormonal issues, weight gain, eczema, and stomach troubles are all stemming from an imbalanced gut microbiome or chronic exposure to environmental toxins?
When we start asking these questions and getting curious, we can progress toward healing. When we start looking at a patient as a whole person instead of just a list of symptoms to fix, we can dig into the root cause of what’s causing their suffering. This is our primary goal at San Antonio Prime Wellness.
Bridging the Gap
By truly connecting with our patients and getting to know them, we are able to create a well-rounded treatment plan that addresses the whole person (mind, body, and spirit). Our practitioners are committed to the patient’s well-being, so if they try something that isn’t working, they aren’t afraid to pivot and approach the issue from a different angle.
At San Antonio Prime Wellness, we believe holistic treatment is the future of healthcare and the method for true healing.
If you’ve ever worked with Dr. Ledbetter, D.O., or Stephanie Hawk, NP, you know firsthand that they are fantastic at connecting the dots between your mystery symptoms and helping you understand the root cause of why you are feeling this way. We’ve had so many patients say that working with our practitioners was the first time they ever felt heard and seen in a healthcare setting.
Interested in Working With Us?
If you are interested in finally finding the root cause of your symptoms and achieving your health goals, working with us sounds right up your alley! Take a look at the services we offer on our website, and feel free to contact us. Our staff would be happy to give you a call to discuss your options and how to schedule an appointment.
Also, don’t worry if you don’t live in the San Antonio area! We offer telehealth consultations and even meal planning/nutrition services. Thank you for reading, and we are excited to work with you.
Citations
“Holistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holistic. Accessed 11 Jul. 2024.