The Difference

A New Approach

Do you have an idea of what chiropractic is all about? Do you think it requires weekly visits for the rest of your life? Does the doctor just pay attention to your spine? Just as there are many different types of dentists, Dr. Ilya Skolnikoff and Lighthouse Wellness Center will introduce you to a revolutionary new "holistic" approach to chiropractic.

In chiropractic school we are taught to address all aspects of health, not just the spine. Some chiropractors focus solely on the spine in their practices. While this works for some patients, Dr. Skolnikoff strives to be his patients' complete health resource. This means that he pays careful attention to all aspects of patient health which includes a health history, examining all of the muscles and bones of the body (not just your spine), diet and environmental conditions as well as specific lab and imaging studies as needed. Chiropractors receive extensive training and are often times the most qualified doctors to provide care to muscle and joint problems throughout the body. If you sprain your ankle, your chiropractor should be the first place you go. The same goes for a recurrent shoulder problem or that knee that keeps "going out."

Holistic Therapy

Each of our holistic therapies are incredibly specific and vary from patient to patient. No two patients are ever given the same therapy or put on the same protocol because no two patients are the same. Everybody is different! There is not a "one size fits all" approach nor a turnkey system that works for everyone. Each person is an individual. We believe that it is important to consider the whole person. It is with this foundational philosophy in mind that we call ourselves "holistic" doctors.Do you have an idea of what chiropractic is all about? Do you think it requires weekly visits for the rest of your life? Does the doctor just pay attention to your spine? Just as there are many different types of dentists, Dr. Ilya Skolnikoff and Lighthouse Wellness Center will introduce you to a revolutionary new "holistic" approach to chiropractic.

As you may know, the chiropractic license only permits chiropractors to treat musculoskeletal disorders. However, chiropractors are also allowed to treat the "whole person." For example, if a patient comes into the office with stomach cancer, a chiropractor is not permitted to treat stomach cancer. However, a chiropractor is permitted to treat the person who has stomach cancer and many times the patient’s stomach cancer will get better or even go away if they follow very strict recommendations and they stay very disciplined and keep their office appointments. It makes no sense to look at a patient who has stomach cancer and just focus on the patient’s stomach. It makes far more sense and produces far greater health benefits when the practitioner looks at what may have caused the patient’s stomach cancer to get there to begin with. It seems logical to look at what the patient’s stomach is attached to. What is the patient’s stomach attached to? It is attached to the esophagus and the duodenum. What is the esophagus and duodenum attached to? The diaphragm, the larynx, and the jejunum. Therefore wouldn’t it be wiser to look at the "function" of all of these different parts instead of staying telescoped in (but with blinders on like the horse on a race track) on just the stomach which may have actually been the last organ to stop "functioning" correctly in a series of dysfunctioning glands and organs?

Western Medicine Versus Chiropractic

Choosing a health care provider is a difficult task. Nobody wants to cut corners or try to "get a deal" when it comes to their health. These are very sobering times that we live in with 7 out of the 10 top causes of death in the United States being chronic conditions. Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy, etc.) treat chronic conditions. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association’s July 26, 2000 edition, medical treatment (drugs, radiation, surgery and medical doctor induced therapies) is the third leading cause of death in the United States, causing 225,000 deaths every year (Journal of the American Medical Association, July 26, 2000;284(4):483-5). According to this research article of Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, if medical mistakes counted among the leading causes of death in America, they would be listed as the 8th leading cause of death. This is significant. In other words, if medical known medical mistakes in hospitals which lead to death were given their own category then this category when come in number 8 in the top 10 leading causes of death. Comparatively, chiropractic is incredibly safe and non-invasive. There are no drugs, radiation or surgery used in chiropractic. Chiropractic is the science of "caring for the human frame" and paying attention to diet and exercise and lifestyle as a means of promoting healing.

Functional Medicine

In reference to the above article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is it any wonder why so many people are sick and dying in this country?! Stop the craziness now! Take action. At Triad of Health we deal with "functional medicine." What this means is that we check to see how a patient’s body will respond to therapy BEFORE we offer a course of therapy. To repeat, chiropractic is safe and we do not use any drugs radiation or surgery. However, we do use a variety of holistic approaches such as homeopathy, herbs, nutrition, strict dietary plans that are tested and true, acupressure and acupuncture, massage, whole food nutrients, glandulars, exercises, emotional therapies, weight loss plans, allergy desensitization procedures, etc.

Does it really make sense that there is a huge lipitor deficiency in America? Are school children deficient in Ritalin? Are Ritalin and Prozac and Celebrex supposed to be part of a healthy diet? These are drugs, each with over 70 side effects and unknown interactions when mixed with other medications. Is it any wonder so many people are dying from medical intervention? Wouldn’t it make more sense to increase beta carotene or vitamin C complex or Chromium or the vitamin E complex in a person’s diet or to just have a person change their diet rather than to put them on toxic substances which are made in a laboratory. The number one cause of Liver disease in the United States is aspirin!!! It used to be alcohol. Does your doctor tell you to take one baby aspirin a day? Do you want to die of liver disease or kidney failure? Do you think that maybe you should discuss this with your medical doctor? It is not the medical doctor’s fault. This is what medical doctor’s are taught in medical school. This is the "standard of care." What kind of care are they talking about? The medical schools are funded by drug companies that then teach the medical doctors how to prescribe drugs. Does this system of health care sound twisted to you?

The Chiropractic Education

Chiropractic health care was discovered in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa. As with conventional orthodox medicine, chiropractic educational standards have continued to improve throughout the 20th century. Today, most chiropractors have completed a four-year pre-medical degree before entering chiropractic college. Once in chiropractic college, they complete a rigorous four-year program of study to become a primary health care provider. This education includes bioscience classes such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and nutrition, as well as clinical sciences including physical diagnosis, neurology, lab, and x-ray analysis. The last year-and-a-half of chiropractic college also includes a clinical internship.

A New Paradigm

Most of us want quantity and quality in our life. We want to live as long as possible and we also want our quality of life to be maintained throughout the years. There are numerous options available when making decisions about how to get the most out of life. From surgeons and prescription drugs to spiritual healers and water fasts, the array of choices for the healthcare consumer can be overwhelming. In today's information age it is hard to keep up to date on all your health concerns.

What people need is a health coach. A doctor that will take the time and have the knowledge to direct them to the best option for their health. Ideally, such a doctor would inform the patient about the risks and rewards of their treatment options and allow the patient to decide what is best for themselves. Dr. Skolnikoff has geared his practice toward being that person for his patients. A routine office visit includes about thirty minutes of face-to-face time with the doctor. An initial exam with Dr. Skolnikoff takes from 1½ to 2 hours as he searches out the cause of the patient’s condition, not just noting details regarding patient symptoms. Dr. Skolnikoff is happy to refer his patients to the appropriate specialists when needed. Whether that is an MD or a licensed acupuncturist, Dr. Skolnikoff will make sure that if he cannot help you directly he will find you a doctor who can. Dr. Skolnikoff will be your advocate, your mentor, and your coach.