A World of Healing
Native Floridian Dr. Christina Captain doesn’t just practice integrative medicine. She is a picture of what it can do. As a young woman practicing as a Speech Language Pathologist studying to become a medical doctor, she found herself overweight and struggling with diabetes and high blood pressure. When she turned to her own doctors for help and guidance, she did not want to accept a Western medicine regimen of drugs and other than that there was no help.
Then a friend suggested she try acupuncture. Although apprehensive, after her first session Dr. Captain felt relief that she hadn’t experienced in quite some time. Now recognizing how effective Eastern medicine could be, she learned acupuncture and herbal medicine instead of attending a traditional medical school, eventually becoming a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
“Some people can get better without drugs and surgery. There’s hope for people with chronic pain.”
Twenty-five years later, Dr. Captain’s integrative medicine practice, now known as the Sarasota Center for Acupuncture and Nutrition—SCAN, for short —has helped thousands of patients feel relief from their pain and resolve health issues ranging from infertility to anxiety.
“Some people can get better without drugs and surgery,” says Dr. Captain. “There’s hope for people with chronic pain.”
Although many acupuncture practices are hyper-focused, SCAN does not focus solely on healing with needles. Instead, Dr. Captain and her associate, Dr. Leo Gallego, are highly educated in various integrative medicine principles and take a genuinely holistic approach to care. They dedicate time to getting to know their patients and gathering data to get a more complete picture of what is happening in their bodies.
“We bring you in and treat you like part of the family,” says Dr. Captain. “You are not just coming in as a number. We spend time with you, ask you about your family and your life. We want to know who you are, and then we want to help you get to where you want to be.”
Dr. Captain explores a patient’s lifestyle choices, health history, and concerns, and explores genetic issues and the results of comprehensive lab tests. SCAN then uses various modalities to help patients heal based on the root cause of their issues.
SCAN has a strong focus on assisting patients to resolve chronic digestive problems.
“When patients come in, and their lives are so impacted by digestive issues, or they are in chronic pain,” she says, “these things can be managed with alternative medicine. They’re manageable with targeted nutritional supplementation and acupuncture.” Scan takes an integrative approach and works with a patient's PCP or specialist to achieve long lasting results. Sometimes that means the patient has to be on medications and under medical management but with alternative modalities, nutrition and targeted supplementation the patient benefits from both worlds.
Still not convinced integrative therapies are for you? Book a new patient consult and meet with the SCAN team. For a small out-of-pocket fee, Dr. Captain will review labs, take your history, discuss concerns, and lay out a suggested treatment plan during the consult. If they decide to proceed, patients can start treatment that day. But if for any reason they feel they need more time to decide, no commitment is required— although Dr. Captain truly hopes they will give natural healing a shot. “Anybody who wants to learn about healing their body naturally, with acupuncture and nutrition, I hope they’ll think of us,” says Dr. Captain. “My mission is making a difference. I want to make a difference every day.”
Sarasota Center for Acupuncture and Nutrition: 2650 Bahia Vista St, Suite 101, Sarasota, 941-951-1119; sarasotacenterforacupunctureandnutrition.com
