At Spring Hill Holistic Wellness Center, focus is on entire body

SPRING HILL — Eastern and Western medicines coalesce at a new Spring Hill clinic where clients' overall wellness is the ultimate goal.

At the Spring Hill Holistic Wellness Center, which opened in June, founder Donna Menezes-Enos has assembled specialists performing acupuncture, therapeutic massage, body works pursuits, mental health counseling and nutritional therapy.

"Lots of people (who come in) are on many medicines, and they're still not functioning and still in pain," Menezes-Enos said. "Lots of people are doubtful of Eastern medicine, but they're open to see 'how can you help me?' "

Menezes-Enos holds board certifications in acupuncture, Chinese diagnosis, integrated Western medicine and herbal medicine. She has 20 years of experience as a herbalist plus years as a psychologist-social worker, addiction counselor, health management administrator and entrepreneur. At age 64, she recently added a master's degree in Chinese medicine from the Florida College of Integrative Medicine.

Treating the whole person encompasses physical, mental, spiritual and emotional components, said Menezes-Enos.

About 75 percent of patients come through the door suffering physical pain, she said. Because physical pain often integrates other dysfunctions — anxiety and depression, for instance — she recommends an initial talk therapy session. During a typical 90-minute session, she seeks a patient's whole-body health status through inquiries about work, personal relationships and potential symptoms of anxiety, eating disorders, depression or other mental-health issues.

The diagnostic session can lead to recommendations for therapies beyond pain relief. And she said she is not averse to urging a patient to seek a Western medicine practitioner when the situation dictates.

Patients most frequently request acupuncture, a half-hour procedure that uses tiny needles to stimulate any of 400 nerve points on the body, primarily to ease pain. It is Menezes-Enos' specialty. She performs associated therapies including ultrasound, electrical stimulation and cupping – in which special cups are attached to the skin to create suction. It gained popularity after several U.S. Olympic swimmer hopefuls touted its muscle-healing benefits.

Some pains are treated through massage using neuromuscular manipulation as opposed to a mere feel-good rubdown. Herbal wraps and stone massage also are available.

Group classes are offered in tai chi, qigong, nia for those seeking to enhance body motion, flexibility and stamina. Yoga is scheduled to be added.

Mental health counseling available at the clinic will soon add an addiction component. Beyond Western-style counseling, it will include Eastern exercise and Chinese methods of pain relief — pain often associated with detoxing.

A nutrition component includes instructions on eating healthy and a nutritionist chef to demonstrate meal preparation with good-for-you ingredients

In pursuit of overall wellness, Chinese herbs and supplements "are a big piece of it," Menezes-Enos said. The center's apothecary shop, carrying some 50 herbs and spices plus 50 teas of her own concoction, are labeled according to their benefits: cough and congestion relief, smoking cessation, sleep aid, digestion, distress alleviation and more.