by Sara Caron | photography by Mark Turcotte

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There is more to treating an individual’s ailments than just correcting their symptoms. Unique approaches to a holistic solution for many common issues are both complex and simple at the same time. For our two local professionals, their practices pick up where conventional medicine leaves off. Rather than using pharmaceuticals and surgery, they care for their clients using alternatives to medications such as herbs and supplements, traditional Eastern treatments, such as acupuncture and bodywork and the basic foundations of nutrition and using food as medicine for the body and soul.

Farther East

John Alsobrooks

After earning his Bachelor’s degrees in Biomedical Science and Mandarin Chinese from the University of Maine at Farmington, John Alsobrooks, owner of Little Dragon Integrative Medicine, chose to study abroad. He moved to China, where he studied at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and received his medical degree. He is nationally certified and licensed in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in both Maine and Texas and, is certified as a personal trainer, and holds an Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) credential from the American College of Sports Medicine. In the summer ofå 2023, Alsobrooks opened his own practice, Little Dragon Integrative Medicine.

Alsobrooks shares that a deep interest inspired his choice of profession in Chinese culture, including philosophy, martial arts, and the Meridian System. The Meridian System is related to acupuncture and essentially lines or pathways through which energy is believed to flow through the body.

“Throughout my journey, I was introduced to ancient Chinese philosophies and acupuncture points, sparking a fascination that grew during college as I studied Mandarin,” says Alsobrooks. “I realized my true calling was in helping others, and I chose to study traditional Chinese medicine to make a meaningful impact.”

Nature’s remedy

Alsobrooks volunteered on herbal medicine farms in rural areas outside of Beijing and frequently hiked the surrounding mountains to identify wild medicinal plants. According to Alsobrooks, Chinese medicinal herbs have been used for thousands of years. Rather than targeting specific diseases, herbal medicine focuses on treating the whole person.

“Almost any modern condition can be addressed with herbal medicine,” Alsobrooks states. “Effective treatment requires a skilled practitioner to customize therapies precisely.”

The process of finding effective treatment includes careful herb selection, dosage, preparation, and administration. In addition to custom formulas, prepackaged Chinese patent medicines are common and available in various forms. A professional provider should still recommend proper dosage and delivery. Alsobrooks reports that more and more studies are showing that the return to basics; lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, and, when needed, targeted interventions like herbal remedies or acupuncture, will lead to sustainable health.

“True health for our population won’t come from simple changes; it will come from transformative shifts in our lives,” Alsobrooks says. “Those shifts can unfold gradually, with small, consistent changes over time leading to a significant impact.”

At his practice in Lewiston, Alsobrooks focuses on lifestyle interventions and supplementation. He doesn’t prescribe pharmaceutical medications or perform surgeries. Still, he is happy to collaborate with local hospitals and clinics to provide patients with alternative or complementary care to conventional treatments, such as cupping, micro-needling, and the more familiar acupuncture and Thai bodywork treatments.

Food as Medicine

Missy North-Drain

While in high school, Missy North-Drain, owner of Beneath the Symptom, started an internship with a wellness resort in Western Massachusetts. It was there that her passion for nutrition was ignited. After high school she studied at Framingham State University in Massachusetts where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, concentrating on Applied Nutrition. She has worked in the field of nutrition for the last fifteen years. In 2022, she opened her business, Beneath The Symptom, in Lewiston. One major takeaway for North-Drain from her many years in the field of nutrition is that a one-size-fits-all approach is not ideal when it comes to health.

“I take into consideration the emotional, spiritual, and energetic uniqueness of each person,” North-Drain shares. “My work is about getting to the root cause of why you may be deficient in certain nutrients and addressing that source.”

Supplementing with Nature

North-Drain isn’t suggesting that people run out and invest in a lot of supplements. She considers them to be more of a temporary fix while you determine what is actually needed in your daily life for better health. She also leans more towards herbal remedies, instead of synthetically manufactured supplements, working with many local herbalists to suggest more suitable, natural products to her clients.

North-Drain’s primary focus is healing the body and its common ailments through a change in nutrition. She credits more and more additives being put into foods, along with prescription medicines overburdening the liver, imbalances in blood sugar levels, and stress for many of the chronic conditions that her clients are experiencing. She believes that putting the focus on nutrition will help with overall health.

“Nutrition is one of the biggest areas we can focus on to help our health,” North-Drain offers. “Often when people go to the doctor, they don’t get a meal plan resource or a referral to a nutritionist or health coach; they get a prescription medicine.”

North-Drain believes that we can take back our health with the improvement of what we choose to put into our bodies.

“The number one thing I would recommend regarding diet is to get as many local foods as possible. Hit up the Farmer’s market weekly or find your closest farm stand or farm store,” North-Drain says. “This will reduce your toxin intake by a lot. Instead of focusing on fad diets, or avoiding certain food groups, work on getting questionable food additives out of your diet.”

In our modern world, while some medications and treatments are undoubtedly the only route to take, it is easy to fall back on conventional medicines for a quick fix. A back-to-nature approach, as recommended by both Alsobrooks and North-Drain, is not only a reasonable alternative to traditional medicine but also a great companion to those treatments to see the maximum improvement in overall health and well-being.

Beneath The Symptom
Lewiston | beneaththesymptom.com

Little Dragon Integrative Medicine
Lewiston | littledragonmed.com