Health in Balance Will Set You on the Path to Natural Healing

Established by Gary Arthur and his wife Lisa in 1987, Health in Balance is a family-run wellness facility that uses integrative medicine to heal the body naturally.

From long-term solutions for back pain, emotional and stress relief, or even a quick, restorative IV, Health in Balance provides a wide range of treatments to ensure you are living your best life.

“Self care and self love is not selfish,” says Dr. Gary. After suffering severe whiplash, he was living with excruciating back and neck pain, which not only affected his day-to-day life, but was on its way to causing severe, irreversible damage if not treated properly.

After a trip to the chiropractor, the couple was told he would need an expensive, long-term treatment plan that they simply could not afford. “My wife said to me ‘Look at your X-ray, would you rather work yourself out of financial debt or a physical debt for the rest of your life?’ It took me two-and-a-half years to pay my Visa off but it was the second best decision I’ve ever made… the first being marrying my wife,” he says with a smile.

The Arthur’s had a passion for naturopathic medicine, however the practice was illegal in California during the 1980’s, so they needed to find a loophole. They got their chiropractic licenses so they were able to practice nutrition while applying kinesiology and homeopathy to naturally heal their patients.

The couple started as chiropractic kinesiologists, but while in chiropractic school, Dr. Gary discovered the science of applied kinesiology, which peaked his interest and launched his career. His expertise in applied kinesiology not only allowed him to work with Olympic gold medalists and NFL players, but warranted seven different job offers from established applied kinesiologists upon graduation.

After interviewing for positions in New York and South Carolina, a doctor located in Laguna Beach called with an offer the Arthurs couldn’t resist.

The plan was to stay in SoCal for three years, but the culture in Laguna was too rich to leave. “It was at the Sawdust Festival that I knew,” remembers Dr. Gary. “The way the people had all come together to celebrate art did it for me; I knew we couldn’t leave Laguna.”

Having never expected to find a piece of real estate overlooking the ocean to house his practice, it was kismet when Dr. Gary was turning the corner one day, just as a realtor was popping a “For Sale” sign into the front of an ocean-view property. And just like that, their three-year-plan turned into 32 years, and counting.

The Arthurs have raised four children while evolving their practice, giving them four more reasons to keep their bodies healthy, well-nourished, and strong.

Health in Balance requires patients to take a look at what their lives would be like if their symptoms are never treated, and what their lives could be like without them. Health in Balance doctors and practitioners take multiple steps to discover why their client’s symptoms and challenges are happening in the body by administering exams and tests, and once a diagnosis is given, are then granted access to a variety of treatments.

The Arthur’s business has expanded over their 30 years of practice, adding a physical medicine suite in 2007 and an integrative medicine suit in 2015. The expansion allows Health in Balance to offer everything from trigger point therapy, detoxification protocols, deep tissue treatments, and even immune system boosts, stem cell therapy, and integrative cancer therapy.

“We are not out here to just prescribe drugs and medications,” says Dr. Gary. “Things like gravity never let up on any of us, and once it happens it’s only going to get worse.”

Since the start of their practice the Arthurs have ordered around 7,000 MRI’s and administered a quarter of a million treatments, making them feel blessed to have helped people achieve the lives that they want.

Dr. Gary encourages everyone to take a realistic look at where they are, and then ask themselves where they want to be and what they want their ultimate picture to look like? Once they see it, they must commit to achieving it.

“If you chose to do a remodel on your house, you’ve made a decision that it’s going to have value for you. You get financing, find a contractor, have inspections to make sure everything along the way is going smoothly... and then you get to move in and enjoy it,” he explains, metaphorically speaking. “You want to walk away from a project and be proud of what you’ve built.”

Anna Guilford is a Journalism and Public Relations Senior at California State University, Long Beach. A believer of natural healing, she feels lucky to have had the opportunity to gain Dr. Gary’s words of wisdom.

Photos by: Grant Puckett.

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