Embrace the Alternatives - WV Living Magazine

What you should know about emerging trends in alternative medicine across the Mountain State.

More and more each day, people who are looking to improve their health and well-being are turning to alternative treatments. If you’re looking, too, consider one or more of these most-talked-about treatments.

Try cryotherapy and infrared sauna treatments at CryoFix WV in Charleston, where you can book a session to “biohack the body’s nervous system using acute exposure to freezing temperatures to treat inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, muscle inflammation, and chronic pain.” Or book an appointment at the same location to soak in an infrared sauna. The deep, penetrating infrared heat is believed to reduce inflammation and pain, promote detoxification, and aid in weight loss.

Book a Flotation REST with Float Effects in Barboursville. Clients attribute enhanced physical and mental wellness, relaxation, and better sleep to the reduced sensory stimulation they experience in Float Effects’ state-of-the-industry float pods.

Check out halotherapy sessions at The Salt Cave & Spa in White Sulphur Springs. There, folks can bathe or receive massages in rooms that are rich in negative ions from Himalayan salt particles, which are believed to contain anti-inflammatory properties and touted to open airways and reduce mucus from the lungs.

Yoga, meditation, and sound bathing continue growing in popularity. Yoga studios like Studio 8 in Huntington offer classes, workshops, and teacher training designed to promote physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Clients can attend classes in yoga or meditation online or in person or enjoy workshops like acroyoga or sound bathing that are designed to relieve stress and promote relaxation.

Some West Virginians turn to herbal products and supplements for help with disease management. Health food stores like Mother Earth Foods in Parkersburg make herbal products and information more accessible for consumers.

Schedule an acupuncture session at Zanter Acupuncture in Barboursville. Clients seek acupuncture to address chronic pain, osteoarthritis, allergies, and other conditions.

Superfood infusions are available everywhere these days, from cold-pressed juices to turmeric lattes and probiotic-rich kombucha. Try a superfood boost at The Juice Box in Hurricane, in your latte at TipTop Coffee in Elkins and Davis, or from the Neighborhood Kombuchery in Morgantown.

Cannabis and CBD products are available from Appalachian Cannabis Company in Cross Lanes and Morgantown. Users of CBD report benefits that include reduced inflammation and pain and relief from anxiety. Nearly 4,000 hemp farms are licensed in West Virginia, making it easier than ever before to see what the hemp hype is all about.

About the Author

Lacy Davidson Ferguson

RYT-500 Born and raised on a farm in southern West Virginia, in an entrepreneurial household, it was no surprise Lacy would return to her roots as Co-owner of Elmcrest Farm & The Twelvepole Trading Post in Wayne. Lacy has a Bachelors Degree in Biomedical Science from Marshall University and a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Loma Linda University in Southern California. She’s credentialed as a Registered Yoga Teacher and faculty member of Studio 8 Yoga & Wellness Studio in Huntington, with a certificate in Herbalism through the Chestnut School of Herbalism. She is a Regional Resource Coordinator for the WV Department of Agriculture’s Business Development Division, and maintains a virtual private practice and wellness brand called, Harvest Health.