Western medicine has traditionally focused on curing disease rather than preventing it, but that's beginning to change, thanks to the growing popularity of wellness.
“The wellness market is booming,” according to a report from McKinsey & Company, a research and consulting firm. The firm estimates the global wellness market to be at more than $1.5 trillion, with 5-10% annual growth.
“Consumers intend to keep spending more on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep and mindfulness,” McKinsey said.
Brooke Carter, a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and the manager and clinical director of Element Wellness Center in Hoover, agrees that wellness is becoming more popular.
“People are tired of leaving their health to other people,” Carter said. “It’s better to empower your own health before you rely on someone else to try to fix a problem or a health concern that you could have prevented.”
Wellness means “equipping your body to work at its highest capacity,” she said.
“I think people are trying to get away from treating symptoms and focusing more on prevention,” said Carter, who has worked in healthcare for 18 years.
Element Wellness delivers a system of body balance, energy and proactive healing to allow patients to feel their best, reach their full potential and do more of what they love. They do this by using the eight elements of natural wellness — oxygen, water, cold, rest, nourishment, movement, heat and light.
Dr. Lee Goldenberg opened Element Wellness in July 2022 and also operates Greystone Chiropractic next door.
And Element Wellness is already attracting positive attention. In September, the facility received a 2022 Best of Birmingham Award in the Wellness Center category from the Birmingham Award Program.
Here are some of the services the facility offers:
IV vitamin therapy uses simple, effective vitamin intravenous infusions to help increase energy, enhance immune response and reduce signs of aging.
Whole body cryotherapy uses extreme cooling to treat pain and arthritis, inflammatory disorders and injuries. This technique assists in post-injury recovery, accelerates muscle recovery time, increases energy and endorphin levels and boosts performance.
A full-spectrum infrared sauna allows patients to gain the benefits of each part of the spectrum — far, near and mid infrared. For example, near Infrared light helps with cellular health, wound healing and skin rejuvenation.
Red light therapy uses low-level wavelengths of red light to help repair skin and sun damage, to diminish wrinkles and scars, to increase collagen production and hair growth. The technique can also be used for full-body detox and healing and recovery
The facility provides nutrition consulting from Allie Parsons, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, who focuses on whole-body wellness but specifically enjoys helping patients who are struggling with digestion or hormone Imbalances.
Element also offers yoga classes, led by Teresa Epstein, a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Yoga Teacher who also earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a Certificate in Mental Health at UAB. Yoga brings the body and mind together and is built on three main elements — exercise, breathing and meditation. It improves flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.
A Russellville native, Carter graduated from The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing in 2003 and UAB School of Nursing in 2014. She specialized in family practice and has spent much of her career in gastroenterology.
Brooke has a specific interest in helping patients achieve higher levels of health and wellness through specific vitamin infusions and lifestyle recommendations.
Carter — a Hoover resident — is perfectly suited to her role at Element Wellness said Goldenberg. She is “easy to talk to” and “patients connect with her very well.”
She is also “thorough and detail-oriented,” Goldenberg said. “Brooke will learn about your health and your lifestyle and your goals and figure out what will be best for you.”
Carter said that she has enjoyed the challenge of managing the wellness center.
“This is a very different role for me, but it’s been very rewarding to try something new, to sort of step outside of my comfort zone,” she said.
Working with the facility’s patients has been very gratifying, Carter said. “I previously worked where people are sick, so I’ve really enjoyed doing things to be proactive and trying to avoid illness.”
Element Wellness is also “calming and rejuvenating" and has a spa-like vibe or atmosphere, she said.
“It’s a relaxing environment," she said. “We have fun when patients are in here. I think they always leave here smiling and relaxed and better than they came.”
In her spare time, Carter enjoys spending time with her family, watching her son play baseball,and singing in her acoustic band, We are Wolves.
