Nicely earlier than the COVID disaster turned the world on its head in early 2020, well being and wellness was already a front-burner subject for a lot of Individuals. Over the previous decade, breakthroughs in medicines have quickly progressed within the remedy of illnesses like fibromyalgia, diabetes, weight problems and a slew of different persistent illnesses and situations.
Misplaced within the combine, nonetheless, are developments in how remedies are delivered.
On the forefront of those strategies is intravenous (IV) remedy—the administration of fluids and drugs by way of the veins.
“Plenty of the advantage of IV remedy—whether or not you’re getting IV remedy in a hospital, IV fluids or nutritional vitamins—is that you just’re getting that stuff straight into your cells,” mentioned Brian Johnson, a Household Nurse Practitioner. “It doesn’t cross by way of your intestinal tract.”
Alongside together with his spouse, Pamela Johnson, Brian is the founding father of Mountain River IV, Well being & Wellness right here in Idaho Falls. Persistent sicknesses and illnesses that they deal with embrace nervousness/despair, gastrointestinal points, fatigue, fibromyalgia and extra.
“We selected to go together with the IV remedy route principally due to my very own historical past,” Pamela mentioned. “I’ve some persistent sicknesses, like fibromyalgia and a genetic defect known as MTHFR, which impacts how I assimilate sure nutritional vitamins.”
When the couple had first married, Pamela had been administered IV’s that had been instrumental in treating her situations. As she started to appreciate her private, firsthand appreciation for the remedy, Brian was racking up substantial hands-on expertise.
“As a paramedic and a Life Flight nurse, he discovered to do IV’s very effectively,” Pamela mentioned. “He’s received fairly the ability for it.”
One factor that separates the Johnsons’ enterprise from different IV companies—together with a mess of so-called “IV drip bars” popping up across the nation—is that Mountain River is an built-in medical clinic.
“Sure there are athletes who might have to hydrate earlier than or after an occasion, and naturally, folks can are available in and simply get the fluids,” Pamela mentioned. “However what makes us distinctive is that every particular person is available in and might have a one-on-one assembly with Brian, the place he evaluations their well being historical past, checks to see if there are any background points happening, or any indicators that could be inflicting the situations that they’ve.”
As a medical clinic, Mountain River has the power to attract labs to verify a affected person’s ranges, after which create a protocol that’s particular to that particular person.
“You’re not simply ordering off some menu hoping it does one thing for you,” Pamela mentioned.
Does this imply Mountain River’s IV remedy might be lined by insurance coverage? Sadly, no.
“This isn’t like IV’s that you’d usually get in a hospital setting,” Pamela mentioned. “These are nutritional vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. All of that falls consistent with ‘integrative medication,’ and most insurances don’t cowl it.”
Nonetheless, Mountain River is ready to create a superbill (an in depth bill outlining the companies a shopper has obtained) to be used with a well being financial savings account or versatile spending card.
Past its IV companies, Mountain River offers remedies for males’s well being. Specialties embrace hormone remedy, erectile dysfunction and low libido.
Extra lately, the clinic has discovered a distinct segment in relation to the continued pandemic.
Launching a enterprise throughout COVID may sound like a dangerous transfer, however for Mountain River, the choice has made some loopy good sense.
“After all you by no means need dangerous issues to occur, however one of many advantages we’ve had…is the analysis that has been performed on the significance of vitamin and sure nutritional vitamins and minerals which can be serving to folks recover from COVID,” Pamela mentioned. “We’ve received a number of sufferers who received it final yr and are nonetheless having that long-hauler syndrome. They arrive in like they’re the strolling useless, however as they stroll out they’re capable of have conversations, joke and chuckle.”
One other space of distinctive service from Moun-tain River is genetic testing, which helps Brian recommend particular micronutrients.
“It helps us come at it with a extra dialed-in method as a substitute of a shotgun method,” he mentioned. “We are able to do that by way of intravenous administration or intramuscular injections, after which additionally get you arrange with some medical grade dietary supplements that can assist carry these ranges again as much as a standard vary.”
For the total gamut of Mountain River’s remedies, services, visit www.mountainriverhealth.net or name 208-528-6749. The clinic is positioned at 2285 E twenty fifth (Hitt Highway).
Click here to read more of the February issue of Idaho Falls Magazine.
