Candice Boyer, D.O., firmly believes in the quote by New York Times best-selling author Dr. Izabella Wentz: “A person who is healthy has a thousand dreams. A person who’s not healthy has just one. And, it’s to feel better. When you can give someone their health back, they can go after all of their dreams.” As an osteopathic physician who is board certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine, osteopathic manipulative medicine and integrative medicine, Boyer empowers patients to regain real health through her practice, Lancaster County Osteopathic & Integrative Health (LCOIH).

Osteopathic manipulative medicine aims to work with the natural machinery of the body for normal or reparative function. Boyer earned her medical degree in 2004 from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and she completed her residency and fellowship at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, where she still serves as an adjunct professor. She teaches family medicine residents at Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center as well.

She notes there are not many physicians in the Lancaster area trained in both integrative and osteopathic manipulative medicine. Boyer practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, which encompasses techniques using the hands to diagnose, treat and prevent illness holistically by learning how everything moves within the body.

“Integrative medicine is about being able to really develop a relationship with the patient and empowering them to make really good health decisions, using a mix of natural and medical modalities together to give them what they need for their particular path to health,” Boyer says.

Boyer, along with naturopathic practitioner Rhonda Larson, and registered nurse Janine Muir, use four pillars to help people achieve real health: simple nutrition—teaching patients to eat healthy, organic, whole foods; toxin management—how to reduce exposure to environmental toxins; true movement—focusing on osteopathic manipulative medicine to keep organs, bones, muscles, fascia and cranial bones moving; and empowered choices—giving people the tools they need to achieve real health.

LCOIH provides prenatal nutrition education, along with helping couples prepare for fertility. The clinic offers comprehensive services for women, children and infants. They also offer ionic foot detox services, and there is a massage chair available for patients.

LCOIH offers water therapy for infants—a newer breakthrough in the U.S. for newborn preventative care through osteopathic manipulative medicine. The babies are placed in a floating device with their heads above water, while their bodies move freely in the water. The therapy is designed to relieve whole-body restrictions.

In an effort to help grow the natural health community in Lancaster County, LCOIH also hosts Healing Spaces. Healing Spaces is a collaborative healing environment where natural practitioners from all backgrounds can rent space on an as-needed basis, with a commitment of as little as a half-day per week.

Boyer takes great pride in helping people prevent disease. Children can go through childhood without asthma, ear infections or learning and behavioral disabilities. Boyer also wants women to know they do not have to accept feeling tired and fatigued.

“Often times in our culture, women who are tired and fatigued are just expected to deal with their symptoms as if they are normal. Hashimoto’s disease and adrenal fatigue are common disease processes that cause fatigue. We can help women find hope, because they can get better—with the four pillars of real health. It makes everything we do worthwhile when they get their health back.”

Lancaster County Osteopathic & Integrative Health is located at 835 Houston Run Rd., Ste. 270, in Gap. On January 20, LCOIH will host 21-Day Restart, a whole-body detoxification and restart program that teaches people how to become healthier in the new year. In-person and online options are available. For more information, call 717-207-9133 or visit LCOIH.com. See ad, page, 25.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.