Wellness is close to home

This naturopathic doctor has joined forces with other reputable practitioners to bring holistic healing to Cranbrook

1 of 2Dr. Trent Brereton has worked to create a warm, positive environment for his patients. — Heather Lewis photo

2 of 2There are impressive new techniques being used at Kootenay Health Centre, such as cold laser treatments and digital infrared imaging. — Heather Lewis photo

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A local practitioner since 1997, naturopathic doctor Trent Brereton opened his current Cranbrook clinic, Kootenay Health Centre, in 2007. He went above and beyond to make it an inviting place for his patients, taking the original 85-year-old heritage building and restoring it from top to bottom, keeping its traditional features in the process.

He was joined by Kootenay Chiropractic and Kootenay Massage in 2008, and decided to build a new structure in the same heritage style—integrating it with the original building to accommodate the growing family of practitioners.

“I had been interested in health and medicine for years before starting my training,” said Dr. Brereton. “I thought that the principles of naturopathic medicine such as ‘treat the cause’, ‘do no harm’ and ‘doctor as teacher’ suited me. I am interested in finding ways to stimulate the body's healing capacity and natural medicine offers the most opportunity in this regard.”

A much-needed service

Dr. Brereton has had a positive response in the Cranbrook community, and his practice was busy almost immediately upon opening. With more than 1,000 visits a month, the clinic stands as a testament to the openness of locals when it comes to alternative forms of healing.

There is a growing interest in finding the root causes of illness; treating the whole person rather than masking specific symptoms.

“The notion of holism—that health and wellness depends on the entire person in the context of family, local community and, in the end, the entire ecosystem and planet—is very exciting to me,” said Brereton.

The future of healing

There are appealing new treatments available at Kootenay Health Centre. Digital infrared imaging uses a thermographic camera to take digital images of the body, displaying heat detected on the skin's surface. This can help to identify inflammation, degeneration or other important indicators. One helpful use of this technology is in breast thermography, allowing safe, painless and effective assessment of breast health concerns before they become serious.

“Breast thermography also can be used on younger patients just as effectively as older women,” said Dr. Brereton. “Local women have had to travel to the coast or to Calgary to get this health assessment and now it is available right here in Cranbrook.”

Another groundbreaking addition is the option of cold laser treatment, a technique used to reduce pain and inflammation by use of a cold laser light that stimulates tissue healing. 

“We use it to treat neck pain, back pain, arthritis, muscle tears, spasm and all types of tendonitis and inflammation,” Dr. Brereton said. “It, like thermography, is safe, natural and now available here in Cranbrook.”