Integrative Medicine · Integrative vs Holistic vs Functional · Serving Stonecrest
Integrative Medicine for Stonecrest, FL
Integrative, holistic, functional: three words on three signs within a few miles of Stonecrest, Florida, the Marion County community on US 441, used by clinics that do very different things. None is a protected term, so the sign tells you less than you would hope. Here is the working distinction. Holistic is a philosophy: treat the whole person. Functional is a method: look for the cause in systems and labs. Integrative is a structure: conventional medical oversight and complementary therapies combined in one plan. This practice is integrative in that structural sense. A medical doctor and a board certified acupuncture physician write one plan from acupuncture, trigger point injections, shockwave, laser therapy, cupping, peptides, NAD+ and supplements, twelve to fifteen minutes from Stonecrest.
Led by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: Integrative vs holistic vs functional medicine, explained from inside an integrative clinic for Stonecrest, FL. 12 to 15 minutes away. Integrative, holistic, functional: three words on three signs within a few miles of Stonecrest, Florida, the Marion County community on US 441, used by clinics that do very different things.
Three Words, Three Things
Integrative vs holistic vs functional medicine: what each one commits a clinic to.
The useful question is not which word is on the door but what the word obliges the clinic to do for you.
Holistic: a philosophy
Treat the whole person, mind and body, not a body part. Almost every clinic claims it and it commits them to nothing specific. A holistic clinic can be excellent or can be a massage table and a supplement shelf. Ask what the therapies are and who is licensed to deliver them.
Functional: a method
Trace symptoms to systems and measure them, often with labs. Done well it is rigorous; done badly it becomes enormous speculative panels and twelve month programs. We use the method narrowly, on the handful of things worth measuring, and say what we do not do.
Integrative: a structure
Conventional medical oversight and complementary therapies on the same plan, written by people who talk. The commitment is concrete: an MD in the loop, therapies chosen by evidence, and a referral when the problem is outside the toolset. That is the word we use, and this is what it obliges us to.
So is this clinic holistic? In the sense that a knee is attached to a person who sleeps badly and has stopped walking, yes. In the sense of treating energy fields or selling a lifestyle, no. We are an integrative medical practice with an acupuncture physician and a physician, and the plan is only as holistic as your problem requires.
What Integrative Looks Like Here
Eight therapies, one hallway, one plan.
The structure shows up in small things. Dr. Cheshire needles a Stonecrest patient's arthritic knee and, in the same visit, runs laser therapy over the joint. If a trigger point in the thigh keeps resetting the pain, Dr. Phipps does the injection down the hall rather than across town in three weeks. If the heel is the real driver, shockwave is added. If the patient is too exhausted to walk the rehab distance, NAD+ or a peptide course is discussed, with its thin evidence stated. Cupping and acupuncture carry the covered part of most plans.
The grading is the other half of the structure. Acupuncture for chronic pain: a pooled analysis of about 18,000 patients Source: Vickers et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012 (29 trials, 17,922 patients), the strongest evidence here. Shockwave: repeated trials for heels and tendons Source: Sun et al., Medicine, 2017 (9 placebo-controlled trials, 935 patients). Laser therapy and cupping: real but mixed. Peptides and NAD+: promising, mostly animal or small human studies. A plan is built from the top of that list downward, and you are told where each line sits.
What To Expect
What happens at the first integrative medicine visit for Stonecrest patients?
Free consultation
Twenty minutes with Dr. Cheshire to hear the problem and say whether the integrative structure has something for it.
Exam and records, both clinicians
Hands-on exam, imaging and medications read, baseline measurements taken, and Dr. Phipps consulted on anything injectable or medically managed.
One written plan
Two or three therapies that share a visit, with evidence tier, visit count and price for each.
Checkpoint
At two to four weeks your numbers are compared with baseline. Continue, change or stop, and refer if the problem belongs elsewhere.
Cost and Insurance
How much does integrative medicine cost for Stonecrest patients, and what does insurance cover?
Per therapy
Holistic and functional clinics often sell programs. We price each therapy on its own and quote the course in writing. Free consultation, no program fee, no membership.
Insurance
Acupuncture is covered by many plans, which is one practical advantage of the integrative structure over a cash-only holistic clinic. Shockwave, laser therapy, peptides and NAD+ are self pay. Verified before the first visit.
Medicare
Original Medicare covers acupuncture for chronic low back pain only Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, within its visit limits, and no other therapy here. Some Advantage plans add acupuncture; we confirm yours.
The first 20 minute consultation is free and no referral is needed. Call 352-430-2720. For reference, consumer cost guides put a single acupuncture visit in the United States at roughly $50 to $150, and we quote your own course in writing at the free consultation. Source: Money.com guide to alternative medicine costs. Insurance and payment details.
Is This You, Stonecrest?
You want the structure, not the slogan.
- You have tried a holistic clinic and liked the attention but saw no measurable change.
- You want a physician involved without giving up acupuncture and manual therapies.
- You have a knee, shoulder, back, heel or recovery problem that spans more than one specialty.
- You want the evidence for each therapy stated, limits included.
- You want a clinic that will refer out when it should.
Whatever the word on the door, these go to a physician or the emergency room first: sudden severe pain, fever with a hot swollen joint, new weakness or numbness, chest symptoms, or a change in bladder or bowel control.
Common Questions
What do Stonecrest patients ask about integrative medicine?
Patient Reviews
What patients say on Google.
Dr. Cheshire is rated 4.6 of 5 on Healthgrades from 11 patient ratings as of October 2026 (Healthgrades profile). The quotes above are from Google.
The Clinic
Where you will be treated.
A short drive from Stonecrest. Ground floor, free parking at the door. Six private treatment rooms.
Getting Here From Stonecrest
12–15 min door to door.
Head south on US 441, then take County Road 466 west to Old Camp Road. Free parking right at the door.
Address910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone352-430-2720
HoursMonday to Thursday, 7 AM to 3 PM
Friday, 7 AM to 12 PM
From Stonecrest12–15 min. Ground floor, step-free entry, free parking. Directions
Stonecrest is close by, and parking is right at the door. Early appointments make it easy to fit care into your week.
Nearby Communities We Also See Patients From
Also For Stonecrest
Other ways we help Stonecrest patients.
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Healthgrades and Google.
About This Page
Written by your care team
Content prepared and reviewed by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM (NCCAOM board certified). Last reviewed September 2026. Content updated October 27, 2026. Serving Stonecrest patients from The Villages.
Educational content only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between patients and nothing here is a guarantee of outcome.
Further reading: NIH NCCIH: complementary, alternative or integrative health, what is in a name · Medicare.gov: acupuncture coverage.
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