Inside Endura Wellness, A Boutique Wellness Clinic in Lynchburg
A nurse practitioner started Endura Wellness after personal medical struggles and now serves the community with personalized healthcare
By: Megan L. Horst | Photos By: Ashlee Glen
Brittany Brown, a nurse practitioner and owner of Endura Wellness, started her practice after experiencing health issues and frustrations with the traditional healthcare system.
“I had been medically gaslighted so many times,” Brown said. After multiple miscarriages and visiting numerous doctors who never discovered the root cause of her struggles, Brown finally found someone who would listen to her and look for the underlying cause of her health issues. Her personal struggle with her health led her to open Endura Wellness and instilled in her an even greater passion for helping people.
Left to Right: Brittany Brown, Owner, Nurse Practitioner; Daria Ray, Receptionist; Megan Ringi, Registered Nurse
“If I can take my pain and make it a purpose and help others, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Brown said.
At Endura Wellness, they strive to offer personalized healthcare that finds and treats the root cause, rather than simply masking symptoms. In the months that they have been open, they have grown significantly, and she predicts an expansion in the future.
“It’s been a blessing,” Brown said, “As a human being, I was obviously very fearful in going into business by myself, but the good Lord—He literally has led us the entire way. So we are very very blessed, that’s for sure.”
The practice offers a variety of services, including bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, a weight loss program, IV therapy, and ozone therapy. Brown explained that she treats a lot of autoimmune disorders, and her practice is the only one in Lynchburg that offers high-dose IV vitamin C and ozone.
“We have a lot of patients who use [IV therapy] in combination with chemotherapy and radiation for cancer treatment or autoimmune disorders,” she said.
Ozone therapy is more commonly used in Europe. In the United States, it is considered to be a more controversial treatment.
“We use it for many different modalities, but ultimately what it does is help boost the immune system,” Brown said.
She has found ozone therapy helpful in supporting patients with autoimmune disorders, respiratory disorders, and other chronic conditions.
“Ultimately, what it’s doing is boosting white blood cells in order for your body to start fighting against whatever is going on,” she said.
The treatment typically takes about an hour and a half. The process involves using the patient’s own blood, which is infused with O3, an extra oxygen molecule. The blood is then slowly infused back under UV therapy.
“It’s not for everybody…there are safeguards behind it,” Brown said. “But it’s one of those things where the population that gets it and needs it, [finds] it very, very helpful to them.”
One of her passions is helping men and women balance their hormones, as she understands firsthand how hormone imbalances can affect overall health and daily life. Although when you think of hormone imbalances, it is more common to think of women’s struggles, she explained that men suffer from hormone imbalances as well. Men’s hormonal imbalances are often overlooked.
“A lot of times [men] present with severe fatigue or anxiety,” Brown said. “As their testosterone starts to drop, it puts them in grave danger of prostate cancer, dementia, and all of the above.” Hormone-related issues are becoming more of a problem, and Brown said she is seeing more hormone imbalances than ever before.
“And that’s probably multi-factorial,” she explained. “It can be environmental, obviously, a lot of things that we put on our hair and our skin have neurotoxins in them or endocrine toxins.”
Brown said that everyone will eventually go through hormone decline with age, but recently, they are seeing a trend of younger people having issues.
“We’re seeing men at the age of 35 declining at least one percent if not more per year,” Brown said. “Women, we’re seeing in their earlier 30s now instead of pre-menopause, which is thought to be in the 40s.” She explained that genetics can also play a role in hormone function.
Her method uses a combination of science-driven care and a more holistic approach.
“I try to take a very integrative approach as much as possible,” she said. Looking in-depth at thyroid, gut function, and quality sleep are just a few of the things she considers when looking at someone’s overall health.
She believes one aspect of her practice that sets Endura Wellness apart from others is that she personally takes time with every patient and listens to their story.
“When you come see me, especially for the first time, you get a whole hour with me,” Brown said. “I like to dive into your history and ask questions.
I want you to bring questions. With that is education. You cannot advocate for yourself if you don’t know what is going on in your own body. So, my job is to teach you that.”
She looks at her patients as part of her family and wants to be accessible to them. They have designed their practice to be welcoming and family oriented, creating an atmosphere that feels safe and open to everyone.
“My goal is to help everybody,” Brown said. “As many people as I possibly can.”
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