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MEET DR. JOHNSON
Dr. Johnson is the founder and Medical Director of The Johnson Center for Health which has expanded the practice in Virginia to include Blacksburg and Virginia Beach. Dr. Johnson is the only MD and functions as chief medical director for the practice, personally researching all of the treatments offered and acting as the catalyst through which all medical care is provided. Each of the practitioners at The Johnson Center has been hand selected, each with their own amazing gifts to treat patients.
Rebalancing Therapy is our unique method of using a holistic approach to find the root of your medical concerns, restore cellular balance, and rejuvenate the body and brain for lasting health and well-being. Read more about our Rebalancing Therapy.
Dr. Johnson stays at the forefront of emerging research and highly vets the services we offer to our patients. She focuses on prevention through Lifestyle Medicine such as nutrition, diet, and exercise, use of the latest laboratory testing; and prescribes a combination of prescription medications and/or botanical medicines, quality supplements, therapeutic diets, and stress management techniques.
Dr. Johnson has focused on Cellular and Longevity Medicine with an emphasis on Women's Health. Women are especially vulnerable to chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's and Autoimmune and Dr. Johnson established a movement to support women to age healthy called Age Elegantly. Read more here.
I know first hand what it's like to face a heath challenge when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This began my personal journey into functional and cellular medicine to overcome this diagnosis.
"I was around 45 when my life abruptly changed. I used to be a professional ballet dancer, competed in biathlons, ran 10k’s, and could stay up for 36 hours on trauma call as a surgeon. I felt indestructible.
But then I was diagnosed with MS. The diagnosis was a complete surprise as I thought I was very healthy. I was on no medications, exercised regularly, not overweight, and had no usual symptoms.
But this diagnosis was a wake-up call. I was not as healthy as I thought and looking back I realize a few vague symptoms were present..." Read more about Dr. Johnson's journey.
The most important thing that I know about Health
By using a holistic approach to find the root of your medical concerns, one can restore cellular balance, and rejuvenate the body and brain for lasting health and well-being.Treating the body as a whole and bringing your biological systems back into balance or homeostasis is the key to
long-term and lasting health
Our health is the cumulative effects of thousands upon thousands of decisions we make every day and how our genes and cells respond to those decisions. Maintaining homeostasis and swiftly adapt to changes amid an influx of good and bad signals is how we stay healthy. Our bodies have an amazing capacity to buffer unfavorable events and recover when things go awry. With few exceptions, we are born with enough buffering capacity to withstand the subtle metabolic drifts that come with aging if we choose enough of the right signals to keep our resilience strong
Meet Dr. Barbara Johnson
Dr. Johnson received her medical training at the Medical College of Georgia and then completed a five-year General and Trauma Surgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She was Chief Resident in her fifth year and Chief of Surgical Trauma as a fourth-year resident at Grady Hospital, the busy Level 1 trauma center in Atlanta. She pursued private practice in Atlanta as a General Surgeon before moving to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. She continued as a General Surgeon and then specialized in Bariatric Surgery (surgery for obese patients). She established and set up the Bariatric program which promoted lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise, and if needed, surgery.
Johnson stepped down from Surgery to pursue wellness and preventive care after practicing for 10 years as a general surgeon. Having seen the worst of the population as a general and bariatric surgeon and seeing first hand how conventional medicine was failing, she wanted to work 'upstream', to prevent the epidemic of chronic disease. Conventional medicine is driven by illness and disease so Johnson turned to functional medicine which is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century.
Dr. Johnson has focused on Cellular and Longevity Medicine with a focus on Women's Health. Women are especially vulnerable to chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's and Autoimmune and Dr. Johnson established a movement to support women to age healthy called Age Elegantly. Read more here.
Certificates and Extensive Training in:
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Fellowship in Cellular Medicine
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Specialist in Women's Health
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Certification in Clinical Genomic Analysis
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Certification in Peptides
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Certification in Advanced Endocrinology through A4M and Specialist in Hormone Replacement Therapy
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Certification in Lifestyle Medicine
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Certification in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine through A4M
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Completed training with Dr. Dale Bredesen in utilizing the Cognoscopy and Bredesen Protocols for Alzheimer's treatment and prevention.
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Completed training through the Institute for Functional Medicine in the fields of Cardiometabolic Medicine, Immunology, Detoxification, GI Medicine, Hormones and others.
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Extensive Training in Genomics, Epigenetics, and Metabolomics.
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Certification in Nutritional Science.
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Extensive Training in Environmental Acquired Illnesses such as Lyme's Disease, Mold, and Environmental Toxicants.
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Certified in General Surgery, Trauma and Intensive Care
My Moment of Realization
Trained in conventional medicine, I never questioned the doctrine of medicine in the United States which is based on evidence-based medicine and stated to have the best medical system in the world. Doctors coming from other countries have to complete a U.S. residency program to be a licensed physician. Most U.S. doctors can practice anywhere in the world without additional training validating the superior education of US physcians. But then I started to question my training. If U.S. doctors really are the best trained then how is it possible that the U.S. is the 54th healthiest country in the world? Shouldn't we at least be in the top ten? What I saw and was doing as a bariatric surgeon often felt inadequate for the patient. I thought that what I was reading in the medical literature and doing was based on solid scientific facts. It wasn't until I read Gary Taubes "Good Calories and Bad Calories" that I questioned the system.
As Dr. Jack Kruse, a brilliant neurosurgeon, said, "Evidence-based medicine is laudable if the underlying foundation is based upon undeniably true facts. But when the underlying science is faulty, the gold-standard trial becomes worthless." And unfortunately studies are subject to the influences of many biasis and relies on population based studies assuming that YOU will fall into this 68% group at the top of the bell curve. Yet every one is an individual with unique DNA and genetic make-up and people react differently to the same medication or diet protocol. One size does NOT fit all. Physicians cannot continue to use treatment algorithms that are flawed if the goal is to promote individual health. Our emphasis as doctors must be to promote healthy aging - not simply to try and repair what has already been damaged by disease. Unfortunately the industry is vested in treating diseases and not healthy people which is why insurance compaines don't usually cover those services and leave people struggling to find solutions.
We all want to be healthy and live a long, healthy life, free of debilitating diseases and conditions. You only walk this earth once so make the best of it and enjoy every day. So, join me in working together with you, as the patient, to make changes in your diet and lifestyle. Yes, you have to invest time and money to gain optimal health but your health is your most valuable asset. Start your journey today!