Primary care doctors are a patient’s first contact in the health care system. They provide basic, essential services geared toward diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, disease prevention, and patient education and counseling. If you require more specialized care, they’re the ones who usually provide you with a referral to see a specialist. Some primary care providers treat only children, some treat only adults, and some accept patients of any age.
Here at SourceMD in Encinitas, California, Dr. David Larson provides full-spectrum primary care for patients of all ages — from pediatrics to geriatrics. That includes family medicine, physicals, fitness testing, and integrative psychiatry consultations, among many other services.
What makes our practice unique is that Dr. Larson approaches all of these areas with a lifestyle medicine and integrative/functional medicine focus — and he’s the only doctor in the area to do so.
Integrative medicine is a style of practice that’s healing-oriented, taking into account the well-being of the whole person, not just the symptoms of disease or injury. It’s structured around the doctor-patient therapeutic relationship, and it makes use of all available therapies, both conventional and alternative/complementary.
Functional medicine also uses an integrative approach to treating patients, but it relies heavily on understanding how to prevent and manage complex, chronic diseases, as well as learning their root causes.
Some of our key services include:
Dr. Larson performs all types of physical exams. Some physicals, such as for employment or sports, follow specific guidelines. All physicals, and especially your annual exam, should include recording vital signs, reviewing your medical history, and discussing medications and supplements you take. Screening tests and immunizations are also important.
Dr. Larson listens to all your medical concerns and questions, providing answers to the best of his ability. He also focuses on lifestyle habits that might increase your risk for chronic diseases, like your diet, exercise, stress, and mental health concerns. He provides guidance for living a healthier life in all of these areas.
For members of his concierge practice (members who pay a yearly retainer in exchange for comprehensive services), he provides an extensive physical with numerous diagnostic tests.
Fitness testing provides a baseline level for your resting metabolic rate and determines your physical strengths and weaknesses. This information is important for developing a training regimen or a weight-loss program tailored to your needs.
Your fitness testing may include:
We also perform an electrocardiogram (EKG) to get a baseline of your heart’s strength and activity, as well as diagnostic laboratory tests such as metabolic assays, biochemical pathways, and genetic testing.
Dr. Larson is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has years of experience working as an integrative practitioner. He helps patients dealing with stress and anxiety, balancing work and family, and navigating relationships, as well as those experiencing a wide range of mental health disorders.
As an integrative physician, he firmly believes that your body, mind, and environment all contribute to your mental health. He also believes that physical maladies, such as systemic inflammation, genetic tendencies, and nutritional imbalances, can influence your brain’s overall health.
Depending on the cause of your mental health problems and the severity of your symptoms, Dr. Larson may prescribe medication together with complementary treatments or he may start with alternative therapies. These may include:
Dr. Larson also specializes in positive psychology. He teaches you to use your strengths and a positive mindset to help you craft a fulfilling life.
We have a page that explains the process for becoming one of our patients. The first step is filling out the New Patient Information Request Form. Once we receive it, we’ll contact you.
We accept patients of all ages, and are happy to become the primary care provider for your whole family. One thing you should note is that we do not accept any form of insurance, including Medicare.
If you have any questions, please call our office at 760-230-1317. We look forward to hearing from you.
