Curves, the women’s gym in Kalispell on Idaho Street, hosted several medical professionals for a health fair last Wednesday.

The event, meant to showcase some nontraditional forms of medicine for seniors, was part of national senior health and fitness day.

Patty Quiram, manager of Kalispell’s Curves, said the health fair was a good fit even though her gym has women of all ages as members.

“We have all age groups, but a lot of wellness people too,” she said. “We are presenting other options than just traditional medicine.”

The booths in attendance included a mobile chiropractor, a naturopathic doctor, a hearing aid office and physical therapy.

Sarah Baker, publisher of a local health magazine called Senior Scoop, was in attendance and passing out copies of her publication. Inside were health tips, a resource guide, puzzles, recipes and an event calendar. 

“We distribute from Ronan to Whitefish and everywhere in between,” she said. “Everything in it is locally minded for Northwest Montana.”

Dr. Paul Raish, a licensed naturopathic doctor in Kalispell, was also in attendance to explain the benefits of natural cures.

“We really excel at things that conventional medicine doesn’t do,” he said. “For seniors, things like osteoporosis, arthritis and type 2 diabetes can be treated without medication. It’s especially applicable to the older crowd.”

Other professionals in the crowd gave seniors options that might not be so easy to find. Ultimately, said Elena Teichman, one of the trainers at Curves, the health fair was a convenient showcase.