Identify and Treat the Cause
Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopaths believe the body is prone to health and we are your partner in the process to restore your health. We help you identify and remove hindrances that prevent your innate health. We support the healing process and make recommendations for long term vitality and disease prevention. The following principles guide us and remind of this process.
Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
The Healing Power of Nature
Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the naturopathic physician’s role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.
Identify and Treat the Causes
Illness does not occur without cause. Causes may originate in many areas. Underlying causes of illness and disease must be identified and removed before complete recovery can occur. Symptoms can be expressions of the body’s attempt to defend itself, to adapt and recover, to heal itself, or may be results of the causes of disease.
First Do No Harm
Naturopathic physicians utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful effects, and apply the least possible force or intervention necessary to diagnose illness and restore health. Whenever possible the suppression of symptoms is avoided as suppression generally interferes with the healing process.
Doctor As Teacher
The original meaning of the word ‘doctor’ is teacher. A principal objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient and emphasize self-responsibility for health.
Treat the Whole Person
Health and disease result from a complex of physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. Naturopathic medicine recognizes the harmonious functioning of all aspects of the individual as being essential to health.
Prevention
Naturopathic medical colleges emphasize the study of health as well as disease. The prevention of disease and the attainment of optimal health in patients are primary objectives of naturopathic medicine. In practice, these objectives are accomplished through education and the promotion of healthy ways of living. Naturopathic physicians assess risk factors, heredity, and susceptibility to disease, and make appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness.
Naturopathic practice includes the following diagnostic and treatment modalities: utilization of all methods of clinical and laboratory diagnostic testing including diagnostic radiology and other imaging techniques; nutritional medicine; dietetics and therapeutic fasting; medicines of mineral, animal and botanical origin; hygiene and public health measures; naturopathic physical medicine including naturopathic manipulative therapies; the use of water, heat, cold, light, electricity, air, earth, electromagnetic and mechanical devices, ultrasound, and therapeutic exercise; homeopathy; psychotherapy and counseling. Naturopathic practice excludes major surgery and the use of most synthetic drugs.
Naturopathic Medicine for Anxiety and Depression
Modern life is so busy. With little time for self-care, our lives feel out of control. In addition, we are aging and physical changes intensify our struggle to stay sane. We turn to the internet, which can be overwhelming when we are looking for help. You need accurate, useable information and you need an individualized plan. In the quest for balance, your habits are important, and enhance or detract from your mental health. You need someone to look at your big picture.
As a licensed naturopathic physician, I offer comprehensive natural therapies for optimal mental health. I use diet analysis, to make sure you are getting crucial nutrients, and address lifestyle, including enhancing sleep and exercise. I consider hormones that may be involved with anxiety and depression and order blood, saliva, or urine tests if indicated. I recommend herbs, supplements and hormones that are well-studied, safe and effective for anxiety and depression.
Naturopathic physicians value time with their patients, and first visits with me are an hour. We go through all of your habits of self-care on a day to day basis. I make recommendations and together we develop a practical plan. I do physical exams and labs if needed, communicate with therapists and refer to psychiatrists when appropriate.
Detoxification
There are many indications for detoxification: inability to lose weight, fatigue and sluggishness, exposure to environmental pollutants, desire to reset health habits, and prevention of chronic disease. Depending on your history, it may be appropriate to conduct testing for pollutants, heavy metals, or food sensitivities. These tests can guide your choice of detoxification strategies.
A generally healthy person, without identified exposures, also benefits from detoxification programs. I like to recommend a two-week cleanse diet, with an extremely clean eating pattern, at least once a year. I prefer this to other methods of detoxification, such as fasting and juice cleanses, due to its practicality. You can work, exercise and follow your regular routine. You are supported during your cleanse diet with supplements to decrease inflammation, promote beneficial gut bacteria and support liver function, which is where detoxification happens.
The two-week diet eliminates most major food allergies and sensitivities. It is an ideal time to discover if subtle complaints, such as fatigue, are diet related. Adding foods back one at a time, in a systematic way, can confirm symptoms of food sensitivities.