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Our Services:
- ADD - Alternatives for Children and Adults
- Hydrotherapy
- Hypnosis Psychotherapy
- Infertility
- Lifestyle Enhancement
- Nutritional Therapies
- Women's Health
- Annual Pap Smear Exams
- Cervical Dysplasia
- Endometriosis
- Menopause
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is a system of medicine that blends the latest advancements in science with principles taught centuries ago.
Naturopathic medicine attempts to find the underlying cause of the patient’s condition rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. Naturopathic Physicians cooperate with all other branches of medical science referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.
Licensed Naturopathic Physicians complete 4 years of postgraduate training and complete 2 years of supervised clinical training.
The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
- First Do No Harm Primum non nocere
Nature acts powerfully through healing mechanisms in the body and mind to maintain and restore health. Naturopathic physicians work to support these inherent healing systems when they have broken down by using methods, medicines and techniques that are in harmony with natural processes.
- The Healing Power of Nature Vis medicatrix naturae
Naturopathic physicians prefer noninvasive treatments which minimize the risks of harmful side-effects. They are trained to know which patients they can treat safely and which they need to refer to other health care practitioners.
- Find the Cause Tolle Causam
Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of the lifestyle, diet or habits of the individual. Naturopathic Physicians are trained to find and remove the underlying cause of a disease. Symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt to heal, they are not the cause of disease and therefore should not be suppressed by treatment. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and treated before a person can recover completely from illness.
- Treat the Whole Person Tolle totum
Health or disease comes from a complex interaction of physical, emotional, dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and other factors. Naturopathic physicians treat the whole person, taking these factors into account.
- Doctor as Teacher Docere
The original meaning of the word "doctor" is teacher. A principle objective of Naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient, emphasizing prevention and self-responsibility for health. Naturopathic Physicians also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relations.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese medicine that is recognized all over the world for its effectiveness in treating a wide variety of ailments. Acupuncture is a noninvasive, natural and holistic approach for treating many disorders and illnesses. It works to stimulate the body's natural healing processes. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that acupuncture stimulates the flow of energy (chi) that nourishes tissue stimulates blood flow and enhances the body's functioning.
Bodywork
The term bodywork refers to a family of therapies including massage, deep tissue manipulation and movement awareness which are employed to improve the structure and functioning of the body. Bodywork in all its forms helps to reduce pain, soothe injured muscles, stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation, increase flexibility and promote deep relaxation.
Colon Hydrotherapy
Colon hydrotherapy cleanses the colon through gentle water infusions. A healthy colon is essential for the absorption of vital nutrients and the natural elimination of bodily waste and toxins. Colon therapy promotes normal colon function by restoring and maintaining the health of the colon.
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. The bones of the skull are manipulated to treat a range of conditions, from headache and ear infection to stroke, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. For decades various forms of cranial manipulation have been used to improve overall body functioning, and today craniosacral therapy is gaining acceptance by health professionals worldwide as a successful treatment modality.
Detoxification Therapy
Detoxification, which is the attempt to cleanse the body's internal systems and organs by natural means, is one of the oldest known medical treatments. Historically, it was achieved simply by fasting, or deliberately abstaining from taking in food for a certain period of time. In modern times however, with the growing concern over environmental contaminants of all types, detoxification is advocated by some as a necessary means of staying healthy. Naturopaths who hold that illness can be healed by the natural processes of the body are the most vigorous supporters of detoxification, since they believe that one primary cause of disease is the accumulation of wastes.
Environmental Medicine
Environmental medicine explores the role of dietary and environmental allergens in health and illness. Factors such as dust, molds, chemicals, and pollution may cause allergic reactions that can dramatically influence diseases ranging from asthma and hay fever to headaches and depression.
Enzyme Therapy
Enzyme therapy can be an important first step in restoring health and well-being by helping to remedy digestive problems. Plant enzymes and pancreatic enzymes are used in complementary ways to improve digestion and absorption of essential nutrients. Enzymes are particularly important for those with sluggish or absent gallbladders.
Flower Remedies
The emotions play a crucial role in the health of the physical body. Flower remedies directly address a person's emotional state in order to help facilitate both psychological and physiological well-being. Flower remedies can effectively remove the emotional barriers to health and recovery in a safe, effective and gentle way.
Herbal medicine
The use of plants to treat disease can be found in every known human culture and period of history. Extensive scientific documentation now exists concerning their use for countless health conditions. From St. John's Wort to treat depression to new scientific research from Germany on silymarin's effect on the liver, Western herbalism is entering a new period of intensive activity, interest and growth.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a low-cost, nontoxic system of medicine used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. It is particularly effective in treating chronic illnesses that fail to respond to conventional treatment, and is also a superb method of self-care for minor conditions such as the common cold and flu.
Hypnosis
Change undesirable behaviors such as smoking, overeating and nail biting with the pleasant experience of hypnosis. Transform anxieties, pain, lack of confidence or specific phobias with hypnosis as well. Hypnosis can also be used for enhancing sports performances, speech making and other types of challenges. Sherry Byerss was trained at Milton Erickson Foundation in Phoenix and has used hypnosis for years as a way to help people attain their goals.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the use of water, ice, steam, and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation, and the application of hot, and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is used to manage numerous medical and psychological problems. Hypnotic techniques can help a person stop smoking, overcome alcohol and substance abuse, and reduce overeating. Hypnotherapy is also effective in treating stress, sleep disorders, and mental health problems such as anxiety, fear, phobias, and depressions.
Nutrition
Conventional medicine has finally acknowledged the central role diet plays in a person's health. But achieving a good diet is not as simple as it sounds. Eating the right foods no longer insures proper health due to toxins contaminating the earth's food supply. Therefore, it is important to pay attention not only to what food to eat, but to where that food was grown or raised, and to what chemicals it might have been exposed to before it reaches the table.
Nutritional Supplements
Recent research has demonstrated that diet alone may not be sufficient to supply the nutrients necessary for wellness. While most experts agree that nutritional supplements are vital for a variety of illness, injuries and age-related problems, vitamin and mineral supplements can also help to maintain optimal physical and psychological health, and promote longevity and chronic disease prevention.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient method of health care that combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, massage, and therapeutic exercise. The Chinese view of the body as an interrelated system of energy and physical matter permeates many different forms of alternative medicine.
Annual Pap Smear Exams
The Papanicolau test or “Pap smear” is the best screening tool for detecting malignancies of the cervix. The test was designed to identify abnormal cervical cells and to detect precursor lesions in the cervix. Cervical cancer is one of the more preventable cancers due to the use of Pap smears, and the frequency of cervical cancer has been steadily decreasing throughout the decades. There are approximately 12,400 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in the United States; it is still the third most frequent malignancy after endometrial and ovarian carcinomas. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that women undergo annual Pap smears and pelvic examinations either at the age of 18 or at the onset of sexual activity. Annual exams are recommended for most women; even those who have had a hysterectomy. Less frequent exams can be done if a woman falls into a “low-risk” category. Low-risk criteria include:
- Onset of sexual activity at older than 20 years old
- Less than 3 sexual partners (lifetime)
- Nonsmoker
- Previously normal pap smear
- No prior history of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) or other STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections)
- Use of barrier method contraception (i.e. – condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, female condom)
For these women, Pap smears can be done every 2-3 years after 3 normal annual exam results. If a woman does not fall into this category, screening should be performed annually. In the past 25 years, Pap smears appear to have decreased the frequency of invasive cervical cancer by 50%. This speaks to the enormous benefit of annual exams. Pap smears and pelvic exams are necessary components of preventative maintenance for all women.
Women's Health
Holistic Medical Clinic has a special interest in the health of women. Treating many conditions and health concerns unique to women, we take strive to stay on the cutting edge of medical advancements. Offering natural and integrative treatment for:
- Routine annual exams
- Irregular menses
- Infertility
- Menopause
- PMS
- Abnormal pap smears
- Cervical dysplasia
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids
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