The 6 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Primum No Nocere ~ First, do no harm
Vis Medicatrix Naturae ~ The healing power of nature
Tolle Causam ~ Identify and treat the root cause
Tolle Totum ~ Treat the whole person
Docere ~ Physician as teacher
Praeventio ~ The best cure is prevention
Botanical Medicine:
Botanical medicine is a form of medicine using plant materials. Herbs have been used across cultures for centuries as the primary form of medicine. Pharmaceuticals are often derived and synthesized from single plant constituents.
Naturopathic Doctors use botanical medicine in the form of tinctures (liquid extracts of herbs), supplements, teas, oils, creams and ointments. Botanical medicine has proven to be effective for a vast array of health concerns from a runny nose to cancer.
It is very important to remember that even herbs can have potential side effects and may interact with conventional medicines. Naturopathic Doctors are extensively trained and qualified to recognize these interactions and prescribe botanical medicine in a safe personalized prescription for your specific needs.
Clinical Nutrition:
Nobody likes to change their diet, but what many people don’t realize is that it’s their diet that’s limiting their health. Clinical nutrition is aimed at reviewing what it is a patient is putting into their body and recognizing any symptoms that may be present from food sensitivities, vitamin and nutritional deficiencies and or excesses.
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.
– Ann Wigmore
The doctors at our clinic use functional testing to make informed decisions to develop personalized attainable dietary and supplement plans for you. They don’t believe in radical change over night, but rather believe in empowering you to understand your choices. Our doctors work with you, meeting you where you are at to implement sustainable, achievable changes in your diet. All aimed to positively affect your health.
IV & Injection Therapies:
Our Doctors have trained at one of the highest regarded educational bodies focusing on therapeutic efficacy and safety.
Example of Injections: B12 and Folic Acid
Common nutrient deficiencies of B12 and folic acid are often found in vegetarians and vegans who are not supplementing properly. B12 is especially important for the function of our nervous system and energy levels. This therapy is a single intramuscular injection of a solution rich in B12 and folic acid aimed at reestablishing proper functioning levels.
Intravenous Vitamin and Minerals
Intravenous administration may be a patient’s most effective way to have minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Oral vitamin-minerals may not work for certain people due to the limitation of intestinal absorption and cellular transport systems. Through the use of intravenous medicine, absorption can be increased.
As a part of the doctor’s assessment they will always perform basic lab testing to ensure proper selection of supplementation based on liver and renal function.
Special Focuses
Are you wondering if Naturopathic care can assist you with the health concerns you face?
Our Doctors have focused much of their continuing education on diagnosis and management of many conditions. They have a great referral and consulting network from their commitments to truly understanding these areas of the body.
At Wild Heart Therapies and Farmacy our team of Naturopathic Doctors treat all ages and stages of life. The Doctors work with age appropriate screening guidelines and take a full individualized health history to determine treatment approaches.
Pediatrics
Naturopathic medical care compliments your child’s ability to heal without interfering with the natural processes that are so vibrant at this age. The naturopathic way emphasizes the following:
- Using of the most gentle and least invasive treatments
- Listening to your child’s symptoms as they are important clues
- Developing a personal growth plan
- Stimulating your child’s natural ability to heal him/herself
Fertility
Our Doctors have helped many couples conceive and has also supported processes such as IUI and IVF. They use herbal medicine as well as lifestyle interventions to improve fertility and ovulation. Our doctors have access to extensive testing that can often help determine, and or give insights into “unknown infertility” .
Endocrine System Irregularities
In focusing on the endocrine system our doctors look at how all the hormones are speaking to each other and enhancing or inhibiting the function of others. They often work with menstrual irregularities, PMS symptoms, endometriosis and PCOS.
Thyroid Management
Often thyroid issues are misdiagnosed or poorly diagnosed at best. Our doctors do thorough testing to get to the root of your thyroid dysfunction and then helps to manage the cause, whether it be an autoimmune hashimotos thyroid, or conversion problems between T4 and T3, or a nutrient deficiency. They love working with these cases because they feel confident that they are able to return vitality and quality of life to these patients.
Menopause
Though Menopause is a very natural transition period in a woman’s life, not all women experience it the same. Our doctors work regularly with peri and post menopausal women to ease the transition, and help women understand what is happening in their bodies. They often uses herbs and nutrients to support the transition, but our prescribing doctors also have the capacity and experience to use bioidentical hormone therapy should the situation call for it. Whether you’re losing sleep, having hot flashes or truly not feeling yourself, working with one of our doctors may help to improve your transition.
Perimenopause
Irregular periods, heavier periods and major swings with off and on hot flashes are all a part of the perimenopause phase. Often women experience weight gain and insomnia as indicators that their cycle is changing. Our doctors are trained to recognize what are normal symptoms during this time and what symptoms need further support or investigation.
Stress and Adrenal Dysfunction
Next to thyroid conditions, this is a condition that is commonly seen at our Clinic. These patient are often feeling exhausted, have a flat lined mood, have lost their sex drive and are experiencing changes to their sleep and coping abilities. Our doctors use functional lab testing to investigate exactly how a persons system is working in relation to their symptoms. They have treatment options that range from simple lifestyle interventions to medication use to treat this condition. Our doctors see this as an underdiagnosed epidemic of our time, and is often due to the pressures of our culture and our tendency to go go go, and not actually take the steps needed to cultivate resiliency and restoration.
Gastrointestinal Dysfunction
From dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora), infection and parasites to irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease and food intolerances, our doctors are skilled in helping to revamp gastrointestinal health. They support patients daily with colitis, crohns disease, celiac, as well as conditions such as reflux/heartburn , chronic diarhea or constipation. Our doctors are able to perform food intolerance testing (see lab page) as well as advanced gastrointestinal panels to help get to the route cause of what is going on in one of your most important systems in your body.
Autoimmune Dysfunction
Autoimmune conditions present themselves as a confusion in the immune system, where the body starts to recognize itself as foreign and mounts a destructive response to a specific area of the body. Often the only option presented to patients when working with autoimmune conditions, are to use biologics which non selectively shut down the entire immune response. Our doctors work to adjunctively support the affected branches of the immune system while continuing to selectively suppress the affected overdrive. They know that there are so many more ignored, under acknowledged influences on autoimmune conditions that make a huge difference when addressed. This is a major part of their practice.
Geriatrics
Elders maintain the wisdom of our communities. It is our doctor’s goal to help transition seniors into making the last years of their lives vital. Our clinics focus with seniors is to reinforce their healthy lifestyle habits, keep patients mobile and active as well as to check in around support and relationships during this phase of their lives. Many 60 and 70 year olds are what 40 and 50 year olds used to be, vivacious, lively and ready to take on life! Our doctors work to enhance these qualities while supporting the required screening and preventative medicine interventions that will be of most benefit to our patients.
