Treatments

Nutritional Therapy

By taking into account your symptoms, age, gender, heritage, lifestyle, laboratory testing, and other factors, I try to tailor nutritional guidelines to optimize your health. I investigate for nutritional deficiencies by evaluating your diet, your symptoms, and through laboratory testing. Testing for food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies can allow me to customize your diet. Then I recommend an eating plan and key nutrient supplements that will help you feel your best and that works for you.

Botanical Medicine / Herbs

I have studied botanical medicine (herbs) for over 15 years and have a deep appreciation for their healing capabilities.  Herbs have complex constituents and therefore have multi-faceted therapeutic effects on our physiology.  I love herbs for their ability to modulate our physiology such that our health is improved and strengthened even after we discontinue taking them, unlike many medications.  Herbs can be used for a variety of infections, to boost immune function, for hormonal imbalances, for anti-oxidant effects, to slow the aging process, to improve digestion, and to counter stress. 

Bodywork - Massage, Cranial-Sacral Therapy, Hydrotherapy

I blend a combination of swedish massage, cranial-sacral therapy, and hydrotherapy.  I have found massage, cranial sacral therapy, and hydrotherapy to be helpful for many health conditions.  Since stress makes almost any illness worse, bodywork  can support healing of many health concerns because it is very relaxing, restorative, and stress-relieving.  Massage is also pivotal in facilitating healing of musculoskeletal conditions such as chronic neck or back pain, strain-sprain injuries, arthritis, TMJ, plantar fascitis, fibromyalgia, etc.

Pregnancy Massage Therapy

I am certified in pregnancy massage therapy through Carol Osborne's Pre- and Perinatal massage therapy program.  I am trained in prenatal massage guidelines, precautions, contraindications, and safe positioning during pregnancy.  I have learned specific massage techniques that can ease the common aches and pains that can occur during pregnancy.  There are many benefits of regular massage during pregnancy such as:  stress reduction, improved circulation, and reduced back and leg pain.  In one study, pregnant women massaged twice weekly for 5 weeks experienced less anxiety, less back and leg pain, better sleep, improved moods, and their labors had fewer complications, including fewer premature births.

Cranial-Sacral Therapy

Cranial-Sacral therapy is a gentle therapy that uses light touch to release bony restrictions in the skull and spinal collumn.  Tension in the brain and spinal cord can compromise function of the central nervous system and many other systems in the body.  Cranial-Sacral therapy releases these tensions with distinctive light-touch techniques allowing the central nervous system to perform at its best.  Cranial-Sacral therapy can be useful for migraines, headaches, chronic neck or back pain, brain and spinal cord injuries, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, TMJ, scoliosis, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD.

Optimizing Digestive Health

The health of the digestive system can have profound impacts on the rest of one\'s body. Many symptoms originate in faulty digestion or digestive infections. I investigate for food allergies, Celiac's disease, and intestinal infections that may contribute to your symptoms. Many skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis will improve by addressing digestive health. I also evaluate diet and lifestyle habits that may be compromising digestion. Optimizing digestive health will improve the nutrition of the rest of your body to help you feel your best.

Laboratory Testing

· Allergy testing (blood antibody test) - foods, inhalants, herbs, spices
· Gastrointestinal testing for parasites, yeast overgrowth, pathogenic bacteria
· Celiac disease testing
· Hormone testing (adrenal, thyroid, female and male hormones)
· General screening blood work (cholesterol, blood sugar, liver function, etc.)
· Nutrient testing (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids)
· Anemia testing
· Lyme's disease
· Oxidative stress markers
· Cardiovascular health markers

Prescription Medications

While I attempt to address most health concerns with natural treatments such as herbs, supplements, and homeopathy, I do prescribe prescription medications when necessary. For example I prescribe thyroid medication for hypothyroidism, unique compounded topical formulations for skin conditions, and antibiotics for severe infections.

Lifestyle Counseling

I often recommend improvements in lifestyle habits to help you feel your best. For example, I may suggest things that can be done to improve air quality in the home for people with allergies. For skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis I may make suggestions on topical products and bathing habits. I also may recommend sauna therapy, changes in sleep habits, or specific movement therapies.

Counseling

Due to the inter-dependent relationship of the mind and the body counseling techniques are often a very supportive treatment to optimize health and healing. Counseling techniques can catalyze profound changes in physical, mental, and emotional health. As a naturopathic doctor I have a strong understanding of physiology while at the same time I have a deep appreciation for the relationship of physical, mental, and emotional health. This gives me the unique opportunity to utilize counseling techniques to address physical problems.  And research shows that changing thought processes in turn can change physiology. That's cool!

Homeopathy

I frequently see patients for mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief, or post-traumatic stress and find that homeopathy is a gentle yet often very effective method for addressing these conditions. Similar in some ways to a counseling visit, homeopathy visits are focused on letting the patient express their symptoms in depth and in their own words. This itself can be very therapeutic.

Homeopathy acknowledges your unique experience of your symptoms in order to find a very individualized medicine. Homeopathy is based on the idea of like cures like and uses small doses of natural substances to stimulate healing without side effects. Homeopathy is safe for all ages and a wide variety of health concerns such as colds, flus, headaches, eczema, psoriasis, anxiety, hot flashes, PMS, and low self-esteem.