General
Intravenous therapy is a method of injecting nutritional substances directly into circulation. This is very effective in enhancing mechanisms your body already uses to fight infection by using therapeutic compounds high dose vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen levels in the blood to fight off bacteria, virus, and fungus. This has been successfully used for many conditions such as cancer, Lyme’s Disease, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other complex immune disorders. It is also very helpful in getting nutrients in the body that for many reasons may not be able to be absorbed through the digestive system for many different conditions.
Chelation therapy is in intravenous treatment using the synthetic amino acid “EDTA” (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) to detoxify the body by bonding with the toxic metals in the body and carrying them away in the urine. EDTA has the ability to bond or “hook onto” atoms of calcium, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and others as well as some of the trace minerals. All of these we come in contact with on a daily basis. For more than 40 years chelation has been used successfully for patients with vascular disease such as atherosclerosis as well as heavy metal poisoning. The FDA has approved chelation as the only treatment for lead poisoning.Improving circulation by the removal of accumulated build-up (plaques) the damage the vascular system throughout the body is a primary benefit for patients with heart disease (atherosclerosis), diabetes, and other circulatory diseases. During and following chelation therapy plaques are dissolved very slowly and the blood flow from arteries all the way to the smallest capillaries is improved throughout the body. The removal of non-beneficial heavy metals will free up a burden on the body which has been hindering proper functioning of the immune, endocrine (hormone), and neurological system. These systems are a prime target for heavy metals due to their high affinity for fatty material (myelin sheath of nerves), soft tissue of the organs (kidneys, liver), and receptors of the endocrine system that respond to hormone messages. Disruption of these key systems can cause auto-immune reactions, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue/weakness, and anxiety/depression.In addition to EDTA, patients receive vitamins and minerals in the IV solutions that are essential to good health. Patients are expected to follow a basic program of nonsmoking, diet, and exercise as well as vitamin and mineral supplementation. The doctor will discuss the importance of these issues with you during your treatments. All therapy protocols are according to the American College for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM).
How does naturopathic medicine differ from conventional medicine?
Naturopathic Doctors are trained in diagnostics and laboratory sciences in the same manner as conventional medical practitioners. Where we differ is in the treatments rendered. Our job as a naturopathic doctor is to find the least evasive methods and lifestyle modification to enhance your immune system. Naturopathic medicine does have tools to ease uncomfortable symptoms in both acute and chronic disease, however the medicine is not symptom focused. It is about finding the root cause, addressing it and helping the body to function at its optimum level of wellness. Naturopathic Doctors also spend a significant amount of time with the patient in the first visit to obtain a very thorough history.
Do naturopathic doctors accept insurance?
Reimbursement is based on the plan each patient has and better luck has been achieved with health plans based out of a states recognizing licensed naturopathic practitioners. Submission is always encouraged. Each visit a patient has with us they are given a “superbill” with insurance billing codes and diagnosis codes recognized by all insurance companies for submission. We are here to assist this process in anyway we can to improve your chances of getting reimbursed. Patients in our clinic have received 80-100% of their monies back from Harvard Pilgrim, Cigna, and Aetna.Laboratory companies bill insurance directly for prescribed lab work. We work through Labcorp and Quest Labs in our office. According to Quest, if your insurance provider is contracted through this lab, the service will be covered for most common lab procedures ordered through our office.
How does our office treat Lyme's Disease and associated co-infections?
Lyme’s disease is a very complicated and politically sensitive disease. Our doctors are aware of the physical and emotional burden it can create for the entire family. We also understand the difficulty in finding a practitioner who will treat the problem and how long it takes to get in to see physicians that are bravely treating it. Patients in our office are support by our doctors with prescription drug therapy, nutritional intravenous therapy, botanical medicine, homeopathy, physical medicine, supportive supplements and other treatments as needed on an individual basis. We are also a great adjunct to those seeing conventional physicians and have worked in a co-operative capacity with many MD’s in regards to patient care.Our office follows the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS.org) guidelines for Lyme Treatment. We test using Igenex Labs for their Western Blot and associated co-infection panels to confirm a diagnosis. Please call our office to learn more about how we can help you if you are concerned you have Lyme’s Disease.http://www.ilads.org/ http://igenex.com/Website/
Are all naturopaths licensed medical professionals?
No. At this time the following states are licensed, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and US Territories: Peurto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Which means that in order for an individual to refer to themselves as naturopathic doctors/physicians in these states they must have graduated from a four year accredited Naturopathic Medical Program. Knowing this distinction is very important for patient safety. There are many programs offering a “Naturopathic Doctorate” degree which are conducted over the internet, mail, or in person where a typical program has duration of three months. In unlicensed states it is important to know where your naturopath graduated from and their clinical background.A Licensed Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an M.D. with a focus in holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic doctor is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). A Naturopathic Doctor takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practitioner. American Association of Naturopathic PhysiciansNaturopathic medical education is considered post-graduate. All students are required to have obtained a four year undergraduate degree as well as complete a standard pre-medical education curriculum.The following are schools that are 4 year post-graduate medical programs in the United States and Canada:National College of Natural Medicine — Portland, Oregon Bastyr University — Seattle, WA Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine — Tempe, AZ Bridgeport University — Bridgeport, CT Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine — Toronto, Ontario Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine — BC Canada
