Contents

Prolotherapy Intravenous Nutrient Infusions Chelation Neural Therapy Nutritional Counceling Nutritional Supplementation Acupuncture Physical Therapies
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Prolotherapy

A therapeutic technique used to decrease or eliminate pain by improving joint stability and function. Prolotherapy promotes the regrowth and strengthening of ligaments and tendons that play a crucial role in stabilizing the joints of the body. Prolotherapy involves the injection of dextrose, a local anaesthetic, and sometimes a fish oil derivative designed to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms. When a joint in the body becomes unstable from a car accident, athletic trauma, repetitive strain, postural defect, wear and tear, or any other cause the surrounding muscles and tissues become tight and painful.

If treatments like massage, acupuncture, manipulation, trigger point injections, hydrotherapy, and steroid injections bring limited or temporary relief to your pain symptoms prolotherapy may help. The above techniques are effective at relieving muscle tension, resetting subluxed joints, improving the flow of Qi, or altering the immune system but they are not effective for improving the function and structure of the joints of the body. Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s own immune system to naturally re-grow and strengthen the ligaments and connective tissue that play a crucial role in the integrity of each joint.

To have a reliable body you need the following 3 components: strong bones, strong muscles, and strong ligaments. For most people, the root problem is not with the bones or the muscles, it is actually with the ligaments that hold the joints in place. When the ligaments are treated with prolotherapy the weakened joints become stronger and more stable and thus pain is decreased or eliminated.

A thorough orthopedic exam by a doctor trained in ligament health is required to assess whether or not prolotherapy will be able to reduce your pain and improve your function. It typically takes between 3-6 treatments for optimal ligament improvement but results may vary from person to person.

Intravenous Nutrient Infusions

Intravenous nutrient infusions have been used for several decades by naturopathic physicians and many medical doctors practicing complementary and alternative medicine. Intravenous therapy can play a very important role in the treatment of many medical conditions including digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances, detoxification deficiencies, chronic pain, immune system disorders, neurological diseases, and mental/emotional conditions. There are a wide variety of intravenous cocktails that can be employed to treat a wide variety of medical conditions. As a naturopathic physician, I am excited about the use of intravenous therapies for five reasons:

First, nutrients administered intravenously bypass malfunctioning areas of the GI tract. This is a very significant feature. Oral supplementation is effective only when the body is able to digest and absorb the nutrients provided. When the digestive system is damaged, oral supplements may pass right through the body, but with intravenous administration, nutrients are directly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Second, nutrients administered intravenously go directly to all the cells of the body. Once the nutrients enter the bloodstream they become ubiquitous in the system within 10-30 seconds. This means that all the cells in the body, including inflamed or damaged intestinal cells, receive the nutrients.

Another feature of intravenous nutrient therapy is that it avoids first-pass metabolism in the liver. Nutrients consumed orally must go through the liver before they reach other cells in the body. If they pass through the liver they may be altered or metabolized by its enzyme systems. Nutrients administered intravenously are not immediately processed by the liver. They go directly to most cells in the body before entering the liver. This means that the purity of the nutrients delivered intravenously is higher.

A fourth benefit of intravenous administration is that it allows a physician to utilize doses of nutrients that typically cannot be administered or tolerated orally. For example, both vitamin C and magnesium induce diarrhea at relatively low oral doses. When they are administered intravenously the dose can be much higher, which results in a better therapeutic effect. This is true for many other nutrients as well.

Finally, a large number of nutrients, including many vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and homeopathic remedies can be administered intravenously. Extensive research has shown intravenous delivery of nutrients to be the most effective method of nutritional supplementation for many conditions. Intravenous therapies make up an important part of my naturopathic practice, because I continue to see the effect of these five benefits in the recovery of my patients.

Chelation

The word ‘Chelation’ means, ‘the formation of two or more bonds.’ Chelation therapy is used medically to remove unwanted molecules like lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and other elements from the body. Chelation therapy involves the administration of a chelator (a substance that binds to something else) to remove another substance from the body. Chelation therapy can be effective for treating cardiovascular diseases, neurological  disorders, detoxification deficiencies, and many other health conditions.

For Cardiovascular Disease

Many cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, angina, and coronary artery disease can be successfully treated in part by Chelation therapy. Of course, you always want to use other dietary, lifestyle, and medical therapies in conjunction, but Chelation therapy does something that no other therapy can offer. The purpose of Chelation therapy in treating cardiovascular disease is to remove debris from the arteries, which allows for proper blood flow and increased circulation.

Many cardiovascular conditions are caused by inflammatory damage to the lining of the arteries. This inflammatory damage initiates a repair process that involves the formation of plaque. The plaque is referred to as an ‘atheroma’ and is composed of several different molecules including white blood cells, cholesterol, fatty acids, and calcium. The more numerous and larger the atheromas the more likely a person is to have symptoms of cardiovascular disease.

Chelation therapy has been used for over twenty years for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Chelation therapy helps to break down plaque and remove the excess calcium. As the atheromas break down and shrink in size, circulation through the arteries increases and cardiovascular symptoms improve.

Chelation therapy can benefit many people who suffer from cardiovascular disease by removing the harmful calcium build-up in the arterial plaque. Whether a person is early in the process of cardiovascular disease or contemplating the insertion of a stent or bypass surgery I urge them to investigate Chelation therapy to see if it is right for them.

There are several different types of Chelation therapy utilizing different chelators that can be used to treat many medical conditions including heavy metal poisoning, neurological conditions, and cardiovascular disease. Intravenous EDTA Chelation is the only type of Chelation that has been shown to effectively remove excess calcium from arterial plaque.

Intravenous EDTA Chelation therapy can only be administered by a physician (ND or MD). It typically requires 20-30 sessions to maximize the benefits of Chelation therapy for cardiovascular disease. During the course of the therapy, the patient should expect to see moderate to significant improvement in the cardiovascular symptoms. As I mentioned earlier, Chelation therapy has helped countless people recover from cardiovascular disease, avoid open heart surgery, and most importantly regain their health.

If you are experiencing cardiovascular symptoms or are considering surgery for cardiovascular disease and you want to find out if you are candidate for Chelation therapy please contact my office at 250-860-8855.

For Heavy Metals

The buildup of toxic metals can negatively impact the body. In the modern world we are all exposed to relatively high levels of many heavy metals. Depending on where you live, your occupation, and lifestyle habits you may be exposed to several different types and levels of toxic metals. Chelation Therapy is the most effective therapy to remove the buildup of heavy metals from the body.

There are two basic types of Chelation Therapy: IV EDTA chelation and oral DMSA chelation.

IV EDTA chelation is the treatment of choice for removing high levels of lead in the body. It has been shown over decades of use to be the most effective treatment for the removal of lead. Anyone born before 1980 was exposed exposed to lead from the gasoline used at that time. There are other sources of lead such as industrial chemicals and paints that may contribute to high body lead levels. IV EDTA chelation is also the only proven treatment used for acute lead poisoning.

Oral DMSA chelation is used to remove mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and other heavy metals from the body. These metals may be stored in the body from years of exposure to industrial pollution, contaminated food, or mercury amalgam fillings.

The signs and symptoms of heavy metal toxicity may vary from mild to severe. They may mimic other diseases or they may contribute to long term degenerative diseases like atherosclerosis, arthritis, cancers, joint pain, weight gain, digestive system ailments, asthma, lung conditions, fatigue, fibromyalgia and skin conditions. The best way to determine if toxic heavy metals are a factor in your health is to perform a provoked urinary challenge test. Your urinary levels of heavy metals are measured before the test and after the test at various times to determine your heavy metal load. This test will accurately show the level of stored heavy metals in the body and discriminate between the types of toxic metals.

Neural Therapy

Neural therapy treatment relieves muscle spasms, decreases scar tissue formation, and restores health to nervous system conduction. Neural therapy involves the therapeutic injection of local anesthetics, B vitamins, and homeopathic remedies into acupuncture points, nerves, and scar tissue. It can be highly effective in the treatment of chronic pain, nerve pain, digestive disorders, impaired detoxification, and chronic immune dysfunction.

Neural therapy often obtains results when oral supplementation and/or other treatments fail because it addresses causes that cannot be treated by many other methods. Three to five weekly sessions are typically required to bring about positive change.

Nutritional Counceling

The amount and type of food you eat drastically impacts the body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients and incorporate these nutrients into the body’s cells. Nutrition, digestion, and absorption play crucial roles in overall health and wellness. One of the best health investments you can make is a thorough nutritional assessment by a naturopathic physician or other qualified nutritional consultant.

Diet Vs. Lifestyle

I believe that good nutrition is a lifestyle: not a diet. It is very important to implement nutritional choices that you can sustain over the long-term, as opposed to following a trendy diet for a few months and then falling off the wagon. It is very hard on the body to adjust through yo-yo dieting and major gains and losses in body fat. I never ask my patients to diet – because dieting doesn’t work. I always teach and encourage a nutritional lifestyle that helps my patients achieve their health goals while thoroughly enjoying their food.

I am not a proponent of fad diets that focus on extremes. Many weight loss diets recommend extremely low levels of carbohydrates, fat, or protein. Others focus on artificial food and utilize points programs to keep people on track. These diets may help people lose weight but, for many, the loss is short term.  These diets often do more harm than good. Good nutrition shouldn’t be a game or a test of will. Good nutrition should be enjoyable and healthful. These are the principles I help my patients discover and implement in my daily practice.

Nutritional Supplementation

Oral supplementation of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, botanicals, and other nutrients can be crucial for overall health and the treatment of many medical conditions. Supplements should provide the body with the nutrients it requires to overcome disease and move towards wellness. The use of supplementation should be considered any time a nutrient is required and cannot be consumed in adequate amounts through diet.

Many people take the wrong supplements or take too many supplements for their needs. It is always important to perform a Comprehensive Health Assessment prior to prescribing supplements to ensure you are taking the supplements you need to achieve your health goals. A Comprehensive Health Assessment includes a thorough investigation into your current supplementation including type, quality, quantity, and dosage of your supplements.

We carry a full dispensary of professional line supplements of the highest quality and purity in order to meet the needs of our patients. In this way we make sure you make the most out of the supplements you utilize.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient medical therapy that has been developed and refined over the past 5000 years. The theory and practices of acupuncture and acupressure were developed in China thousands of years ago and have now spread across the globe and across medical disciplines. Acupuncture helps restore the flow of Qi/Energy throughout the body and support healthy nervous system function. Acupuncture has been show to be effective as a component of treatment for many medical conditions including acute pain, addiction, anxiety, asthma, chronic pain, constipation, depression, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, infertility, irritable bowel syndrome, and psoriasis to name a few.

Acupuncture is utilized best when points are based on a Comprehensive Health Assessment. In this way, the treatment is specific and appropriate for each individual patient. Several point selection protocols exist and can be followed to treat conditions but it is always best to have a thorough evaluation prior to treatment.

Physical Therapies

Many naturopathic physicians are trained to utilize different types of physical or hands on therapies including low velocity joint play, high velocity spinal manipulations, and physical rehabilitation therapies. Physical therapies are often necessary for the optimal treatment of physical disorders and they often improve the effectiveness of Prolotherapy, neural therapy, and hyaluronic acid therapy. For best results, physical therapies should always be employed after a thorough physical exam is performed.