Naturopathic Medicine ServicesNaturopathic Medicine is a primary healthcare profession that focuses on treating the underlying cause of disease and illness through supporting the body’s self-healing capabilities. Treatment plans encompass a blend of modern scientific research and traditional forms of healing that are individualized to reach each patient’s health goals.
Clinical Nutrition: Nutritional supplementation is used in capsule, tablet or injection form to treat underlying nutritional deficiencies, support the immune system and prevent the progression of disease. Botanical Medicine: Both Western and Chinese herbs are used in the form of teas, capsules, tablets, tinctures and topical preparations. Lifestyle Counselling: Diet, exercise, sleep and stress management are addressed to promote sustainable health and longevity. Acupuncture: Specific acupuncture points are selected to help re-establish balance in the body and promote healing. Allergy Desensitization: Allergen solution is given under the tongue through a series of treatments to improve allergic symptoms by reducing the body’s sensitivity to the allergen. Detoxification: The skin, liver, lungs, kidneys and digestive tract are the main organs of elimination. A combination of infrared sauna sessions, dietary support and botanical and nutritional supplementation is used to increase sweating, improve circulation, optimize bowel movements and enhance liver function. Homeopathy: Based on the theory of 'like cures like,' a patient's symptoms are matched to a homeopathic remedy. Pellets or liquid solutions containing highly diluted substances are given based on the totality of symptoms. Physical Medicine: Musculoskeletal disorders are treated with osseous manipulation, soft tissue techniques and therapeutic exercise. Injection Therapies: Intramuscular (IM) and intravenous (IV) injections of high dose vitamins and minerals can be individualized based on patient needs. Bio-availability and absorption are greatly increased compared to oral supplementation. Bioidentical Hormones: Structurally identical to hormones produced naturally by the human body, bioidentical hormones are a safer alternative to the synthetically modified hormones that have been used in the past with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Prescriptive Medicines: In 2010, the BC government granted NDs prescriptive drug rights. Our Naturopaths chooses to prescribe pharmaceutical medicines when required. Trigger point injections with Dr. Alex Dragan: Trigger points are areas of tightness or highly sensitive areas in a muscle belly. These points can cause chronic pain, headaches, discomfort and an inability to perform daily tasks. Trigger point therapy can be used to resolve these tight bands by injecting a solution mix of dextrose and anaesthetic. This will block pain receptors in muscles as well as promote blood flow to the area, leading to an increase in range of motion and reduction in pain. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Alex if you would like to see if TPI are right for you. Prolotherapy with Dr. Alex Dragan: Prolotherapy is an injection therapy that treats injured joints, ligaments and tendons. An irritant solution containing dextrose and an anaesthetic is injected into damaged ligaments/tendons to promote a healing response in the body. An individual can expect anywhere from 2-16 injections per session. The amount of sessions needed is decided on a case by case basis, but the average is between 4-6 sessions spaced 2-3 weeks apart to see full benefit. Dr. Alex is trained in advanced injection therapies of the extremities, meaning she can perform prolotherapy on the following joints: shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle. Gua Sha & Nervous System Acupuncture with Dr. Samantha Petrin: Gua Sha Facial Treatments are an excellent way to relax while working on wrinkles, fine lines, circulation and tension. Gua sha is an ancient Chinese healing technique that involves scraping the skin with a message tool to improve circulation. It offers a unique approach to better health, addressing issues like chronic pain. During treatment, the technician scrapes the skin with short or long strokes, using a gua sha massage tool, to stimulate blood flow and lymph drainage. They do so after applying nourishing facial oil to your skin. Gua sha massage is intended to address stagnant energy, called Qi (chi), restoring its flow. Rubbing the skin's surface is thought to help move the stagnant Qi, remove blockages and promote healing. This results in decreased inflammation and reduced pain. Combine this with a total body nervous system acupuncture session and you're bound for bliss. Craniosacral Therapy with Dr. Samantha Petrin: Craniosacral therapy is an anatomically precise modality that is approached energetically. It is a gentle hands-on therapy in which very light touch is applied to various parts of the body including the feet, skull, vertebral spine, and sacrum. In this work, we connect with the Craniosacral system, consisting of soft tissue and fluid that protect, feed and detoxify our brain and spinal cord that articulate with every other system as a whole. It can treat physical, spiritual and mental/emotional imbalances, encouraging the body to relax, unwind, and release. The effects can be profound and issues can be worked on at a level that many other manual techniques cannot reach. Laboratory Services
Food sensitivity/allergy testing | Environmental allergy skin prick testing Female and male hormone analysis | Adrenal stress hormone analysis Thyroid testing | Celiac disease testing | Cardiovascular screening Blood sugar testing | Pregnancy tests | Urine analysis Nutritional deficiency testing | Hair element analysis Comprehensive digestive stool analysis | Regular annual screening panels (Life Labs) Physical Examinations
Annual physical exam | Pap smear | Breast exam | Well child exam Musculoskeletal assessment | Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tongue & pulse analysis |
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Dr. Alex Dragan
Naturopathic Doctor |
Dr. Samantha Petrin
Naturopathic Doctor |