Top Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor
Naturopathic Doctor in Lindenhurst, NY | Long Island Naturopathic Doctor
What are the top reasons to work with a naturopathic doctor? If you’re new to naturopathic medicine you may have a bunch of questions about what a naturopathic doctor does and why naturopathic medicine should be an additional part of your care. Seeing a naturopathic doctor on Long Island can be a great way to help reach your goals and attain optimal health.
These are some of the top reasons to see a naturopathic doctor (ND) and benefits of having a ND on your health care team.
A naturopathic doctor treats the whole person
Naturopathic doctors look at the whole picture. When you come in listing x, y, and z as symptoms, like bloating, constipation, skin issues, and/or hormonal imbalances, we try to take a step back and understand how the whole body is working to create this environment for you. This gives us a better idea of how to treat the root cause and help bring you back to optimal health.
A naturopathic doctor investigates the root cause
Naturopathic doctors dig deep and look at everything going on in order to understand where the disease process is stemming from.
A naturopathic doctor helps you set attainable goals
There’s nothing wrong with reaching for the stars, but immediately heading for them has never worked for anyone. Taking small steps to achieve goals is more attainable and gives you time to create new habits, rather than telling you to change your whole lifestyle all at once. You may end up feeling overwhelmed and disappointed because you’re not getting the results you want.
A naturopathic doctor works with their patients as a team
Creating more attainable health goals doesn’t just come from one sided decision making. Naturopathic doctors try to work with you to make goals and help you work out the best way to achieve them. My goal as a naturopathic doctor is to help you achieve your gut health goals and to get you there in the easiest way possible. I work with my patients to help create routines that fit in their lifestyle. Let’s say you hate eating spinach, if your plan to healing your gut only consists of eating spinach every day, are you going to do it? Nope! That’s why we work together to find what works for you.
A naturopathic doctor takes time with patients
Understanding the whole picture doesn’t happen in 5 minutes. That’s why naturopathic doctors will have longer appointment times. My initial visit with patients and clients is 60-90 minutes, this gives me time to better understand your health, goals, and lifestyle. We follow up regularly to touch base and provide the support you need in order to reach your goals. Healing can be a longer process especially if you have been dealing with symptoms for months or years.
A naturopathic doctor uses natural therapies
As a naturopathic doctor on Long Island, I use a natural approach with my clients. These natural therapies are science and evidence-based therapies helping you to heal. Many naturopathic doctors follow this and reach for natural therapies before a prescription of pharmaceuticals that may have unwanted side effects.
A naturopathic doctor works with other providers
Working as a team is important. As a naturopathic doctor in New York, I often collaborate with clients primary care physician’s to help get you the support you need.
Frequently Asked Questions about Naturopathic Doctors:
What is naturopathic medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a type of healthcare that uses evidence-based, natural therapies and the bodies natural ability to heal itself from disease. Many different modalities are used by naturopathic doctors like botanical medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and more. A big part of naturopathic visits incorporates lifestyle interventions to enhance what patients can do daily to enhance their overall health. This means improvements on diet, sleep, hydration, and movement.
How are naturopathic doctors trained?
Naturopathic doctors graduate from accredited naturopathic colleges, including Bastyr University, California where Dr. Alyssa attended. They are trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent chronic and acute illnesses. Naturopathic doctors aim to treat the whole person and dig to the root cause instead of using medication to suppress bothersome symptoms. This is why the first visit tends to be longer than the rest. Naturopathic doctors will gain all of the information they can to understand the underlying cause.
While in school, students take many of the same classes a conventional medical student will take during their first two years (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, clinical diagnosis, etc.). On top of those classes, there is also extra training in naturopathic philosophy, botanical medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, physical medicine, and so on. Students gain over 2 years of clinical experience and also have the chance to help out at community clinics and urgent care clinics.
How are naturopathic visits different than those with my PCP?
Visits are longer with naturopathic doctors compared to a visit with your primary care doctor. As a naturopathic doctor in New York, I spend 60-90 minutes with each new client and 30 minutes for each follow up. I ask deeper questions about your history, lifestyle, and health history. We try to get more detail to understand what is going on, to get to the root cause.
Do you take my insurance?
As a naturopathic doctor in New York, I do not take your insurance. You have the option to submit your receipts “superbill” to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Working outside of the insurance model gives us more flexibility in your plan and time spent together, giving us the ability to reach the root cause of your specific symptoms.
Want to get started with your journey to naturopathic medicine? Click below to book a free discovery callwith Dr. Alyssa to see how you can get started.
