Welcome to Austin Natural Family Medicine.
We are here to help you optimize your health and feel better, no matter your health condition. We use the following naturopathic principles:
- First do no harm
- The healing power of nature
- Treat the whole person, not just the symptom
- Treat the cause of the disharmony
- Educate the patient
- Prevention
- Wellness is more than the absence of disease
What does a Naturopathic doctor do?
A Naturopathic doctor assesses the disharmony or imbalance in your body and determines the safest and most effective way to assist your body to correct it. The ND will spend lots of time listening to your needs and goals. When indicated, naturopaths will order labwork, refer the patient for imaging, or to a specialist, if necessary. Based on all the information gathered via the patient's history, examination, and any tests ordered, your Naturopathic doctor will determine a plan tailored for your specific needs. In essence, a naturopath will combine the best of science and nature to help you feel your best!Do Naturopathic doctors go to the same medical schools as allopathic doctors (M.D.)?
No. NDs are trained at Naturopathic medicine medical schools. These are very similar to allopathic medical schools in that they are four- year programs, with the first two years focusing on the basic medical sciences such as pathology, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, and clinical physical diagnosis. The last two years focus on specialty topics and on clinical experience, where students see patients in various clinical settings under the supervision of experienced Naturopathic physicians and resident doctors. In addition, Naturopathic students receive training in topics such as botanical medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy and other nature cure modalities, naturopathic philosophy, massage and other types of bodywork, and stress management techniques.How is a visit to the naturopath different from a visit to an M.D.?
A naturopath will spend much more time speaking to you about your health and wellbeing. We will also perform more comprehensive screening tests than most M.D.s., as we strongly emphasize prevention. We recognize trend and tendencies so as to help prevent them from developing into a full- blown disease or condition, such as diabetes, for example. This approach is sometimes referred to as "Functional Medicine". Although the focus is on the physical manifestations of your health issues, we recognize and work with the connection of body, mind, and spirit. In order to do this, we LISTEN to you and your needs. While we do want you to feel more comfortable and will treat your symptoms, our primary goal is to determine the root cause of the imbalance. Sometimes it takes several visits for the story to unravel. Your path to wellness is a journey, and we are here to guide you. Will an ND work with my M.D.?
Yes! We encourage communication with all the patient's health practitioners so as to provide the most comprehensive care possible. In most cases we can provide adjunctive care. For some health conditions, it may be necessary to be on pharmaceutical medications. We can help you with the side effects of these medications, or provide nutritional or herbal support so that you can lower your dose, or to help the medication to work better. Naturopaths are the best trained health care providers with regard to nutrient-herb-drug interactions. 1210 Rosewood Ave., Austin, TX 78702
512-909-1600; fax 512-628-0176
Frequently Asked Questions
For questions pertaining to your specific health issues and needs, please feel free to contact me at 512-909-1600 for a free 15 minute consultation.
Do Naturopaths take insurance?
In licensed states, insurance companies may cover naturopathic doctor visits, depending on the plan. In unlicensed states, such as Texas, insurance companies will not cover our services. However, this may be a "blessing in disguise". Increasingly more health care providers across the United States are realizing they have to work outside the current medical insurance model in order to provide the best quality healthcare. For those without health insurance or with high- deductible plans, a visit to a Naturopathic doctor will be more comprehensive and more economical than an out-of-pocket visit to your M.D. OUR FEES ARE COVERED BY PAYFLEX
