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What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Do You Take My Insurance?
What is Environmental Medicine?
What is hydrotherapy?
What is Colonic Irrigation?
What are the Qualifications to become a Naturopath?
Why Kale?
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is the art and science of treating the whole person and using the naturopathic medical principles in patient care (first do no harm, the healing power of nature, identify and treat the cause, doctor as teacher, treat the whole person, and prevention). Our approach is to identify and address the cause of disease, rather than to treat the symptoms. Once we identify the cause, we remove the obstacles and enhance the innate healing power of the body so that a correction of the imbalance or disease will result. We use natural modalities to accomplish this such as botanical medicine, nutritional therapy, supplements, hydrotherapy, and massage.
For information about naturopathic medicine, please see The American Association for Naturopathic Physicians web site at www.naturopathic.org.
Do You Take My Insurance?
Drs. Graham and Bell are credentialed providers for the following plans. If your insurance is a plan in which Drs. Graham and Bell are not a provider, you will need to pay out of pocket at the time of your visit and submit the invoice we give you to your insurance company or your Flex plan for reimbursement. Plans that offer out-of-network benefits may reimburse up to 80%. We encourage all patients to call their provider to verify coverage before their first appointment.
- Anthem BC/BS
- ConnectiCare
- Cigna
- HealthNet
What is Environmental Medicine?
Many illnesses today are thought to be the result of our body’s reaction to the environment. We are exposed to chemicals every day in the air, the water, and in our food. After many years of exposure to these toxins, our bodies can no longer handle the load and we start to become sick. Environmental medicine is the art and science of helping the body get rid of the toxic substances so that a state of optimum health can be achieved. Environmental detoxification can include modalities such as hydrotherapy, sauna, colonic irrigation, dry brushing, and supplements.
What is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is the use of water to treat patients. The use of hydrotherapy dates back to ancient cultures, but for some reason, it has fallen out of favor today. Human beings are mostly water; therefore, they react quite well to water therapy. Water therapy can be used to stimulate the immune system, cause sweating and therefore detoxification of the body, and increase circulation to name a few of the many benefits. Examples of water therapy include sauna (wet or dry), colonic irrigation, balneotherapy (baths), and constitutional hydrotherapy, which is a series of hot and cold towels placed over the upper body. Most people respond well to hydrotherapy.
What is Colonic Irrigation?
Colonic irrigation is an infusion of water into the rectum and large intestine. The colonic speculum is a device with an inlet and an outlet, allowing filtered water to enter the colon and the larger outlet, which allows the patient to release the contents of the colon (water and stool). During a colonic, the large intestine is filled and emptied several times, according to the patient. Our colonic machine is a "closed" system, meaning that the released contents of the colon never hit the air although the contents can be viewed in the machine's viewer.
Colonics are administered to stimulate peristalsis, help with intestinal muscle tone, remove toxins from the colon so they are not absorbed, increase bile secretion, and can be used as preparation for a colonoscopy instead of aqueous sodium phosphate, polyethelene glycol, and other bowel preparation solutions.
Our machine is the FDA-approved Dotolo Research CorporationÕs Toxygen Model BSC-UV.
Please call for more information on getting a colonic irrigation treatment.
What are the Qualifications to become a Naturopath?
In order to become a Naturopathic Physician in the state of Connecticut, you are required to complete the following:
- Four years of post-graduate schooling at an accredited school
- Pass both the NPLEX Basic Science Exam and the NPLEX Core Clinical Sciences Exam given by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners
- Pass the Connecticut Department of Health State Licensing exam for Naturopathic Physicians
There are only five accredited schools in the US that teach Naturopathic Medicine and award the ND or NMD degree, and they are:
- Bastyr University, Washington
- National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Oregon
- Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Arizona
- University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine, Connecticut
- National University of Health Sciences, Illinois
Before you make an appointment with a Naturopath, make sure he or she has graduated from an accredited school and is licensed by one of the 15 states that license Naturopaths.
Why is Kale in the NHC Logo?
"Ounce per ounce, inch per inch, kale contains more nutrition than any other food," says Guy Beardsley, owner of Guy's Eco-Garden, an organic farm in Shelton, CT. "So why aren't we eating it every day?"
Good question, Guy.
While ranking the zillions of different foods out there is pretty difficult, we're sure it's one of the most nutritional foods in the world.
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