FAQ
PND Specific Questions
PND does not take insurance. We can provide the codes necessary for submitting to your insurance company if you decide to request reimbursement from them. PND providers are not in any insurance networks, though are sometimes covered by health shares. We do offer healthcare financing options after you have established care (after onboarding).
We treat people, not diseases! We customizing treatment to your particular underlying causes of illness. We treat the causes, not the symptoms. Two patients with the same diagnosis may get different treatments depending on the underlying causes. That said, we excel at improving gut health and providing solutions for gastro-intestinal diseases such as heartburn, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), dyspepsia, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, abdominal pain, biliary dyskinesia, cholelithiasis (gall stones), liver diseases, dysbiosis, bloating, small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO), constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD - ulcerative colitis & Crohn's disease), celiac disease, leaky gut syndrome, and diverticulitis.
By restoring gut health people are able to get off most or all of their medications and enjoy excellent digestion! While we treat people with other conditions, we find that often the best starting place for correction is to heal the gut and, through gut health restoration, many things improve!
PND new patient on-boarding costs can range from $295-$950+. Numerous tests are included for new patients when they onboard, however costs can still range depending on additional labs, medicines and treatments recommended. All payment is due at time of service, unless a payment plan has been set up (after your initial visit, payment plans can be considered).
A new patient on-boarding experience is AMAZING and looks like the following. All new patients are scheduled for 3 visits initially (FOV1, FOV2, ROV1) to get you started on your journey to health:
First Office Visit Part 1 (FOV1) - 90 min: Comprehensive Exam - It is very important that all paperwork is completed, including a list of your current medications, supplements and immunizations. Then we’ll listen to your story and figure out what’s going on - this visit includes a thorough history, comprehensive exam and functional in-house tests.
First Office Visit Part 2 (FOV2) - 90 min: Initial Report of Findings, Corrective Plan (Treatment, Natural Medicines, Lifestyle changes)
Physiotherapy Treatments - 50 min: Naturopathic Physiotherapy Treatments to boost organ function and expedite healing (Manual Therapy treatments are 10-30min)
Return Office Visits - 50 min: Additional Report of Findings, progress exam, updated treatment plan
General Naturopathy FAQ
Naturopathic Medicine supports and promotes the body’s natural healing process, leading to a person’s highest state of wellness.
Our purpose is to help you restore and maintain health. By addressing the causes of disease and providing individualized therapeutic services, improved quality of life and optimal health can be attained.
Naturopathy encompasses the entire spectrum of natural medicine of which homeopathy is just one part.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that utilizes potentized medicines to stimulate the body to heal itself. Naturopathic physicians are trained in the use of homeopathy as a potential natural therapeutic treatment option and hence potentized medicines homeopathic to the case are one of the many tools a Naturopathic Physician may use. For example, we may prescribe a particular diet, a series of hydrotherapy treatments and homeopathic medicine. Potentized medicines prescribed homeopathically have been used with great success for over 200 years and we continue that great tradition.
YES. We are trained in the appropriate use of pharmaceutical medications and are the experts in the potential interactions between conventional and natural medicine.
We safely provide Naturopathic services to restore your health starting where you are. As your health improves and the need for some or all your medications becomes unnecessary we work with you and your doctor to make the appropriate adjustments.
YES, we can provide you a path to healthy digestion!
People have heartburn because of poor digestion, eating the wrong foods or food combinations, stress, etc. Antacids may temporarily help the symptoms but do not improve digestion and hence don't fix the problem. With the appropriate therapy, diet, and natural medicines we can restore your digestion.
Yes and Yes!
For an organ to function properly it needs to receive adequate high-quality blood and nerve signaling. A compromise in either of these leads to lower function. We improve organ function by proper diet, physiotherapy, and manual therapy to improve blood flow and nerve signaling, and utilize supportive natural medicines.
The stomach is often weak due to a history of overeating and eating the wrong foods. Fatty liver means liver cells are being replaced by fat cells that don't do the function of a liver cell. Eating too many sweets and simple carbohydrates (including alcoholic beverages) can result in a weak stomach and fatty liver Weak stomach and fatty liver result in poor digestion and nutrient status, sluggish bowel movements, increased susceptibility to infection, and decreased ability to detoxify the myriad of chemicals we encounter these days. Therefore, it is critical to strengthen the stomach and improve liver function to obtain vibrant health.
Fortunately, through the Naturopathic services we offer, we can resolve fatty liver and help you digest properly again!
We utilize different diets for different situations however there are a few things that are relevant for most people. We have found that most people can be improved by identifying and removing food intolerances and by eating more nutrient-dense traditional foods.
Food intolerances are foods that aren't digested and metabolized well. This leads to putrefaction in the gut generating inflammatory toxins that circulate throughout the body contributing to digestive issues, fatigue, pain and inflammation, mood issues, weight gain and more. Removing food intolerances supports better digestion, less inflammation and usually leads to an increase in energy.
Commercially prepared food is often heavily processed resulting in diminished nutrients and inflammatory additives. The work of Weston A. Price demonstrated moving away from eating a diet of traditional nutrient-dense foods and consuming more processed foods (sugar, white flour, vegetable oils, etc) leads to a decline in health. A simple book with recipes to help you out can be found here.
Quality indoor air is very important for good health.
At rest, an adult will breathe approximately 12 breaths per min and 6 liters of air per minute. Children breathe faster with newborns at 30-60 breaths per minute and kids 12-30 breaths per minute, which is an exchange of air up to 60 liters per minute. In other words, our lungs are filtering a lot of air every minute making the quality of the air very important.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times — and occasionally more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Pollutants can accumulate in our body resulting in inflammation, a decline in function and many symptoms. Indoor air pollutants have been shown to contribute to fatigue, asthma, sinus congestion, nausea, dizziness, brain fog, decrease work and school performance, cough, increased infections, headaches, eye problems, and skin irritation.
The better the quality of air the less work for our body filters (lungs, liver, and kidneys) allowing for more energy and nutrition spent on daily body functions. Indoor pollutants, such as dust, dust mites, molds, viruses, bacteria, volatile chemicals, and other particulates need to be reduced for optimal health. This is why we have a top of the line air filtration unit at our clinic and in our home.
After much research, our favorite portable air filtration unit is the Healthway portable air purifier from healthyindoorairllc.com (receive a discount when you mention Dr. Todd!). Originally designed by the navy for use in submarines this unit is top of the line. Most systems only filter dust particulates. The Healthway unit is unique in that it also kills and captures viruses, mold, and bacteria and filters volatile chemicals (substances that smell).
It is also unique in that it has a sensor system for detecting how air is flowing through the filters so you know when to change them (most cheaper systems have an indicator to change filters based on a timer rather than airflow). Filter change estimates (1-2 years) are based on 24-hour use but vary depending on air quality in your home. The Healthway air filter is good for about a 1000 square foot area. If interested in the Healthway air purifier, visit their website or call 866-332-7247. The team at Health Indoor Air LLC is great at answering your questions, and if you mention Dr. Todd you'll receive a discount.
Corona Virus -- Need to know facts:
Is Coronavirus new? Coronavirus was first discovered in 1937 and causes 15-30% of common cold and 5-10% of all respiratory infections. What is new is a particular strain of coronavirus which is being called COVID-19.
Coronavirus is an enveloped virus which means it doesn’t last long outside a human body. Enveloped viruses are more challenging for the immune system once inside the body. Current estimates are the COVID-19 virus can survive less than 24 hours and typically survives only around 12 hours outside of a host.
Coronavirus is killed by soap and hand sanitizer so washing your hands is an effective form of prevention.
FYI – Corona Beer has nothing to do with coronavirus. The word corona means “crown” and under the microscope, the coronavirus has proteins that look like a crown.
Coronavirus is mainly spread through person to person contact (touch) and is mostly not airborne. Again meaning that washing hands is effective for prevention.
The most severe cases of COVID-19 typically occur in the elderly with chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
If a person in your household has corona virus there is a 3-10% chance you’ll become infected.
What can you do to prevent this strain of coronavirus?
- Wash your hands with soap, get adequate sleep, and keep stress levels low.
What can you do to boost your immune system?
- Receive immune-boosting physiotherapy at PND.
- Ask your Naturopathic Doctor if nutrients zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D and/or herbs Astragulus, Elderberry, and/or Bamboo extract are right for you.
What can you do if you currently have a respiratory infection?
- Call PND right away to schedule with one of our Naturopathic Doctors to evaluate and prescribe the best treatment. There are numerous herbal medicines and therapies we provide that can be helpful in supporting immune function and in treatment respiratory infection. There is also much we may be able to do for your if your are required to stay home.
Resources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682214004723