Trancription:
DH: This is Diane Haugen from the North Seattle Chamber of Commerce. I’m here today with Dr. Moan and Ellis from Dahlia Natural Health Clinic. Welcome!
(Dr. Moan and Ellis, in unison) Thank you!
DH: People in the Seattle market often use Naturopathic Medicine. People enjoy it, they use it and they benefit from it. What is your approach to Naturopathic Medicine?
Dr. Ellis: Our approach to naturopathic medicine is that we’re going to look at the total person and we’re going to address things other than what they’re walking in the door with. We’ll look at their lifestyle: whether they’re exercising, getting enough rest, we’ll look at their diet, whether they’re drinking clean water and getting clean air and we may even consider their exercise routine.
DH: Dr. Moan, what is the number one reason patients seek naturopathic care versus allopathic care?
Dr. M: Patients get frustrated when their problems aren’t being solved and they’re tired of taking so many meds, then new meds and getting surgeries. So they want a different solution. They also get frustrated because they’re not being heard. They want answers to their questions and they’re not getting them because they spend such little time with their physicians. We spend a lot of time with our patients.
DH: It’s my understanding that patients in naturopathy need to participate in their own good health. What does that mean?
Dr. M: We don’t just substitute herbs for meds. It doesn’t work that way. As Dr. Ellis said, we look at the whole person; the patients have to be willing to make changes in their diet and lifestyle. So they have to do a lot of work. It’s not just about taking a pill.
DH: How can naturopathic care help reduce workplace stress?
Dr. E : Naturopathic medicine can reduce workplace stress by using some of these changes that we’ve mentioned. If the patient is exercising, for example, we may consider chi gong, yoga or meditation in addition to looking at what’s going on their life to see if they’re bringing the stress from their life to the workplace.
DH: Thank you! We’re out of time.
