Dr. Collings, ND

Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct system of primary health care. It is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Naturopathic Doctors are the only licensed specialists in Natural Medicine and preventative health care, integrating scientific knowledge with traditional healing wisdom to promote the body's inherent self-healing capacity.

Naturopathic Doctors use standard diagnostic and laboratory tests in formulating a diagnosis. They also use unique advanced lab testing to daignose complex chronic illnesses such as urine Heavy Metal testing, Lyme disease tests, and IgG food sensitivity testing. Naturopathic treatments can be used effectively on their own or in conjunction with conventional medicine.

Naturopathic Doctors provide patients with a comprehensive and integrative approach to health care. At AIHC we consider your unique physical, mental and emotional dimensions when diagnosing and developing your personalized treatment plan.

Naturopathic Doctors follow a unique set of principles:
  1. Primum non nocere - first, do no harm. Provide effective health care with the least risk.
  2. Vis medicatrix naturae - healing power of nature. Respect and promote self-healing.
  3. Tolle causum - treat the cause. Identify and remove causes, avoid suppression of symptoms
  4. Docere - doctor as teacher. Educate patients, inspire rational hope, encourage self-responsibility.
  5. Treat the whole person - each person is unique with their own factors affecting their health.
  6. Health promotion is the best prevention - well-being must include individual, communal and global dimensions.

Below is a list of theapies, or modalities that NDs can provide after receiving education and training across their 8 plus years of University and Post graduate education.

Nutrition

Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Like medicines and drugs, foods affect the way your body functions. Some foods help you heal, while others damage your body and contribute to chronic illness. A healthy diet–consisting of the right balance of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, anti-oxidants, fiber and amino acids–is the most important tool for your body to manage stress and prevent and recover from illness. The therapies involved are geared towards improving health and preventing disease.

Clinical nutrition is utilized to analyze your health and nutritional intake to address deficiencies, and promotes immunity and health through:

  • Nutrient-rich foods
  • Nutritional supplements

At AIHC, we ask you to keep a diet diary, which is the first step in helping to determine:

  • Food allergies
  • Sensitivities
  • Digestive issues
  • Risk for disease associated with diet, and
  • Overall diet quality

With this knowledge, we can then recommend dietary changes to support healthy living and treat diseases like:

  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart disease
  • Arthritis
  • Chronic pain
  • Auto-immune diseases
  • Digestive disorders

Acupuncture & Traditional Asian Medicine

Traditional Asian Medicine is a complete medical system that has diagnosed, treated and prevented illness for thousands of years and incorporates acupuncture, acupressure, diet, massage, and Asian herbs and foods.

According to Asian Med, when your energy flow, or Qi (pronounced “chi”) is out of balance, your body cannot adapt to stress, making you more likely to develop chronic illness and pain. Asian med seeks to relieve these imbalances by adjusting the circulation of Qi and balancing the forces of yin and yang energy. A harmonious flow of Qi, achieved by balancing cold and heat, internal and external, yin and yang, will help sustain long-term physical, mental and emotional health.

Acupuncture and acupressure is often beneficial in relieving:

  • Back pain and arthritis
  • Muscle sprains and joint strains
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Migraines
  • Digestive disorders
  • Hormonal imbalances and infertility
  • Other chronic pain concerns

Acupuncture technique employs inserting and manipulating fine metal needles into acupuncture points or specific spots relating to the body’s meridians.

Chinese herbal medicine is also based on the concepts of yin and yang, and aims to balance the two. Asian medicine is often successful in treating a wide range of health conditions, including:

  • Allergies
  • Skin problems
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Immune deficiencies
  • Chronic fatigue, and
  • Respiratory conditions (asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, etc.)

Herbal & Botanical Medicine

Botanical medicine uses plant substances from around the world for their powerful healing and nutritional values. Naturopathic doctors use herbs from Europe, the Americas, China and India to prevent and alleviate illness. The flowers, roots, leaves or oils of a plant may be used in the remedy. Therapy may take the form of:

  • Teas
  • Tinctures
  • Ointments
  • Essential oils
  • Supplements

Harnessing the healing properties of plants is an ancient practice. People in all continents have long used thousands of indigenous plants for treatment of various ailments.

Some herbal remedies have the potential to cause adverse drug interactions when used in combination with various prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Naturopathic Doctors are well trained with this modality, and will carefully review your current health situation before recommending a specific botanical remedy or combination.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicine is a 300 year old German system of energetic medicine. It is a natural, nontoxic and therapeutic system of healing that assists in the inherent ability of the body to heal itself. Homeopathic medicines or "remedies" use minute amounts of plant, mineral or animal substances to stimulate a person's innate healing ability and to strengthen the entire system. It attempts to treat “like with like”, using substances that, in larger dosages, would develop the illness’s symptom in a healthy person. The causes of your symptoms are unique to you; therefore, we will examine the cause of your pain or illness before prescribing appropriate homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy restores the body to its healthy balance; its natural state. The symptoms of a disease are regarded as the body's own defensive attempt to correct its imbalance, rather than as enemies to be defeated. Homeopathic remedies are designed to stimulate this internal curative process rather than suppress the symptoms.

Homeopathic remedies are particularly effective for:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Allergies
  • Infections
  • Gynecological and urinary concerns
  • Skin conditions
  • Digestive problems
  • Chronic and acute conditions including colds and flu

Homeopathy is a popular therapy throughout the world, particularly in Great Britain, Europe and India. It is also gaining popularity with veterinarians, who offer homeopathic remedies to treat dogs, cats and other animals.

Physical Modalities

Physical medicine includes massage, hydrotherapy, and other physical therapies such as craniosacral techniques. Physical medicine works in two ways. First, it restores structural soundness to the skeletal system, joints, and soft tissue. In addition, it builds immunity, increases blood flow, and supports healing, detoxification and lymphatic drainage.

At AIHC, we offer many ways to improve your well-being, recover from your injuries and strengthen your immune system. Health concerns responding well to hydrotherapy include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Arthritis
  • Sports injuries, and
  • Muscle strains
  • Digestive disturbances

Treatments offered include:

  • Various massage techniques
  • Muscle-stretching, and
  • Manipulation of the spine and extremities

Hydrotherapy is one of the oldest forms of medical treatment. It involves the use of water for soothing pains and treating diseases, but alternating applications of hot and cold water to promote circulation. Hydrotherapies include:

Psychology & Mental Health Counselling

Counselling includes addressing lifestyle factors that can be contributing negatively to your mental and emotional health, as well as specific activities and habits that may be affecting your physiology and brain chemistry. Often times more regular counselling sessions with licensed psychotherapists are recommended to help resolve depression and anxiety through cognitive behaviour therapy and other techniques. NDs can help you form healthy habits like good sleep hygeine, and realistic diet and exercise plans which are the foundation of good health and preventative medicine.