Naturopathic Medicine and Total Health

I am a Naturopathic doctor and Acupuncturist. I chose to practice alternative medicine because I was raised in a family where alternative medicine was effectively used more often than conventional medicine.

As a naturopathic doctor I can treat almost any condition using herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, homeopathy, craniosacral therapy, hydrotherapy or other techniques of physical medicines allowed in licensed states. Acupuncture is one of the most utilized treatments in my practice. I choose to start off all my clients with acupuncture because I believe we are bodies of energy, so why add another modality when clients can get so much improvement from an energetic medicine. I recommend 6-8 sessions of acupuncture for new clients, because it takes a few treatments to know what balance feels in our body. After 6-8 treatments, I might recommend certain lifestyle or dietary changes, herbal/nutritional supplements or craniosacral therapy if needed. Just as each client is different, each treatment and each recommendation is different.

Acupuncture is based on the belief that there is qi or energy that is flowing in our body in pathways called meridians that connects all the major organ systems in our body. When we are in balance, this qi is moving smoothly in our body. A blockage or imbalance in these meridians can cause symptoms and when not treated can lead to illnesses. A blockage in these meridians can be caused by physical, mental or emotional incidents or trauma. Acupuncture needles unblock and rebalance the flow of qi and restores health by stimulating the certain points in the body located on these meridians.

Alternative medicine recognizes the symptoms as well as the underlying disharmony, so that the cause and symptoms are treated simultaneously. As a result, acupuncture can work for pain as well as infertility, depression, anxiety, migraine, PMS and so on. Some of the physiological effects of acupuncture include: increase circulation, decreased inflammation, pain relief, muscle spasm relief, and immune system stimulation.

As a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, I strongly believe that when we make some changes in our lifestyle, utilize food for nutritional purposes and implement the necessary supplements, we encourage our bodies to function properly. Additionally, when we incorporate the use of herbs and acupuncture to boost our immune system, we eliminate the need for much more.

Sincerely, Dr. Homa Hashime