Thank you for enquiring about Natural Health and Medicine. We welcome the opportunity to work with you in your health care.
As a new client you will require 2 appointments to allow for a detailed assessment, discussion of individual health needs and subsequent development of a tailored health plan. The first 2 appointments are spread over a 4 week period to enable completion of pathology and other relevant testing.
Please download these forms, fill them out as completely as you can and bring them with you to your first appointment. They are designed to assist us in understanding what your specific health concerns are and how we may be able to best help you.
Your first appointment
To gain a better understanding of the current physiological status of your body and what your body’s needs are, we take comprehensive case history, perform a thorough physical examination, conduct a detailed dietary assessment, and do some in-house urine and random blood glucose testing. If further medical or biochemical testing is required, referrals will be made to do this either through mainstream pathology collection centres such as Sullivan and Nicolaides, QML or specialised functional and integrative medicine laboratories.
At NHM, we believe that medical and functional testing is critical in determining what is occurring on a cellular, tissue and biochemical level within the body – as this may not always be apparent from surface signs or symptoms. Thorough testing can also aid in the early detection of potentially serious conditions and assist in accurate diagnosis. This leads to more effective treatment options which treat the underlying cause(s) of disease rather than just the existing symptoms.
There are 4 main methods or samples which can be used for testing, these include:
Functional and integrative medicine testing
Blood testing can be useful in measuring the levels of specific nutrients (eg. vitamins, minerals or electrolytes) and metabolites (metabolic breakdown products) in the body, which may be related to certain disease processes. Blood tests can also aid in the assessment of food (carbohydrate, protein and fat) metabolism and associated excess or deficiency states. For example, it is well known that high intakes of refined carbohydrates can cause elevated blood sugar levels, linked with diabetic conditions and high intakes of saturated fats related to heart disease and obesity, whereas low levels of protein have been linked with depression, poor immune function, decreased fertility and limitations in growth. Blood tests can also provide information on the function and activity of particular organs, glands and body systems such as the cardiovascular, endocrine, genito-urinary, gastrointestinal and immune systems.
Urine testing can be helpful in evaluating the tissue levels of certain nutrients, hormones and metabolic pathways in the body. The advantage of 24 hour urine testing is that it can provide an accurate measure of the actual levels the body produces (of say a hormone) and what the body uses or absorbs (of say a nutrient). Urine tests are also valuable in monitoring kidney function.
Stool testing can be beneficial in investigating the health and function of the gastrointestinal tract in terms of digestion, absorption, bacterial balance and presence of other micro-organisms such as yeast and parasites. Stool tests are of use to clients who may be experiencing digestive disturbances such as indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation or diarrohea and inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
Saliva testing can be effective in assessing tissue levels of steroid hormones, liver function and certain aspects of gastrointestinal immune activity. Salivary hormone testing is particularly effective in providing information on bio-available levels of hormones as it takes into account circadian patterns associated with cortisol, DHEA and melatonin and the fluctuations in the female hormonal cycle.
Functional tests are done by independent laboratories such as:
Examples of the types of testing that they perform include:
Immunological and allergy testing
Immunological blood tests can provide highly specific diagnoses of food and environmental sensitivities to a wide range of food substances, chemicals, drugs and inhalants (eg. grasses, weeds, trees, moulds etc) which may be causing delayed reactions in the body, taking several hours to days to develop. Although symptoms may not always be easily recognisable they can include fatigue, headaches, trouble concentrating, mild bloating and so forth and tend to be low grade, chronic and persist over time.
Endocrine or hormonal testing
Hormonal imbalances underlie many conditions such as those related to the long term effects of chronic stress, sleep disturbances, thyroid disorders, chronic fatigue syndromes and diseases associated with male and female hormonal imbalances. Hormonal testing can be done via blood, urine or saliva samples.
Gastrointestinal or digestive function testing
Gastrointestinal function can be assessed via stool, blood, saliva and or urine testing. The type of test conducted will depend on the nature of the complaint.
Metabolic tests can investigate the way the body uses nutrients via different metabolic pathways. These tests can assess the efficiency of cellular energy production, neurotransmitter processing, liver detoxification capacity, nutrient balance (of particular vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants), methylation status, oxidative damage markers, cytokine or inflammatory activity and evidence of bacterial and yeast overgrowth. Metabolic tests can be helpful in diagnosing chronic multi system disease processes.
Nutritional testing measures levels of various nutrients (eg. amino acids and minerals), antioxidants and essential fatty acids in the body. These tests include toxic and heavy metals and hair mineral analysis.
Genetic testing can be useful in detecting the individual risk of developing a certain disease based on an individual’s genetic makeup. This uniqueness explains the variation between different people. These variations, termed polymorphisms are affected by factors such as poor diet, chronic nutrient excess or deficiency, lifestyle habits, excess alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, bacterial infection, hormonal imbalances and exposure to toxins and environmental pollution. Genetic testing can make preventative medicine easier by identifying an individual’s genetic disease risk and customising a personalised treatment plan which optimises health through specific dietary, lifestyle and medical interventions. Examples of the types of polymorphisms that can be tested include genes specific for cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, prostatic diseases, osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome.
We recommend you continue care with your GP, specialist or alternative health practitioner(s). With your permission and if appropriate we would be happy to communicate with them regarding your care for a truly integrated and holistic approach to your health.
We utilise all existing reports, investigations and imaging, so please ensure you bring them with you to your first appointment. Please also bring all medications, supplements and herbal or homeopathic medicines you are currently taking to your first appointment.
As part of your first appointment, referrals will be made to conduct a range of tests. Most of the mainstream tests are available on a Medicare rebate if you choose to do this through your existing GP or through one of our recommended GPs or specialists. All referrals for functional testing will be done directly with the specialist laboratories. It is up to you to ensure that all tests are conducted before the 2nd appointment.
Your second appointment
The purpose of the 2nd appointment is to evaluate your tests and determine a suitable treatment plan based on these results. Treatment comprises a comprehensive dietary and lifestyle program and prescription of nutritional, herbal and homeopathic medicines relevant to your condition and individual requirement. Please note that nutritional supplements are prescribed and selected for their therapeutic efficacy and quality. Substitute brands are not advisable. Please also do not change or alter dosages of any prescription medications without first consulting your prescribing doctor. Any decisions regarding prescription medications can only be made by your prescribing doctor.
Follow appointments are made on a case by case basis, to monitor progress, re-evaluate prescriptions and conduct routine physical examinations. If you are unable to attend the clinic, some follow up consultations can be done via telephone or email.