GENERAL
What is a Naturopathic Physician?
Naturopathic Physicians are primary health care providers who use therapies that are almost exclusively natural and nontoxic. These include clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, physical medicine and lifestyle counseling.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative Medicine is healing oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person including all aspects of lifestyle. Providers emphasize the therapeutic relationship and make use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.
What's the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of preparing and selecting medicines based on the work of a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Medicines are selected which in large doses will provoke symptoms similar the disease but instead are prepared in minute quantities. Naturopathy is a licensed medical profession which uses various "natural therapies" one of which may be homeopathy. Homeopathy fits the philosophical tenets of Naturopathy. The medicines work by stimulating the what homeopaths call the vital force or in naturopathic terms the vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature. Because homeopathic remedies are so dilute, they are a relatively safe method of treatment, again fitting the naturopathic tenet of, Primo non nocere, "First do no harm." A good source of information about homeopathy is the National Center for Homeopathy.
Will Boise Natural Health bill my insurance?
Our office does not provide insurance billing; however, the receipt you receive is insurance-ready and can be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. You may also want to use your Health Savings Account.
Are you covered by my health insurance?
It depends on which company and which policy. Only your insurance provider can tell you if you have coverage for our services. Most insurance companies will reimburse for Dr. Hughes services, but she is not contracted as a preferred provider on any policy. To our knowledge most insurance companies in Idaho do not cover the naturopathic physicians, however there are exceptions. Contact your insurance provider with questions regarding your policy.
What kind of lab work do you do?
As Naturopathic Physicians, we are trained in ordering and interpreting laboratory tests. We contract with a local laboratory which runs the common tests such as basic chemistry screens, complete blood counts, cholesterol/HDL ratios, pap smears and so on. Patients are sent to a local lab for the blood draw and then results are sent to our office. The doctors may also recommend more innovative lab work to be done by a number of specialty labs. These labs may provide expertise and specialty tests that are not available locally. The ones we currently use most often is: Genova for comprehensive thyroid panels, US Biotek for food allergy testing, Doctor's Data for heavy metal testing, and ZRT for salivary hormone testing. We also run a few in-house tests such as a urinalysis and blood typing (ABO).
Do you treat (name your disease)?
Naturopathic Medicine excels in that we don't treat diseases, we treat people with them. Everyone has their own individual response to their environment and their disease. Let's say 10 women came to the office concerned about their depression. Each would leave with a different treatment plan. We apply the consistent principles of naturopathic medicine to each person, and base therapies upon these for every individual case.
How much do you charge?
Please see fee schedule on Services Page.
What is your Fragrance Free Policy?
To Protect the health of our chemically sensitive patients and staff, we ask that while visiting Boise Natural Health you do not wear any fragrance that is perceptible to others. Click here to view our full policy (in Acrobat .PDF).
NAET
What is NAET?
NAET is a revolutionary, all natural, drug-free treatment for eliminating allergies and resolving allergy-related conditions, often with lasting results. It is completely painless, and non-invasive. NAET theory draws from various medical disciplines: Conventional (Allopathic), Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Kinesiology, and Nutrition.
What is an allergy?
A condition of unusual sensitivity of one individual towards one or more substances which may be harmless or even beneficial to the majority of other individuals.
When you have an allergy to something, your brain (wrongly) interprets this substance as harmful to the body. This triggers an allergic reaction with numerous possible symptoms such as rashes, fatigue, headaches, asthma, congestion, anaphylactic shock, etc.. Your energy pathways (meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine) become blocked as a way of protecting you from this “harmful” substance. The unfortunate result is that when your energy pathways are blocked, overall functioning of your body suffers. Chronic illness can result.
How Does NAET work?
NAET therapy reprograms the brain and nervous system to stop reacting to allergens.
What Does a NAET Treatment Involve?
NAET therapy is painless and easy. It utilizes Muscle Response Testing (MRT) which indicates weaknesses in the body caused by allergens. The doctor then stimulates specific pressure points along the spine while the patient holds the allergen. This retrains the brain to recognize the substance as benign. The patient must completely avoid the allergen for 25 hours following the treatment. Allergens are treated one at a time following a specific sequence. If strict avoidance is followed during the 25 hour avoidance period, it may take only one or two treatments to eliminate each allergy. It is highly recommended that at least the first 15 basic treatments are completed for optimal results.
Who Can Benefit From NAET?
NAET is suitable for all ages of patients and can offer relief from food and environmental allergies, chemical sensitivities, and more.
- Visit the official NAET website
- Information on pricing and how to get started