What to Expect
When you book your first appointment you will be emailed 3 forms. They are also available on-line or, they can be picked up at the clinic. The forms are as follows:
1. New Patient Intake Form
2. Food Log
3. Consent Form
You must fill out all forms prior to arriving at your appointment; they are detailed and take time to complete. Using the Food Log form record everything you eat for one week and any symptoms you experience. Include what time you eat, your mood and energy levels and record your bowel movements as indicated on the form. Also bring copies of any recent test results, or have them faxed to the office.
To begin Naturopathic Treatment you will need 2 appointments. Most clients will also require some lab testing. This may include standard labs and/or specialized testing done at the clinic for functional parameters such as deficiencies, suboptimal organ functioning, toxicity, food sensitivities or other.
Appointment 1: History and Assessment (1 hour)
During the first visit, your health concerns and intake form will be explored in detail. Dr. Grime’s goal is to gain a full understanding of your concerns, your nutritional status, lifestyle, stress level and general state of being. A physical exam and a tongue and pulse diagnosis will be performed. Do not brush your tongue for 1 week prior to your appointment. If additional testing is required, it will be recommended at this time. Most of our patients do the Live Cell Analysis to establish a base line of their internal health. This test will show many things including nutritional status, free radical stress, inflammation, toxicity, liver stress, yeast, digestive efficiency, hydration status, oxygenation - and much more.
Appointment 2: Treatment Plan (1 hour)
Between your first and second appointments, Dr. Grime (ND) will assess all information gathered from you, your intake form, physical exam, medical tests and food log and will create a treatment plan tailored to you. This plan will be changed and modified over time as your body progresses.
Over the course of your care, she will spend time teaching you what you need to understand to bring yourself back to health, to prevent future illness and to maintain wellness. She may use any of the following:
- Clinical Nutrition: teaching you about food choices, quality, quantity, nutrition, timing, supplementation and detoxification where necessary
- Traditional Chinese Medicine: acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. A series of acupuncture treatments may be recommended.
- Herbal Medicine – British pharmacopia
- Homeopathy: single dose, combination, drainage remedies or flower essences where necessary
- Bowen Therapy: 1 – 5 treatments may be recommended.
- Hydrotherapy – Homecare treatments
- Exercises
- Counseling, Mind/Body Awareness, Gestalt techniques
- Bodytalk
- Lifestyle Recommendations: for example stress management techniques, finding a balance, improving sleep habits
- Referral to other qualified health care professionals for diagnostic testing, medications, treatment or evaluation where necessary.
For most people, this appointment will entail discussing your overall treatment plan and teaching you nutrition fundamentals to start. You will receive a wellness education guide. Natural medicines may also be prescribed.
Follow Up Appointments: (30 – 45 minutes)
The scheduling of further appointments will depend on your concerns, and the depth of pathology presenting. Your body, as a magnificent, living structure requires certain stages to be followed in order for a safe return to wellness, such as detoxifying, repairing, rebuilding and tonifying. Proper monitoring and guidance requires that follow-up appointments are scheduled generally once per 3-4-6 weeks spreading further apart as you improve. Testing will be repeated in 4 months.
Mind-body aspects and negative thinking patterns may be explored over time – where appropriate and applicable - to ensure true, lasting healing, and development of human potential. For many people, organ and body stress, and poor lifestyle habits starts here.