Our Approach
Integrated Naturopathy & Functional Medicine
Looking behind the symptoms for better health
At Nurtura Health our highly qualified and experienced Naturopaths are trained to provide specialist healthcare by blending the best of Naturopathic Philosophies, Functional Medicine and Natural Therapies to help you to achieve and maintain optimal health.
Our approach uses a strong emphasis on discovering the unique causes of your health concerns. We merge key aspects of modern science, traditional knowledge and years of experience in clinical practice to help you achieve your best health possible. Treatments aim to support and aid the body to heal itself and restore functions that have been compromised through lifestyle, genetic predisposition or dietary imbalances.
Functional Medicine is a science-based field of healthcare that considers the core clinical imbalances that underlie a dis-ease or condition and how to correct it. It helps connect the dots for you so you can understand how you got here, and what you need to do to get better.
When you come to Nurtura Health, you already have specific health goals in mind. It may be to have more energy and not feel so tired. It may be to be able to enjoy food without indigestion, bloating and bowel issues. It may be that you haven’t felt well (really well) for years, and there have been no solutions. It may be that you struggle to breathe, have constant coughing, and have been told the next step is an oxygen bottle. It may be that you wake every day with a headache, have severe PMT, live with backache, or just aren’t coping.
You are a real person! You have real pain or discomfort or just aren’t happy with how you feel. Your body is a whole system, not many little isolated or detached organs or limbs. At Nurtura Health our goal is to support you on your journey back to the best health possible for your age and stage of life and to achieve your health goals. How, you ask?
By reviewing your current and past health history, your genetic, diet and lifestyle factors, thorough assessment and review of pathology tests, your Naturopath will make a plan that puts you in charge of your health. With compliance and support, you may feel the difference in yourself and understand how to preserve your own and your loved ones’ health for the future.
Naturopathy and Functional Medicine Consultations are suited to all ages for acute or general health concerns; and especially in complex or chronic conditions when you know something is not right, but you have been told everything is in ‘normal range’ – the ‘invisible illness.’
FAQs
What do Naturopaths do?
Naturopathy involves the use of nutritional and herbal medicines, complementary therapies and lifestyle advice to help restore wellness, energy, and the ability to enjoy life.
How does a Naturopath know what to prescribe?
The Naturopaths at Nurtura Health take time and care reviewing your health history, any blood test or investigation results, your symptom picture. In addition, they use in-clinic screening including physical assessment, iridology, QuadScan Bio-Impedence analysis and a VegaTest Review. Your Naturopath will take this information along with their training and extensive clinical experience in their recommendations of a treatment program for your specific condition.
What can a Naturopath help with?
You can see one of the Naturopaths from Nurtura Health for nearly any condition, including digestive issues, stress and mood disorders, reproductive issues, poor immunity, sleep problems and more.
In addition to acute conditions, our Naturopaths treat many chronic and complex conditions. While conventional treatment is very symptom focused, our treatments aim to treat the cause wherever possible.
What does it mean to treat the cause of the illness or discomfort?
Behind every discomfort, illness or dis-ease there is an underlying cause. Take for example reoccurring headaches. You get a headache, you take a painkiller, and the headache goes away. While you will gain relief, the treatment does not help to prevent the recurrence of future headaches. This is symptomatic treatment.
The cause can be from structural issues like neck and shoulder tension or bad posture. Or the headache can be from dehydration, a magnesium deficiency, sinusitis, allergies, hormone imbalances, stress, lack of restful sleep, constipation, eyesight issues, fevers or virus. Once the underlying issue is address, the body can heal, and the headaches go away.
Treating the cause takes longer and more commitment than using a symptomatic relief. But the rewards are that you can address the core issue, help your body function in a balanced way, and regain health, wellness and enjoyment of life. This is what makes Integrated Naturopathy and Functional Medicine so effective – the personalised approach for each person helps to target what is really going on.
Can I book an Initial Comprehensive Consultation as a standalone appointment?
Yes! The Initial Comprehensive Consultation which includes Iridology (Iris Photography), QuadScan BioImpedence Analysis, and a VegaTest Review will provide you with a great amount of value and insight on its own. Our clients comment how much they learn about their health during this Consultation.
Will natural treatment interfere with my medications?
Our Naturopaths are all highly qualified and have training in pharmacology. They are hyper aware of any herb-drug or nutrient-drug interactions and will only prescribe you natural medicines which are safe for you and will complement your prescription medications.
Do you offer virtual/online appointments?
Yes! Our Naturopaths can consult via video chat or over the phone. This service is valuable for regional and remote areas. Nurtura Health have clients from Victoria to North Queensland and the Northern Territory. Our support staff can send out a ‘country pack’ prior to the consultation. Any natural or herbal medicines prescribed can be shipped to you anywhere in Australia.
Can my child see a Naturopath?
Children respond incredible to naturopathy. Our Naturopaths have treated many babies, children and teenagers and understand the challenges for different age groups. We frequently see babies with colic, restlessness, immune issues; children and teenagers for digestive issues, constant infections, eczema, acne, asthma, and anxiety, hormonal issues and stress and fatigue.
If I am pregnant, can I see a Naturopath?
Absolutely! Our Naturopaths have supported many women with pre-conception care and care throughout their pregnancies. Careful consideration is always given to any medical treatments the patient is on, and care is taken with prescribing to ensure the doses and types of herbal or nutritional are safe in pregnancy.
Can we claim on our Private Health Fund?
Due to legislative changes made by the Australian government, from 1st April 2019 a range of natural therapies including Naturopathy are no longer covered by private health insurance. As of January 2020, this decision to remove these natural therapies came under review and is currently ongoing. We are hopeful that in the future we will see Naturopathy covered by health funds again!
We have HiCaps at Nurtura Health and are registered as providers with most private Health Funds. Our remedial and lymphatic drainage massage therapies are covered under most private Health Funds. Please check with your Fund if you are not sure.
Do I need a referral to a Naturopath?
No! Anyone can make an appointment to have a consultation with a Naturopath at Nurtura Health.
Can I come if I have an acute condition e.g. a sore throat, an ear infection, a gut or bladder infection?
Yes! We have acute appointments available for any acute conditions. Nutritional and herbal medicine may be very useful at the onset of these conditions and often support a quick recovery.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine seeks to determine how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of dis-ease for the individual.
The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centred, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of dis-ease and promote optimal wellness.
By addressing root cause, rather than symptoms, Naturopaths become oriented to identifying the complexity of dis-ease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions. As a result, Functional Medicine treatment targets the specific manifestation in each individual.
Our Naturopathic Process
Consultations
Let’s talk about YOU
If you have not seen a Naturopath before, it is a different type of health CARE. We give you time. We look at you as a whole person, not just a symptom. You will tell us ‘what’ is wrong. We need to establish ‘why’. We need to support you with the ‘how’ solution to relieve your pain or discomfort, and for you to achieve/regain and maintain optimal health.
Your body does not just develop dis-ease on its own, there are always underlying factors. Your life experience is an important part of that story when it comes to your current health.
As many of our clients travel to Nurtura Health from Brisbane, regional areas or interstate, we offer extra time during your Initial Comprehensive Consultation which includes several health assessments. Our Naturopaths have found from experience, taking the extra time with you and addressing your health concerns carefully and thoroughly during your initial appointment, gives the best long term health outcome.
1. Initial comprehensive consultation
This is a 1.5-2 hour extended consultation to allow us to hear your health story, including personal and family history, the circumstances around your first symptoms – how you have become unwell, what happened when, and any other concerns.
We will ask you to complete one or more questionnaires prior to this consultation. Your Naturopath will review these before your appointment. This information gives your Naturopath direction to more easily discuss your health concerns. We may ask for copies of any recent blood tests, scans, x rays or other information regarding recent or chronic health events.
Included in this consultation are:
- Iridology with Iris Photography
- QuadScan Body Composition Analysis
- Physical Exam Assessment
- VegaTest Review
Optional tests include:
If your Naturopath feels it is necessary, additional Pathology may be requested. Your experienced Naturopath will explore what is wrong; why has your health been affected – what has or is contributing to or underlying your symptoms; and how can you have relief or achieve and maintain optimal health.
By investing this time and effort upfront, our experienced Naturopaths help many clients get to the bottom of often perplexing and elusive long-standing health issues.
2. Treatment plan
Your experienced Naturopath will use a thoughtful decision process to give you a truly personalised treatment plan that addresses your symptoms or health goals. This may include nutritional or herbal medicine, natural therapies, or dietary and lifestyle advice. The unique prescribing method our naturopaths have developed allows a personalised and precise prescription to support healing and therapeutic changes in your body. Your recommended treatment plan will be discussed with you.
Our Naturopaths find that using this integrative approach to restoring health and wellness gives the support you need for the best possible results in the shortest possible time.
3. Follow-up appointments
It is important, particularly in the initial stages of treatment, that your health progress is monitored and evaluated. This appointment may include VegaTest Review or QuadScan Body Composition Analysis which gives an objective measurement of your progress or challenges. Your Naturopath will review your progress, address any concerns, and if necessary, adjust your prescription or treatment program to ensure you are achieving symptom resolution and improvements on your journey back to better health.
4. Acute appointments
This half-hour appointment is available for acute conditions or injuries of recent onset. It includes any relevant health assessment. If further assessment, pathology or other therapies are indicated they will be discussed. If indicated, an acute prescription will be prepared by one of our experienced Naturopaths.
5. Annual wellbeing appointments
Recommended to review and update your treatment plan and supplements for long term vitality, health and wellbeing. It is recommended to have a QuadScan Body Composition Analysis included in this appointment to objectively measure the parameters to ensure there have been no negative changes that need to be addressed.
We welcome working as part of a collaborative care team with General Practitioners, Specialists or other Allied Health Practitioners. Our Naturopaths commonly work with the following health concerns:
- Babies and children’s health issues – colic, constipation, bedwetting, frequent infections, rashes
- Student’s and teenagers’ issues – stress, focus, anxiety, skin, gut health, fatigue, sleep, dietary
- Digestive problems – Constipation, bloating, IBS, reflux, infections, SIBO, dysbiosis, nausea
- Stress and fatigue – no energy, anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, comfort eating, insomnia
- Pain and inflammation – headaches, shoulder tension, joint pain, muscle soreness, stiffness
- Infections – bacterial, viral, glandular fever, shingles, herpes, ENT, sinus, kidney and bladder
- Emotional health – anxiety, depression, mood issues, not coping, foggy, no focus, overwhelmed
- Reproductive hormone and fertility – PMS, Endometriosis, PCOS, Menopause, infertility
- Male hormone and fertility – toxin exposure, reproductive health, prostate problems, libido
- Autoimmune dis-eases – thyroid, CFS, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis
- Weight and dietary issues – underweight or overweight – solutions, support, resolution
- Food allergies and intolerances – what is underlying and how to get relief from symptoms
- Skin issues – allergy, deficiency, digestion, diet and lifestyle, toxic exposure, infections
- Anti-ageing – support to defy the years, stay mentally alert and physically active as you age
- Integrative support during conventional medical treatments for cancer and chronic dis-eases
- Health checks – intervention to maintain wellness, rather than treating sickness or dis-ease
Invest in Your Most Valuable Asset – Your Health
To learn more about our services or to make an appointment call us on 0741 534 112.
Functional Nutritional Medicine and Nutrition
A healthier solution that’s catered just for you
Different diets, foods and nutrients provide varying health benefits to our bodies. A balanced diet is essential for good health and your Naturopath will discuss your diet and nutritional requirements. Functional Nutrition is a science-based field of healthcare that considers the clinical imbalances that underlie a dis-ease or condition and how it can be corrected.
When your Naturopath considers Functional Nutrition, they understand your biochemical uniqueness, and that each person’s path to dis-ease or health is different. It is knowing what key life-sustaining substances are really doing in the body and asking the question, “Are they truly supporting health in this particular person’s body the way they should be?”
Any nutritional supplements are individually prescribed to you according to your nutritional requirements (why you are deficient and how they are going to improve your health).
Nurtura Health has a large Dispensary with the best quality nutritional medicines (liquids, tablets and powders) available, with guaranteed effective ingredients, and backed by the best scientific research.
FAQs
What is Nutritional Medicine?
Nutrition is the relationship of foods to the health of the human body. Each essential nutrient has a specific role to play in the body. All nutrients need to be supplied to the body to maintain optimal health.
Your diet could be contributing to your unwellness of lack of vitality. In addition, stress, pollution and other lifestyle factors may increase your need for nutrients.
Nutritional Medicine is based on the belief that subclinical vitamin or mineral deficiencies or the ability to digest and absorb same, can reduce the body’s ability to function at its optimum level. Some health conditions may also be caused by allergies or intolerance to various foods.
Our Naturopaths will consider any nutritional deficiencies or excess and provide advice on nutritional supplements and how to change your diet to improve health, increase your physical and mental well being and your resistance to disease.
Functional Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is an effective natural treatment
Functional Herbal therapy describes a new system of Western herbal prescribing that draws on the modern concept of functional medicine, but it is also rooted in traditional herbal wisdom. It embraces the phytochemistry in individual herbs and how that can be used to make corrective changes for better health.
Functional Herbal Medicine is a highly effective treatment option utilising modern scientific herbal practices backed up by as many as 30,000 published clinical trials. This validates our understanding of the traditional uses, therapeutic constituents, actions and interactions of each herb. Herbal Medicine can be used to treat both acute and chronic or complex health conditions.
Nurtura Health carries a large dispensary of liquid and tabletted herbal remedies, scientifically assayed for the highest quality active ingredients and effectiveness. The benefit of using the whole herb versus an extract or isolate is the synergy of the active ingredients of the whole plant which increases effectiveness without side effects.
FAQs
What is Herbal Medicine?
It involves the use of plants with medicinal properties to assist the body in the healing process. Different plant parts are used depending on active ingredients in them. Using the correct plant types and parts are essential to a successful treatment which is one of the reasons you may see better results under the care of a qualified Naturopath.
What is Functional Herbal Medicine?
Do you use standard formulations?
Yes and No. We use a number of tabletted herbal preparations which are made to specific formulations. All of our liquid formulations are individually chosen and formulated to each person’s own personal prescription. This is one of the major benefits of liquid herbal preparations, that they are always individually prescribed and formulated.
Our Dispensary
Quality nutritional and herbal medicines in stock
At Nurtura Health, our modern nutritional and herbal medicine dispensary stocks a large range of pharmaceutical-grade practitioner-only products that comply with the high standards of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. This means that they are well-researched medicines of the highest quality and therapeutic efficacy that will be prescribed specifically for you by one of our dedicated Naturopaths.
It is reassuring to know your TGA approved practitioner-only medicines are supported by process validation, stability trials, and unique testing methods and have extensive high quality published scientific evidence.
Nurtura Health is happy to fill prescriptions from other practitioners if you are visiting our area, or unable to source your products. You will need a valid prescription from your Practitioner, or you can check if you have a valid prescription on file at Nurtura Health.
To repeat-order your Nutritional Supplements or Herbal Remedies from Nurtura Health Dispensary contact us on 0741 534 112.
Dietary and Lifestyle Advice
Learn how you can start loving your body
If it is pertinent to your health condition or health goals, our Naturopaths will go through your diet and work, life and exercise routine. Sometimes these factors need significant upgrades and other times small changes can make a major difference to how you are feeling or your health.
Nutrition is the science of food, the nutrients in foods, and how the body uses them. Our nutritional status is affected by what we eat, how we digest and absorb the nutrients, our metabolism, transport, storage and excretion of those nutrients.
Our diet plays a leading role in the health of our gut and our gut microbiome. Our nutritional status is affected by the environmental, psychological and behavioural aspects of food and eating.
Any advice given by our Naturopaths will be simple, logical and achievable. We support you to reverse current issues and to educate you on how to prevent further issues and maintain better health.
