At Alta Mountain we believe that many issues and conditions start first as a body’s dysfunction. So, the most effective way to treat these conditions is by uncovering the root of the problem while it’s a dysfunction. Our goal is to determine your dysfunction and then we can design an individual treatment plan to treat the cause of the health concern, not just the symptoms. In addition to chiropractic care to aid in your bio-mechanical issues we incorporate other functional medicine practices, as well as clinical nutrition as a way to treat many health concerns and dysfunctions.
A good example of treating a dysfunction before the disease is type II diabetes. Type II diabetes is a long road that travels through hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance before you reach diabetes. This takes time to occur and is much easier to control in these earlier phases then when you have reached diabetes.
Our bodies have very specific responses to the nutrients we consume. For example, poor quality or certain types of foods commonly cause inflammation, which is a primary cause of pain as well as disease and a number of degenerative conditions. Whole foods and whole food supplements induce the body’s natural mechanisms to reduce inflammation. Your body also responds to poor levels of crucial vitamins and minerals. Our current food source is typically high in calories and low in nutrients. Nutrient dense foods provide sufficient levels of these vitamins and minerals that are not usually present in most people’s daily food intake. At Alta Mountain we develop an individualized treatment plan based off your current symptoms as well as optional blood and lab work. We utilize whole food supplements to support to the body, organic Herbs and Homeopathic Remedies to induce the body’s natural ability to heal. We believe that focusing on the nutrients that your body requires for healing and initiating your body’s natural healing response will result in total body wellness.
Dr. Nathan Eldredge has seen over his years of Chiropractic work how two patients with very similar conditions respond very differently to care. Patient’s that have high inflammation and poor nutrition respond much slower and require more care than patient’s that have proper nutrition which creates a foundation of health that allows the body to heal. That is why we don’t believe Chiropractic or Clinical Nutrition are stand alone treatments, healing comes from the inside out.
Clinical Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition is only one of the many services that are offered at Alta Mountain. Oftentimes, an individual’s body responds in negative ways to certain foods. We utilize whole food supplements to support the body, along with organic Herbs, Homeopathic Remedies, Regenerative Injection therapies, Ozone therapies including Infrared Far sauna with ozone to induce the body’s natural ability to heal. Frequently, we find that patients have deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. These are critical to the body’s natural healing process. When we fail to supply our body with these nutrients it can cause inflammation, discomfort, or even more serious health conditions. This is not unlike forgetting to change or put oil in a motor. We believe that providing your body with proper nutrients as well as whole food natural supplements we can aid the body in alleviating numerous nutritional deficiencies, dysfunctions and health concerns.
The purpose of clinical nutrition is to aid the body in healing of the underlying cause of a health concern or injury. By incorporating clinical nutrition at Alta Mountain Chiropractic, you will be providing your body with herbs, vitamins, and minerals in a manner that gets to the root of the dysfunction rather than masking the symptom until the dysfunction becomes a more serious condition or disease. The products you are given, along with the rest of your treatment plan, are designed to aid your body in restoring the function of your immune system, nervous system, respiratory system, cardiovascular and digestive systems while improving the function of your organs.
During your initial visits to our office Dr. Nathan Eldredge will go through certain lifestyle habits and current symptoms you are having. You will go through your history as well as family history and Dr. Eldredge may or may not recommend further blood or lab testing at that time depending on your symptoms. This approach to clinical nutrition works hand-in-hand with other types of medical treatment such as functional medicine, holistic medicine, as well as chiropractic care that we can provide. Your individualized treatment plan will be designed to incorporate any area of medicine which we believe would best benefit your unique situation.
How long before I notice the results from Clinical Nutrition?
If patients stay consistent with the plan that is designed for them, they can begin to notice changes anywhere between 4 and 6 weeks. It is very important that patients realize we are kick starting the patient’s ability to heal; we are not forcing a change through chemical means, and this needs time to occur. So, sticking with the designed program is important in order to see these changes.
How do I know which Clinical Nutrition supplements are right for me?
Once you have had your initial conversation and possible lab work completed Dr. Nathan Eldredge will have a good idea of your primary dysfunction and or concerns. Once this condition or conditions have been identified, proper supplements in the correct quantity and possibly other therapies will be prescribed to help your body resolve the dysfunction. The goal with clinical nutrition is to try and use as little supplements or products as possible to initiate healing and once healing is controlled to back off these products. Unlike medication, we hope that you will not need any products for the rest of your life because the condition is being resolved not masked.
Do I need to stay on a Clinical Nutrition regimen for the rest of my life?
Many healthy individuals will only need care for a period of time and once your dysfunction has improved then you may reduce or discontinue care for a time. However, throughout your life, due to the aging process you may see that your health changes from time to time, and then additional steps and adjustments need to be made to your dietary regimen. How long you stay with a regimen really depends on your body’s condition and the level of health you are at during that time. It is encouraged that you stay with the regimen as long as you can to see the best possible results.
I frequently use dentistry as an example of clinical nutrition. You see your dentist occasionally for cleanings, but the bulk of your teeth care is what you do at home. If everything is good with your teeth you see your dentist on occasion to keep it that way. However, as things occur over time you may need to fix a cavity or have a root canal, but the better you are with your cleanings, home care and the luck of the teeth God has blessed you with, you may prevent many things by good home care. This is very similar to clinical nutrition; having a good plan and prevention is the goal.
Why can’t I just eat better instead of implementing Clinical Nutrition?
Improving your diet is always a good start, unfortunately the quality of food we eat is gradually declining at an unbelievable rate. The result of this is that countless people have a nutritional deficit and become physically ill due to their food options and become completely dependent on pharmaceutical drugs. The way food is grown, produced, processed and manufactured makes it extremely difficult to get all of the proper nutrients that your body demands to stay healthy. Clinical Nutrition aids in filling in the nutritional gaps that our current food options create, by correcting the nutritional gaps in our diet so we can live a healthier life.
How important is Clinical Nutrition?
At Alta Mountain, we believe that clinical nutrition plays a critical role in your overall health by helping your body avoid a number of preventable illnesses. When you provide your body with the proper essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it demands for proper function, it will be able to accomplish its natural healing processes the way it was intended. Whole food supplements are given to provide the proper nutrients while Homeopathic treatments and Herbs help facilitate and speed up the body’s natural healing response.
Does Clinical Nutrition improve overall health?
Yes! Clinical nutrition is designed to reduce deficiencies and correct dysfunctions in the body which improves your overall health. When you provide your body with the proper vitamins and minerals it requires, your immune system, nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system and cardiovascular system will all receive a much needed boost. This results in greater resistance to illnesses or other common health concerns such as Adrenal Fatigue, Thyroid Dysfunction, IBS or other Gastrointestinal Issues. In addition to these benefits, working with Dr. Nathan Eldredge at Alta Mountain will give you better insight and understanding of your body’s needs.
Can Clinical Nutrition heal Adrenal Fatigue?
Many people today are dealing with Adrenal Fatigue. So many stressors in life are affecting us, both externally and internally, which over extended periods of time can cause Adrenal Fatigue in an individual. One of the ways Dr. Nathan Eldredge uses to encourage your body to have healthy Adrenal levels is by providing your body with much needed nutrients that support, nourish and rest the adrenals. Whole food supplements, Homeopathic Therapies, Herbs and lifestyle changes are often highly effective in this process.
How are supplements, homeopathic, herbs and other therapies prescribed?
Dr. Nathan Eldredge utilizes Whole Food Supplements, Homeopathic Therapies and Organic Herbs as well as Ozone and Infrared Far Ozone Saunas in his practice. Based off the information gathered by consultations, exams, symptom surveys, laboratory testing and blood work Dr. Nathan Eldredge will prescribe therapies that will best suit you and your symptoms/conditions. By going through this simple process, a specific treatment plan will be developed for you.
Does Clinical Nutrition play a part in emotional health?
Absolutely! Clinical nutrition can play a critical role in emotional health and well-being. Low levels of vitamins and minerals in the body play havoc on a number of processes in the body that greatly affect your emotional health. Utilizing holistic health practices combined with clinical nutrition can restore your body to a state of total health, emotionally and physically.
What Will A Clinical Nutrition Appointment Be Like?
- The first step to Clinical Nutrition is generally to have a one on one conversation with Dr. Nathan Eldredge. During this consultation, the doctor is able to ask you very specific questions that will help him make an analysis of your health. Questions regarding personal diet, family history, medical history and what kind of habits you already have in place. Lifestyle questions will also be asked because lifestyle plays a very large role in your overall health and well-being. You will be asked to fill out an in-depth symptom survey, which allows you and the doctor to know what symptoms you’re having. These surveys will also be used later in treatment to help assess your improvements.
- Based on all of the gathered information Dr. Nathan Eldredge will determine if any additional testing will need to be done. Often, patients are interested in receiving blood work so that a more in-depth clinical nutritional program can be created based off their specific blood work.
- After the information is collected and all lab testing has been processed, Dr. Nathan Eldredge will design a specific program based off your results. This program is individualized for your specific needs and designed to aid in your body’s healing in the most effective way possible with clinical nutrition.
- For the most part, two or three appointments over several months following the initial consultation is needed to accurately and efficiently observe your progress. During this time, we will see how your body is responding and make adjustments to maximize your body’s healing response. Most patients need simple, minor adjustments throughout the therapies as the body starts to heal.
Functional Medicine or Clinical Nutrition | Alta Mountain
Traditional medicine uses drugs and hormones to treat a dysfunction or a disease for various conditions. The standard model of care is to get a list of symptoms or complaints and through a history, and possible labs, determine a disease that is then treated. This traditional type of care in my opinion works very well for acute disease, trauma, infection and emergencies. I believe the doctors that treat this way are doing a great job; however it leaves a gap in care. This gap in care has created the need for Clinical Nutrition or Functional Medicine.
Clinical Nutrition or Functional Medicine is here to fill the gap in healthcare. Functional Medicine, once again, gets a list of symptoms or complaints and through a thorough history and possible labs, takes a look at the patient’s dysfunctions more than searching for a disease. If a dysfunction or disease is found, then the journey begins on “WHY.” Why is this dysfunction or disease occurring, becomes the main question. Functional medicine and Clinical Nutrition doctors don’t treat the dysfunction or disease only, but treat the root cause of the dysfunction or illness. Is the root cause due to poor nutrition, lifestyle, food intolerance or sensitivity, bacteria, hormone imbalance, environmental toxins or environmental/physical/emotional stressors, these are questions that need to be answered.
There are 5 basic principles to Functional Medicine.
1) Every individual is unique in every way, but most importantly genetically and biochemically. So Functional Medicine treats the individual uniquely to support the individuals normal healing mechanisms and enables the body to create healing; which in the end prevents the need for long-term or possibly life-long care.
2) Functional Medicine is deeply science based to understand the body’s complicated network of biochemical reactions, in order to treat the patient at the cellular level.
3) Your body is designed to self-regulate. This means that your body has specific functions that work on their own to restore normal functions and bring your body to its optimal health.
4) Your body can heal itself. Your body capabilities have been around for a lot longer than “modern or functional medicine;” and because of this it has been dealing with illness and disease for centuries. It has been designed to heal itself, and honestly, we are just scratching the surface when it comes to learning everything there is to know about the body. Our goal with Functional Medicine is to facilitate and initiate this healing process by reversing the effects of our quickly changing “modern lifestyle.”
5) Health is more than the absence of disease, but a state of optimal function. Functional Medicine is to optimize the body to prevent dysfunction and disease when possible.
Important Items to read about:
Dosage & Side Effects of: Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Naproxen & Ibuprofen
Vitamin D- Why do I Feel Like Crap Without It?
Vitamin D – Chances Are Very High That You’re Vitamin D Deficient!