PHILOSOPHY

Natural and Oriental Medicine is a distinctive natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person. Natural and Oriental Medicine emphasizes the treatment of disease through the stimulation, enhancement, and support of the inherent healing capacity of the person. Methods of treatments are chosen to work with the patient's vital force, respecting the intelligence of the natural healing process. The practice of Natural and Oriental Medicine emerges from six underlying principles of healing. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in light of scientific analysis. It is these principles that distinguish the profession from other medical approaches:

This set of principles, emphasized throughout professional training, outlines the philosophy guiding the natural approach to health and healing and forms the foundation of this distinct health care profession.

First do no harm. Primum No Nocere

Illness is a purposeful process of the organism. The process of healing includes the generation of symptoms which are, in fact, an expression of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complimentary to and synergistic with this healing process. The physician's actions can support or antagonize the actions of the vis medicatrix naturae. Therefore, methods designed to suppress symptoms without removing underlying causes are considered harmful and are avoided or minimized.

The healing power of nature.  Vis Medicatrix Naturae

The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician's role is to facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to support the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.

Identify and treat the cause.  Tolle Causam

Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and removed or treated before a person can recover completely from illness. Symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt to heal, but are not the cause of disease. Symptoms, therefore, should not be suppressed by treatment. Causes may occur on many levels including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The physician must evaluate fundamental underlying causes on all levels, directing treatment at root causes rather than at symptomatic expression.

Treat the Whole Person

Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, a whole involving a complex interaction of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. The physician must treat the whole person by taking all of these factors into account. The harmonious functioning of all aspects of the individual is essential to recovery from and prevention of disease, and requires a personalized and comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.

The physician as teacher.  Docere

Beyond an accurate diagnosis and appropriate prescription, the physician must work to create a healthy, sensitive interpersonal relationship with the patient. A cooperative doctor-patient relationship has inherent therapeutic value. The physician's major role is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for health. The physician is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not the doctor, who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing. The physician must strive to inspire hope as well as understanding. The physician must also make a commitment to his/her personal and spiritual development in order to be a good teacher.

Prevention. Prevention is the best "cure."

The ultimate goal of any health care system should be prevention. This is accomplished through education and promotion of life-habits that create good health. The physician assesses risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to disease and makes appropriate interventions to avoid further harm and risk to the patient. The emphasis is on building health rather than on fighting disease. 

What Types Of Treatments Do Natural and Oriental Professionals Offer?
Acupuncture
Some practice acupuncture and have received additional training in order to do so. Dr. Kimberly Nguyen is a board certified Acupuncture Physician licensed in Florida. She received her education and training from Florida College of Integrative Medicine.
Herbal Medicine
Medicinal plants and plant extracts from all over the world, used according to traditional and modern scientific principles. Natural and Oriental Health Professionals are health care providers fully trained in the use of botanical medicine. Many plant substances are powerful medicines. Where single chemically-derived drugs may only address a single problem, botanical medicines are able to address a variety of problems simultaneously. Their organic nature makes botanicals compatible with the body's own chemistry; hence, they can be gently effective with few toxic side effects.
Clinical Nutrition
Natural and Oriental Health Professionals use food, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other natural substances to stimulate a healing response. That food is the best medicine is a cornerstone of natural medicine. Many medical conditions can be treated more effectively with foods and nutritional supplements than they can by other means, with fewer complications and side effects. Natural and Oriental Health Professionals use dietetics, natural hygiene, fasting, and professional nutritional supplementation in practice.
Homeopathy
This powerful system of medicine is based on the "law of similars." Specially prepared dilutions of diluted substances are carefully matched with the patient's symptoms in order to stimulate the body's innate healing capacity. Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of "like cures like." It works on a subtle yet powerful electromagnetic level, gently acting to strengthen the body's healing and immune response.
Lifestyle Counseling
Natural and Oriental Health Professionals work with their patients to examine all aspects of a their life, including attitude, diet, exercise, and coping with and avoiding occupational stress and environmental hazards, understanding that health depends on many things.
Mind/Body Medicine
Mental attitudes and emotional states may influence, or even cause, physical illness. Counseling, nutritional balancing, stress management, meditation, acupuncture and other therapies are used to help patients heal on the psychological level.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Meridian theory offers an important understanding of the unity of the body and mind, and adds to the Western understanding of physiology. Acupuncture provides a method of treatment which can unify and harmonize the imbalances present in disease conditions; which, if untreated, can result in illness.
What Conditions Can Natural and Oriental Medicine Treat?
There is a wide range of conditions that Natural and Oriental Health Professionals help with, either alone or in combination with other complementary or usual medical treatments. These include:
Acute conditions such as headaches, sore throats, ear infections, intestinal upsets, colds and flu, etc.
Chronic illnesses such as migraines, musculoskeletal pain, gastrointestinal, gynecological, arthritis, heart disease, etc.
Inherent tendencies before they become a serious illness or degenerative disease.
Mental and emotional problems to reduce the effects of recent stresses and long-term patterns of anger, depression, or anxiety.
Physical injury and trauma, including possible referral to appropriate specialists. 

Please Note: Florida does not currently license Naturopathic Physicians. Although Dr. Kimberly Nguyen is a board certified and licensed Naturopathic Doctor in Vermont, she practices as a Natural Health Consultant and Acupuncture Physician in Florida. The information provided is general information about where you can find information about Naturopathic Medicine. For more information on Naturopathic Medicine, please see the National Naturopathic Associations website, www.naturopathic.org.

Presently, there are four naturopathic medical programs in the United States fully accredited by the CNME:
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, Arizona (Dr. Kimberly Nguyen is a graduate of SCNM) www.scnm.edu
Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington www.bastyr.edu
National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon www.ncnm.edu
University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut
The CNME also accredits one program in Canada:
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, Ontario
A nationally standardized Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEX) has been established which is used in nearly all of the states that currently regulate NDs. Successful passage of this test is a basic requirement for licensing. Currently, twenty five states and districts license NDs: 
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts (MA licensed ND doctors in 2017 and is currently working on the promulgation of rules and regulations. It is hoped that license applications will become available in early 2021).
Minnesota
Montana
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Utah
Vermont
Washington
US Territories: Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
In all of these jurisdictions, NDs practice as independent general practitioners with state oversight. Licensed NDs are required to complete annual continuing education, practice responsibly and meet all of the individual state requirements in order to maintain their license. A licensed ND has unique expertise in natural medicine while also possessing the ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions, perform physical exams and order laboratory testing. In many of the states that license naturopathic doctors, health care consumers may specifically choose NDs as their primary health care providers.
The national organization representing naturopathic doctors, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (www.naturopathic.org) is the driving force for the profession. The AANP is instrumental in the development of the profession's educational and practice standards, and in expanding awareness of the vital role naturopathic medicine has to play in the future of the health care system in the United States. 

Natural and Oriental Medicine is a natural approach to health and healing. For patients with cancer, these form of medicine helps create a healthy environment both inside and outside the body. The goals of natural medicine for patients undergoing cancer treatment include:
Support normal metabolism during treatment
Help decrease side effects of cancer treatments (pain, nausea, vomiting, etc.--see list below)
Help build the body’s system
Provide strategies for long term cancer prevention and health maintenance
Improve energy, well-being and overall quality of life
Other common side-effects of chemo, radiation and surgery:
• pain
• nausea/vomiting
• depression • night sweats
• diarrhea • numb fingers/toes
• dry/irritated skin • sleep disruption
• fatigue • urinary tract infections
• constipation • weight loss/wasting
All of the therapies listed below are complements to traditional cancer treatment options.
Clinical Nutrition:
That food is the best medicine is a cornerstone of natural and oriental medicine. Some medical conditions may be treated more effectively with foods and nutritional supplements than by other means, with fewer complications and side effects.
Botanical Medicine (Herbs, Minerals, and Vitamins):
Many plant substances are powerful medicines. Where single chemically-derived drugs may address only one problem, botanical medicines are able to address a variety of problems simultaneously. Their organic nature makes most botanicals compatible with the body's own chemistry; hence, they can work gently, and with few toxic side effects.
Oriental Medicine:
Meridian theory offers an important understanding of the unity of the body and mind and adds to the Western understanding of physiology. Acupuncture provides a method of treatment which can unify and harmonize the imbalances present in disease conditions, which is untreated, can result in illness.
Homeopathy:
Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of "like cures like." Clinical observation indicates that it works on a subtle, yet powerful, energetic level, gently acting to strengthen the body's natural response and triggering the healing process. Homeopaths believe that the more dilute the remedy (small doses), the greater its potency.
Psychological Medicine:
Mental attitudes and emotional states may influence, or even cause, physical illness. Counseling, nutritional balancing, stress management, and other therapies are used to help patients heal on the mental/emotional level.
Here are a few links and more information about how Natural and Oriental Medicine may help you:
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
http://www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine.cfm
National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/acupuncture/
healthprofessional/allpages
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs

Do you feel congested from too much food, or the wrong kinds of food?
· Do you feel lethargic, like you need a good spring cleaning?
· Do you need to eliminate drug residues?
· Do you want to streamline your body processes for more energy?
· Do you need to remove toxins causing a health problem?
· Do you want to rest and rejuvenate your whole body?
· Do you want to assist weight loss?
· Do you want to clear up your skin?
· Do you want to strengthen your immune response?
Some signs that you may need a detox are: frequent, unexplained headaches, back or joint pain, chronic respiratory problems, sinus problems, abnormal body odor, bad breath, food allergies, poor digestion, chronic constipation with intestinal bloating or gas, brittle nails and hair, psoriasis, adult acne, poor concentration, chronic insomnia, depression, irritability, chronic fatigue, and environmental sensitivities especially to odors.
Detox
The process may start with a detox diet or it may be a combination of diet with a high quality detox formula or herbal medicine to initiate the cleansing process. The type of detoxification needed, depends on the individual. Some of the detox treatment offered at our clinic are the castor oil pack treatment and the detox blend. Castor oil has a long history of traditional medical use dating back to ancient Egypt. Derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis), the oil was once used internally as a laxative but is now primarily used externally due to its potential toxicity. A castor oil pack is placed on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. It is used to stimulate the liver, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion. The detox blend is a mixture of clays, minerals and herbs. When combined, they are able to absorb toxins and draw impurities to the surface.
The types of therapies or the formulas recommended will depend on the factors contributing to the patient's health issues, for example, heavy metal exposures, long term environmental pollutants exposures, etc. Patients will learn how to do the castor oil detox and the detox blend in the office and will be able to continue the detox treatment at home. Depending on the severity of your issue, detoxification may be recommended several times per month, every 2-3 months, seasonal or as needed. At times, supplements may be recommended to help with the detoxification process.

Please Note: Sometimes cleanses are accompanied by light headedness and mild flu-like symptoms. This is part of the cleansing process (light-headedness most often relate to the liver function and the detoxification therapy are giving that function a major push as well as major support).