Naturopathic medicine is on the rise in the Yakima Valley

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Sitting in her large, bright office, Dr. Heidi Robel prescribes what she believes to be the essential difference between her medical practice and others.

"Education, education, education."

And she doesn't mean her own.

As a licensed naturopathic physician, Robel believes a patient's care relies on what each client wants, needs and is willing to learn.

"We teach people to make educated choices about their health," she said. "We're just like other family doctors; we just have more tools in our kit to use."

Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability, and naturopathic doctors teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and natural therapies to enhance their bodies' ability to ward off disease.

The demand for alternative medicine is on the rise in Washington, where currently more than 700 naturopathic physicians are in practice, more than any other state in the country.

In Yakima, interest has especially increased in the past five years.

"The fastest growing interest is in pediatrics," said Robel, who grew up in Yakima and decided to return here after medical school with her husband to start her family practice. Along with Dr. Kara Lolley, Robel opened the doors to Natural Family Health and Wellness for the Yakima Valley almost three years ago.

"I've seen more parents interested in alternatives for their kids," said Robel, herself a mother of a 10-month-old son.

Robel sees more than 40 children at her clinic, where parents are seeking approaches other than prescription medication and antibiotics for conditions such as asthma, allergies, ADHD and autism.

Naturopathic medicine is a system of health care described by the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians as an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness.

What a naturopath will provide versus a medical doctor is a lengthier office visit and recommendations other than prescription medications, including vitamins, minerals and other supplements into the diet, herbal medicine, counseling and education on lifestyle changes, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, exercise therapy, and mind-body therapies such as yoga and meditation.

Practitioners of naturopathy prefer to use treatment approaches that they consider to be the most natural and least invasive, instead of using pharmaceutical drugs and more invasive procedures.

After hearing from physicians that her three miscarriages were normal, Gillian Taylor of Yakima decided to try naturopathy.

"I knew there had to be something better," said Taylor, a mother of three.

Through the use of a naturopathic doctor's recommendation on dietary changes and herbal remedies, she says she was able to get her hormones back on track.

"I got better without any prescriptions," said Taylor, an archeologist with the Yakama Indian Nation's Cultural Research Department.

Now, all three of her children receive treatment at Natural Family Health and Wellness. Taylor said her insurance doesn't cover well-child checkups, which out-of-pocket are more affordable at the naturopathic practice.

"They're cheaper and you get better service," said Taylor, who liked that her daughters' immunization shots were spaced out over a two-week period, instead of being provided at one time like many regular family practices.

Taylor's 9-year-old son recently had an upset stomach that lasted more than a month. She decided to take him to Dr. Lolley after their regular family physician said blood work came back fine.

Through the use of herbal remedies and diet, her son is back to his normal self.

Taylor likes the confidence she has gained through her education about diet, nutrition and lifestyle that her naturopathic doctors provide.

"We've been so much healthier as a family," she said.

Medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine also use alternative medicines, but only when they've been proven to be responsive through clinical studies that follow the scientific method.

It is the difference of how to use alternative herbal remedies with standard pharmaceuticals that separates naturopathic doctors from their counterparts.

"There are many ways of finding truth," said Dr. Deb Harper, president of the Washington State Medical Association. "I am going to dedicate myself to what is scientifically true."

Patients interested in seeking alternative medicine, according to Harper, need to be responsible and talk to their doctors about using any supplements.

"It's dangerous to use art alone without science," she said.

Despite some skepticism, there has been more openness to alternative medicine within the local medical community, according to Dr. Richard Wilkinson of the Wellness Clinic in Yakima.

As a licensed medical doctor, Wilkinson utilizes natural remedies and looks at what his patients can learn from foods, genetics, hormones and local toxins. He attributes the rise of interest in alternative medicine to the fact that people are tired of prescription drugs, and thinks there are more ways of approaching genuine health.

"I think we're moving in the right direction," Wilkinson said.

Naturopathic doctor Loraine Harkin said she enjoys working with local medical offices and area hospitals, and feels their practices are complimentary.

"I've been amazed. When I first opened my practice, there were doctors in town who wouldn't speak to me," said Harkin, who began her naturopathic practice 12 years ago. "We're not here to take away business, we're here to work together."

Currently, 15 states, including Washington, require all practicing naturopathic physicians to obtain their license from a certified institution.

Naturopathic physicians undergo training that is similar in structure and scope to that of medical and osteopathic physicians. Naturopathic medical colleges are four-year graduate schools with the doctor of naturopathic medicine degree awarded after classroom, clinic and practical study. In Washington, Bastyr University in the Seattle suburb of Kenmore offers naturopathic medical education and training.

In 2007, naturopathic doctors in Washington received extensive rights to prescribe all prescription drugs and a limited number of controlled substances. They are also trained and licensed to give vaccinations.

Washington and Vermont are currently the only two states that require insurance companies to offer reimbursement for services provided by naturopathic doctors.

With diet and exercise addressed with almost every patient, Robel believes the practice of prescribing fewer pharmaceuticals reduces costs for both patients and insurance groups.

With so much information about homeopathy online, natural remedies might feel like a mouse-click away. But Harkin warns against using herbs without speaking to a professional.

"It's the wild west out there," said Harkin. "We've done the research. We are the specialists."

In the U.S., herbal products can be marketed only as food supplements. There have been only a few herbs to gain FDA approval, such as witch hazel, aloe and slippery elm.

"Without FDA approval, it's hard to know what you're really getting. The dandelion root you're buying could really just be grass clippings," Harkin said.

Although many herbs can be used safely, some can be dangerous, particularly if they are taken in combination with certain prescription medications.

"We can help streamline what you're taking. At least half of herbal remedies are erroneous in regards to health," Harkin said.

The power of mind over body is essential to healing, no matter your medical belief. The power of selection is what some alternative practitioners hope to provide.

"You do have other choices," Robel said.