Dr. Jenna Blasi is a Naturopathic Physician trained in integrative and family medicine. She treats people of all ages, caring for both acute and chronic conditions. By integrating the best of natural medicine and the latest medical science, she achieves success in the treatment of a wide range of conditions – acute and chronic, common and rare, simple and complex, and mild to severe.
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is an innovative system of health care that strives to restore and maintain optimal health by combining modern medical knowledge with traditional healing wisdom. We define health as not merely the absence of disease, but a state of wellbeing that can only be achieved when the mind, body, and spirit are in balance.
What training does a Naturopathic Doctor have?
After completion of standard premedical undergraduate coursework, a naturopathic doctor attends a rigorous four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic doctor is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling. A naturopathic doctor takes a rigorous national licensing examination so that he or she may be licensed by a state as a Naturopathic Doctor.
Naturopathic Doctors are trained as primary care physicians, and as such perform a detailed history, run necessary labs, and make appropriate diagnoses. Naturopathic Doctors take the time to educate patients so they can make informed decisions about their treatment options, and commonly work in conjunction with other practitioners to assure the best possible care. The result is a patient-centered approach that strives to provide the most appropriate treatment for an individual’s needs.
Why see a Naturopathic Doctor?
- Naturopathic doctors spend extra time to understand your health problems.
- Naturopathic doctors strive to find the cause of your illness.
- Naturopathic doctors find ways for your body to heal itself.
- Naturopathic doctors treat you as a whole person and not just as part.
- Naturopathic doctors value prevention and are experts in preventative medicine.
- Naturopathic doctors prioritize the use of safe methods that cause no harm.
The principles that guide Naturopathic Medicine are:
First Do No Harm – Primum Non Nocere
Naturopathic medicine uses therapies that are safe and effective
The Healing Power of Nature – Vis Medicatrix Naturae
The human body possesses the inherent ability to restore health. The physician’s role is to facilitate this process with the aid of natural, nontoxic therapies.
Discover and Treat the Cause – Tolle Causam
Physicians seek and treat the underlying cause of a disease. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body’s natural attempt to heal. The origin of disease is removed or treated so the patient can recover.
Treat the Whole Person – Tolle Totum
The multiple factors in health and disease are considered while treating the whole person. Physicians provide flexible treatment programs to meet individual health care needs.
The Physician is a Teacher – Docere
The physician’s major role is to educate, empower, and motivate patients to take responsibility for their own health.
Prevention is the Best “Cure”
Naturopathic physicians are preventive medicine experts. Physicians assess patient risk factors and heredity susceptibility and intervene appropriately to reduce risk and prevent illness.
Prevention of disease is best accomplished through education and a lifestyle that supports health.
For more information about Naturopathic medicine visit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
What to expect during the initial visits?
Initial visits are divided into two appointments that allow Dr. Blasi the time to get to know you and address every aspect of your health. The first visit is approximately 1 hour and the second visit lasts 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on the complexity of your case.
During the first visit, Dr. Blasi listens to your health concerns, gathers a complete and comprehensive medical history, performs relevant physical exams and may suggest additional laboratory tests. It is always helpful to gather any previous lab work and bring all medications and supplements to the first visit. We’ll discuss what therapies are appropriate for you and then decide together which therapies we’ll use.
During the second visit, Dr. Blasi will discuss any lab findings and a treatment plan based on your individual needs. If homeopathy is the most appropriate treatment, she will take your homeopathic case. This involves an in-depth examination of your specific health concerns and the circumstances or symptoms that make your illness unique to you.
If we decide that another therapy is more appropriate for you, then this visit will be used to get you started on that therapy.
Dr. Blasi practices using the least intervention for the greatest benefits, therefore, she will rarely suggest bags of supplements and will work with you to set attainable goals.
What about follow-up visits?
Follow-up visits are important to make sure your health is improving until you are all better. Despite all efforts, sometimes the first treatment protocol prescribed may not work for you, and we’ll need to re-evaluate our information and adjust our plan.
- Follow-up visits typically take place around 3-4 weeks and last approximately 30 minutes.
- Follow-up visits will continue every 4 weeks in the early stages of treatment.
- As you improve, you will return for follow-ups less and less frequently until treatment is no longer needed.
- In acute conditions, the first follow-up will occur the next day, usually by phone. In very severe cases, the follow-up may be within a few hours.