Areas of Expertise
Areas of special focus include irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO, GERD, hiatal hernia, inflammatory bowel disease (including microscopic colitis), biliary dyskinesia, gastroparesis and unrelenting nausea.
Naturopathic Gastroenterology
I receive referrals of patients with digestive diseases who desire Naturopathic treatment options; and often these are conditions that have defied diagnosis by other physicians. Many seek me out because of my expertise in diagnosing and treating small intestine bacterial overgrowth - including it's underlying causes.
​
Having taught pathology and gastroenterology and having decades of experience in clinical practice, I have an extensive understanding of the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, I have methods that allow me to assess proper organ function and often find successful treatments to regain normal function of the digestive system.
​
I also focus on the influence of stress on the body’s physiology and address these effects with a variety of natural treatments.
Reflex Guided Bodywork
Using soft tissue techniques such as structural integration, I effectively address a variety of injuries, post-surgical problems and chronic pain by increasing circulation and flexibility* in affected areas. Applied kinesiology testing is used to guide the bodywork. Visceral manipulation of the abdomen allows him to solve structural digestive problems often unaddressed by other healthcare providers. He refers patients to other practitioners for more extensive abdominal and pelvic adhesion treatment.
*To prevent instability, special techniques are used for patients with hypermobility syndromes.
"Thyrodrenal axis"
The thyroid gland and the adrenal glands play a major role in the proper function of the digestive system. They affect motility (peristalsis), secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and immune factors as well as insulin function and blood sugar regulation. The less than balanced function of these glands is common factor in digestive disorders of all kinds. I focus on these and other endocrine organs to best regulate the digestive tract in my patients.
My Approach
My students repeatedly hear me say to not assume a patient's diagnosis is correct until the data is thoroughly studied. I review all the previous labs, exams, imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI, motility studies, gastric emptying study...), stool testing, hormone panels, etc. I review all that has been done in the past in order to see the whole picture. Once I feel certain about what these are telling me, I use additional tests as needed and perform functional tests to determine the underlying causes of the problem. Only then do I start treatment.
​
I have been in practice for more than 40 years, and for 17 of those years, I taught pathology. I have a strong grounding in standard diagnostic techniques and physiology. In addition, I go beyond that knowledge to assess the function or dysfunction of the various body systems. Functional testing includes assessing organ and nerve "circuits" to get clues about which systems of the body are working well and which ones need improvement. I use reflex points (Chapman's, Bennett's and Riddler's), applied kinesiology evaluation of muscle reflexes, lingual-neural testing and various forms of myofascial testing and treatment (structural integration.) I believe this thorough approach is why I am often able to help patients who have been unsuccessful elsewhere.