Natural Family Physicians offers health care alternatives
While more people are choosing taking pharmaceuticals to help ease stress, pain or illness, the Natural Family Physicians clinic offers Cape Coral residents an effective alternative to medication using natural remedies that have been used for more than a thousand years.
Three physicians work with patients at the clinic to offer acupuncture, oriental herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, homeopathy and Bach remedies and massage therapy.
“This is a real center for natural health,” said Noneen Murdoch, an acupuncture physician. “We do school physicals, treat families and people use us as their first step.”
Murdoch explained that more local patients are choosing natural remedies first, while in the past these remedies were considered a last resort after all other avenues had been explored. Many of them also don’t like the damaging side effects of some medications.
“We’ve been busy because people don’t like the side effects of medications,” said Murdoch. “And my medicine has been around for 5,000 years.”
Natural Family Physicians takes a holistic approach to health, studying a person’s emotional, physical and metaphysical state.
Murdoch explained that she has seen how acupuncture and ancient Chinese herbs have helped women with hot flashes. Rather than asking the women to undergo hormone replacement therapy, that in some cases has caused cancer, she uses alternative techniques to balance hormones naturally.
“The night sweats disappear, the hot flashes diminish and are gone, and in about a year’s time they come back in” she explained.
The natural physicians also utilize a Live Blood Cell Analysis, where a drop of blood is placed under a microscope and is studied. The analysis can determine if a patient has high cholesterol, a fungal buildup or a number of other conditions. Later they can receive a natural remedy, such as herbs or a B-12 shot for example, to correct the problem.
Candace Tranter, a licensed massage therapist, uses various massage techniques ranging from a Swedish deep stroke to the Hawaiian Lomi Nui, a technique that uses broad strokes across the body and produces a feeling of euphoria. She also focuses on the connection between the emotional and physical.
“If you have an emotional block, you can release it with massage,” said Tranter. “When you have an emotional release, it helps release the physical muscle too.”
Tranter also employs Reiki, an ancient Japanese relaxation technique that transfers life force energy and is credited with preventing illness and stress.
“Massage isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity so you don’t hold in all of this stuff,” she said.
Many residents visit Natural Family Physicians during their lunch hour, she said, for a 10 minute massage to release stress and maintain overall health. The clinic also offers a half-hour massage for $45, an hour for $75 and an hour-and-a-half for $90.
Acupuncture sessions cost $120 for the first time and $85 for subsequent visits, but if the patient participates in a free comprehensive consultation during the month of November, they will be charged $85 for every visit.
They also offer a Winter Care Kit that includes a number of herbs to prevent the cold or flu.
Since diet can effect someone’s health, the clinic offers nutritional counseling for $120 for the first visit and $70 for subsequent visits. Murdoch explained that nutrition has a profound effect on a person’s health.
“Diet is a big part of health,” she said. “There is a nutritionist on staff who will sit down with patients.”
For more information on services at the Natural Family Physicians, visit www.acupuncturefl.com or call 540-1220.