Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the typical questions we get about naturopathic and acupuncture treatment. There are also many questions that you will find answered just in the course of perusing our website. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Before Covid-19 it was required to make a face-to-face contact in order to establish care. At this time care can be established and maintained virtually as long as you are in Oregon. Thankfully, most insurances that cover naturopathic care will cover virtual visits, but not all, so please contact your insurance if you want to know if you are covered.
If you are not in Oregon and wish to work with me, I also offer coaching and consulting for clients all over the world. If you are looking for distance work, you can learn more or schedule here.
Because we built the new clinic from the ground up in fall of 2020, we were able to plan for a high end HVAC system that is geared specifically toward creating as safe an environment as possible.
The new construction includes an energy efficient ventilation system that brings in a full exchange of 100% fresh air 6x an hour. Additionally, it is equipped with a MERV13 filter which cleans and conditions the air before it enters the clinic, and each room has its own free standing medical grade air purifier that we run during visits.
As of March 2023 Dr Brody is doing the lion's share of her naturopathic visits virtually for both convenience and optimal safety, but you are welcome to be seen in person if that is your preference (or if your insurance requires this)!
We will continue to require good quality masks for indoor visits, whether or not they are required by the state of Oregon. If you do not have a KN95/KF94/N95 mask we are happy to provide one for you to keep at the clinic for your visits.
In addition to the inside space, we have an outdoor heated space that has curtains which can be drawn for privacy.
We feel confident you're not going to find a safer option for your naturopathic and acupuncture care.
I am able to address any condition with either naturopathic or Chinese medicine. Some people choose one or the other, and many of our patients do both. I usually recommend starting with naturopathic care if you are only going to choose one. That said, they work wonderfully in tandem and if you are open to it I say 'go for it.' Please note, in some cases insurance coverage exists for one or the other so please check your plan carefully if we will be billing for you.
Your initial naturopathic appointment will take about 55 minutes, and you will most likely have several follow up visits of 30-45 minutes. The specific number of return visits will be determined by the severity of your health condition and your response to treatment. Although patients often feel better quickly, naturopathic care is about treating both symptoms and causes of illness. And although our goal is to identify and treat patients swiftly and effectively, as a rule naturopathic medicine is not a “quick fix, take a pill” approach to health care.
If you are coming in for both Naturopathic care and Acupuncture, it is likely that your first visit will not include an acupuncture treatment. In order to address each patient’s needs comprehensively, the full hour is needed to gather information and formulate a plan.
If you are interested in acupuncture only, your first visit will be an hour long with about 30 minutes of intake and a treatment lasting about half an hour. Follow up visits are typically 45 minutes. Often people ask how many visits they will need for the acupuncture to work. The truth is that it varies from patient to patient. Although in some cases, significant relief is obtained from one or two treatments, the effects are cumulative for most conditions. You can usually expect to start with a series of 8-10 treatments.
In Oregon, many insurance companies provide policies that cover naturopathic services, but not all insured patients hold such policies. If your insurance does cover our services, our office staff is happy to submit your claim directly.
To find out about your own coverage call your insurance company or read your policy. We will also confirm your coverage before you come in. Our full financial policy is included in our new patient paperwork that you can download here.
Please note that often plans have in and out-of-network benefits and we are able to submit bills in either case!
When patients don’t have insurance that covers our care we offer a discount off of our regular rates. We are conscious about people’s financial limitations and our goal is to be as cost effective as possible with appointments and supplement recommendations. We accept checks, credit cards, and cash.
I have a strong commitment to collaborative care. I am happy to work with you and your medical doctor or specialist to create a treatment plan that serves you comfortably and effectively. If you don’t have an MD primary care physician and would like a recommendation for one who will work with patients who prefer an integrative approach, please let us know. I have relationships with a number of primary care physicians and specialists who are more than willing to support your choice of complementary care.
I provide most primary care services including physicals, annual exams, and care for most health conditions that don’t require a specialist. That said, I prefer that patients are additionally under the care of a primary care group as I am not on call overnight or on Sundays, and I don’t have hospital admitting privileges as part of my scope in Oregon. Additionally, at ENHC we don’t administer vaccinations, do minor surgery, or male exams. If you have any specific questions about what we do, please give us a call.
It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. I typically have a practical and down to earth approach to care. If you wish to include a spiritual approach into what we do together, I'm open to that. Our patients are a diverse lot and seek naturopathic care for a variety of reasons. Some prefer to have a whole person approach to health care, some have reached the end of what Western medicine can offer them, some want only nutritional counseling but are fine being on medications. I am here to provide health care that is in alignment with your values. Period.
Typically, no.
Acupuncture needles are very thin and very sharp which allows them to enter the skin easily and with minimal discomfort. So thin in fact, when we tried it, 7 acupuncture needles fit in the hole in a medium gauge hypodermic needle we use for vitamin injections!
When the needle is inserted, you may feel nothing or a sensation similar to a minor insect bite. Any discomfort usually subsides within a few seconds after insertion. After the needle is inserted sensations vary widely depending upon the person and the location of the needle, as well as the particular imbalance you are experiencing. It can vary from no feeling at all (in most cases) to mild aching or warmth. We believe firmly at Evergreen Natural Health Center that acupuncture does not have to hurt to work, and in fact, most often works better when it doesn’t. Acupuncture sessions should be restful and relaxing.
In Oregon, Naturopathic physicians are licensed to prescribe most medications. I have a commitment to the approach that does the least harm and the most good, and in some cases this may include prescription medications. Upon occasion, there are medications that we may feel are best handled by a medical doctor or a specialist. I will inform you of this on a case-by-case basis.
When I do prescribe medications, in almost all cases is it only part of your treatment plan. Given that many medications carry possible side effects, contraindications, and interactions with supplements and other medications, we require a minimum of a twice-yearly assessment for prescription refills with very few exceptions and at least 10 days notice to refill prescriptions.
Please note that as of spring of 2023 Dr Brody is no longer renewing her license to prescribe schedule drugs (such as opiods or benzodiazepines). If you are in need of these medications she can work with your PCP if needed to come up with an appropriate plan.
One of the great things about what we do is that it is helpful for just about any condition. Typically our patients find that after dietary and lifestyle adjustments, supplements, or other treatments that not only have we addressed their main concerns but also that their quality of life and energy is significantly improved.
NDs are trained extensively in clinical nutrition. And although there are basic sound principals of a healthy diet, there is no one food plan that is best for everyone. I make recommendations based on your individual family medical and personal medical history, tastes and preferences, current concerns and health goals.
Underlying all conversations about food are my strong beliefs that
- food should bring joy as well as nourishment, and there is no such thing as a "bad" food
- diet culture and fad diets do more harm than good, by leagues
- individual preferences as well as cultural approaches to food should be taken into consideration when developing a plan
- the amount of fat on one's body most often has less impact on health than we have been led to believe
The short answer this is that from a western medical perspective we don’t really understand how it works. We do, however, have 5000 years of history of the medicine being used successfully for just about every medical condition. The science of Chinese medicine is a discreet science that explains its own theories through its own lens. A great introductory book on Chinese medicine is The Web That Has No Weaver.
I strive to assist people in achieving a healthy lifestyle and sometimes weight loss is result of this process. AND, I firmly believe that just because you have fat on your body, it doesn’t mean you aren’t healthy. In most cases when we are able to identify the proper nutrition and exercise plan an individual's body will settle at their own healthy body weight—and that weight is never a particular number on a scale.
Yes! I work with each person on a case-by-case basis to determine whether hormone therapy is safe and appropriate.
I treat people as individuals, not diseases. This means that I need to understand all aspects of your health history, current health and health goals. With a comprehensive intake form I am able to focus on your concerns at your visit rather than reviewing each system individually. It makes your visit both more time and cost-effective. I know it’s long. Bear with me. 🙂
You can request an appointment by calling (503) 977-0500 or if you wish, you can email us your phone number and we will give you a call. At this time we are unable to make appointments by email. New patients should complete the new patient forms (you can find them HERE) and bring them to your first appointment.