Author: abigailseaver

Traumatic Brain Injury

Posted on by abigailseaver

Concussion and traumatic brain injury are very common occurrences in our area due to the active nature of our population.  Skiing, rock and ice climbing, mountain biking, motorcycling and ATVing and many other activities lend themselves to a high rate of head injury.  In many cases, a mild concussion will resolve in a few days with no long-term effects.  However, with a more severe concussion, recovery may take months to years and may cause lingering effects such as headache, dizziness, vision problems, balance problems, confusion or difficulty with concentration and memory.  I have had very good results treating traumatic brain injury with a combination of specific nutrients and constitutional homeopathy.  Call my office if you are interested in treatment or have further questions.

We Did It! Governor Hickenlooper Signs HB 13-1111

Posted on by abigailseaver

Dear Friends,

We did it!!!  Thanks to your efforts, Governor Hickenlooper signed into law a measure to regulate naturopathic doctors and define their scope of practice.  Colorado becomes the 17th state to do so (along with the District of Columbia).

To celebrate this momentous occasion and to thank you for your persistent phone calls and emails to your legislators, I am hosting an open house at my office this Friday from 2 to 5 pm for refreshments and information about what this legislation means for your health care.

See you soon!

Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors Write Today in Support of HB 13-1111

Posted on by abigailseaver
Greetings!
We are half way through the legislative process to license Naturopathic Doctors in Colorado.  Please take a few moments to send a personal note to the Senators listed below–it could make a huge impact on your ability to access the type of medicine that you prefer!Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors
Write Today in Support of HB 1111
HB 13-1111 has moved out of the House on a bipartisan 41 to 22 vote and is beginning the legislative process in the Senate. Thank you all for your letters and phone calls… you have made an enormous impact! We now need to start educating the Senators about this bill. Please write today and ask for the Senator’s support.  Tomorrow may be too late!

  1. Put some version of “Support HB 13-1111” in the subject line.
  2. Suggested Message points:
    **Please personalize your note and add your own comments. We have heard repeatedly that the legislators really want to hear from you– in your own words.  You may send the same email to all the Senators.  Thank you for taking a few minutes to do this!
I am writing to urge you to support HB 13-1111 concerning the regulation of Naturopathic Doctors. Why?
  • Naturopathic Doctors are well educated and trained to provide high quality, natural health care to families. Naturopathic Doctors complete a four-year graduate level clinical doctorate degree and pass national science and clinic board exams. Their instructors consist of multi-disciplinary educators with many MDs, DOs and PhDs as well as NDs and the clinical training includes approximately 2800 clinical hours under the supervision of a medical or naturopathic doctor.
  • A regulatory framework will provide Coloradans greater access to safe and affordable high quality natural medicine and health care delivered by Naturopathic Doctors.
  • The public deserves to know the qualifications and education of anyone calling himself or herself a Naturopathic Doctor and be able to file a complaint. Currently Naturopathic Doctors cannot obtain appropriate malpractice insurance because they are not recognized and regulated in Colorado.
  • Following Sunrise Reviews, DORA has recommended TWICE that Naturopathic Doctors be regulated in Colorado. It is time to recognize the presence of skilled Naturopathic Doctors and to help them acquire a deserved and necessary legitimacy in Colorado.
    3. SIGN YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
4. Copy and paste the Senator’s emails into the Bcc field:
“Senator Andy Kerr” <andy.kerr.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Angela Giron” <angela.giron.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Bill Cadman” <bill.cadman.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Cheri Jahn” <cheri.jahn.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator David Balmer” <david.balmer.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Ellen Roberts” <ellen.roberts.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Evie Hudak” <senatorhudak@gmail.com>; “Senator Gail Schwartz” <gail.schwartz.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Greg Brophy” <greg@gregbrophy.net>; “Senator Irene Aguilar” <irene.aguilar.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Jeanne Nicholson” <jeanne.nicholson.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Jessie Ullibarri” <jessie.ullibarri.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator John Kefalas” <john.kefalas.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator John Morse” <john.morse.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Kent Lambert” <senatorlambert@comcast.net>; “Senator Kevin Grantham” <kevin.grantham.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Kevin Lundberg” <kevin@kevinlundberg.com>; “Senator Larry Crowder” <larry.crowder.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Linda Newell” <linda.newell.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Lois Tochtrop” <lotochtrop@aol.com>; “Senator Lucia Guzman” <lucia.guzman.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Mark Scheffel” <mark.scheffel.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Mary Hodge” <mary.hodge.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Mike Johnston” <mike.johnston.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Morgan Carroll” <morgan.carroll.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Nancy Todd” <nancy.todd.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Owen Hill” <owen.hill.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Pat Steadman” <pat.steadman.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Randy Baumgardner” <randy.baumgardner.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Rollie Heath” <rollie.heath.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Scott Renfroe” <senatorrenfroe@gmail.com>; “Senator Steve King” <steve.king.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Ted Harvey” <ted.harvey.senate@state.co.us>; “Senator Vicki Marble” <vicki.marble.senate@state.co.us>; “SenatorMatt Jones” <senatormattjones@gmail.com>

Happy New Year!

Posted on by abigailseaver

I am now settled into my new office space; feel free to stop by and take a look!  It is located at 195 S. Lena St. Unit B (corner of Lena and Hyde) in Ridgway.  The office is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM with some Friday morning appointments available as well.

I continue to carry the same high quality dietary supplements which are available for purchase in the office or can be shipped directly to you.  Call or email to place an order.

Homeopathic Influenzinum is still available for those of you who have not taken flu prevention precautions yet!  It has been a difficult flu season thus far but I feel one of the things that has helped most of my patients avoid the flu has been Influenzinum.

Stay tuned for legislative updates!  A bill to license and regulate Naturopathic Doctors in Colorado is being presented to the State House of Representatives this month.  Licensure is essential in order for us to be able to serve the people of Colorado to the full extent of our training as primary care doctors.  For more information check out www.coloradond.org and click on Advocacy.

New Office in Ridgway!

Posted on by abigailseaver
Announcing Dr. Seaver’s move to a new location in Ridgway! 
Offering caring, experienced Naturopathic Medicine incorporating the best recent research in natural therapies with the wisdom of our elders.  
  • Treatment of a wide range of medical conditions
  • Physical exams for men, women and children
  • Standard and specialty laboratory testing
  • Individualized nutrition consultation
  • Highest quality nutritional supplements
  • Herbs and Homeopathy for acute and chronic conditions

The new office is located at 195 S. Lena St. Unit B in Ridgway (corner of Lena and Hyde) and will be open for business January 4th.

For your convenience, an answering service is now available to schedule appointments and take messages at (970) 626-3188.

New prescriptions and prescription refills are no longer available for most pharmaceutical medications.  Let me know if you need a referral to another physician who can provide that for you.

 I look forward to seeing you soon!

Dr. Patricia Ammon

Posted on by abigailseaver
Dear Friends,
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the sudden, unexpected death of my close colleague and friend Patricia Ammon, MD.  She and I had worked together for the past seven years and she had been an incredibly generous mentor to me during that time.  Patty was a pioneer in the practice of Integrative Medicine on the Western Slope of Colorado and treated hundreds of patients over the last fifteen years with great caring and innovative medical techniques.  I will miss her greatly and will always carry with me the teachings that I acquired over the last seven years.
In this transition time, I am continuing to see patients in my office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
At this time, Brian Degenhardt, DO has kindly offered to refill prescriptions and allow me to provide new prescriptions for most medications.  Please have your pharmacy fax us a refill request if you are nearing the end of your prescription.
In addition, I am exploring some new possibilities for my practice in this area and will continue to keep everyone informed if there are any changes over the upcoming months.
In Health,
Abigail Seaver, ND

Constitutional Homeopathy

Posted on by abigailseaver
Homeopathy is a form of medicine developed over 200 years ago in Germany by a medical doctor named Samuel Hahnemann.  It utilizes  very dilute amounts of plant, mineral and animal substances to treat illness.  Each patient is treated individually, in that a specific homeopathic remedy is chosen for them out of over 2,000 possibilities, based upon their specific symptoms and expression of their illness.
This form of medicine is one of the elements of my practice that I am most passionate about.  Homeopathic treatment is safe, gentle and does not interfere with any other medications.  When the correct remedy is used, improvement is rapid. Currently, I am expanding my knowledge about homeopathy to include exciting new methods taught by a group of homeopaths from India.
Below is a partial list of conditions that have responded beautifully to homeopathic treatment in my practice in the last six months:
Anxiety
Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Panic Disorder
ADHD
Behavioral Disorders
Eczema
Chronic Hives
Chronic Sinus Infections
Menopausal Symptoms
Chronic Nerve Pain
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nausea of Pregnancy
Homeopathy can be used to treat many other conditions as well.  Contact me if you have questions about how homeopathy could help you.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Posted on by abigailseaver
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common  hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age.  As the name indicates, multiple ovarian cysts are often present, along with other symptoms which can include acne, abnormal hair growth, weight gain, irregular menses and infertility.  These women may also be at increased risk for Type II Diabetes.
The standard medical treatments for this condition include birth control pills and a diabetes medication called Metformin.
Naturopathic medicine addresses this condition very effectively with a combination of specific dietary changes to improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, herbs and nutrients to normalize ovarian function and blood sugar balance and an exercise program to acheive weight loss if needed.  I have seen dramatic improvements in women’s health with these changes and most women are able to go on to acheive a pregnancy if desired.

Passionflower

Posted on by abigailseaver
Passionflower
Passiflora incarnata
 
You finally get into bed at night after a long busy day and expect to fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow.  What occurs instead however is that your brain can’t stop ruminating about the state of your finances, what you should have said to your boss, what your kids are up to…..An hour later you finally fall asleep only to wake up groggy to your alarm clock at six AM.  Sound familiar?
My favorite remedy for this situation ( in addition to daily exercise) is the herb Passionflower.  The name sounds like something that might keep you awake in bed, but the herb is actually very calming to the nervous system and can effectively shut off the mental chatter, allowing you to fall asleep.  It is available in tea, tincture and capsules.  A typical dose of tincture is two dropperfuls under the tongue right before bed.

Green Drink

Posted on by abigailseaver
A delicious smoothie to use autumn apples and kale, adapted from “Eating Well Magazine”.  My two year old loves it!
1 apple or pear, cored and sliced
2 bananas
4 cups chopped kale leaves, stems removed
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cold water
12 ice cubes

 

Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth and drink!

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Posted on by abigailseaver
Is your doctor having trouble getting your thyroid medication adjusted properly?  Do you need to change the dose of your medication every time you have a thyroid lab test?  Do you continue to have symptoms of low thyroid function even though your lab results are normal?  If any of the above statements are true, you may want to get tested for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  This is an autoimmune condition which is now the most common cause of hypothyroidism.  The immune system actually starts to attack the thyroid gland, which causes it to malfunction.  A simple blood test to check for thyroid antibodies can detect this problem.
I believe that the rise in this condition may be caused by a number of factors including exposure to environmental toxins and the dramatic alteration of our intestinal flora ( a very important part of our immune system) that occurs with antibiotic use.
What can be done about this?
The therapies which have been most successful for my patients include those that normalize immune function, aid indetoxification and reduce inflammation.  I may also change the type of thyroid medication to most effectively discourage antibody production.
What I see with effective treatment of this condition is that hypothyroid symptoms improve, need for thyroid medication stabilizes and immune function normalizes so that the likelihood of developing other autoimmune conditions is much reduced.

Dr. Seaver featured in The Watch

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Check out a new interview with Ridgway, Colorado Naturopathic Doctor Abigail Seaver in The Watch.  Dr. Seaver was featured in the ‘Ask an Expert’ Section.

Here’s an except from the article:

“Each month Watch:Nurture will feature a Q&A with a different specialist from the region who can offer insight into children’s health and development issues. Here, Ridgway-based Naturopathic Doctor Abigail Seaver discusses her approach to children’s wellness.

Q: Why naturopathic vs. traditional Western medicine?

A: I chose to study naturopathic medicine rather than allopathic medicine because naturopathic medicine’s aim is to find the underlying cause of the patient’s symptoms and to use supportive, safe, low-force treatments to enable the body’s own healing mechanisms to correct the problem. For instance, I see many children who have received repeated courses of antibiotics to treat recurrent ear or sinus infections. In many of those cases, I have found that the underlying cause of the recurrent infections is an allergy to a specific food, and when that food is eliminated from the diet and some basic nutritional supplements are prescribed to support the child’s immune system, the infections cease and there is no further need for antibiotics. ”

Read the full article here: Watch Newspapers – ASK AN EXPERT Abigail Seaver Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Ridgway Colorado

Bitter Herbal Tonics

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Bitter Herbal Tonics

In addition to the foods discussed above I also recommend an herbal formula containing bitter herbs to stimulate the digestive tract. Bitter plants stimulate the entire digestive tract to secrete digestive juices and are best taken prior to a meal but can also be used as an antidote to a large and heavy meal. These formulas are very effective at treating gas and bloating and can be used interchangeably with an encapsulated digestive enzyme supplement with the added benefit of stimulating the production of amylase, an enzyme found in our saliva which starts breaking down starches as soon as we chew our food.
I like our local Shining Mountain Herbs “Rocky Mountain Herbal Bitters” product which combines locally wildcrafted and organically grown herbs such as Aspen bark, Angelica root and Gentian root in a tasty formula. I usually recommend between 30 drops to one teaspoon up to three times daily before meals. This type of formula is contraindicated in acute gallbladder inflammation, intestinal blockage, for young children and in pregnancy.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Posted on by abigailseaver

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

6-8 servings

1/2 cup walnut halves
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
6 medium beets, trimmed and washed
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onions

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
fresh ground black pepper

1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, de-stemmed and washed
3 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Combine walnuts with olive oil, salt and pepper, mixing well to coat the nuts
3. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 7-10 minutes
4. Set aside to cool
5. Wrap beets in foil and place on rimmed baking sheet
6. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 1/2 hours
7. Let cool for 20 minutes, then peel beets by holding them under cold running water and rubbing off the skins
8. Cut into 1/2 inch wedges and place in a large mixing bowl with walnuts and onion
9. Combine all the dressing ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning
10. Pour over the beets and dress well
11. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour
12. Just before serving, arrange spinach leaves in individual bowls or on a large platter
13. Arrange beets on top and crumble goat cheese over

Gentle Cleansing Foods

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Gentle Cleansing Foods

Many of us heartily enjoyed the abundance of rich food and drink available around the holidays and are ready to give our digestive and detoxification systems a little break in January. I recommend gentle cleansing foods and herbs at this time of year that stimulate digestion, absorption and elimination without depleting the vital heat we need to stay warm in winter.

Fresh lemon squeezed in a large glass of room temperature or warm water and sipped before meals stimulates hydrochloric acid production in the stomach and the release of bile from the liver, both of which help to break down and digest food.

Beets are a wonderful root vegetable that have both a nourishing, sustaining quality and a cleansing quality. Beets thin the bile made by the liver and stimulate its release while also providing a very gentle laxative effect. They are rich in the minerals magnesium, potassium and iron and provide a good source of fiber.

Dark leafy greens, particularly the bitter greens such as kale are also capable of stimulating the digestive tract to produce enzymes that break down food, including starch, protein and fat. They are rich in minerals and folic acid and provide much needed color and balance on a winter plate of brown and white foods.