Services
What I Do
My approach is to embrace and treat the whole person, and provide you personalized, patient-centered care, with good communication. Visits with me will begin with evaluating your health concerns and complaints, and determine what factors may be involved, starting with the basics –what your sleep is like, what you eat and how you digest it, how you move or exercise, and how your daily life is like. These basic and social determinants of health can impact our physiology in significant ways and create pathology when not corrected. Tools to properly assess you include physical exams including a Chinese approach to evaluating tongue appearance and pulse, lab tests, and when appropriate referral for other evaluations.
While most of my treatment plans focus on herbal medicine and acupuncture, they will also include diet recommendations, advice on movement and exercise, and may include homeopathic remedies, flower remedies, nutritional supplements, compounded products like bio-identical hormones, and when needed, prescription medicine.
In my practice I am committed to helping patients to feel safe, supported, and well understood, using preferred names and pronouns, maintaining a non-judgmental environment for people no matter their size, color, sex, gender identity, or lifestyle. I support diversity, inclusion, and equity, and provide trauma-informed care.
Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae): Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment the body’s inherent self-healing process.
Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam): The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms
First Do No Harm (Primum non Nocere): Utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least force necessary
Doctor as Teacher (Docere): Naturopathic physicians educate their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.
Treat the Whole Person: Naturopathic physicians treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors
Prevention: Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease by assessing risk factors, heredity, and susceptibility to disease, and by making appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness.
Specialties
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine or phytotherapy, is using the gifts of the plants to improve wellness. The herbs may be added to foods or used as teas. A traditional Chinese way of making herbs is to make a strong tea called a decoction, and many of these are formulas that are hundreds of years old. Herbal tinctures are usually made with alcohol, but can also be made with vinegar or glycerin, and can be individualized to specific patient needs. Many herbs can be found in capsules and tablets, perhaps more convenient to modern life. But beware, some retail brands might have issues of adulteration, or contamination. Your consultation will generally include botanical medicine recommendations. Dr. Sorensen has been involved with the American Herbalists Guild, the American Botanical Council, and has given presentations to regional conferences in the Midwest.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
The ability to appropriately digest, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste is vital to health. If you have a digestive complaint, it may be impacting your skin immune system, skin, or even mental and emotional states. Some conditions commonly treated include gastric reflex, GERD, erosive esophagitis, dyspepsia, gastric ulcers, gall bladder disorders, pancreatitis, SIBO, Celiac disease, IBS, constipation, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and hemorrhoids.
Stress and Mental Health Support
This is a time when we need to destigmatize. Sometimes, life feels stressful and overwhelming. Other times, depression and mood disorders may impact daily living. Natural medicine can help reduce some or many of these symptoms. It may also help ease cravings when making the transition to healthy lifestyle. Herbal medicine has much to offer for a wide variety of issues. Acupuncture has been shown to help addictions, when combined with a comprehensive naturopathic treatment plan.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture is only one aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or sometimes called East Asian Medicine, an ancient system of Chinese healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine also includes exercise, dietary therapy, mental exercise and the use of herbal medicine. Acupuncture uses small, thin needles that are inserted into the skin at specific points. When stimulated, these points activate the body’s healing energy, called “qi” or “chi” in Chinese. One of the most important methods of assessing a patient in Traditional Chinese Medicine is pulse diagnosis. This is a very subtle technical that requires considerable training. Diagnosis also uses examination of the tongue, face, and colorization of the skin, as well as uses other Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques. Dr. Sorensen has over 21 years doing acupuncture, and finds giving acupuncture treatments to be very rewarding.
Hormone Health and Endocrine disorders
Our hormones are integrated with every other body system and can impact our physical, mental, and emotional health. Several, if not most diseases, have some link to the endocrine system – supporting our hormones is one of the foundations of good health. Some conditions commonly treated include diabetes, hypothyroidism, Graves disease, adrenal conditions, and disorders and general support of reproductive disorders. This also include women’s health becuase the needs of women and those with internal reproductive organs are different from men in many ways. Natural medicine, including acupuncture, can support issues that occur with the menstrual cycle, reduce symptoms of PMS, help with infertility, ease the transition into menopause, and overall support hormone balance.
Healthy Aging
As longevity increases, so does the need for healthcare. But that doesn’t mean more medication, which can mask other health issues, and cause unwanted side effects.