Bare Medicine was created by Dr. Kristen McElveen, a naturopathic doctor who received her doctorate from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 2007. After 2 years of residency, Dr. McElveen decided it was time to return to the East Coast to help fulfill the need for naturopathic care. In Oregon, naturopaths are considered primary care physicians, able to prescribe any drug when needed and are often part of integrative health clinics working alongside conventional MDs. Here on the East Coast however, naturopathic licensure is relatively new and a bit more restricted to more of a complementary position rather than a primary health care provider. Dr. McElveen is happy to take on the challenge to help bring naturopathic care to New Englanders who need and want this type of medicine, and her patient load is proof that this medicine is in demand.
"One thing people aren't always aware of is that we naturopaths really did go to a post-graduate medical school," says Dr. McElveen. Unfortunately for the licensed naturopathic community, there have been correspondence courses at some institutions which grant a certificate allowing those "certified" to call themselves naturopaths. "This can be confusing for someone seeking a professional health care provider. Those who have taken a correspondence course may have learned some nutrition and herbal medicine, but they are not qualified to diagnose, order lab work, perform physical exams and specifically treat disease." Dr. McElveen, or "Dr. K," as she is known to much of the Sanford/Springvale area, goes on to say that these "certified" naturopaths may be helpful for general health counseling, but if someone is looking for a doctor, they should seek a licensed naturopathic doctor. In order to get licensed in any of the 16 states currently licensing NDs, a naturopath must have graduated from one of the accredited, post-graduate naturopathic medical schools and passed both basic and clinical board exams. If a naturopath is practicing in an unlicensed state, you can check to see if they are a qualified doctor by seeing where they graduated from or by asking if they hold a license from a licensed state. More information regarding naturopathic education and licensing requirements can be found at http://www.naturopathic.org with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
"I came here to help educate about naturopathic medicine and I want to help my predecessors continue to plow the way for future naturopaths here in New England." Dr. McElveen goes on to say, "the American Medical Association is a strong presence out here and that's part of why I was drawn to the area. Many people believe it's 'us versus them,' and I want to show the medical community that we can work together to provide the best care possible for our patients. We each have skills that everyone needs at one time or another, so why not pool those skills to provide great care to those who need it." Her passion for bringing care to those in need shows with her "First and Last Friday Program." On the first and last Friday of each month, Dr. McElveen sees low-income and uninsured patients for $40 per visit. Since launching the program in February 2010, Dr. McElveen has donated over $2,000 in visit fees in order to give naturopathic care to those in need. And apparently there are plenty of those in need in Southern Maine as this program is often booked months in advance.
"I'm here to educate in many forums," says Dr. K, "not only for the medical community, but with my patients as well. Much of my visits are spent educating people on food, general lifestyle changes and which supplements they actually need, if any. Little changes can make a huge difference in our health. Preventative medicine is one of the tenets of naturopathic medicine for a reason and it's part of my job to educate people on how not to get sick in the first place." But few of Dr. McElveen's current patients come to her for preventative care. "Right now I'm in a gut phase," Dr. K smiles, "most of my patients currently have digestive issues ranging from heartburn to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. This is great because a lot of what we [naturopaths]
When asked what sets naturopathic care apart from general medical care, Dr. McElveen replies, "we treat the whole person, so no matter what the condition, there's always something we can do. The first visit is the longest, taking about an hour to an hour and a half so I can get their full health history, current medications and perform a physical exam if needed. Then, visits after that tend to be 15-45 minutes long depending on what we're treating. Sometimes I'll do body work similar to a chiropractor, or injection therapy for vitamin absorption or pain management. The main difference is that everyone receives customized treatment. Not everyone is the same, so why treat them the same? I don't want to just suppress symptoms, I want to find the cause of the illness and address that so there are no symptoms at all. If there's a leak in your roof, you could keep putting buckets under the leak until eventually the roof rots out and caves in. But the better option is to fix the leak."
Dr. McElveen uses a variety of treatments in her practice ranging from nutrition, herbs and supplements to hydrotherapy, injection therapy and energetic medicine such as homeopathy and biotherapeutic drainage. "My goal with each patient is that diet and lifestyle would be their only medicine. Some people may need help to overcome years of illness, but I don't want to prescribe supplements just as some medical doctors prescribe drugs, that's not the point of my medicine. There's so much available now everywhere you look, claiming to be 'natural.' People need to be educated that 'natural' doesn't necessarily mean 'safe.' Not only that, but many natural products, even some foods, should not be taken with certain medications."
Naturopathic doctors are often the only practitioners who are trained in both pharmaceuticals and natural substances, including interactions between the two. This is slowly changing with the increasing availability of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) courses becoming available to the medical community and often taught by naturopaths. "Times are changing," says Dr. K with a smile, "and I just want to be part of that change."
You can find Dr. McElveen and her practice, Bare Medicine, at 554A Main Street in Springvale, Maine at the Gate of Hope Holistic Center. She is currently accepting new patients and you can find out more information by going to http://www.baremedicine.com or by calling 207-206-6238. Dr. McElveen schedules appointments Tues through Fri between 10am and 6pm. She welcomes anyone age 3 and up to come and experience what naturopathic medicine can do for them.
