The patient is a partner in the healing process.

Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathy, or "nature cure", was coined in the 19th century to describe a system of healing that draws on techniques and philosophies from ancient Greek medicine. It is both a way of life and a concept of healing that employs many natural means of treating the human and diseased states to restore health. Some of those modalities are:

• Vis medicatrix naturae. The healing power of nature.  
  
• Docere. Doctor as teacher.  
  
• Primum no nocere. First do no harm.  
  
• Tolle causum. Discover and treat the cause.  
  
• Tolle totum. Treat the whole person.

Clinical Nutrition
Naturopathic Doctors have a solid foundation in both biochemistry and nutrition in which allows them to use food to heal. Every biochemical reaction that takes place is fueled by a vitamin or mineral cofactor. An extensive review of your symptoms and/or laboratory testing can identify what deficiencies you may be suffering from and a simple prescription of food or vitamin supplement can improve the condition. In short, food can be your medicine and medicine can be your food.

Botanical Medicine
Long before there were pharmacies on street corners, people grew herbs in gardens and stored dried plants in medicine cabinets. Herbs have synergistic components that, when taken as a whole, work to address physical ailments. While some herbs may relieve symptoms, others can act to correct the cause. Many people purchase over-the-counter herbal preparations that may be partially inert, too low or high of a dose, or simply the wrong combination for the ailment. It is also important to know which parts of the plants are biologically active and which are not. Naturopathic Doctors have extensive education of Pharmacology which allows them to prescribe specifically and effectively for the prevention of disease.

Homeopathic Medicine
"Like cures Like" is the premise of homeopathy. Remedies are made from substances found in the vegetable, animal and mineral kingdoms of nature. When I prescribe remedies for you, it is based on a complete understanding of your symptoms as well as your mental and emotional states, all which may differ from someone else who has a similar condition but different symptoms. Homeopathy works at a deep level to correct imbalances in your vital force (which keeps all parts of the organism in harmony) allowing your body to heal itself.

Hormone Therapy
Dr. Shackelton uses bio-identical hormone prescriptions for the treatment of all hormone related imbalances including:

• PMS
• Thyroid
• Menopause
• Ovarian cysts
• Adrenal Stress

Hydrotherapy
Also known as "water cure", naturopathic hydrotherapy is based on the premise that health - and therefore healing -- is proportional to the normal flow of healthy blood. It is a notion unique to naturopathic medicine that by enhancing blood flow through the organs of elimination (liver, kidney, skin, bowels) that detoxification and improvement of the blood take place. The hyrdotherapist seeks to normalize the quality and quantity of blood circulating through the body via the medium of water. This is accomplished with a variety of applications of water: hot, cold, compresses, wet sheet pack, sitz baths and warming sock treatments.