Naturopathic medicine is valuable for its ability to effectively treat the underlying causes of pain or disease. Many patients come to Glastonbury Naturopathic Center in search of other options, sometimes after finding conventional medicine unable to offer satisfactory treatment.

Perhaps you suffer from a condition such as chronic fatigue syndrome, which continues to confound conventional doctors. Maybe you have simply found the care offered by conventional physicians lacking, and are searching for a real solution to a frustrating, painful, or even debilitating condition. Or you seek whole-person care, rather than the band-aids of surgery and pills. We are here to listen, help, and develop solutions.

At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, you will find licensed and certified healthcare professionals. Our director, Dr. Helene Pulnik ND, LAc, is trained in naturopathic medicine as well as Reverse Therapy®, acupuncture, and nutrition. Just like a conventional physician, she has a variety of methods at her disposal to help treat your condition.

Conditions We Treat

The Glastonbury Naturopathic Center is equipped to treat a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Allergies
  • Anxiety
  • Arthritis
  • Chronic sinus infection
  • Chronic pain
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Digestive disorders (heartburn, colitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.)
  • Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.)
  • Headaches, including migraines
  • High cholesterol
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Infertility (see Infertility Treatment below)
  • Insomnia
  • Menstrual problems
  • Nicotine addiction
  • Obesity
  • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

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Naturopathic Medical Therapies

Naturopathic medicine is designed to encourage and support the body’s natural healing abilities. In addition to treatment of the conditions listed above, we offer the following healthcare services:

  • Allergy testing
  • Clinical nutrition
  • Detoxification and cleansing programs
  • Drug/herb interaction evaluations
  • Heavy metal and mercury detoxification
  • Homeopathic medicine
  • General wellness programs
  • Laboratory testing — conventional laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging
  • Specialty laboratory testing for food allergies, Candida, digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, heavy metals, environmental toxicity, adrenal fatigue, and more
  • Laboratory hormonal testing for both male and female patients
  • Nutritional counseling and diet analysis
  • Physical exams
  • Smoking cessation
  • Stress reduction with HeartMath® techniques
  • Therapeutic dietary plans
  • Vitamin therapy
  • Weight management strategies

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What Is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct healthcare profession with roots going back through medical history to the healing wisdom of many cultures. In the last two decades, naturopathic medicine has grown more popular as people have become more aware of their health and well-being, and are rejecting the damaging side effects of expensive medications.

Naturopathic medicine treats disease and restores health by drawing from clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, counseling, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and holistic modalities. As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Helene Pulnik performs physical examinations, treats and manages disease, makes nutritional and dietary assessments, and recommends lifestyle and diet changes.

A Naturopath’s Background

Naturopathic medicine is a respected and growing profession that is effective in addressing both acute and chronic health problems. Licensed naturopathic physicians (NDs) such as Dr. Helene Pulnik are general practitioners trained as specialists in natural medicine. All naturopathic physicians graduate from an accredited, four-year college of naturopathic medicine. Only naturopaths who have graduated from an accredited college may be eligible for membership in the official national organization, American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), Naturopathic physicians are also required to pass national naturopathic medical boards and become licensed by individual states. Dr. Helene Pulnik has met all of these requirements.

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

1. The Healing Power of Nature – "Vis Medicatrix Naturae"

Naturopathic medicine recognizes and encourages the body's inherent ability to heal itself. Naturopathic physicians identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, in order to aid in this self-healing process.

2. Identify and Treat the Cause – "Tolle Causam"

Rather than merely suppressing symptoms of illness, the parishioners of naturopathic medicine endeavor to identify and remove the underlying cause of disease.

3. First Do No Harm – "Primum No Nocere"

Naturopathic medicine prefers the least invasive procedures and treatments, with minimal risk of harmful side effects. Actions of the naturopathic physician should be complimentary to the body’s own functions of healing itself.

4. Treat the Whole Person – "Tolle Totum"

Naturopathic physicians address the complex interactions of a patient's physical, emotional, mental, environmental, social, spiritual, and energetic aspects, instead of just focusing on one disease or problem. Naturopaths look for the underlying cause of disease, rather than simply treating the symptoms.

5. Doctor as Teacher – "Docere"

The ultimate goal is to teach the patient healthy living and self-care. This may include recommendations about clinical nutrition and dietary changes, lifestyle modification, and other behaviors in order to maintain health.

6. Prevention

Many illnesses may be prevented through early intervention, the assessment of risk factors, and the molding of healthy lifestyles. The naturopathic physician can help to educate the patient on how to improve their health so the body is better equipped to prevent disease.

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Reverse Therapy®
www.reverse-therapy.com

Dr. Helene Pulnik is a trained and accredited Reverse Therapy® practitioner. Reverse Therapy® is a system uniquely equipped to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.), fibromyalgia syndrome, Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, and other non-specific illnesses that have long frustrated conventional physicians.

Reverse Therapy® works by investigating the link between symptoms of illness and unhealthy situations in the patient’s life. This portion of the therapy is termed “working with the system-message.” Reverse Therapy® also teaches the patient how to raise body awareness, so they can more quickly and easily notice symptoms and act upon them.

This unique system of treatment is based on the latest innovation in the fields of psychobiology (the study of interactions between the body and mind), psychoneuroimmunology (the study of brain, behavior and immune system reactions), and body/mind healing (a holistic approach to disease). Reverse Therapy®’s main principles and techniques were assembled by Dr. John Eaton starting in 1996.

What is Body/Mind?

The body/mind is defined as the natural intelligence of the body, which works to promote health by maintaining balance between the environment and our body’s internal resources. Reverse Therapy® practitioners believe that a message is carried in the symptoms of illness used by the body/mind to get the attention of the patient. Chronic symptoms contain a message relevant to the changes the individual needs to make in order for their symptoms to disappear.

By paying attention to changes in their muscles, heart, gut, skin, nerves, mouth, and so on, people can begin to notice when their body is in communication with them. These energy changes are called “e-motions,” or energy-in-motion. Anger, disgust, and joy are all examples of e-motions. E-motions such as fear and sadness are the body/mind’s method of delivering an opinion about a situation and guiding the patient toward doing something about it. Symptoms of illness are also examples of e-motions; they represent the body’s final attempt to warn the person of a serious threat.

The common thread is the body/mind’s use of e-motions to restore balance between the person and the environment. The body returns to equilibrium when the person responds to e-motions by acting against the harmful situation.

What Conditions Can Reverse Therapy® Treat?

In addition to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, Reverse Therapy® can also help with IBS, anxiety, and some auto-immune symptoms.

How Does Reverse Therapy® View Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?

Reverse Therapy® views these conditions, as well as so-called Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, as expressions of the same underlying disorder. Rather than viewing these illnesses as results of a virus, we consider viral problems to be a result of the immune system breaking down from over-exertion/exhaustion.

Practitioners of Reverse Therapy® regard these conditions as glandular disorders, a result of overwork by the hypothalamic/limbic areas of the brain. Body/mind activates these brain mechanisms when it perceives the person at risk of harm, placing the body on alert and using symptoms of illness to warn the person about the problem. Prior to entering Reverse Therapy®, the person is not aware of these neurochemical reactions, nor able to control them. Reverse Therapy® helps the patient understand how and why their body is producing symptoms, so corrective action can be taken to deal with the problem and restore equilibrium between one’s emotional needs and external demands.

Is Reverse Therapy® A Form of Psychotherapy?

Although Reverse Therapy® does involve talking, it is distinct from psychotherapy. Rather, it is an educational process that helps the patient learn how to recognize and act on their symptom-messages. While psychotherapy usually focuses on eliminating symptoms, Reverse Therapy® teaches the patient to work with symptoms rather than against them.

In addition, Reverse Therapists do not work with thoughts, beliefs, dreams, or memories — material considered “headstuff.” Nor does Reverse Therapy® use hypnosis or suggestion, as practitioners of Reverse Therapy® do not believe in an unconscious mind. Instead, we believe that emotions, intuitions, memories, etc. are all formed by the body/mind; therefore, the goal of Reverse Therapy® is to help patients to re-connect with their body/mind and live in harmony with it.

The Reverse Therapy® Treatment Process

Reverse Therapy® involves three complimentary core processes. First, the patient investigates the history of their symptoms. They focus on what was going on in their life when their symptoms first appeared, as well as recent situations that triggered symptoms. As this investigation progresses, patients are taught how to “go into their body” rather than “stay in their head” — to tune into body/mind communication using simple techniques. Using this method, patients develop insight into the emotions that body/mind is encouraging them to express. That, in turn, leads to the discovery of the “symptom message” — the specific and corrective actions their body/mind is calling for to erase the state of “dis-ease” and restore emotional balance. From this point onward, patients are encouraged to experiment with various actions designed to eliminate the body’s need to produce symptoms as warning signals. The patient uses a journal to track their success in reducing their symptoms.

As in naturopathic medicine in general, Reverse Therapy® is an educational process in which the patient is an active and responsible participant in their treatment plan. Over the course of treatment, patients are taught how to understand and work with body/mind intelligence so their body/mind has no need to produce symptoms of illness to warn, guide, and protect them against emotional harm.

Course of treatment for Reverse Therapy® is highly dependent on the individual’s needs. However, generally you will visit Dr. Pulnik for one-hour sessions every two to three weeks. In most cases, treatment is complete after eight sessions.

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Infertility Treatment with Acupuncture and Natural Medicine

Clinical studies have shown that infertility treatment with acupuncture increases the success of in vitro fertilization by 40 to 60 percent.

At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, we offer stand-alone treatments for infertility as well as treatments that complement intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization.

Our physician, Dr. Helene Pulnik, uses proven acupuncture techniques, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary counseling, vitamins, nutritional supplementation and stress reduction to restore overall balance and overall wellness.

Because 40 percent of infertility can be due to male factors, Dr. Pulnik also treats the partners of women trying to conceive.

How Does Natural Infertility Treatment Work?

Restoring balance allows the body’s natural cycles to become more regular, and increases the body’s response to IUI and IVF, thus improving fertility.

Traditional acupuncture involves inserting extremely thin, sterile, stainless steel, disposable needles into specific points on the surface of the skin. This ionic transfer sets in motion an elegant interplay of the body's own energies, restoring balance to the body, mind, and spirit along with the correction of infertility-related imbalances and deficiencies.

This age-old system of medicine has stood the test of thousands of years and continues to rise above and improve health even in our modern western culture.

This sophisticated yet subtle method of treatment is so effective because of its focus on each individual's particular needs.

Your acupuncture, herbal and nutritional treatments for infertility will be tailored to address your specific imbalances, and will revitalize you in a relaxing atmosphere.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help improve fertility and the success of IVF by:

  • Improving the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs
  • Restoring hormonal balance and blood flow to the ovaries to produce a large number of follicles
  • Increasing blood flow to the uterus to increase thickness of the uterine lining
  • Reducing stress, increase relaxation and improve sleep
  • Lessening the side effects of drugs used in IUI and IVF
  • Balancing the immune system
  • Improving sperm count, motility and morphology

Dr. Helene Pulnik is a board-certified naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist. She is also a registered pharmacist and holds a master’s degree in human nutrition.

She has studied infertility treatment using acupuncture, herbs, nutrition and stress reduction with Dr. Randine Lewis, author of The Infertility Cure.

Integrating the wisdom of ancient Chinese medicine with modern acupuncture techniques and natural medicine, Dr. Pulnik helps couples by supporting the body’s natural cycles to enhance fertility.

Dr. Pulnik also offers clinical nutrition, stress reduction techniques, laboratory testing, Reverse Therapy®, cleansing and detoxification, therapeutic massage, and energy medicine.

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Naturopathic Medicine at Glastonbury Naturopathic Center

For whole-person care backed by multidisciplinary training and many years of experience, entrust your health to Dr. Helene Pulnik.

Conventional medicine does not have all the answers; nor do uncertified and unqualified “healers” that can cause more harm than good. The Glastonbury Naturopathic Center is a serious medical center that treats some of the most common, frustrating illnesses every day. In many cases, Dr. Pulnik can pinpoint effective treatment where other physicians have failed. Please call us today at (860) 657-4105 and take a step toward complete physical and emotional health!

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