top of page

Dr. Lori von der Heydt, ND

Hello!

I am Dr. von der Heydt, and I invite you to call me Lori or Dr. Lori.

I graduated in 1994 from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, which is now called National University of Natural Medicine, in Portland, OR, and I have completed advanced studies in Western Herbal Medicine and Bowen Therapy. I am a senior vitalist of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute and the VNMI chair for NMI. I founded the Beaumont Health Care Clinic in 1995 and continue to manage this multidisciplinary clinic today. 

Appointments

My Philosophy.

 

Humans are part of nature, not separate from it. We have myriad bacteria, fungi and viruses living within us and on us, collaborating with our vastly smaller number of human cells, in support of life. There is intelligence in this biology, this mutualism; some of which we know and some we do not yet understand. I acknowledge, trust and respect all of it when I work with you to support your health and healing. My role as doctor is first, to do no harm; then to educate you so you can make informed choices to prevent disease and promote health; and finally, to address the underlying cause of your ill health whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual or a combination of all.

My Services

My toolbox is diverse and is tailored to the individual patient. I regularly use careful history-taking, physical exam, lab work, diet changes, exercise, relaxation, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, spiritual practice, Western botanicals, Bowen Therapy, nutritional supplements, and infrequently, pharmaceuticals.

 

Repeatedly, I have been told by my patients that my most healing and beneficial tool is my ability to listen.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

People ask me how is naturopathic medicine different from conventional medicine. I could watch their eyes glaze over as I tell them the six principles of naturopathic medicine listed on our state organization’s website, www.oanp.org. But probably more helpful is to say, naturopathic medicine is an art and a science that focuses on promoting health and healing rather than on diagnosing and treating symptoms or disease. It is a science because we know from observation and from lab research that the body heals, on its own if the conditions are supportive for healing. Consider what happens when you cut yourself. You put pressure on the wound and maybe a band aid to stop the bleeding. You keep it clean and dry. In a day you notice a scab forms and within a week the superficial wound is virtually healed up. You did nothing, really. It was the natural tendency of the body to take care of the wound. Naturopaths trust and know well this innate ability of the body to heal.


But using this science, this knowledge, is an art. Sometimes the body needs support in this process, if a fever is not present when infection ensues, for example. Or if a nutrient is deficient as in a weakened patient who is anemic post surgery, we may need to supplement iron. It could be the obstacle to healing is emotional or spiritual in nature instead of physical. Naturopaths are detectives, trying to uncover the underlying cause of the imbalance and therefore ill health. The focus is on the individual’s presentation and the treatment is always specific to the patient. There are no formulas. Instead, we follow a philosophy, a way of thinking. It looks something like this: Take a good history, do a good physical exam, consider the whole person and their tendencies, reduce or remove obstacles to healing, support deficiencies, educate and empower self-healing, offer best treatments and repeat as needed.

HYDROTHERPY

Hydrotherapy is the use of water for the purpose of health and healing. It’s been around for a long time beginning perhaps most notably with John Floyer, an English physician, who wrote a book and advocated cold bathing in 1697. Perhaps Wim Hof, is the modern day John Floyer!  It was Sebastian Kneipp, an Austrian, who had great influence on bringing hydrotherapy to the United States in the late 19th century. He healed Benedict Lust of tuberculosis and Henry Lindlahr of diabetes, who are both responsible for establishing naturopathic medicine in this country.


Constitutional hydrotherapy is the treatment I do most often for patients. It involves the use of hot and cold wet towels applied to the chest and back in a specific pattern with specific timing. Electric sine wave therapy is used during part of the treatment. The effectiveness of the treatment lies in its ability to increase circulation of both blood and lymph helping to oxygenate and detoxify all tissues. It promotes better digestion and increased elimination of toxins. The autonomic nervous system is balanced in favor of the parasympathetic (rest and digest) aspect. The immune system is stimulated gently to increase white blood count and activity which helps to clear inflammation and infection.


There are many ways to use water for therapeutic effects. Sometimes I teach people how to do warming socks which is a derivative treatment, pulling congestion from the head, down to the feet, often for pain relief and better sleep. Sometimes I teach alternating hot and cold treatments to decrease pain or increase healing of wounded tissue. Sometimes I need to make a fever and teach how to increase your temperature using a bath. Water is a very helpful tool to know how to use when I get a call on the weekend from a patient in need.


Hydrotherapy is a beneficial therapy for many conditions, both acute and chronic. Some of the conditions treated with success by varying methods of hydrotherapy include ear and eye infections, headaches, pneumonia, bronchitis, constipation, inflammatory bowel syndrome, sinusitis, colds, sore throats, coughs, asthma, heart disease, rheumatic arthritis and adjunct cancer care.

BOWEN THERAPY

Bowen Therapy was developed by Tom Bowen in Australia in the 1960’s. The Bowen Technique (or, more simply as I call it, Bowen) is a gentle, soft-tissue manipulation modality which stimulates and balances energy flow to allow the body to heal.

Bowen moves consist of sensing and challenging a group of muscle fibers or a tendon with my hands and then rolling over the tissue in a specific fashion, thus stimulating the underlying fascia. Many of the moves are located along acupuncture meridians or on specific acupuncture points which are known to stimulate and balance the body's energy. These gentle, yet powerful moves, send a neurologic impulse to the muscles, joints and nerves allowing them to relax. This is why I think of Bowen as needleless acupuncture.


It is used to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal problems and sports
injuries like trigger finger, sprains and strains, sciatica, sacral or pelvic pain, as well as other conditions including hayfever, sore throats, headache, incontinence, sinusitis and urinary tract problems.


Bowen can be done with clothes on and is relatively quick, taking usually 30 minutes or less. I typically do follow up treatments in 7-10 days. After treatment, most patients feel a slight improvement and go on to notice more improvement the next day. Very few patients notice a worsening of symptoms after treatment and then a marked improvement the next day.

My Patients

My patients are people of all ages who want time with their doctor; time to ask questions, acquire information and understand how their body works. They are curious to learn and motivated to make changes in their lives to promote and support health and healing. They are "plugged in" to the conventional medical system for emergency and catastrophic services but receive their regular health care from me. 

 

They do not want to take drugs that mask their symptoms and cause unwanted side effects. Instead they want to know what is causing their symptom and correct the underlying imbalance. My patients trust and respect the innate ability of our bodies to heal.

You may email (vonderheydt@beaumonthealthcare.com) or call (503-708-5742)

to make an appointment,

which can be in person or via video.

Fees

  • Initial visit lasts 90-120min and costs $248-330

  • Follow-up visits last 30-60min and cost $80-165

  • Hydrotherapy $75

  • Bowen Therapy $75

  • Labs and Pharmacy extra.

 

Payment is taken at time of service via cash, check or credit card.

If you have Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield, I will take your co-pay at time of service and bill insurance for you. For all other insurances, if you'd like to submit for reimbursement, I can provide an invoice with necessary codes.

I am a member of the Patient Physician Co-op (PPC).

bottom of page