I'm so happy I finally went to the Natural Health Clinic in Lihue and made an appointment with Dr…read moreAllen, my time and care from him has been invaluable and has drastically improved my quality of life. I wanted to go for a few years but put it off because it's on the other side of the island from my home and my insurance does not cover visits. I finally made it and for anyone who hasn't made an appt because of those two factors, don't worry, just go. (For the level and quality of care and supplements/medicines/remedies the cost is minimal, the price level is not as scary as I would have thought... the total per session so far for my needs has been the same as my dental cleanings on north shore).
Dr Allen's specialties and interests overlapped with what I was looking for (musculoskeletal, digestive health, vitamin ivs if necessary, general well being/post surgery care). Often at primary care doctors offices, I get anxious, even confused about why I'm there or if I should be there when I finally get seen by the doctor, and how to properly ask for the help I need; I have gotten a little more confused because some doctors look at me and say I look healthy, which isn't always a great thing to hear when I'm going for some help to pinpoint what's causing a feeling of off-ness.
None of the confusion or anxiety happened with Dr Allen, at all. He's so gentle and wants to hear how he can help. I am having the opposite experience with him, I can share everything that bothers me and his questions help me explain things better if I need to. His style doesn't make me second guess myself (which is really easy for me to do with doctors). I feel comfortable and cared for, I feel like all my questions and concerns matter and will be addressed no matter how specific or abstract.
I share some of this because most recently at my primary care dr for the same issues (covered by insurance) I had gotten sent for a few tests that all came back healthy/nothing wrong (xrays, ultrasound, blood tests) but I still knew I needed help how to heal whatever was creating discomfort for a longer than normal time period (for example, musculoskeletal pains, muscle spasms over a couple years in the same areas). It was either more intricate tests and imaging to rule out complications in other areas of my body and potential organ connections, or a new route all together. I can understand testing to be sure there's nothing horribly wrong as I have a history of ailments and injuries, but instead I chose a new route, coming to the Natural Health Clinic and Dr Allen.
I'm definitely open to tests and formal procedures and interested in seeing scientific facts and figures about my body on microscopic and layers unable to be seen by the unaided eye. I would love to have my own lab. I would love to see how my intestines and colon are doing - on a screen - out of curiosity and wonder. But at this time, I also needed relief and more holistic minded care.
Dr Allen didn't jump right away to a diagnoses or sending me to hospital for various tests (I know they can order all sorts of tests and I'm confident he would if it was necessary). Instead, we started addressing the discomfort I was having right away and then going beyond the symptoms I could feel. Dr Allen's musculoskeletal adjustments are so fine tuned and pick up on more hidden imbalances so that those can be balanced, harmonized, adjusted. My life has improved in ways I didn't know would happen when I finally made the appointment, my physical body feels so much better, and I'm an even happier person, more comfortable, less internally restricted in my every day existence. I feel like I'm getting the help of 4-5 doctors/healers in one.
In other states I've most recently lived in (on mainland) when I had issues / illnesses I usually went to nearby chiropractors with alternative care training like applied kinesiology. These more natural modalities work so well for me, my body responds to the treatments. What I'm loving about Dr Allen is that he's like my favorite doctors in those states that I didn't know I could find here..... Combined with training as a medical doctor and naturopath like my favorite doctor in a different country that I occasionally get to work with... Combined with so many extra unique skillsets and talents of his own and a gentle demeanor.
I'm excited to see what else we can discover and heal so that more parts of my life can improve.
I feel so genuinely heard and understood on a core level that it is shifting my anxieties about what having a primary care doctor means, and "health clinic" formalities.
While I just wrote this book length review, I'm really not even sure how to talk about all the gifts I am receiving from my appointments and time with Dr Allen. And we've only just started.