For Patients
Lakeside Natural Medicine is currently accepting new patients. Call 414-939-8748 or email info@lakesidenaturalmedicine.com to set up your appointment today!
Office Visits
The first visit will last approximately 60 minutes. This will give sufficient time for your naturopathic doctor to get a comprehensive history from you so that she/he is able to best understand your condition and your goals for optimal health. If you have recently had lab work done, please bring a copy with you. Please complete the forms by clicking the link below for you prior to your first visit. You can plan on follow-up visits lasting approximately 30 minutes.
Please bring:
- Your completed new patients forms.
- Any pertinent medical records you have including recent labs or imaging reports. If you do not have these, you can have them sent by downloading and completing the records release form.
Payment
We accept cash, credit card, and checks. Payment is due in full at the time of visit. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover our services.
Cancellation Policy
Please give Lakeside Natural Medicine 24 hours advance notice of cancellations. If you cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment, you will be charged a fee of $50.
Forms
Please set aside some time to complete the new patient packet below. Please note: It may take an hour or so to complete the required paperwork. This information will provide the doctor with a better picture of your past and current health and will greatly increase the efficiency of your visit. This is an extremely important aspect in the preparation before your visit. If you do not have access to a printer, please call the clinic and we will be happy to send you a copy in the mail. Be sure to complete steps 1 and 2 (step 3 optional) at least 48 hours before your visit.
1. Print and complete the appropriate new patient packet below.
2. Send the completed new patient packet to us at least 24 hours before your appointment.
Fax: 414-377-4203
Email: info@lakesidenaturalmedicine.com
Mailing Address:
3510 N Oakland Ave #203
Shorewood, WI 53211
3. (Optional) Bring or request copies of medical records.
If you have any recent labs or diagnostic work (ie. imaging), please bring these with you. If you do not have copies of this information, you can print and complete the form below and email, mail or fax to the clinic. We will use this form to request records from the appropriate doctor’s office.
Records Release Form – Incoming
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my naturopathic doctor work with my health care providers I am seeing?
Yes. We will work together with any other health care providers that you may be seeing so that you receive the best, integrated care. We recommend that you maintain care with your current primary care physician as naturopathic doctors cannot be your primary care doctor in the state of Wisconsin.
If my symptoms are managed with medication why should I seek a naturopathic doctor?
Symptoms are the body’s attempt at telling us there may be something deeper going on. While medications can take away the symptom, the cause of that symptom is still there. For example. taking acid-blockers for heartburn may help with the symptom of heartburn, but the underlying problem still exists. When medications mask symptoms over a long period of time, other symptoms begin to appear and deeper pathology can develop. Naturopathic medicine can help you discover why you developed your disease in the first place and how to prevent further progression. Most importantly, naturopathic medicine can help bring you back into a state of balance and freedom from daily medications or supplements.
How long are appointments?
The first visit will take approximately 60 minutes. This will give sufficient time for Dr. Axtell and Dr. Aponte to get a comprehensive history from you so that they are able to best understand your condition and your goals for optimal health. If you have recently had lab work done, please bring a copy with you. You can plan on follow-up visits lasting approximately 30 minutes.
What kind of training and education does a naturopathic doctor have?
The education of a naturopathic doctor (ND) is very similar to that of medical doctor (MD). A licensed ND attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all the basic and clinical sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, immunology and microbiology. In addition to the basic sciences, an ND takes four years of training in nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, counseling, and natural manipulation therapy. Two to three years of seeing patients in the clinical setting is a critical component to ND’s professional training. An ND takes two sets of professional board exams to become licensed as a primary care physician. Since Wisconsin is not yet a licensed state for naturopathic medicine, Dr. Axtell holds a medical license in the state of Oregon. Click here to view comparisons between the education of MDs and NDs..
What is the difference between a naturopathic doctor and a homeopath or an herbalist?
Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care physicians, which is not true of homeopaths or herbalists. Naturopathic doctors have been trained in homeopathy and herbal medicine, which can be used along with other modalities as mentioned above.
What kind of modalities can I expect a naturopathic doctor to use?
- Herbs
- Hydrotherapy- the use of water to restore health
- Nutritional supplements (vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, etc)
- Diet and lifestyle counseling for your individualized needs
- Homeopathy- a very gentle, non-toxic way of stimulating the body’s innate ability to heal itself
- Biotherapeutic drainage- a gentle way of detoxifying the body by opening the organs of elimination and discharging accumulated toxins