Claire Draudt, NP | Portland , OR

Claire Draudt, NP

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE, WOMEN’S HEALTH, PRIMARY CARE – WORKS AT THE 5736 NE GLISAN CLINIC

Claire Draudt

Claire Harrison Draudt, a Portland native, is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner from Duke University School of Nursing.  Claire Draudt has an undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Feminist and Gender Studies from Colorado College and Accelerated Bachelors in Nursing from Regis University.  Claire is an avid outdoors women and adventurer who has fashioned a career out of doing what she loves: helping people lead healthier lives.

Claire Draudt is a primary care provider with an emphasis on lifestyle and behavioral changes and learning functional medicine. 

Having worked as a nurse in a multitude of cities, cultures, and communities across the U.S. and its territories, Ms. Draudt has a sincere compassion and understanding for her patients.  Claire brings a background of Primary Care, Family Medicine, Urgent Care, Orthopedics, HIV/AIDS care, Women’s Health and Pediatric Care to the clinic.  Ms. Draudt is looking forward to working with and learning from the functional medicine practitioners at Merritt Health and Wellness.

WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE? CLAIRE DRAUDT

Functional Medicine is a relatively new line of medicine where the causes of disease are identified rather than just treating the symptoms. Functional Medicine revolves around the life of the patient. Using DIG IN style, the practitioners gather health history and work as a team to
hear to the patient’s story. The attempt is to find the exact cause of illness, and in this endeavor, state of the art lab tests, equipment and theory are used to help achieve optimum health for the patient.

Functional Medicine includes a nutrition plan, use of supplements, and health coaching to heal the root of the issue. Functional Medicine is based on the assessment of Food, Detoxification, Hormone levels, Cardio and Metabolic Energy. To learn more click here.

Many natural treatments can be hard to follow due to so variable options. The line of treatment is matched to the patient’s requirement. The patient is not required to visit the health center. The practitioners meet the patient in the comfort of his home. This helps the patient to remain calm and open up; which is the first step to success. Thus the patient does not feel overwhelmed with the treatment plan.

WESTERN MED – CLAIRE DRAUDT

Western medicine might only use prescriptions for symptoms. When it comes to chronic disease, symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg the primary issue is hidden in the body. However, these medications don’t fix the problem entirely, they just provide relief and more often they create or lead to other issues.

In functional medicine the approach is different. Rather than covering up symptoms, the causes of inflammation and disease are detected. For this, the most up to date research is done.

Once the triggers are identified, the practitioner removes the things that cause the strife in the body and replaces them with things/food that is missing in your body. We extract from the diet foods causing infections, allergens, toxic chemicals, and also eliminate foods that the patient is sensitive to. Digestive enzymes, vitamins and nutrients, and healthy bacteria are supplemented in the diet. Care is taken to balance hormones and optimise brain health.

In functional medicine, the real cause of a disease is identified, so that the person can truly heal.

WHAT IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER? CLAIRE DRAUDT, FNP

Nurse Practitioners are the health partner of choice for millions in the US. They blend knowledge on disease prevention along with treating health issues with an added focus on bringing a comprehensive perspective to health care.

NURSE PRACTITIONER TRAINING

All NPs must complete a master’s degree program, and have advanced training.
To learn more  click here.

WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

The women’s health care patients that the NPs see are not sure if they were/are making the right women’s health care choices. But when these patients get women’s health care from practitioners they have a sense of relief there must be a better way. We feel we can help find a better way to perform women’s health care.

WHY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE? CLAIRE DRAUDT

Most people do not trust the existing woman’s health care but are leery of alternative medicine. Many seek alternative health care but don’t feel like telling their doctor about it.

Hence, a lot of women felt lost and confused about normal health care. But the fact is health care system is going through a period of change. This change is brought about by functional medicine or integrative medicine, and we can be an agent of that change.

TIPS FOR PERSONAL SUCCESS

For as long as 10 minutes per day, practice being still. Spend quiet time, relax this will add to your physical, mental, and emotional health. Focus on deep breathing; this will allow oxygen to reach the tissues, nourish them and also quieten the mind. The practice also provides space for your inner voice to emerge and guide you in your life.

WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVE, COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE?

To understand these, first of all, let’s get some words right.

CONVENTIONAL OR TRADITIONAL WESTERN MEDICINE

Traditional is what most of us grew up with. It starts with you getting sick, feels a lump or having an injury/accident and going to the doctor. The physician treats the issue troubling you through prescription drugs or surgery — and you go home. He does not bother to look into the reason why you got sick in the first place.

This has been a remarkably successful system though and has rid the world of diseases and infections. But, preventative medicine is now the buzzword. Emphasising on eat less, eating right, exercise more and take an aspirin or other “safe” drug every day.

Scientific advances like the mapping of DNA may change this approach in the future. Traditional doctors are rigorously trained to address trauma or disease, but not to look into the complexities of how the patient got that way.

ALTERNATIVE, NATURAL AND HOLISTIC MEDICINE

The practitioners following this line of treatment look at the “whole” person — mind, body, and spirit — to identify underlying imbalances in body hormones and nutrients that cause disease.

This line of treatment transpires in the least invasive, most natural way. Also, this stimulates and fosters a well-balanced, well-nourished body that can resist disease, fight infection, heal faster; age gracefully and rarely if ever needed more radical intervention.

Many leading hospitals now offer what they term complementary and alternative medicine.

INTEGRATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE – CLAIRE DRAUDT

Integrative medicine is the best combination of Western medicine and alternative therapies. It can be said with confidence that integrative medicine is the future of healthcare. It is now a part of the curriculum at 28 primary medical schools in the United States.

A branch of integrative medicine, called functional medicine, is the guiding principle of our practice at Merritt Health and Wellness.

WHY IS INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH

The main reason to usher integrative medicine into your life is simple – you’ll be healthier. Both traditional and alternative practices have their benefits and limitations. But combined they provide a synergy that can transform your health; filling you with vitality, in a natural way, for the rest of your life.

A recent eight-year study on U.S. adult health-related quality of life reports that though we live longer, we feel worse. Drugs, we all know, have side effects that often diminish the quality of life and the feeling of well-being.

IN OTHER, WORDS MEDICINE MAYBE KEEPING US ALIVE LONGER, BUT WE AREN’T LOVING IT

At our practice, we see this every day. Women whose tests are “normal” by current standards come in telling us they feel something is wrong. It is often found they have or are on the verge of facing severe health issues. But these subtle symptoms just haven’t manifested full-on. The patient has reached the disease threshold. Merely adding daily food supplements and making changes in diet and lifestyle have helped such patients.

Conventional medicine is undoubtedly very good at disease screening and often used in the treatment of disease in acute conditions. But continuing with the traditional approach exclusively for long, in our view, would make you more likely to get sick in one way or the other.

HOW DO I INTEGRATE MY HEALTHCARE

For many years now there have been more patient visits to complementary and alternative practitioners.

At Merritt Health and Wellness we integrate these methods seamlessly.

Whether or not you’ve tried alternative health care yet, get permanent health results from integrative medicine.

FIND A PRACTIONER YOU CAN TALK TO – CLAIRE DRAUDT

Maybe you have already have consulted one. If not, ask your friends for references. Our info on talking about bioidentical hormones with your doctor provides advice on talking to a practitioner. Some physicians will feel professionally threatened by a patient’s need to bring other practitioners onto their consulting team. It is advised to proceed with the notion that knowledge is power and what matters here is your health, not your doctor’s feelings.

IF YOU CANT FIND A PRACTIONER WHO WILL WORK WITH YOU ON AN INTEGRATIVE BASIS,GO ANYWAY – CLAIRE DRAUDT

Until the time you do not find an alternative medicine therapist, you must not ignore the value of health check-ups for disease screening; you must not self-diagnose; visit a physician.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – CLAIRE DRAUDT

When it comes to your health, you are the expert. You know best, the demands of your body. If you have a health issue, but the plan of treatment does not sound convincing to you, discuss options. If you know something doesn’t feel right, but your tests are standard, don’t ignore your body’s wisdom. This is a perfect time to begin looking into alternative medicine.

People are unique. No two persons are alike. What works for one may not work for the other. You have to find what works for you. Sometimes its best is to use the standard approach, but at times it is not. Hence give time to natural methods (food changes and food supplement).

 

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Claire Draudt