“Most patients who visit my practice have tried eliminating foods from their diets, seen many providers, performed numerous GI tests and still don’t have answers for why they don’t feel well. IBS generally does not start over night. I try to determine what has brought the patient to this point. I like to consider myself trained as a detective as well as a naturopathic doctor to understand why this person has developed IBS. An initial patient visit should be extensive. I cover a thorough timeline of health history, evaluate past health records, document treatments tried and understand who my patient is as a person. It’s my goal to think outside of the box for events that could have led to the development of IBS. Once I have an understanding of the most likely reason for their distress, I systematically start there, while working through other possibilities.”