Frequently Asked Questions

Naturopathy is a form of healthcare that focuses on finding and treating the actual cause of a health problem rather than just managing symptoms. It uses food, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle changes as its main tools.

A naturopath spends a lot of time getting to know your full health picture before recommending anything. The idea is that when you address what is actually driving a problem, you get lasting results rather than ongoing symptom management.

At Precision Natural Medicine we take this further by using advanced testing, genetic analysis, and a research-led approach that most naturopathy clinics do not offer.

Herbal medicine is the use of plants to treat and support health. It has been practised across every culture for thousands of years and a large part of modern pharmaceutical medicine originated from plant compounds.

When prescribed by a trained practitioner, herbal medicine is far more targeted and effective than anything available off a shelf. Your practitioner selects specific herbs for your specific situation, combines them in the right proportions, and adjusts your formula as your health changes over time.

At Precision Natural Medicine, every prescription is checked against your current medications and health history before you receive it.

Nutritional medicine is the use of specific nutrients and dietary changes to treat and support health. What you eat, and what your body is actually absorbing, has a direct impact on almost every function in your body including your energy, hormones, immune system, mood, and sleep.

Many people are low in important nutrients without knowing it, even with a reasonable diet. This can happen because of poor gut absorption, certain medications, ongoing stress, or genetic differences in how your body uses nutrients.

We use testing to find out exactly what your body needs rather than guessing, then give you specific targeted recommendations based on that.

Naturopathy is the overall approach. Herbal medicine and nutritional medicine are tools used within that approach.

A naturopath assesses your whole health picture and then decides which combination of tools is right for you. That might be herbal medicine, dietary changes, nutritional supplements, lifestyle guidance, or all of these working together.

At Precision Natural Medicine our practitioners are trained in all three disciplines and use them together to build a plan that fits your individual needs.

Both. Many of our patients choose natural medicine as their primary or only form of healthcare. They prefer a non-pharmaceutical approach, they have not got satisfactory answers from conventional medicine, or it simply aligns with how they want to care for their body.

Other patients use natural medicine alongside their existing medical care. We are happy to coordinate with your GP or specialists when that is useful, but we do not require it and we fully respect your choice about how you manage your health.

Whatever your situation, you are welcome here.

Functional medicine is an approach that asks why you have a health problem, not just what label to put on it. It looks at the connections between your diet, lifestyle, environment, genetics, and how your body is functioning, then works to fix the underlying imbalance rather than suppress the symptom.

This is very close to how naturopathy works. At Precision Natural Medicine we apply functional medicine principles, especially through advanced laboratory testing, as part of our broader natural medicine approach.

Pharmacognosy is the scientific study of medicines that come from natural sources, primarily plants. A pharmacognosist is a scientist trained in identifying, characterising, and researching the active compounds in plants and how they work in the body.

Our head clinician Dr Luke Iggulden is Chief Scientific Officer of the Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy. This means your herbal prescriptions are developed by someone with deep research-level knowledge of plant medicines, not just general clinical training. It is a significant clinical advantage for our patients.

A nutritionist focuses specifically on diet and food-based approaches to health. Their training centres on nutrition science and dietary advice.

A naturopath has a broader scope. They are trained in clinical assessment, herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, and the integration of multiple approaches to treat a wider range of health concerns. A naturopath can address the full picture of your health, not just what you eat.

At Precision Natural Medicine our practitioners bring both nutritional and herbal medicine expertise to every case.

Yes. Many herbal medicines have a solid body of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness. Aspirin came from willow bark. Morphine came from the opium poppy. Metformin, one of the most commonly prescribed diabetes drugs, came from Goat's Rue. These are not fringe examples. Plant-derived compounds are the foundation of a large portion of modern medicine.

The evidence varies by herb and by condition. Some herbs are backed by dozens of clinical trials. Others are supported by pharmacological research and centuries of clinical use. At Precision Natural Medicine we prescribe based on the best available evidence and explain our reasoning clearly.

Results also depend on the quality of the prescription. A professionally formulated, correctly dosed herbal tonic is a different product entirely from a generic capsule off a health food store shelf.

Yes. The evidence base is large and well established. Low iron causes fatigue. Low vitamin D affects immunity and mood. Low magnesium disrupts sleep and stress response. Low B vitamins impair neurological function. These are not controversial claims. They are documented in thousands of peer-reviewed studies.

The key is precision. Guessing what supplements to take without knowing what you actually need is hit and miss at best. When testing identifies exactly what your body is lacking and we address that specifically, the results are far more reliable and consistent.

Yes. A well-formulated naturopathic care plan produces real results, and our clinical outcomes reflect that.

It helps to understand what a naturopath actually is in Australia. A naturopathic degree covers a broad range of disciplines including herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, lifestyle medicine, and clinical sciences. This breadth is genuinely useful because health problems rarely exist in isolation. The trade-off is that each modality receives less time than a dedicated specialist degree.

A herbalist, by contrast, spends four or more years focused entirely on plant medicine. Their understanding of pharmacology, herb-drug interactions, botanical constituents, and prescribing nuance goes considerably deeper as a result. At Precision Natural Medicine, our head clinician trained as a herbalist and pharmacognosist before expanding into naturopathic practice. This means our patients receive the depth of a herbalist's expertise alongside the broader clinical framework of naturopathy. Most clinics cannot offer both.

The honesty is that results vary depending on the complexity of your situation and how well the treatment plan is matched to your individual needs. We spend the time to get that right.

It depends on what you are dealing with. Acute conditions like a cold or infection can often be helped within days. Chronic conditions that have built up over months or years take longer to shift.

Most people notice meaningful improvement within four to eight weeks of starting a well-matched treatment plan. More complex or long-standing conditions may take three to six months of consistent care.

Your practitioner will give you a realistic timeline at your first consultation based on your specific situation.

When prescribed by a qualified practitioner who knows your full health picture, yes. Professionally prescribed herbal and nutritional medicine has a very strong safety record.

Safety issues most commonly arise when people self-prescribe without professional guidance, buy low-quality products, or do not disclose their medications to their practitioner. At Precision Natural Medicine we review your full medication and supplement list before prescribing anything and check for interactions as a standard part of every prescription.

Usually yes, but it needs to be managed carefully. Some herbs and nutrients can interact with pharmaceutical medications. This is not a reason to avoid natural medicine, but it is a reason to work with a qualified practitioner who understands both.

Always tell any prescribing practitioner everything you take. At Precision Natural Medicine, interaction screening is a non-negotiable part of every prescription we issue.

No, and this is a common misconception. We are pro-informed decision and pro-good science, regardless of which form of medicine the evidence supports.

Precision Natural Medicine takes a research-led approach. We do not dismiss pharmaceutical medicine. We simply offer a different set of tools, often for problems that pharmaceutical medicine has not resolved, or for patients who prefer a natural approach. We respect your autonomy and your choices about your own health.

Functional testing looks at how your body is actually working, not just whether a number on a blood test sits inside a standard range.

Standard blood tests are designed to detect disease. A result that comes back "normal" means you are not in a disease category. It does not mean everything is working well. Functional testing goes deeper and identifies things standard testing misses.

Examples of what functional testing can assess:

• Your actual vitamin and mineral levels inside your cells, not just in your blood
• How well your gut is digesting and absorbing food
• The balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome
• How your body produces and clears hormones throughout the day
• Whether your cells are producing energy efficiently
• Levels of oxidative stress and inflammation
• Exposure to heavy metals or environmental toxins

Your genes influence how your body responds to food, nutrients, and herbs. Nutrigenomics is the study of those connections.

For example, some people have a genetic variant that means they need a different form of folate than what is found in most supplements. Others have variants that affect how they handle stress hormones, clear oestrogen, or respond to dietary fats. If you do not know about these variants, your supplements and diet choices might be working against your own biology.

Nutrigenomic analysis lets us tailor your plan to how your body actually works, which removes a lot of the trial and error from the process. It is one of the more advanced things we offer and sets our clinical approach apart from most clinics.

No. Testing costs are separate and are only recommended when they will genuinely improve your treatment plan. We will always explain why a test is worth doing and what it costs before anything is ordered. You are never obligated to proceed.

Many patients get excellent results without any additional testing, based on a thorough clinical assessment alone. Testing is most valuable for complex, long-standing, or unusual presentations where more information meaningfully changes the direction of care.

The Free Health Assessment is a complimentary phone call with Sharee Rickert, our clinical naturopath and practice manager. Sharee takes a thorough health history, listens carefully to your concerns, and uses that information to recommend the most appropriate consultation for your situation.

This is not a sales call. It is a genuine clinical assessment designed to make sure you start your care at the right level, rather than guessing which option is best. It is also how we ensure that when you do book a paid consultation with Dr Luke, the time is spent on clinical depth rather than basic intake.

No consultation can be booked without completing a Free Health Assessment first, with the exception of acute consultations, which are available directly.

A telehealth consultation is a video appointment conducted from wherever you are in Australia, using a secure encrypted video platform. It is clinically identical to seeing your practitioner in person.

After your Free Health Assessment, your intake information is already prepared. Your consultation with Dr Luke starts as a real clinical conversation, not a basic question and answer session.

After the appointment your treatment plan is sent to you, and any herbal medicine prescription is compounded and posted directly to your door.

An acute consultation is a shorter, focused appointment for a specific health concern that needs prompt attention. It is available to anyone, new or returning, without requiring a Free Health Assessment first.

Common reasons to book an acute consultation include:

• A cold, flu, or respiratory infection you want to treat quickly
• A sudden flare of a health problem
• A specific question that needs a clinical answer
• A minor prescription adjustment

Usually within 30 minutes of booking during business hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST. On busier days it may be up to three hours, but we aim to respond as quickly as possible.

Your initial consultation is a full 60 minutes. Because Sharee has already completed your health assessment beforehand, Dr Luke arrives prepared and your time together is spent entirely on clinical depth.

By the end you will have a personalised plan covering dietary recommendations, lifestyle guidance, herbal or nutritional prescriptions where relevant, and any suggestions for further testing. For complex cases Dr Luke continues researching between appointments at no additional charge.

It depends on your situation. A straightforward concern might only need one or two appointments. Ongoing or complex health issues benefit from regular reviews, usually every four to eight weeks, until things stabilise and then less frequently after that.

We will always give you an honest expectation at your first consultation. We do not recommend appointments beyond what is genuinely needed.

Because arriving at a consultation without any prior clinical context wastes your time and ours. The Free Health Assessment means Dr Luke already knows your case before you speak, your consultation time is spent on genuine clinical work, and you are not paying for basic intake that should have happened beforehand.

It also means we can identify whether you need a standard initial consultation, advanced microbiome mapping, or full nutrigenomic analysis, before you commit to a fee. The right starting point matters clinically and financially.

Because what we offer is substantially different from a standard naturopathy clinic.

Our head clinician has advanced training in botanical pharmacology and nutrigenomics, holds an active research role through the Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy, and applies that depth of expertise to every prescription. We limit our patient load so that every person receives genuine time and attention. You get a pre-consultation assessment from Sharee, a full 60-minute consultation with Dr Luke, post-appointment research where needed, a custom-compounded herbal tonic, and access to advanced testing most clinics do not offer.

If you want thorough, precise, research-led care the fee reflects that.

Yes. We offer a 10% discount on all consultations to the following groups:

• Veterans and current military personnel
• Police officers
• Paramedics
• SES volunteers
• Firefighters
• Freemasons

Please mention your eligibility when booking and have relevant identification available at your first appointment.

Naturopathy is not covered by Medicare.

Many private health insurance policies do include naturopathy, herbal medicine, and nutritional medicine under their extras cover. The rebate amount depends on your policy and insurer. We recommend calling your insurer before booking to confirm what you are covered for.

No. Book directly through our Free Health Assessment without a referral. If you have recent blood tests or specialist letters, bring them. It saves time and avoids repeating tests already done.

The difference is significant. Health food store products are made for an average person at a standard dose. A personalised tonic is made specifically for you.

Your practitioner selects herbs based on your individual presentation, combines them in proportions that make clinical sense for your case, doses them based on your body weight and health status, and adjusts the formula over time as you improve. The herbs we use are pharmaceutical-grade with verified active ingredient content.

Your tonic is also screened against your medications before it is prepared. That safety step does not exist when you pick something off a shelf.

Every tonic we produce is compounded fresh to order using specific herbs at therapeutic doses. Before we prepare it we need to know about your current medications, health conditions, allergies, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Some herbs can interact with medications or are not suitable in certain situations.

This is not a sales call. It is a clinical check, and it is how we make sure every patient receives something that is genuinely right for them.

Yes. We are happy to dispense herbal and nutritional prescriptions issued by other qualified natural medicine practitioners or physicians. We cannot dispense prescriptions for scheduled pharmaceutical medications.

Send us your prescription and we will let you know exactly what we can help with.

Some herbal medicines are safe during pregnancy, but only when prescribed by a practitioner who knows you are pregnant. Many herbs are not suitable during pregnancy and must be avoided.

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell us at the time of your Free Health Assessment so we can prepare an appropriate approach from the start.

Yes. Naturopathic and nutritional medicine can be very effective for children across a wide range of concerns including immune health, digestive issues, skin conditions, sleep difficulties, and developmental support.

Dosing for children is calculated carefully based on age and weight. A parent or guardian must be present for all consultations involving a child.

Yes. We run an in-house dispensary and manufacturing laboratory stocked with over 200 individual herbal and nutritional compounds. This allows us to compound custom prescriptions on-site without depending on external suppliers for every formulation.

Your prescription is prepared fresh and dispatched promptly via AusPost Express to your door anywhere in Australia.

Our core supply partners are MediHerb, Eagle Clinical, Eagle, Orthoplex White Label, and Spectrumceuticals. These are some of the most respected names in professional-grade complementary medicine in Australia. They manufacture to pharmaceutical standards, provide verified active ingredient content, and supply only through qualified practitioners.

Your prescription is compounded and shipped directly to your address anywhere in Australia via AusPost Express. Your order comes with clear instructions on how to take your medicine. Contact us before making any changes to your dosing.

No. Naturopaths are trained health professionals who specialise in natural medicine. They treat health conditions using herbal medicine, nutrition, diet, and lifestyle approaches. They do not diagnose diseases in the conventional medical sense or prescribe pharmaceutical medications.

A good naturopath has deep, specialist knowledge of plant medicines, nutritional biochemistry, and the factors that drive chronic health problems, areas that are often not covered in depth in conventional medical training.

Yes. Our practitioners hold either a Bachelor of Health Science or an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine, or Nutritional Medicine. Both qualification pathways involve rigorous training in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, clinical nutrition, and herbal medicine.

Our head clinician Dr Luke Iggulden has additional advanced training in botanical pharmacology and nutrigenomics, and serves as Chair of the Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy. Evidence and scientific rigour are not incidental to what we do, they are central to it.

Everything you share with us is stored on secure encrypted clinical software hosted in Australia. Only the practitioners and staff directly involved in your care can access your records.

We do not sell your information or use it for commercial purposes. Telehealth consultations are conducted on a secure encrypted platform. Your health information receives the highest level of protection under Australian Privacy Act 1988 legislation.

De-identified information may be used for practitioner training, case studies, or scientific investigation. De-identification means all details that could identify you personally are permanently removed before any such use.

Naturopathic care treats a wide range of health conditions. It is particularly effective for chronic or ongoing problems, conditions involving multiple body systems, and situations where patients want to address root causes rather than manage symptoms indefinitely.

Common areas we treat include:

• Digestive health including bloating, reflux, gut microbiome disorders
• Hormonal health including thyroid, adrenal, PCOS, menstrual health, perimenopause
• Chronic fatigue and poor sleep
• Anxiety, stress, and mood support
• Immune health including recurring infections and autoimmune conditions
• Skin health including acne, eczema, and psoriasis
• Metabolic health including blood sugar and weight management
• Cardiovascular health and cholesterol management
• Fertility and reproductive health
• Preventative health and general wellbeing

Yes, it is real. The clinical term is intestinal permeability. The lining of your gut is designed to selectively let nutrients through while keeping bacteria, toxins, and large particles out. When this lining becomes more porous than it should be, those unwanted substances can enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response.

This can contribute to systemic inflammation, food sensitivities, skin conditions, fatigue, joint pain, and autoimmune conditions. Treating it is something naturopathic medicine does well, using targeted nutrients, specific probiotic strains, and dietary change.

Your gut does a lot more than digest food. It houses around 70% of your immune system, produces a large proportion of your body's serotonin, communicates directly with your brain, and is responsible for absorbing the nutrients your body runs on.

When gut health is poor it can affect energy, immunity, skin, mood, hormones, and metabolism. This is why gut assessment is a central part of almost every Precision Natural Medicine care plan, even when the main complaint seems unrelated to digestion.

Adaptogens are a class of herbs that help the body cope better with physical, mental, and emotional stress. They support the systems that regulate your stress response, particularly the adrenal glands.

Well-researched adaptogens include Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Siberian Ginseng, and Holy Basil. They work gradually over time to build resilience and improve how your body handles stress. They are commonly prescribed for fatigue, burnout, chronic stress, and poor recovery.

Preventative healthcare means finding and addressing risk factors before they turn into health problems. Natural medicine is well suited to preventative care. We can identify suboptimal nutrient levels, early hormonal imbalances, gut dysfunction, and metabolic warning signs well before they reach clinical disease, and intervene effectively at that stage.

Looking after your health before problems develop is almost always more effective and less disruptive than treating established disease later on.

Book your Free Health Assessment. Sharee will call you at your chosen time, take your health history, and recommend the most appropriate consultation for your needs. The whole process is straightforward and there is no obligation to proceed with a paid consultation.

If you have an acute concern that needs attention today, you can book an acute consultation directly without a prior assessment.

Have ready a complete list of all medications, supplements, and herbal products you currently take. Any recent blood test results are useful but not essential. Most importantly, be prepared to describe your main health concerns clearly so Sharee can make the right recommendation for you.

Most consultations are conducted via telehealth, which allows us to see patients anywhere in Australia. Telehealth is clinically equivalent to in-person care.

For patients local to Cardwell, Queensland, in-home visits are available on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us to discuss.

If you are tired of managing symptoms without understanding what is causing them, if conventional medicine has not given you satisfying answers, if you want a healthcare approach that looks at your whole picture, or if you simply prefer a non-pharmaceutical path, natural medicine is likely a good fit.

If you are not sure, book a Free Health Assessment. Sharee will help you work out whether we are the right fit before you spend anything.