Clinic and Consultation Approach

Whether you are a follower, fan, member, active patient, or receiving our content for the first time, you may still have many questions about what exactly happens at Back to the Garden. What is our guiding philosophy? What happens during a first visit? What is the difference between being a member and being a patient? Many are still unsure about what type of “doctor” will see them when they visit the office or come to stay at the residential center for a fasting program. Many want to know what our vision and health education is, and how it sets us apart from the remedy-based health system. Below, we will answer several of these questions.

Let’s begin by explaining our philosophy:

Behind all our decisions as doctors (at Back to the Garden) is the basic knowledge that the body is designed to be healthy—that health is our natural state. Illness is not an enemy, but simply a term that defines a loss of health—a loss of normal, healthy function in our body or in a specific organ. Health and disease are not random events; both have causes. One set of conditions can cause disease, while another set of conditions can create health.Our approach is to first identify the causes of illness, eliminate these causes, and then build the most appropriate environment for health to flourish. Of course, each individual is different, so the methods used to achieve the most effective environment will vary in each case. However, the main guidelines we follow are the same for everyone.

What are the guiding principles of health?

Human health requires certain conditions: proper diet, adequate sleep, exercise, a healthy psychological state, connection with nature, sunlight exposure, water intake, spending enough time outdoors, and avoiding exposure to toxins. These are the main conditions that promote our health. Focusing on these areas naturally forms the core of our practice as doctors.Investigating and identifying the conditions that create disease and providing the best conditions for the patient to regain health is key to our practice—and this is why our patients are so successful. This often means making specific and sometimes radical lifestyle changes.

What happens during a first visit as a new patient?

Because we need to investigate causal factors, a first visit to Back to the Garden is usually much longer than a typical doctor’s appointment. New patients spend an hour or more with the doctor during the initial visit, discussing the patient’s medical history and learning about the person who is either suffering from an illness or looking to improve their health and prevent disease.We discuss many details about the patient’s current condition—not just the illnesses and symptoms they have at the moment. The goal is to get a clear picture of which health factors may have caused the patient’s loss of health or the development of disease—in other words, the conditions that created their current state of health.This allows us to know where to focus and where to begin making changes. The visit generally includes a detailed patient history, a complete and personalized physical exam, review of current lab work, and discussion about the need for further tests. At the end of the visit, the patient will receive assignments (specific actions to take or changes to make, or information for us to track progress), educational materials related to their specific case, and lab orders.

Why is it so important to understand how we got sick?

A sick person certainly wants to get better—we know that. But not everyone has enough motivation to make the significant changes required to be healthy. Understanding how they became sick is crucial to uprooting the causes and reversing the disease process.This knowledge not only clarifies the path to wellness but also empowers us to maintain good health. Farmers don’t just throw seeds on the ground and hope to harvest crops. Good farmers are masters at creating and perfecting the best conditions for plants to be healthy. When crops fail, a good farmer can identify the reasons and correct them. What would happen if the farmer didn’t know why the crops failed?

The medical paradigm teaches us that illness is inevitable, common, and happens without cause or by bad luck. Under that belief, trying to understand how we got sick wouldn’t be worthwhile. We are taught to leave our health decisions in the hands of experts—doctors. Physicians and specialists have made a good living by addressing effects instead of causes.The effects of illness are simply the effects of losing healthy function, and the effects of our habits.

Most patients are surprised to learn that a poor diet can lead to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and more. And diet is just one of many underlying causal factors. Imagine the loss of health if we combine poor eating habits with poor sleep habits, lack of exercise, use of substances like alcohol or caffeine, no sun exposure, an indoor lifestyle, obsessive worry, and a stressful home and work life.

So, is the initial visit about figuring out why and how we got sick in the first place?

Yes. The first visit is the beginning of both the investigative process and the educational process. We need to know the patient’s history, analyze specific lab tests, and gather data from the physical exam. Equally important, we begin asking questions like:“What is the patient’s health philosophy?”“What are their life priorities?”“What do they believe is their purpose in life?”“What kind of relationship does the patient have with their health?”

The way we live models how we get sick and develop disease. Identifying these life patterns allows us to honestly tell patients that if they make the necessary changes, they will get good results.

Our goals are not just to guide patients toward regaining health, but also to give them the skills needed to manage their own health. Essentially, we encourage all patients to gain the knowledge and confidence to be their own doctors.

What kinds of changes do our patients need to make?

If diet was a contributing factor to their current poor health, we will definitely change it to ensure it becomes a major contributor to their recovery. The same applies to all other health factors. Whatever needs to be addressed will be addressed fully—it might be necessary to change sleep habits, daily activities, work or home environment, exercise routine, eliminate alcohol or caffeine, and so on.Our job is to investigate, educate, and guide the patient. The most successful patients are highly motivated and active in their own care. Those who study our educational materials, ask questions, complete their assignments, and prioritize their health will achieve well-deserved health and enjoy it for many years.

Homework assignments?

All patients are given homework to complete before the next visit. Homework is NOT meaningless busy work—it is important for us to keep evaluating the patient’s progress and identify areas where adjustments are needed. Homework is also educational. Connecting a habit change with real-time health and function improvements is an empowering step and greatly increases the likelihood of long-term success. Through weekly assignments, patients can see how they themselves have been the deciding factor in their outcomes. Health goals are truly achieved by connecting with an intrinsic power within us, not something external and beyond our control.

Are there follow-up visits?

Yes. The doctor will recommend follow-up visits. Healing requires the right conditions, but it also requires time. Many of our most successful disease-reversal cases are patients who have been coming for months or years. This doesn’t mean you won’t improve quickly—it often takes much less time than expected to see results.Follow-up visits are needed because reassessments, reinforcement, and adjustments may be necessary, since recovery is not always linear. Staying in contact with the doctors keeps everyone up to date and increases the patient’s likelihood of success.

Always keep this in mind: Illnesses and conditions often take many years or decades to develop. It’s probably unrealistic to think that someone can reverse the effects of a lifetime of poor habits in just a few days or weeks. During the recovery process, as underlying causes are removed, patients may occasionally experience a return of symptoms—in other words, sometimes patients get worse before they get better.

Guiding patients through these bumps in the road is part of our role as teachers.Active, educated, and consistent patients can overcome difficult periods and remain healthy long term.

Depending on the case, the time between visits can vary. Visits are more frequent at the beginning of care (every week or two), and as the patient improves and follows the care plan, there is less need for weekly data monitoring, fewer patient questions, fewer lab tests, and fewer plan adjustments.

What remedies or treatments do we use?

Remedies and treatments address the effects or symptoms of disease. Since our focus is on addressing the underlying causes, we do not emphasize remedies or treatments. Our goal is to restore proper function and build health, not simply eliminate the effects of deficiencies in lifestyle habits.Teas and herbs, specific superfoods, supplements, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, intravenous infusions, ozone therapy, and all other treatments and therapies are not essential for good health. They can be used, when indicated, to improve certain aspects of health or to temporarily relieve symptoms caused by accumulated stress over time.We don’t believe it makes sense for someone to develop poor health simply because they weren’t taking supplements or drinking teas. We are Doctors of Chiropractic, and we certainly recommend that you continue seeing your chiropractor. However, in our experience, the lack of chiropractic adjustments is unlikely to be a major causal factor in developing diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer, for example.

Where did the doctors learn this type of healthcare? What is it called?

We, Dr. Asa Frey and Dr. Joanna Frey, are Doctors of Chiropractic and Hygienist Physicians. Our practice is called Natural Hygiene. Chiropractors complete 4,500 hours of classroom study and must pass four U.S. National Board exams and an individual State Board exam to be licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic.We are also members of an exclusive group of physicians certified by the International Association of Hygienic Physicians, which means we have the knowledge, education, and experience to practice what is called Natural Hygiene.

Hygienic physicians are certified only after completing an internship at a center where the principles of natural hygiene are taught and applied. Medically supervised water fasting is a key component of hygienic care, and certified practitioners must complete rigorous study and have sufficient patient encounters before starting private practice.