When she was studying to become a naturopathic physician, Dr. Alex Reimann lost a roommate to cancer.
“I saw what this person went through, and it made an impression on me,” she said. As she watched the process of standard cancer treatment, she came to realize how the naturopathic approach could make life better for cancer patients.
Now, in her practice at Valhalla Wellness and Medical Centers in Las Vegas, Dr. Alex finds that about 20 percent of her patients are 
living with cancer. “I stay with them, and help them through the process,” she says. That means building them up before treatment, mitigating side effects and helping them heal post-surgery.
“I tend to get the more complicated cases,” she said. “People who have been round and round to specialists and are looking for a different avenue.”
The naturopathic approach, she finds, can improve cancer patients’ quality of life by looking at the whole person. She likes to collaborate with specialists who use more conventional methods.
“It doesn’t have to be either or,” she asserts. “Collaboration is in the best interest of the patient.”
Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process. This is accomplished through education and the rational use of natural remedies.
Dr. Alex said she decided to go into naturopathic medicine because she wanted “to be useful-to help people.”
She said that people can often feel helpless nowadays in the medical world, and naturopathic medicine “provides them with more options.”
She is a graduate of Bastyr University in Washington state, which is recognized as a leading institution of naturopathic medicine, and licensed in the state of Washington.
“I’m working hard and fiercely” at trying to create legislation for licensing of naturopathic physicians in Nevada, she said.
Dr. Alex, who regularly gives presentations to educate the public about naturopathic medicine, presented at Life Fest 2012, where she found “a good crowd with lots of questions.”
One of her most memorable experiences was a trip to Kenya in 2005 with Village Volunteers and other naturopathic students. “We provided treatment out in the bushes, with no electricity and no running water. It was challenging but inspiring,” she said.
She believes that the more patients know about their condition and treatment options, the better chance they have for successful outcomes.
Keep an eye on our website for some topics that Dr. Alex will be addressing in the future.
For more information about Dr. Reimann, visit her website here.
