As you may already be aware, nutrient IV therapy in San Diego and nutrient injections in San Diego are powerful tools that can be used to quickly boost the body’s nutrient stores and maximize concentrations inside the cell. The benefits of IV therapy and nutrient injections are that they allow for 100 percent absorption as well as optimal nutrient bioavailability because we completely bypass the digestive system. You receive the nutrients in their unaltered and most-active form.
Both IV and injection delivery of nutrients can be extremely helpful for patients with low stomach acid, absorption issues, low pancreatic function, IBS, colitis and other digestive tract conditions treated by naturopathic doctors in San Diego. There are, however, some important differences between these two medical treatments that patients should take into consideration when they are thinking about supplementing their dietary and oral nutrient intake.
The biggest difference is the route of delivery (in the vein vs. in the muscle).
IV Hydration, IV infusions, IV drip therapy, IV nutrients, whatever the term, they are all just that… administration IntraVenously, or by accessing the inside of the vein via catheter insertion. From the context of vein access, an IV catheter is simply a very small, soft flexible tube that is introduced into the vein by needle puncture. Once the needle has been introduced into the vein, the small flexible tube is advanced further into the vein and, once stable, the needle is completely removed. Yes – that’s correct! – your IV is administered through this soft, tiny, flexible tube which makes for an extremely comfortable experience. Additionally, at NaturopathicRx, we minimize the pain involved with the initial placement of the catheter by using the smallest needle necessary for a particular formulation. In fact, many patients don’t even feel a prick!
Nutrient injections, often called IM (intramuscular) injections, involve the introduction of nutrients by delivery directly into the muscle belly. The most common locations being the gluteus maximus muscle (larger injections) and the deltoid muscle in the shoulder (smaller injections). Again, we use a very small needle such that most patients do not even feel the poke! What patients may feel, however, is the filling of the muscle with the 2-3 mL of nutrient fluid which can feel mildly achy but dissipates after about 30-60 minutes for most people.
There is also a significant difference in the amount of nutrients and the time requirement for each administration route. Nutrient injections can be administered very quickly but you can only deliver a small amount of nutrients (up to 3 mL). It’s great for our patient’s on the go that want/need the vitamins but need to be in and out quickly. Intravenous therapy (IV nutrients delivery) takes much longer to administer, but you can pack in much larger amounts of nutrients. So nutrient injections are great for either a focused deficiency of 1 or 2 nutrients (such as a vitamin B12 injection for that specific deficiency) or a quick nutrient boost (to support, for example, a couple of days of increased energy, better focus, or immunity). While nutrient IV therapy, depending on the formulation and size of the IV, is better for prolonged nutrient support and the treatment of acute and chronic illnesses because we can provide therapeutic doses of multiple nutrients in one treatment.
At NaturopathicRx, we offer 7 standard nutrient injection formulations and 9 standard IV formulations that can then be customized based on the needs of each patient. We also understand that our patients differ greatly in their nutritional needs, time constraints, and budget considerations. So we offer our IVs in 3 different sizes, a PRO-level drip (20 minute quick bag), a MAX-level drip (45-60 minute drip, nutrient dense option), and a HYDRATE-level drip (70-90 minute drip, nutrient rich yet hydrating). Because whether it is IV delivery or IM delivery, there is no one size fits all solution… we feel strongly that each patient deserves a customized and case-specific approach!
Naturopathic medicine in San Diego is a distinct system of medicine that skillfully combines natural therapeutic traditions with modern science to restore and optimize health. For more information as to how IV nutrient therapy may support your health goals or to schedule an appointment with a Naturopathic doctor, please call NaturopathicRX at (858) 914-3444.