Lela Altman, ND, L.Ac, FABNG
Clinician, Educator, Mentor and Consultant
About Dr. Altman:
Dr. Altman is a naturopathic physician, functional medicine practitioner and acupuncturist with a focus in the area of digestive health and mast cell disorders. She is clinical and didactic teaching faculty at Bastyr University. She also sees patients in her private practice and the teaching clinic at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health and Health Moves. Additionally, she is considered an expert the fields of mast cell activation disorders (MCAS, systemic mastocytosis, allergic disorders, etc…) and digestive disorders (SIBO, SIFO/IFO, IBS, IBD etc…). She provides educational lectures on these topics to medical students and physicians. Click below for a detailed bio.
Dr. Altman’s Approach
Dr. Altman is passionate about helping people achieve optimal health through optimal gut health. She has dedicated her career to helping patients, students, doctors and other health care practitioners learn how to identify and treat the underlying causes of disease so that they can be treated effectively and completely. She believes that gut health is the basis for whole-body health. It is now well established that gut microbiome imbalances as associated with a range of other health conditions ranging from the mind to the skin. If disease in the gut is not identified and treated, treatment of conditions in other body systems may fail or not completely resolve the issue. This is one of the many reasons why optimizing gut health is so important.
In-person and remote options
Dr. Altman is currently accepting new patients for telemedicine and in-person visits. She is also available for one-on-one teaching/coaching.
“I'm so thankful. I'm certain that if every patient had received this level of care our world would be a profoundly more whole place.”
Letter From a Grateful Patient…
“It has been an immensely healing experience to be a patient of Dr. Altman’s. From my first visit I have felt safe, seen, respected and honored.
The success of her acupuncture treatment for health conditions where prescription treatment either fails to work, or fails to exist, continues to leave me in awe. These conditions range from post concussive symptoms after a traumatic brain injury and menstrual cycle regulation to constitutional work.
With a highly sensitive body, Dr. Altman has also patiently leveraged her expertise to rule out and solve long-term digestive issues and nutritional deficiencies. More than once with these issues I came to Dr. Altman simply, but intuitively, feeling that something within my body was off. Her belief in my experience and willingness to investigate has made a world of difference, especially as a woman of color who is incurred tangible health harms when dismissed or not taken seriously in other care settings.
While all of this has radically impacted my quality of life and left me eternally grateful, in 2020 Dr. Altman also went far above and beyond the call of duty, heroically treating me through seven months of COVID symptoms. I question if I would be here today if I were not so fortunate to have Dr. Altman as my primary care provider
In the early phase of the pandemic amidst lockdown, inability to be seen in person, inability to be sent for specialist consult or diagnostic imaging, many unknowns and medical learning that came day by day, Dr. Altman supported me through two types of pneumonia, antibiotic allergy, kidney damage, heart complications and then still months of milder symptoms and recovery. Though it was a very challenging experience, I never once felt alone. I knew I was in the absolute best hands. Dr. Altman was there every step of the way even on the toughest days managed to keep me laughing.
I'm so thankful. I'm certain that if every patient had received this level of care our world would be a profoundly more whole place.
The power an impact of Dr. Altman's care did not stop with me. Her dedication to getting and keeping me well, in turn, allowed me to continue caring and my own ways for the wellness of others; from facilitating virtual healing circles to tutoring young refugee students faced with schooling from home.’’