Dr. Karl Peterson’s practice offers a blend of chiropractic and naturopathic healing. He believes in the latter so much that he’s chaired the annual Northwest Naturopathic Physicians Conference, which was held in Seattle in April, for the past six years.
“Naturopathy encompasses a multitude of natural medicines, like homeopathy, botanical medicine or herbology, and manipulation of hard tissue,” he said. “It addresses complaints in many different ways with several different types of modalities.”
Peterson, a Peninsula High School graduate, has practiced since 1981. His partner, Dr. Russell Kolbo, joins him in his Gig Harbor office part-time. Both physicians use techniques that balance the body and strengthens the body’s “vital force.”
Peterson said botanical medicines and hydrotherapy have been practiced in the United States since the 1800s, and the Europeans were recognizing its healing benefits long before that.
“You can use chiropractic along with electrical treatments, and those things respond really well,” he said. “If you have a strain or sprain injury for accidents, we can use ultrasound or electrical muscle stimulation.”
Peterson’s office has a biopulse machine — one of only five in the country.
“You can treat just about anything with it,” he said. “Our body creates a magnetic field through electrical impulses. Magnetic therapy uses alternating positive-negative flow to make the body heal itself.”
The doctors’ office treats “just about anything” but does not take cancer patients, he said.
One of Peterson’s patients, Heidi Sandoval, said she found the doctor through a friend who saw him as their general family physician.
“We see him for a little bit of everything,” Sandoval said. “He’s probably saved me on so many levels.”
Sandoval said Peterson is personable, knowledgeable and fair, and he spends time with his patients that other general practitioners don’t. He listens and researches a patient’s history of complaints in order to work out remedies for their suffering, she said.
Sandoval described her second child as a “super-sensitive son.” The baby had colic and was constantly vomiting. She said her main problem was that she didn’t completely follow the doctor’s advice.
“I half-listened to him, so I had a half-OK baby,” she said. “But once I listened to him, I went from having a baby that was puking all the time to a normal baby. I probably wouldn’t have lived six months with my son without him.”
Sandoval takes her whole family to the doctor — and now she listens.
“He treats the entire person, not a minute and a half consultation,” she said. “If I could trust three people with my kids, I’d trust Karl as one of them.”
Peterson said interacting with his patients is his favorite part of his profession.
“Any time you save can anyone from surgery — that’s always fun,” he said.
Address: 2703 Jahn Ave. NW, Ste. C-4 in Gig Harbor
Phone: 253-853-8853
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