About
About Nick Simpson
Nick is a Durbanite who graduated from UCT (Class of 2010). He did his internship at a secondary level hospital in Durban and his community service at a tertiary hospital in Kimberley. He moved back to Cape Town in 2014 where he worked as a medical officer, and briefly as a registrar, in Internal Medicine. Nick entered private practice in 2021 (working in General Practice, Internal Medicine and Cardiology).
While thoroughly trained in, and admiring of, allopathic medicine, Nick keenly felt the limitations of this healthcare model, which ably treats a wide variety of illnesses but tends to keep its focus there. Wanting to address the full scope of a person (physical, mental, spiritual, social and ecological), as well as wanting to help people achieve their positive best (not just the absence of any illness), Nick struck off on his own and created Flourish Medical. At Flourish Medical, Nick combines an integrative and allopathic approach within his holistic framework, selecting the best tools from both to assist those he consults with.
In his spare time, Nick loves: meditating, being in Nature (particularly in or near water!), keeping active, reading, playing video games and charting the stars.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative Medicine is a branch of Medicine that uses both standard approaches (known as 'allopathic' approaches) and alternative approaches to health, wellness and disease.
The standard approach we all know well; the alternative approach tries to assess the whole person and uses a variety of treatment modalities in tandem with standard modalities: things such as nutraceuticals, supplements, herbal medicines, manual therapies as well as more energetic modalities (light, sound, breathwork, meditation, etc.).
Ultimately, it's not about favouring one approach over another, but using the best tools from both to offer people tailored and effective health and wellness solutions that, as far as possible, resonate with who they are and how they see the world.
What is Laser Therapy?
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), or photobiomodulation, is the use of light to affect cells and tissues. Red and infra-red light penetrate the body the deepest so these wavelengths are used most frequently in practice. Red light is believed to act on the respiratory chain in the mitochondria of cells, specifically cytochrome c oxidase in complex IV, to aid the cell in generating more energy. As impaired energy generation is a common mechanism in a variety of conditions, LLLT has been found to be beneficial for many illnesses and can even be used by healthy people as a health tonic! Perhaps the best feature of light as medicine is its almost total lack of side-effects - a true gift from Nature!
How Can I Help You?
Services
Flourish Consult
(Integrative-Allopathic GP consult)
Laser Consult and Sessions
Flourish Consult:
For a Flourish Consult, you can have any of the usual ailments that bring you to a GP or you can be 100% healthy. In the consult, we look at all the aspects that make up a person: physical, mental, spiritual, social, and ecological and we make personalized plans to help you flourish in all areas. This obviously takes time to do properly - slow Medicine is good Medicine! - so at Flourish we stretch it out over 3 90min consults to help us give everything the respect it deserves while also giving us the flexibility to address important issues up front. So, if you're sick, or if you're healthy and looking for an edge in life, or feel a little lost or like there's something missing in your life (or even if you're just curious!), come on in!
For initial consults, Flourish follows a 3-step process:
1. Initial Consult 1 (90mins): Dr Simpson starts his comprehensive integrative history taking, examines you and recommends an initial batch of tests.
2. Initial Consult 2 (90mins): Your results are discussed with you, relevant plans are made and the integrative history taking continues. Additional tests may be requested/performed here.
3. Initial Consult 3 (90mins): At the last initial consult, the history-taking is complete and we put everything together into a holistic plan. Additionally, outstanding results are discussed and we check to see how you are getting along with the treatments prescribed previously. It does happen that some people do not require this third 90min session; for them, their third session will be a 30min follow-up, as detailed below.
Follow-up consults are 30mins long. These may be done virtually where appropriate and will be charged at the normal follow-up rate.
In the interests of good practice, consults will not take place via Whatsapp.
Laser Consult and Sessions:
Laser sessions are recommended for a variety of conditions: neurological (stroke, Parkinson's, traumatic brain injury, etc.), musculoskeletal (arthritis, fractures, injuries, etc.), dermatological (eczema, hair loss, infections, etc.), strengthening and regulation of internal organs (heart disease, lung disease, gut issues), etc.), acute/chronic pain, wounds, any inflammatory conditions really, as well as psychiatric and behavioural issues.
A laser consult is only required for patients Nick hasn't seen before. This is not a medical consult and is just to learn a little about the presenting problem so that an appropriate treatment regimen may be selected. This consult is 15mins long and includes your first laser session.
Laser sessions are the sessions required to complete the treatment program for your particular issue(s). These are each a maximum of 10mins long.
Flourish: Life 101
Flourish Medical has just released a new course that uses the Flourish Framework to empower you to be your best!
The first in the series, 'Flourish: Life 101: Physical,' looks at physical health, wellness and flourishing and puts everything I wish people knew/were taught in school about their bodies and their proper upkeep right at your fingertips. Covering the best of food and exercise, sex and sleep, pain management and cancer screening, and so much more, this course is an absolute must to help you and your loved ones thrive!
Go on, step into extraordinary! And help those around you as you do!
Check it out using the button below:
Pricing
Flourish Medical does not charge medical aid rates. Payment will be made at the end of the consult and an invoice given to you to claim your medical aid's rate back. Please contact your medical aid for further advice around claims, should this be required.
Service costs:
Initial Consults: R1500/consult.
Follow-up Consult: R850/consult.
Initial Laser consult: R500/consult
Follow-up Laser Sessions: R350/session (known Flourish patients start here)
Scripts: R425 (when given outside of a consult).
Forms R425.
Resting ECGs and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are performed at Flourish.
DNAlysis testing and other Functional Medicine testing (gut microbiome tests, organic acids tests, hormone tests, etc.) are also available. Prices vary by lab and by test but please expect an outlay of more than R3000/test.