Why Your Child Should See a Naturopath Before School Starts

Around this time of year, I see a lot of kids to help them get ready for the school year. Naturopathic medicine is perfect for children. It’s gentle and kids often respond quickly to natural remedies and diet changes. It also gets them excited about their health and wellbeing and sets them up for healthy habits long term.

Here are the most common conditions I see kids for before school starts.

Anxiety and Stress

You may be surprised at how many children experience stress and anxiety around this time. Kids often don’t know how to express when they’re feeling anxious. Their anxiety can show up as tummy aches, struggles with sleeping or changes in behaviour. There are many safe and effective natural approaches to managing this. Getting anxiety under control before school starts will help your child enjoy their school year and get the most out of it.

Eczema

Parents know that eczema can flare up in the fall and winter just as the school year is in full swing. This can be uncomfortable for kids and make it hard to focus on learning. Luckily, children often respond well to a good naturopathic treatment plan for eczema. They can focus less on itching and more on learning!

Cold and Flu

The back-to-school season is quickly followed by cold and flu season. When it comes to cold and flu, prevention is so much more effective than treatment. A solid immune boosting plan can make for a productive, smooth school year.

Tummy Troubles

Getting through a school day can be hard with tummy troubles. The most common tummy trouble kids suffer with is constipation. I tell parents to bring their kids in before school starts so that we can work together to fix any bowel issues before it's time to hit the books.

These are just a few of the issues that I see children for before the school year starts. If you’re wondering if naturopathic medicine is right for your child, book an appointment or free 15-minute consult today.

What Does “Holistic Medicine” Even Mean?

The word “holistic” has become more popular over the years. The use of the term skyrocketed from the late 60s on. We associate it with concepts like “all natural”, “traditional” and maybe even “spiritual”. But what does this term actually mean? Why do naturopaths and other health care providers use the word?

Holistic medicine means you consider the whole person when treating a patient. But even that definition may sound a little vague. When I diagnose and treat I consider many factors that are important to health. I don’t just treat a symptom. Below, I’ll use an example to better explain what holistic means.

Case: Digestive Complaint

Say a patient comes to me complaining of a troublesome gut. Bloating, constipation, cramping – the whole package.

If I was only treating the symptoms and not being holistic I would give them a digestive aid and a laxative or stool softening remedy and call it a day.

But I don’t stop there. I treat holistically.

First, I would consider why the digestive system is out of whack in the first place. Is the gut bacteria off? Are certain digestive enzymes less than optimal? Is the peristalsis (the motion of the stomach, intestines etc.) dysfunctional?

I would analyze the diet. I'd look for any eating habits that could be interfering with digestive health. If the patient is not eating right, I figure out why. Is it because they don’t know how to? Do they need help figuring out how to eat right with limited time? Do they have cravings that lead them away from eating right?

I would also consider other health issues that could tie into the digestive issue. For example, the patient might have strong PMS symptoms and hormonal imbalances. These can worsen the digestive issue. Are their supplements contributing to the issue? Are their medications contributing?

Then I would dig into mental health. This has a huge impact on many conditions including digestive health. Are stress levels high? Is there some anxiety or depression? Is there emotional eating?

I even look into lifestyle factors that may seem unrelated to digestive issues. Optimizing factors like sleep quality, exercise level and hydration can improve many symptoms.

I gather all this information and use it to form a holistic treatment plan. The plan treats the whole person. It addresses so many factors in their life that are related to the symptom they need help with.

It rarely makes sense in healthcare to look at just a symptom, treat that symptom and ignore everything else that is going on in a person’s life. If the holistic approach sounds interesting to you, don't hesitate to book an appointment or free 15-minute consult.

Stress Part 3: Tummy Troubles

This is the third article of my series on stress. To read the previous article click here.

Today I’ll be talking about how stress can lead to an unhappy gut. Have you ever found that when you’re on vacation your tummy troubles improve? There you are eating all the things that normally upset your gut and yet you don’t have any issues. This is a common finding for people who have gut issues that are worsened by stress.

Scientists believe stress can alter the “brain-gut axis”. In other words, psychological stress can influence your gut in many ways. It can impact your gut bacteria, the way your gut moves, inflammation in the gut and more. Read on to learn about how stress can impact gut health.

 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Study after study shows a connection between stress and IBS. When treating IBS or SIBO it’s important to focus on food intolerances and gut bacteria. However, too often stress management is ignored. Patients who focus on reducing stress are able to improve their symptoms much faster.

 

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Some studies suggest that stress can cause or worsen Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Not all studies show this link so more research is needed to confirm this theory. It's thought that stress can increase inflammation and oxidation in the gut. This can trigger these two inflammatory conditions.

 

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD – a.k.a. heartburn)

In a healthy gut, the connection between the esophagus and the stomach is held closed most of the time by a valve. This valve is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Stress may weaken the LES. This makes it easier for acid from the stomach to splash up into the esophagus. Once acid is in the esophagus you feel that heartburn sensation. Stress also makes you more sensitive to any acid splashing up into your esophagus. This makes the experience more uncomfortable.

 

Stomach Ulcers

It’s been long known that ulcers are most commonly caused by bacteria called H. Pylori. But that does not mean that the connection between stress and gut ulcers is a myth. Stress can reduce your body’s protection mechanisms against H. Pylori or other agents that harm the stomach lining. Stress may also make it harder for ulcers to heal.

It’s not easy to live with abdominal discomfort. If you feel like you need some help managing your tummy troubles and your stress levels book an appointment or free 15 minute consult.

Common Causes of Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear about. When I ask patients to rank their energy on a scale of 1 to 10 most people hover around 5 and would like to see their number go up. Fatigue could be a symptom of a huge range of causes from mild to serious. Today I’ll talk about some of the common causes that I see.

The Basics

Some causes of fatigue are simple to spot on a blood test. Examples are:

- low iron

- hyperthyroidism

- hypothyroidism

- low B12

Another basic cause of fatigue is poor sleep quality. This includes issues falling or staying asleep. This is an area that I like to work on with any fatigued patient.

Hormonal Health

Hormone fluctuations or imbalances can lead to fatigue. Some common examples are thyroid dysfunction, menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Other cases are more subtle. You may have completely irregular cycles or painful cramps but no specific diagnosis. Sometimes getting hormones back in balance can help with fatigue in these cases.

Adrenal Health

Naturopathic doctors talk a lot about a type of fatigue called adrenal fatigue. I like to call it burnout. The adrenal glands produce the "stress hormone" cortisol. The theory is that being stressed and busy all the time can push the adrenals to work too hard. Eventually they get overtired and you feel that as an energy crash. With adrenal fatigue, you feel tired but wide awake at bedtime. You feel irritable, frazzled or depressed. Your gut may be acting up and you may be experiencing cravings and weight gain. You also may find that you get sick all the time – or every time you’re on vacation.  There’s more to the theory but I’ll dig into it in a future article.

Gut Health

Poor gut health can contribute to fatigue. This includes diarrhea, constipation, bloating, heartburn or anything else that involves the gut.  A healthy gut means better nutrient absorption. It also means better elimination of toxins and waste products and improved vitality. Food sensitivities and poor diet have also been linked to fatigue.

Immune Health

Most autoimmune conditions are associated with fatigue. Some common examples are rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease. Hyperactive immune systems (think allergies and asthma) can also be associated with fatigue. Balancing the immune system is an important part of my treatment plan in these cases.

Mental Health

A less commonly discussed cause of fatigue is mental health conditions. Depression and even anxiety can significantly zap someone of their energy. It's important to address these causes of fatigue when needed. Treating these can improve fatigue more than any quick-fix energy boosting supplement could. 

Fatigue is frustrating and getting a handle on it can improve your quality of life in so many ways. If you need help with your fatigue book an appointment or free 15-minute consult today.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. This achieves a wide range of results. As a naturopathic doctor, I'm licensed to perform acupuncture. It's a tool that helps many people. Acupuncture has been relied on in the east for over 3000 years. Modern scientific research is only beginning to understand this treatment. There is still much that isn’t understood.

In the east, acupuncture sessions are often done many times a week. Most of my patients opt for less frequent visits. Usually we do acupuncture one time a week for a couple sessions. Then we start spreading out the sessions. Once treatment stops, effects usually linger.

In this article, I will explain how acupuncture may work in three different ways.

Chemical Explanation

Studies propose that acupuncture may alter neurotransmitter production. Neurotransmitters are things like serotonin (the “happiness chemical”) and norepinephrine (similar to adrenaline). Acupuncture may also alter brain and nervous system function. For this reason, acupuncture may be helpful for:

- depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions

- digestive issues

- high blood pressure and menopause

- insomnia

- immune health

Acupuncture may also improve blood flow to certain regions of the body. By doing so it can help with period cramps, digestive issues, migraines, pain and more.

Modern science doesn't fully understand why specific acupuncture points have these impacts. MRI studies have linked needling points to altered activity in different parts of the brain. Also points often are over nerve pathways. There is still much to learn.

Mechanical Explanation

In cases of pain management, acupuncture needles are often place near painful areas. They can be placed in muscle knots to release tension. Placing them around nerves can block pain signals that travel along the nerve. The needles may stimulate the release of pain blocking chemicals. This includes opioids and endorphins. 

Traditional Explanation

Of course, before all these explanations there was a traditional explanation for acupuncture. The aim of acupuncture from this point of view was to ensure the healthy movement and amount of “qi”. Some think of “qi” as energy. If you have irregular periods the traditional explanation may be that you have blocked qi. If you get sick all the time it may be blamed on deficient qi.

Another goal is to balance yin and yang. Yang represents heat and energy while yin represents coolness, moisture and rest. Someone who is hypothyroid, cold all the time and exhausted may be diagnosed as deficient in yang. A constipated person with light or no periods may be considered low in yin.

The traditional explanation also involves improving the health of various organs.

This is an over-simplification but my aim is to just give you a very general understanding.

Would you like to try acupuncture for any of the conditions mention above? Are you wondering if something you’re suffering with could be treated with acupuncture? Book an appointment or free 15- minute consult to find out!

What does it mean to treat the “root cause”?

Treating the root cause is a phrase that many people in the holistic health community use. It can be used so much that we lose track of the meaning. Basically, treating the root cause means treating the cause of the symptoms. The opposite to this is just treating the symptoms. Even this explanation can seem like empty words that are hard to understand. I think the best way to explain this concept is through examples. Below I discuss three examples. I explain how you would treat the symptoms of a condition vs. how you would treat the root cause.

In the holistic health world, treating the root cause is praised highly. Treating symptoms is often frowned upon. A tree in a garden benefits from having both roots and branches tended too. Similarly, good health care should involve treating both root causes and symptoms. As a naturopath, my approach is to address both using gentle and natural remedies. 

Case 1: Acne

Treating the symptoms:

- Applying antibiotics or antimicrobial products to the skin

- Taking antibiotics or antimicrobial pills

- Medications like Accutane which alters the skin to reduce acne

Treating the root cause:

Addressing why the skin is vulnerable to being infected by acne causing bacteria.

- Balance hormones like androgens, estrogen, stress hormones etc.

- Improve gut health and detoxification

- Balance blood sugar

- Consider food sensitivities and dietary changes

- Reduce inflammation

Case 2: Arthritis

Treating the symptoms:

- Taking anti-inflammatory medications or supplements

- Applying anti-inflammatory medications or natural products to the painful area

Treating the root cause:

Treat what is causing the inflammation and poor joint health.

- Balancing the immune system

- Addressing diet for inflammation and joint health

- Improving joint health with minerals and other supplements

- Addressing structural issues through physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage etc.

- Reducing toxic load

Case 3: Digestive Problems (Constipation, Diarrhea, Heartburn, Crohn’s etc.)

Treating the symptoms:

- Laxatives, drugs to stop diarrhea

- Drugs to reduce stomach acid

- Anti-inflammatory medications or supplements

Treating the root cause:

Treating what is causing the bowel issues.

- Considering food sensitivities and diet

- Healing the gut lining and improving gut health

- Addressing mental health

- Balancing the immune system

- Improving the way that the intestines and “valves” in the digestive tract open/ close/ move

Do you want to learn more about how naturopathic medicine can treat the root causes of your condition? Book an appointment or free 15-min consult. This also applies to you even if you’re taking conventional medications. Conventional and naturopathic medicine can work well together to treat “roots” and “branches”.