Hello, my name is Dr. Tonia Mitchell and I’m a Naturopathic Physician.  I’m excited to join the team here at healthtopics.ca.  I will be writing articles, on an approximate weekly basis, on different health topics.  I would like to take some time to introduce Naturopathic Medicine, to those who may not be familiar, while I also hope to clear up some common misconceptions.

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct form of primary health care that can treat and prevent acute and chronic illnesses.  It seeks to find the root cause of a person’s illness, remove the obstacles to health and allow the body to bring itself back into balance so it can heal naturally.   Let’s look at an example of a headache.  Instead of prescribing a painkiller to decrease the sensation of the headache (the symptom) the Naturopathic Physician attempts to figure out why that headache is there in the first place.  Once the root cause is addressed, the headache will disappear.  A descriptive analogy commonly used is the one of the oil light displayed in your car.  There are several things you can do so that the oil light is not on anymore:

• You can rip out the light;
• You can put a piece of tape over the light;
• You can stop the car, perform an oil check and potentially change the oil.

Only the last option treats the root cause of why the light was on in the first place.

Naturopathic Doctors treat the whole person on an individual basis.  Again, looking at the headache, if three people with headaches come in to my office, I will approach each patient differently depending on what they are experiencing and the reason for the headache.  One patient might need support for his blood vessels, the second patient might need support for stress while the third might have food allergies or a toxic metal load.  Naturopathic Doctors treat people, not diseases.

Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine teach the principals of healthy living and prevention to their patients so that they can get well and stay well.  They educate their patients on proper nutrition, hydration, stress management and other aspects to promote healthy living.

Above, I have discussed what Naturopathic Medicine is and what Naturopathic Doctors do.  You may ask; How do they do it?  One of the most exciting things about being a Naturopathic Doctor is the number of ways we are trained to help people.  We are trained in the following:

1. Nutrition;
2. Herbal medicine;
3. Asian medicine (including acupuncture);
4. Counseling;
5. Homeopathy;
6. Orthopedics;
7. Chiropractics;
8. Massage and hydrotherapy.

Every Naturopathic Doctor practices slightly differently while some receive further training in different energetic, intravenous or cosmetic therapies.  Consider a Naturopathic Doctor a general practitioner of the alternative medical world.

Your question may be: Who should see a Naturopathic Doctor?  The answer is: Anyone.  You can consult a Naturopathic Doctor for all of the same reasons that you would consult your family doctor, including but not limited to:

• skin problems;
• infections;
• reproductive problems;
• gastrointestinal problems;
• emotional concerns;
• musculoskeletal injuries;
• hormonal imbalances;
• cardiovascular problems;
• weight loss and detoxification.

Naturopathic Medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

We dearly love our 2 dogs BUT we made a huge mistake right from the get-go with our cockapoo, Casey Jones. 

We allowed him to sleep on our bed!! No, wait, my husband allowed him to sleep on the bed.  I would give him the boot by telling him to get down and my husband would gently pat his side of the bed inviting him back up where he would remain for the rest of the night.  It was all very funny at the time but it has turned into anything but funny with the end result being sleep deprivation.

Rather than remaining in one spot he migrates to all parts of the bed throughout the night.  I have woken up to find him lying right beside me with his head on my pillow snoring gently.  I have woken up to find him pressed against my legs so I can’t move.  I have woken up cold and shivering with no covers because he has plunked himself down in a way as to steal the covers.  I have woken up practically falling off the side of the bed because he has taken all the room.  It’s been 11 years and these wake-up sessions, resulting in sleep deprivation, have been happening at all hours of the night.

Kick him off and make him sleep somewhere else you say?  Can you teach old dogs new tricks?  We are long past the stage of wanting to go through with the hassle of having him bark, cry and scratch doors while he re-learns a new habit so in the end it is our own fault if we are suffering.  Dog lovers will understand this lame excuse.

Despite the obvious dog-rearing errors in allowing him on the pillow while I am left clinging to the edge and allowing him to take positions of authority by sprawling out and  taking up our space as well as destroying our own standing as pack leader, my point is the sleep deprivation.

This is one of the biggest problems with people not getting enough sleep.  Even having your dog in your bedroom can keep you awake at night.  Dogs will:

• Snore;
• Get up and shake;
• Moan;
• Whimper;
• Have nightmares;
• Wander around the room.

If you get a new pet NEVER let them sleep with you during the night on your bed.  As comforting as it may seem at first it can become detrimental to your health in the form of sleep deprivation.

If you already have this problem, then ensure you do not allow your dog to challenge you for positions of authority.  If he is stretched out in luxury, in your space, then demote him right on back to the foot of the bed or if you are brave and have the patience then right off the bed onto the floor.

Our pet sleeping in our bed with us during the night is only one of many reasons for sleep deprivation.  Sometimes it can be very beneficial to have a little help with an herbal formula.  Fido might not need it but sometimes we do.