Posts Tagged ‘Naturopathic Doctor’

26
May

Natural Health Practitioners – For Stimulating Relationships

   Posted by: Lita    in AA - Lita's thoughts

Canadians are now seeking alternative health care for a variety of chronic conditions including fibromyalgia, back problems, migraines and bowel disorders to name a few.  Are you looking to try alternative or complementary care for disease, chronic pain or health issues?  Are you wondering who to consult?  Natural health practitioners include the following:

• Naturopathic Doctors
• Acupuncturists
• Nutritionists
• Chiropractors
• Homeopaths
• Osteopaths
• Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners
• Herbalists
• Massage Therapists
• Colon Therapists
• Aromatherapists
• Medical Doctors/Natural Health Practitioners and Integrative Medicine

What exactly do these natural health practitioners do and what credentials should you be looking for?

Naturopathic Doctors:  The philosophy behind naturopathic medicine is stimulating the healing power of the body to treat the underlying cause of disease.  In their practice these natural health practitioners use and advise on herbs, clinical nutrition, homeopathic remedies, lifestyle counselling and physical treatments as well as Chinese medicine.  Naturopathic Doctors use a whole body approach while they consider your physical, mental and emotional factors to treat both acute and chronic conditions such as asthma, arthritis, menopausal symptoms and skin conditions to name a few.  They do no use surgery or prescription drugs as their goal is to treat the underlying cause of your problem not simply to cover the symptoms.  Look for these credentials:  Naturopathic Doctor [ND].
 
Acupuncturists:   Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM – dates back thousands of years] is at the core of acupuncture treatment.   TCM follows the notion that a type of life force or energy known as qi (pronounced chee) flows through energy pathways in your body and these natural health practitioners will work with you to ensure your body’s pathways remain balanced and unblocked.  Needles are inserted at specific points in your body to restore balance to your qi.  Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in providing pain relief.  Look for these credentials:  Certified Acupuncturist [C.Ac]; Diploma of Medical Acupuncturist [D. Ac]; Registered Acupuncturist [R. Ac]; Registered Acupuncture Practitioner [RAP]; Licensed Acupuncturist [LAc]; Doctor of traditional Chinese Medicine [DTCM or DcTCM].

Nutritionists:  Holistic Nutritionists will work with their clients to determine nutritional imbalances.  Many are trained to provide personalized recommendations regarding food selection and preparation as well as food supplements.  A personalized approach is key while taking into consideration your height, weight, age, sex, level of physical exercise, dietary goals, food preferences and sensitivities and dietary habits.   Look for these credentials:  Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner [RNCP]; Nutritional Consulting Practitioner [NCP]; Registered Holistic Nutritionist [RHN].

Chiropractors:  Chiropractors work to diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine.  Chiropractic treatment aims to keep your spine aligned and healthy in the belief that the nerve system functions better thereby providing overall improvement to your overall health.  Chiropractic treatment is known to be effective for many other ailments including migraine headaches, digestive disorders, stiff neck, shoulder and arm pain, whiplash and menstrual cramps to name a few.  Look for these credentials: Doctor of Chiropractic [DC].

Homeopaths:  Homeopathic Practitioners follow a system that stimulates their patient’s body’s own healing mechanism to aid in the treatment of conditions such as asthma, diarrhea, skin conditions, depression, menopausal symptoms and chronic fatigue syndrome among others.  Treatment is based on the principle that like remedies cure like diseases and therefore minute doses of medicines are chosen to match a pattern of symptoms.  Treatment is considered holistic and therefore these natural health practitioners will look to understand how you experience your symptoms and how they affect your life so that the most appropriate medicine can be provided to promote healing and restore health.  Look for these credentials:  Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Sciences [DHMS]; Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Health Sciences [DHMHS]; Diploma of Homeopathy [DHom].

Osteopaths: Osteopathic Physicians must complete the same comprehensive medical education as their MD colleagues plus they engage in comprehensive training in bio-mechanical assessment of the musculoskeletal system and treatment including osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT).  OMT is used to correct problems with the spine and nerves leading to relief from back and neck pain among other symptoms.  These natural health practitioners believe that when proper structure is restored then the body’s own natural healing abilities will assist the body back to full health.  Look for these credentials: Doctor of Osteopathy [DO].

Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners:  This form of medicine known as TCM is a complete medical system that, for more than 2000 years, has been used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness.  Herbs are a large part of Chinese medicine together with acupuncture and massage.  These natural health practitioners believe that illness is our body’s way of telling us that balance within our body has been disturbed.  Healing will focus on restoring balance and harmony to your body which will enable it to heal itself.  TCM practitioners also focus on what they believe to be the life force or energy in your body, this energy is referred to as qi and it is pronounced “chee”.  TCM may help you with obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and digestive disorders among other conditions.  Look for these credentials: DTCM or DcTCM, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Herbalists:  These natural health practitioners use medicinal plants and natural products in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic disease and also for the maintenance of your best health and well-being.  This form of medicine can also be referred to as “phytotherapy” or botanical medicine.  Herbalists treat a wide variety of conditions including asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, menopausal issues, chronic fatigue as well as digestive disorders among other ailments. Look for these credentials: Chartered Herbalist [CH]; Master Herbalist [MH]; Clinical Herbalist [CLH].

Massage Therapists:    While melting away stress and tension which in turn relieves associated headaches and muscular aches and pains, massage therapy can be relaxing or stimulating depending on the condition that needs to be relieved.  If you have been injured or worked your body to the point of “over-use” then these natural health practitioners can provide help in the healing process while massage therapy can also provide an excellent form of preventative health care and relaxation.  Look for these credentials:  Registered Massage Therapist [RMT].

Colon Therapists:  This form of treatment can be referred to as Colon Hydrotherapy, colonic irrigation or simply colon therapy.  A healthy colon is important for overall health so this type of treatment is set to maintain or regain regular bowel function.  This therapy entails the cleansing of the large intestine through the administration of water, herbal solutions, enzymes or other substances such as coffee.  If a surplus of waste remains in your body then your body is forced to reabsorb it.  The re-absorption of waste material may cause elevated body toxicity levels.  When toxicity levels rise disease and illness result.  Look for these credentials:  Naturopathic Doctor [ND]; Certified Colon Therapist [CCT].

Aromatherapists:  Aromatherapists will use essential oils from plants in their approach to healing both your body and mind.  Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs can offer both psychological and physical benefits.  The aroma of the natural essential oil may stimulate the brain to trigger a positive reaction plus the natural occurring chemicals in the essential oil can provide a therapeutic benefit as well.  A good example is the diffusion of eucalyptus essential oil to help ease congestion.  Aromatherapy may help alleviate stress, headaches, cold and flu symptoms and aches and pains.  Look for these credentials:  Registered Aromatherapist [RA]; Registered Aromatherapy Health Practitioner [RAHP].

In conclusion, many people feel they are not getting everything they want or need from allopathic (medicine focusing on the elimination of physical symptoms with a primary approach to care using drugs and surgery) care.  We should not abandon conventional medicine.  Instead, many of us now rely on what is known as integrative medicine.  Integrative medicine comes from combining parts of both complementary or alternative medicine by natural health practitioners with conventional medicine from our physicians.  Integrative medicine works on promoting a harmonic relationship between yourself and the medical professional with a view to understanding and working with your body’s own healing systems.  Integrative medicine will see physicians and natural health practitioners seeking a balanced approach with patients by working in conjunction with each other rather than in competition.

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13
May

Common Food Allergies – Itching For Relief

   Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND    in Allergies

Besides stress (one of my favorite topics) the other broad category that affects the health of my patients the most is allergies.  There are different types of allergic reactions.  This article will focus on the symptoms of common food allergies and how you can find out if you have them.

Let’s start with the type of food allergy you are likely to be most familiar with:

  • The immediate type reaction.  This type of food reaction can be very severe and occurs because the immune system is overreacting to a substance that it perceives as being a hostile foreign invader, but that is usually safe for most people. Certain immune receptors (IgE antibodies) bind with certain foreign proteins in foods (allergens) and cause certain immune cells (mast cells) to release histamine.  This powerful messenger causes inflammation and other detrimental effects such as a narrowing of the windpipe.  This type of allergic response can be related to eczema, hay fever and, most seriously, asthma as well as anaphylaxis which can lead to shock and death.  People who are aware of these type of food allergies often will carry an epi-pen or an inhaler.  But if you eat a food and your lips or tongue feels tingly, or you have trouble breathing, you are likely allergic to it.  It is best to stay away from that food.  The most common food allergies in this group in decreasing order of frequency include:
  1. egg
  2. fish
  3. shellfish
  4. nuts
  5. peanuts

Immediate type allergies can be tested by a skin prick test or a blood test.

The next type of allergy is less familiar, although incredibly common, to most people and it is called:

  • The delayed type sensitivity. These common food allergies can take up to 72 hours to actually present themselves as symptoms.  This makes it hard to know what food is causing what reaction.  The most common food allergies of this type are (in decreasing order of frequency):
  1. milk
  2. chocolate
  3. wheat
  4. citrus
  5. food colorings

Delayed allergies are mediated by another chemical in the immune system called IgG antibodies.  The IgG antibodies form complexes with allergens and these complexes are deposited into tissues anywhere in the body which can cause a wide array of symptoms.

Digestive symptoms can include: gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, ulcers and heartburn.

Mental / emotional symptoms can include: anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, insomnia, confusion, inability to concentrate or decreased memory.

Skin symptoms can include: acne, eczema, hives, itching or rashes.

Other symptoms can include: bed wetting, chronic bladder infections, yeast infections, chronic or recurrent colds and flus, headaches, migraines, hayfever, asthma, fatigue, joint pain, painful periods or infertility.

As you can see these allergies can cause a number of effects in the body – things many people live with on a daily basis. The good news?  You don’t have to live in discomfort!!  Methods of testing include various elimination and challenge diets, blood tests and stool tests.  If you suspect you might have one of these common food allergies talk to your Naturopathic Doctor or licensed health care professional about discovering your allergies.

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.

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19
Feb

An Introduction To Naturopathic Medicine

   Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND    in AA - Dr. Tonia Mitchell's thoughts, Alternative, Diseases, General, Healing Arts, Health and Fitness, Medicine, Naturopathic, Relief, Weight Loss

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.

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