The Naturopathic Approach--No Duct Tape Needed!
If the “Service Engine” warning light starts flashing on your car you have 3 options:
1) Ignore it and hope it corrects itself--but that light gets annoying after a while.
2) Cover it with duct tape so you don’t see it.
3) Bring your car to a mechanic to run a diagnostic test to find the cause of the problem and have it fixed.
With your car, you know the problem will only get worse if you don’t get it fixed soon and it may even cause more serious problems down the road, so you know the trip to the mechanic is the only sensible option.
Your body is the same way, when you start feeling ill, low energy, pain or other symptoms, that is your body’s “service engine” light telling you something is wrong, and you have the same 3 options:
1) Ignore it and hope it corrects itself
2) Mask it with drugs or pain killers so you don’t feel it
3) Go to a naturopathic doctor to run some tests to find the root cause of your symptoms and “fix” it using natural treatments...no duct tape or drugs needed!
Unlike your car, sometimes your body’s natural healing ability will actually correct the problem itself, like when you catch a common cold or cut yourself. For most people your body recognizes the problem and given time, will fix it.
But for other health issues such as fatigue, digestive issues, extreme PMS, hot flashes/night sweats and other symptoms of menopause, anxiety, skin rashes and a plethora of other symptoms…your body needs some help to overcome.
If you revert to taking drugs or painkillers, you are simply putting duct tape over the warning light. You need to find out what’s causing the problem and go to work on correcting it. That’s where your naturopathic doctor comes in!
The naturopathic approach starts with a detailed “diagnostic” of your health. Your ND will take the time to talk to you about your health history, your family’s health history, your symptoms, your lifestyle, your health goals and more. Depending on your symptoms they may need to run some additional tests to identify what is causing the problem.
Once they are clear on the cause, they will typically develop an all-natural care plan that goes to work on helping your body heal or fight the disease naturally. That care plan may include some diet changes, lifestyle changes, natural supplements, or vitamins to help your body heal itself.
Depending on your health issue, or the severity of your condition your ND will continue to monitor and adjust your personalized care plan to train or retrain your body to be able to heal or overcome the problem so you can start to enjoy a healthy, life again…naturally of course.
Here are some common issues I treat successfully in my clinic using naturopathic medicine without ever using harmful drugs:
· Menopause: Balancing hormones naturally by identifying which hormones are out of balance and correcting them; often this one step can help reduce or eliminate those nasty hot flashes/night sweats and mood swings, so you will feel like yourself again.
· Digestive issues: With so many foods claiming to be “all natural” these days, people are trusting the huge food and grocery industry to provide them with good quality food. By educating you on what to look for in the products you eat and by knowing what specific foods cause your digestive discomfort, Jaclyn and I will help you love to eat again without fear!
· Natural alternatives to antibiotics: Antibiotics are all too often the “go to” solution for people’s illnesses or infections. For many individuals the antibiotics do so much harm to their body it can take months or even years to recover from the harm. Often, using vitamins and herbs, the infection or illness can be treated completely and cured without ever taking an antibiotic.
These are just three simple examples of why I believe naturopathic medicine is the only true health care solution. Schedule an appointment with me today to determine how naturopathic medicine might benefit your unique situation…no duct tape needed!
Rachel Oppitz, ND
