Tips for Getting Started

Yes, being a naturopathic patient is harder than being an allopathic patient.  It's never as easy as taking a medication & hoping your symptoms will disappear....but there are ways to make it easier! 

Your treatment plan will most likely be broken down into different parts, each of which will require some kind of action on your part.  Some examples of lifestyle steps you could be asked to take are: castor oil packs, deep breathing, meditation, exercise, hygiene changes, saunas, warming socks; on and on.  Wait until you hear about the one that helped my teeth!!  DISCLAIMER: Because each item could be prescribed for different reasons, or even possibly contraindicated for all I know (I'm not a doc!), please work with a naturopath to find out what will support your own health & healing. 

You may be asked to take certain vitamin or mineral supplements, herbal or homeopathic remedies, and to make diet changes.  All of this can feel a little overwhelming, especially at first.  The most important thing you can do is to review the treatment plan when you get it and ask your doctor right away if there are things that don't make sense or are unfamiliar.  I also have a few tips as a fellow patient that I wish I'd known from the start...

When you get home, sit down with your treatment plan & whatever bottles of stuff you have.  Put them in different groups based on what time of day you are supposed to take them and whether or not you take them with food; you can even highlight your plan with different colors.  Get yourself a pill box - one of those daily medication organizers found at any drugstore or grocery store.  If you associate those things with your great-grandma - don't!  You will love them.  These little containers are awesome when it comes to following your treatment plan more easily. 

I usually end up with two: an AM/PM pack & a separate one I may keep in my purse for things I need to take at lunch.  Or sometimes it's the "away from food" box.  However I use it, it's always easier than digging through a drawer for bottles, or worse, forgetting something. 

Each week when your pills run out and it's time to re-fill, re-read your treatment plan top to bottom to make sure that you're on track.  This review also serves to renew the enthusiasm you came home with after your appointment.  (Seriously...I do get a little dorky-eager-excited each new month.)

Then go out to a resale shop or Target or whatever; pick out some kind of container to leave out on the counter.  I have a 6 x 9 basket that perfectly matches my kitchen.  It's filled with things that I want out all the time: my treatment plan, apple cider vinegar, undas (more on undas in a future post); things I am using daily.  They're visible reminders of things I need to incorporate without fail.

 

It's hard for me to develop new habits around some of the treatment plan items.  I still forget my apple cider vinegar if I'm caught up in some house drama or maybe I'm just beat.  I also sometimes forget my focus, upon which I'm basing decisions for the month.  For instance today, I was baking peanut butter cookies as a gift and decided to eat one for taste-testing (despite my new found peanut sensitivity).  (Do you like how I call it "taste-testing" instead of cheating or stupidity?)  Anyhow, I forgot that I am also testing to see if a month without peanut butter will affect my various menstrual cycle symptoms.  Uhg!  Now my test isn't perfectly valid & it will be another 28 days before I can run an experiment sans peanuts.  Having a basket on the counter and/or easy access to the treatment plan helps prevent peanut butter slip ups.  (Usually...)

Lastly, and you will thank me for this one later: START A LOG!

Working with a naturopath is addicting.  Once you start to have success, you are very likely to get curious about what else you can fix.  You might go in for digestive troubles, find yourself feeling good, and decide to try fixing your fatigue.  Then you might end up with all this extra energy and decide to see if they can help you with the warts you had since you were a kid.  Then, wartless, you might decide to see if they can correct your chronic tardiness.  (OK I'm kidding - that's gonna be up to you, but I wanted to see if you were paying attention.)  You are likely to see an ND long term.

Over time, symptoms could pop back up, maybe in a different variation or intensity, but as the months pass and the seasons change, things could repeat themselves.  Your ND will be keeping track in your chart of course, but keeping a log allows you to stay connected to your progress.  It also helps you to give even more accurate info to your doc each month as you recognize patterns. 

In my log I have a section where I write free-form notes, and I have a spreadsheet with the days of the month and corresponding cycle listed in one column along with different conditions in rows.  Then I just mark them with some kind of intensity comments (no change, better, gone).  It's not as organized or pretty as I'd like, but I use it every month.  I enter some kind of info at least weekly, and then I review it before my next appointment.  But please note... 

I'm NOT saying you should bring a spreadsheet to each appointment!  Doctors don't want to read your diary.  A log helps you know yourself & reminds you of the detail so it's fresh in your mind. 

I find these little organizational tools make it easier to handle the extra steps in naturopathic care.  Each week and month, things get more automatic and natural.  Pill boxes, visual reminders, and a log help.  Try them or be inspired to create your own tools.  Then share what works for you - drop a comment!  I'd love to hear how others do it.

My First Appointment

Since I've been working with a naturopath, I've had a lot of improvement on things that have hung around for far too long.  But make no mistake, it's not easy just because I'm seeing an ND.  It's work.  It takes commitment.  The difference is that naturopaths are so supportive and present in your life that you don't feel like you have to muster up all that effort on your own.

That's what I learned from my first appointment.

In preparing a blog entry about the beginning of all this, I was going to write about the detail in the intake forms.  I was going to talk more about the zillions of questions they use to formulate a strategy to help me.  FYI the strategy is officially called a Treatment Plan - and I was going to talk about Treatment Plans.  I was going to describe how the vibe is warm and welcoming as opposed to the clinical, rushed feel of my various MD's offices.

But I was reading through what I'd written and it sounded like something from a newspaper.  Or a love story about a girl who meets a naturopath and all her dreams come true.  (Yawn.)  Here's what I really want to say...

The appointment was way over an hour long.  An hour!  You know you're getting somewhere when your doctor wants to talk about your problems for that long.  It's darn therapeutic just to have a medical professional really acknowledge that you feel like crap and need help.  Hurrah!

I have fabulous fake-radar.  I absolutely cannot stand people who come across too charming and who lack any shred of genuine sincerity.  If you are trying to con me, I'm out.  But my radar floated right out the door as soon as my appointment began.  These people obviously care about good health - even if they just met you.

I also got the sense that naturopaths get a thrill over new patients.  It seems like a new set of symptoms and history, along with a new personality and perspective are challenges that these folks get a little jazzed about.  It's like they really dig solving the puzzle of each patient, and a new patient is perhaps even a little enticing to them.  Maybe they aren't all like that, but I'll bet it's common.

Another thing...I like to think I'm unique.  I'm a little different than the next girl.  Yes, I have all these conditions and symptoms that make me super-average, such as my adrenal issues and hormone complaints, and what with the weight I'd like to lose - I'm average!  But I'm proud of the quirks and habits that set me apart from the next person in line.  Everyone should be.

I felt like some of those quirks became part of the process.  I'm not saying that an ND treats me a certain way because I prefer purple shoes over black ones.  Rather, my naturopath notices where I veer off; she sees outside my lines.  I had shingles as a teenager, which is apparently not that common.  When I told Dr. Birr, she made one of her thoughtful "Hmmmm" noises.  You will come to love it when your ND makes those little sounds; expressions of consideration, comparison, & connections made.  When you hear, "Reaalllly?  Innnteresting....", it means one of your quirks probably just helped your doc to help you.  Whatever sets you apart will be factored into what makes you healthier too. 

At my first appointment, it was apparent that this was not going to be quick, or easy.  But one really nice thing?  I could tell I was going to be able to let go of the reigns a little.  Clearly, naturopaths have the ability to decide what I need to get better.  I just had to do what I was told (not my strength).  And be a patient patient (also not my strong point).  But I was willing to try.

I want to repeat this - it takes commitment.  You can't just pop a pill and go back to what you were doing beforehand and expect your health to change.  But the time spent with a naturopath is so inspiring and invigorating that I left knowing I was going to be successful because I had a partner in my ND.  Yes, there was going to be a lot involved in this process.  And while an ND knows when to beef up or shrink a treatment plan based on what you can handle, they can't do the work for you. 

But that's ok; I've always had a good work ethic.  Being a naturopathic patient has taught me how to apply that value to my health....from the very first appointment.

                More on the hard work & how to make it less so, coming up!

 

What Does an ND Actually Do?

If you read my previous posts, you've gotten a slightly long-winded introduction to me & some basic info about naturopathic medicine from a patient's point of view...but what do they really do?

There's one thing they do, a LOT, that you will love.  Let me tell a little tale to set this up...

When I was a teenager, my Chronic Irritation had already set in.  Adrenal Fatigue was probably an issue, but back then, all anyone knew was that I had me some attitude & hated mornings.  Early each day before school, my beautiful mom would sweetly ask a million questions.  How'd you sleep?  Want some juice?  Have any tests today?  Do you need a ride home from rehearsal after school?  Oh.  My.  Golfballs.  The QUESTIONS!  You will never meet a kinder woman, but for Christmas sake I wanted the questions to stop! 

Naturopaths ask questions.  TONS of questions.  If you're struggling with symptoms that seriously affect your life & no one has been able to help you, those questions are magical.  Everyone wants to feel valued, and when someone asks you about yourself, that's what happens.  Imagine feeling that way in a doctor's office!  These days, I love questions.

What do you eat?  How do you sleep?  How are your moods (oh boy - do you really wanna know)?  Where does it hurt?  Where else?  They even ask about your life & health history from years before.  Were you breast fed?  NDs want to understand all about you before concluding anything.  My own physician, Dr. Birr, says she likes to ask, "What do you love to do?"  Nice.

Aside from the questions, an ND will do the same kind of tests as an MD, depending on your needs: blood pressure, heart-rate, & blood tests for example.  They are trained to assess your ears, eyes, & lungs in the same fashion as an MD.  Yet it goes deeper because all the questions give them a framework within which they are thinking about YOU while each test is performed.  They might check other things that make you go "huh?" in the coolest way.

NDs may check out your tongue, your nails; they might look at your pupils in the light and the dark.  They could inspect your skin like a dermatologist even though you never mentioned the odd scaly bumps on the backs of your arms.  There are so many ways to gather information about the human body and naturopaths USE them! 

As for treatment, it varies.  You may be given vitamins, herbs, plant-based tinctures, or even pharmaceuticals if really needed.  You may be assigned different tasks like warming socks and castor oil packs to support your body's healing process.  You may address personal habits - for instance we've learned that intensive exercise in the morning is not for me; I'm to ease into my day more gradually.  And I'll tell you what, it's awesome to have an educated professional tell you what kind of fish oil or probiotic to take, versus guessing from a million bottles lined up on a shelf or website.

I have a confession.  I am a full-on test junkie.  Over time, my ND has run some labs that are so new to me after decades of only seeing MDs.  Cortisol tests.  Neurotransmitters.  Food sensitivity.  (Oh peanut butter.  Remember the days?)  It's oddly fun to get your results!  And it's super-satisfying to get to the root-cause of an issue.

What about naturopaths that practice in states that do not license them?

I asked Dr. Sarah Axtell of Lakeside Natural Medicine in Milwaukee, WI.  She is licensed in Oregon, but Wisconsin is not a licensed state yet.  She does much of what her contemporaries can do; she can assess your condition, order labs, and identify an appropriate treatment plan.  In Wisconsin, she is considered more of an alternative doctor versus a primary care physician.  According to Dr. Axtell, "Technically, I cannot "diagnose" or "treat." I am more advising or counseling people on how to live a healthier lifestyle.  I still use all the tools I learned in school: herbs, homeopathy, drainage, hydrotherapy."  And while she cannot do certain things like drawing blood, or b-12 injections, she says:
"Most importantly, like any ND, whether in a licensed state or unlicensed state, I am still practicing true to the 6 principles of naturopathic medicine."  They are:

• The Healing Power of Nature - respect the body's ability to heal itself
• Identify & Treat the Cause
• First Do No Harm - use the most natural, least invasive and least toxic therapies
• Treat the Whole Person - physical and spiritual
• Doctor as Teacher - educate!
• Prevention - focus on health, wellness, and disease prevention

There you have it.  Any questions?          (Get it?)

Coming up... what an appointment is like.     

News Flash...

I have two posts ready to go; one about what a Naturopath actually does and one on my first appointment, but I have news I have to talk about first!

You will learn that one of my favorite things about naturopathic medicine is the specialty test.  There are things MDs don't test for because insurance is so limiting, or because they are not seeking the root cause of your symptoms.  NDs will sometimes run labs for things about which you've never even heard!  I dig it.

Enter the Antibody Assessment test for food sensitivity.  I've been having some vague digestive symptoms for the last few months.  You know how sometimes you just feel "funny"?  Or "weird"?  ...like you couldn't describe it more accurately without a thesaurus or a some kind of Avatar port connecting you to your doc?  My ND and I have made some progress on my symptoms but they persist and so the labs were run.

Hold tight while I veer off and tell you  about my sugar addiction.  For me, sugar was the gateway drug to more sugar.  Candy-sugar.  Cookie-sugar.  Any-sugar.  YUM!  I had to have it and then I had to have more.  Even after I was nutritionally educated and very diligent with my diet, this was a beast I couldn't easily tame.  Finally, with a two-sided approach, my sugar cravings are minimal.  1. My naturopath has balanced my various systems to the point where I just don't crave or think about it a lot.  2. I eat natural peanut butter instead.  A spoonful of no-sugar-added peanut butter has enough sweetness, creaminess, & sticky gooey heaven, that it can kill my sweet tooth in one spoon's swoop.

You know what's coming, right?  The news?  Test results! 

                                                      I'm peanut intolerant!!  Arghhhh!  Noooooooooo!

Sigh.  Deep down I had an idea that this might be coming.  I eat it everyday.  And occasionally I've even felt that odd digestive discomfort soon after a happy spoonful (I'd pretend I hadn't noticed a correlation).  But really, you probably shouldn't eat ANYthing every single day aside from maybe kale, which I'm sure is allowed at every meal but isn't gonna replace an Oreo.

For the curious, here's a little info about a food intolerance/sensitivity versus a food allergy.  The anti-body assessment tested my system's response to certain foods.  If the immune system reacts, it's an allergy and typically results in the immediate onset of symptoms.   (Remember, I'm NOT a doctor and if you are experiencing any such thing, see a doc versus trying to self diagnose.)  An intolerance is not necessarily immediately recognizable, or even experienced the same way every time; it results from a specific antibody being produced by your body in reaction to a particular food (like peanuts, dagnabbit).  But again, get the specifics from a professional; I'm against self-treatment based on someone's internet ramblings. 

So goodbye my lovely peanut butter, at least for now.  You'll be missed!  Until we eat again, I will think of you fondly.  (Hm.  I'm amused to realize even as I write... there was an earlier clue that this little legume was maybe too important to me.  My cat's name is P-Nut.  And she's 17 years old; I shoulda seen it comin'.  Har.)  I'll let you know how this turns out....

Find yourself a naturopath, folks.  They may have just the trick or test you need to identify the reason you sometimes just feel a little "weird". 

"What's a Naturopath?"

Before I post the nitty gritty of my love for naturopathy, let's talk about what it is!

A Naturopath is a physician that practices Naturopathic medicine.  And according to the giant Random House dictionary that lives in my den, the definition is:

Naturopathy (nā-chə-ˈrä-pə-thē): a system or method of treating disease that employs no surgery or synthetic drugs but uses special diets, herbs, vitamins, massage, etc., to assist the natural healing process.

This is certainly different than Allopathy, which is the term generally used to define the practice of regular, western medicine to which most of us are accustomed in seeing our Medical Doctors - MDs.  Your typical GP is an "Allopath".  The big ole dictionary downstairs says that this is "the method of treating disease by the use of agents that produce effects different than those of the disease."

Um...excuse me, but I would like NO effects, thank you very much.  Why do I have to have "different" ones than what I've already got.  ?!

Let me play this out....say I have, for example, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I get extra tired and sad when it's darker and colder outside.  So an allopath treats me with an SSRI (an "agent"), which is a class of drugs that includes Prozac and Lexapro.  Such meds happen to have the potential for side effects that include weight gain, nausea, headache, & nervousness, to name a few.

I'm not gonna feel more chipper if I am also fatter and have to puke.  Plus now don't I also need a painkiller and an anti-emetic?  I acknowledge that I am biased against pharmaceutical overuse, but this leads me handily back to What is a Naturopath Doctor (N.D.)...

ND's are many things, but my three favorite things are:

1. ND's are partners in your health.
2. ND's seek to treat the root cause of disease, thereby eliminating and/or substantially minimizing symptoms by supporting the body's ability to heal.
3. ND's don't resort to using prescriptions when a natural option exists.

I just love that my ND is as committed to my good health as I am, and that she uses natural means to steer my system back to its original balance.  ("She" is the fabulous Dr. Alicia Birr of Origins Natural Medicine in Port Townsend, WA.)

I sincerely hope and recommend that more people find and work with an ND!  You don't have to give up your regular doctor at all; there's nothing wrong with having more than one person on your health team - in fact, it's a good idea.  (One day I'll post on the exceptional allopath I see as an adjunct to my naturopathic care.)  To find your own ND, please check out the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website.  http://www.naturopathic.org/index.asp.

I highly recommend reading their information on licensing.  There are only 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, & the US Virgin Islands that have licensing laws, which requires graduation from one of the seven accredited schools plus extensive postdoctoral exams. 

It's important to be sure your naturopath has had the training that will allow you to feel confident in their care, and that their education came from a credible institution.  And if you happen to live in a state with no licensing laws, don't worry!  There are excellent naturopaths practicing everywhere in many capacities & we'll talk more about that in the next post.  You can always "see" an ND very effectively by phone and Skype if there isn't one nearby; I've been doing that successfully and happily for two years. 

Finally, so that you have word straight from the source, here's a definition according to the AANP website:

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct method of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature's inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae. This is accomplished through education and the rational use of natural therapeutics.

Coming up on my next post: So what does a naturopath do?

 

Naturopathic Medicine - A Patient Perspective

I’ve always been pretty average: average height and average weight; average income and intelligence.  I have a nice family and good friends, plus a few pets and some hobbies – nothing too unique.  Also, my health has also been mostly average.  As a youngster, I just had chicken pox and a few scrapes.  Then in my twenties I had PMS and allergies, but like most women, it didn’t stop me from living my life.  In my thirties, things got a little worse and I started to have new concerns that I figured were normal age related issues.  Average.

As I got older and tried to pursue better health I discovered that most allopathic doctors (Medical Doctors - M.D.'s) are also average.  I'd make an appointment, express my concerns to the nurse, and by the time the doctor shook my hand, each seemed to have a medication in mind before I even opened my mouth.  I would rush to explain my concerns as I could feel the doctor's attention slipping away.  I'd inevitably leave feeling let down, prescription in hand - birth control, ibuprofen or an antibiotic, depending on my complaint.  Uhg.

So, I'd give the meds a try with rare or temporary success and plenty of side effects, or discard the script and give up for awhile, then eventually make an appointment with another doctor...with the very same result.  For almost two decades I tried to find answers and just ended up frustrated with the lack of interest I experienced in the exam room.

I reject the idea that I have to accept my health issues versus eliminating them.  People have told me to stop worrying, saying they could be much worse, but I refused to think that it's okay to be tired all the time and completely unable to lose weight.  I couldn't believe I had to live with terrible allergies and obvious hormonal issues, not to mention the anxiety over it all.  Things like dry, thinning hair and digestive issues (the kind you can't discuss in public) have to have solutions!  I knew there was an answer to my unbearable sugar cravings, but didn’t know how to find it.   (Sound familiar?  I told you I was average.  Everyone deals with things like this!)

After giving up on MD's, I tried to fix things myself.  I'd still go for my yearly check up, but other than that I was diligent about exercise and I was committed to dietary changes and a few supplements.  Yet it didn’t take long for me to realize that there seemed to be a million ways to interpret how to eat and what vitamins to take.  It felt impossible to find the combination that would work for me personally without making things worse or wasting my time and money.  The result was that nothing really worked.

And then, at age 35, two things happened that started a change in my health and put me on the path to a more natural life. 

First, I had a back injury.  Doesn't everyone have back trouble at one time or another?   (So once again, I’m average).  I ended up with significant chronic pain and after three years of committing myself to intense therapy I was told that only surgery would help.  That seemed like a ridiculous option for a young, fit person & since I wanted to be able to maintain my active lifestyle, I chose to look into natural solutions.  A very clean diet along with targeted exercise and prolotherapy made a big difference in my pain levels and it made me wonder what else I could fix naturally.

Then, a family member was diagnosed with cancer and I was prompted to eliminate all things potentially toxic or inflammatory in our lives.  Lo and behold, I got a little better again.  However, I still had all my health issues & symptoms to some degree and I needed help!  I’d heard that naturopathic doctors approach patients from a whole person perspective, and since my whole person felt out of whack no matter what I did, I decided to try it. 

The average person does not see a naturopath (Naturopathic Doctor - N.D.).  I am no longer average!  This is the story of my journey with Naturopathic Medicine. 

You can look forward to posts on what an appointment with a naturopath is like & what my experience with many of the specific treatments has been. I'll write detailed accounts of my progress in regard to things like PMS, adrenal fatigue, back/SI joint pain, and even anxiety.  I'm eager to share the feeling of excitement I get from every appointment and the constant progress we make.  It's truly a revolutionary way to see a doctor, which is ironic because much of the medicine they practice predates the allopathic approach most of us are used to.

Not only am I healthier working with an ND, I'm on a path of constant improvement; every day seems better than the last.  Even my current MD is great! 

And... since a blog affords me the opportunity to talk about whatever I want, I'll include my own opinions and suggestions regarding lifestyle choices I think can be helpful in achieving whole person wellness. I'm super picky and I research the heck out of everything before making a choice, so when I find a decent pair of shoes or cookie recipe, you can bet it's worth checking out.  You are going to LOVE the creamed greens recipe I got from my doc; I have always hated vegetables, so converting me to the leafy side is saying a lot for this dish!

This is not a granola-crunching, smoke-waving, chanting kind of thing and there's absolutely no hooey.  It's about having a partnership with your physician and working to treat the root cause of your concerns with the goal of eliminating symptoms (not just covering them up).  It's about moving towards a strong, vital mind and body that allows you to do what you want to do!  (And I do eat a lot of granola.  It's just gluten free, organic, and your great-grandmother would recognize all of the ingredients.)

I hope you find this blog inspiring and helpful.  I hope you feel welcome to contact me with questions.  I promise to do my best to direct you and I will never pretend to be a doctor; my intent is to share my experience so that you can plan and imagine what your own will be like.  I want you to feel empowered to find your own answers with professionals that truly want to help.  Welcome to the world of the average naturopathic patient!

Coming up: "What is a Naturopath?"