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?"