Have you been told your symptoms are “common”?
“Common” does not mean healthy (or untreatable!)
Unfortunately for so many patients, women’s health and hormone issues can be uncomfortable, distracting, and present long-term health challenges. And too often these concerns are brushed off as “common” or something women have to “live with”. Perhaps this is why women’s health and hormone concerns are such a common reasons patients seek out naturopathic care!
Your menstrual cycle and hormonal balance provide clues and insights into overall health. Healthy hormone balance is important for both quality of daily life and long-term health.
I have experience with a variety of women’s health concerns, including:
- Absent or irregular periods
- Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Painful periods or ovulation
- Heavy periods
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cysts
- Uterine fibroids
- Cervical polyps
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Hot flashes, night sweats, perimenopause/menopause
- Vaginal dryness
- Low libido
My approach to women’s health and hormone balance
The most common reason patients seek me out is for education, support, and treatment for women’s health concerns. Naturopathic medicine has so much to offer depending on patient goals, such as managing symptoms, education on hormone cycles, identifying underlying causes or contributors, or supporting women’s health at all ages and stages.
First, we talk through the subjective information which includes current symptoms, history and treatments, and overall medical history and timeline. This subjective information helps me rule in or out possible contributors to your condition and identify relevant tests and/or treatments. In many cases, there are naturopathic therapies (diet, lifestyle, nutritional supplements, herbs, remedies) that can be applied immediately to ease symptoms and create conditions for healthy hormone balance.
Second, we review the objective information already available, such as relevant physical exams, testing you’ve already completed, and/or gather additional objective information via additional or more in-depth testing to identify your needs or rule in or out underlying causes or contributors. Although testing has limitations, it can be incredibly helpful to guide us toward appropriate treatment rather than waste time, money, and energy on trial and error.
The third part of my approach is to formulate a hypothesis from the subjective and objective information we have, treat according to this hypothesis, assess results, and adjust treatment as necessary. The end goals are:
- Reduce or relieve any symptoms as soon as possible
- Address underlying causes and contributors
- Establish sustainable and health promoting habits
- Support progression through life stages and prevent chronic disease
In many cases, this can be achieved within just a few weeks or months. In more chronic and complex conditions it can take longer to thoroughly address underlying causes driving hormone imbalance. Each step of information gathering, treatment, reassessment, and adjustment yields important information to continue healing and achieve long-term improvement.
Related Knowledge, Courses, and Training:
- Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Dr. Tori Hudson, ND
- Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
- Period Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden, ND
- The Further Metabolism of Steroid Hormones
- Naturopathic Approaches to Female Pattern Hair Loss
- Naturopathic Management of PCOS
- Unlocking Women’s Complete Vitality
- Clinical Neuro-Endo-Immunology in Menopause
- How Do Common Medications Affect Hormones
- Mood Changes in PMDD and Perimenopause
- Secondary Amenorrhea
- A Woman’s Heart: Select Strategies for Prevention and Treatment
- Confident Clinician Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Module
- Navigating Menopause: Evidence-Based Patient Care
- Symptom Chasers or Root Cause: Drugs for Menopause
Helpful articles:
Ready to work together?
Book a free 15 minute Meet and Greet consultation to learn more about me, Naturopathic Medicine, and find out if this is a good fit for you.