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. Cover it with pharmaceuticals 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 pharms needed!
Ok, it't not always that simple but you get the general idea.
Unlike your car, sometimes you body’s natural healing ability actually will correct the problem itself. Think about when you catch a common cold or you cut yourself. For most people your body recognizes the problem and given time, it will go to work on fixing it. But for other health issues such as fatigue, digestive issues, hormonal issues, or any other plethora of 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 fixing 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, and 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 we treat successfully at Summit Vitality, using naturopathic medicine without ever using pharmaceuticals:
Menopause:
Balancing hormones naturally by knowing what foods you are eating that is causing your hormones to be out of balance, often this one step can help reduce or eliminate those nasty hot flashes and make you feel great again. Ever notice how when you eat or drink that certain thing, your hot flashes get worse? We also take a deep dive into adrenal function because it's your adrenals that take over in making hormones once menopause has hit.
Digestive issues:
The digestive process is incredibly complex and involves brain-gut communications, digestive enzymes, the reactions to the food and other substances we put into our bodies, as well as the gut microbiome. We offer IgG Food Sensitivity Panels, Comprehensive Stool Cultures, and SIBO Breath tests. These tests can really help guide us toward the causation to your symptoms. We'll eliminate whatever needs to be eliminated from a bug growing that shouldn't be there to a food you're eating. We'll then soothe, restore, and strengthen the GI lining.
Natural options to Chronic Viral/Bacterial Infections like Mono, Herpes Simplex, MRSA :
Antibiotics are all too often the “go to” solution for people’s illnesses or infections. Interestingly, antibiotics only address bacteria and not the viruses but they also strip your good gut bacteria, too. What about if you have something that just keeps coming back or you can't get rid of it? For every antibiotic, you really need 3 months worth of a good probiotic to replenish what was lost. Chronic and re-occurring infections can be frustrating for patients because often times, they aren't give too many options. Naturopathic Medicine offers herbs that not only address bacteria AND viruses, but they can also work to strengthen the immune system. Dr. Lexi will also incorporate vector specific nosodes or transfer factors, a type of supplement that trains the immune system to target specific microorganisms. You essentially become more efficient at eradicating a species. Finally, we of course work on nutrition and lifestyle factors that aim to boost your immunity, not weaken it.
These are just three examples of why I believe Naturopathic Medicine can really address the "engine light." We not only work to find and treat the cause, but also work with the body to strengthen and support it's natural healing capabilities. Talk to an ND in your area to explore if and how Naturopathic Medicine can work for you … no duct tape needed!