BHH Blog
What do Naturopaths treat?
- Details
- 18 July 2022
What do Naturopaths treat?
What can Naturopaths help with?
What does a Naturopath do?
What can Naturopaths help with?
These are all common questions that we get asked in the clinic. Many of our customers have heard about Naturopaths, but aren’t really sure what they do!
All of our Naturopaths have completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences, majoring in Naturopathy. This is a comprehensive 4 year university degree, covering all the sciences (such as anatomy and physiology), then honing in on the tools a Naturopath utilizes such as herbal and nutritional medicine.
Naturopathy takes a holistic approach to health, meaning that we look at all aspects of a patient’s health to determine where imbalances may be. This can help us to discover the root cause of illness, as naturopathic philosophy believes that addressing the root cause, and not just managing symptoms, is the key to achieving wellness and balance within the body. Signs and symptoms are the body’s way of telling us that something is out of balance, it is the Naturopaths job to find out what this is.
Let’s look at this in practice. If there was a patient that was presenting with acne, we may discover that what is causing the acne to perpetuate is a hormonal imbalance. Then we delve deeper, what is causing the hormonal imbalance? It could be a range of factors such as gut health, a sluggish liver, an undiagnosed thyroid condition, stress or environmental exposures or a combination of any of these. The goal is then to correct the factor/s contributing to the hormonal imbalance in order to resolve the acne. This holistic approach allows us to be able to provide a more targeted approach in helping you achieve balance. Working with your Naturopath over multiple sessions will help you to reach these goals.
An initial session with a Naturopath is where we gather lots of information about your physical, mental and emotional health as well as getting to know you as a person. You will be given an hour for your initial consultation to allow plenty of time for us to understand your health on a deeper level.
Now that you know and understand a little bit more about how Naturopaths work, what is it exactly that we can assist with? Many, many different things!
A Naturopath may help you with the following:
- Reoccurring cold and flu, or cold and flu prevention
- Period health (missing cycles, painful period, heavy bleeding)
- Gastrointestinal upset (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, reflux)
- Skin complaints (acne, skin infections, eczema, psoriasis)
- Mental Health (anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, adrenal exhaustion)
- Headaches and migraines
- Seasonal allergies
- Food sensitivities and intolerances
- Fertility planning
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Thyroid conditions
- Autoimmune conditions
and the list goes on!
Naturopaths are able to help with most ailments that you would commonly consult your general practitioner (GP) for, with the exception of broken bones and emergencies of course! Working with a Naturopath doesn’t mean you have to stop seeing your GP, Naturopaths can work collaboratively with your GP to ensure you are achieving the best health outcomes. This means that we can prescribe supplements to complement any treatments you may be receiving or medication you may be taking regularly, or we can focus on dietary and lifestyle approaches to help your towards your goals - you will always be given a choice.
How do I know if seeing a Naturopath is right for me?
Still feeling unsure if seeing a naturopath is right for you? Give the clinic a call on 9388 2422 and our friendly Naturopaths will be more than happy to assist you with any questions you may have.
