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Naturopathy and Skin Disease
The skin is an organ of elimination, and often we find that when skin problems arise, it can be a manifestation of something else that is going on within. This could be toxicity, liver dysfunction, allergic reactions to foods and other substances, food intolerances, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies and digestive disorders.
What sort of skin conditions can a Naturopath treat?
- Psoriasis,
- Eczema/Dermatitis
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Dry flaky skin
- Fungal infections
- Bacterial infections
- Slow wound healing
Conventionally, skin problems may be treated with steroids, antibiotics, and the oral contraceptive pill. If you do not react well to these, or are looking for a natural alternative, your naturopath could help. We look at things in a holistic way, with an assessment of diet, lifestyle and digestion. Getting to the cause of the problem, will give us the best chance to clear things up more permanently.
What to expect from your Naturopath?
The initial consultation goes for approximately 1 hour, your naturopath will take a thorough case history, as well as physical examination (depending on the location) and then work out a program that will best help your condition. You will be advised on dietary and lifestyle changes, as well as medicinal herbs and/or nutritional supplements. There will generally be a follow up 2 weeks later to assess the changes, and from there the appointments are less frequent, depending on your progress.
More on Naturopathy
What happens in a Naturopathic appointment?
An initial consultation takes an hour or so. Your Naturopath will take an extensive medical history and will ask many questions about your past and present health – physically, mentally and emotionally. Sometimes a physical examination will be required, and your Naturopath may take blood pressure and use diagnostic tools such as iridology, tongue and nail analysis to help get a complete picture of health. You may also be referred for allergy testing, blood, stool or salivary hormone tests.
What’s so good about Naturopathy?
Importantly, a reputable Naturopath will work with you to establish which particular health priorities need to be addressed, and to develop a treatment protocol that best suits your individual situation and requirements. Naturopaths also educate and empower their clients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to improve health.
Naturopathy treats the whole person, not just a single symptom, and the brilliant thing about this is that a client may come in to have one health problem treated, and as that problem is being treated, other health issues clear up at the same time! This is because Naturopathy addresses the cause, and this underlying problem may be affecting other systems of the body.
Naturopathy is a complementary medicine, rather than alternative medicine. In many cases, a Naturopath prefers to work with and in consultation with other health care providers including your GP, specialist and other health care practitioners to ensure the best long-term health solution.
Is Natural Medicine safe?
Generally speaking, nutritional supplements and herbal remedies are safe whilst being effective. They usually have less side effects than pharmaceutical medicines. However, herbs and nutrients do have potent actions, and so it is always best to see a naturopath, nutritionist or medical herbalist to ensure that the supplements you take are the most suitable for you and won’t interact with any other medicines you may be taking.