Ask the Expert
Naturopathic medicine and how it works
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when Natasha turned 2, we decided that it was time for her to start
seeing some friends and new people in her life for childcare. She
loves being with other kids, and mama and papa love having a little
break, so the arrangement worked for everyone.
Unfortunately, at the same time, she started to suddenly become
clingy again, have trouble going to sleep on her own (which she had
not had any problems with for months), and waking up often during
the night. We could not figure out what was going on for nearly two
months.
Finally, after some reading, I made the connection between the
change in routine and her relationship with mama and the change in
Natasha's behaviour. Unfortunately the realization came just as
Natasha's adjustment period was finally settling down and she was
returning to her normal habits, so we were not able to help her as
much as is possible. After the experience, I decided to do some
research on what options there are for parents who are going through
a similar change with their wee ones. I spoke with naturopath
Natasha Montroy of
Vancovuer Island Naturopathic to find out how homeopathy and
naturopathic medicine work and can help.
Dr Montroy let me know that an initial intake of a child takes 90
minutes. During this meeting, a full physical and a personality and
life history is taken. Dr Montroy calls parents "sleuths" when they
are figuring out what is going on with their children, so a mother's
observations and instincts are highly valued during the interview.
The child's personality, family life and stressors, likes and
dislikes, whether they are usually hot or cold, general behaviour
and any illnesses are all considered. The doctor then comes up with
a "constitutional remedy" that is used for any mental or emotional
distress or changes.
Starting to see a naturopath at a young age has its benefits.
Children are still very much themselves, they are still in a "what
you see is what you get" stage, unlike adults who have many layers
of physical or emotional traumas and self-induced behaviour changes.
As we age, our bodies and personalities change, but the main
constitution stays the same. It takes a naturopath 4 years of school
and some complex software to figure out a person's constitutional
remedy, so you probably can't do it yourself at home.
Naturopaths also prescribe herbs, which differ from homeopathic
remedies, for different situations. Calming and settling a child is
effective with herbs. Something that has many layers, like
depression, can be treated with herbs immediately and then
constitutional remedies are used to work on the deeper emotional
level.
After your first trip to the naturopath, you will figure out a plan
for you or your child. Nutrition is a big part of naturopathy and
can affect a person on many levels. If food allergies are suspected,
a naturopath can test for both food allergies and food sensitivities
of all foods, or you can specify suspicious items and use a
food-by-food testing. Testing is expensive, so the elimination diet
is a free option if you are wondering about wheat, dairy or soy, the
three most common allergens. Dr Montroy warns that the elimination
diet is not always accurate, but recognizes that $260-$290 is a lot
of money to spend on tests. She also told us that around 2 years old
is when allergy testing starts to be most accurate. In the
6-months-to-2-years period, the immune system is still developing,
so the results are not always as strong for allergens. Also, you
must have eaten the foods that you are allergic to before a result
will appear, so the more time you have to sample a variety of foods
the better.
Dr Montroy also wanted to share that naturopathic medicine is not
the only option for helping people. If she sees a child who needs
additional help, she will refer him or her to a child counsellor
while prescribing herbs and homeopathic remedies to help with the
immediate situation. She also shares that the general homeopathic
remedies that you can buy in stores are helpful, but they do not
always work as well as a specific, prescribed remedy from a doctor.
Homeopathic remedies are very specific and must be "the right
remedy" for the situation, or they won't work.
Many naturopathic doctors specialize in child or prenatal patients.
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