The big picture: Naturopaths consider a patient’s diet when creating a diagnosis and treatment plan
Women lead full, rich lives, juggling work, family, hobbies, friends and health. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy or without health concerns. Women often suffer from fatigue and pain exacerbated by hormonal disorders and stress, as well as chronic illnesses that feel refractory to conventional medicine. Many women are now turning to complementary health tools, such as naturopathic medicines, in conjunction with their primary care, to potentially address illnesses in a holistic way.
Naturopathy is an alternative medical system based on the body’s ability to heal itself without drugs, using therapeutic techniques such as herbal supplements, stress reduction, exercise therapy, acupuncture, and diet and lifestyle changes.
Naturopathic doctors treat each individual patient holistically, assessing not only physical health, but also mental and emotional health, genetic, environmental and social factors.
In January 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill into law establishing a licensing board to regulate the practice of naturopathic doctors in the state, paving the way for greater legality and safety of alternative medicine. Currently, only 19 states in the U.S., including throughout New England, have similar licensing regulations.
This is an advantage for both naturopaths and prospective patients because in unregulated states, anyone can call themselves a naturopath without a license to verify that they have received the proper training. The training required to become licensed as a naturopath in Massachusetts is a four-year degree from an accredited college or university approved by the Naturopathic Registration Board.
Alison Willett, RN, ND, president of the Massachusetts Society of Naturopathic Physicians (MSND) and a naturopathic physician who specializes in menopausal women, says that while much of what naturopaths do is well-intentioned, some natural herbs and treatments can do more harm than good. For example, a properly trained and licensed naturopathic doctor can’t prescribe medications, but naturopaths should be aware of possible interactions between supplements and patients’ prescribed medications. Additionally, “naturopaths need to be able to see patients and say, ‘You need to go to the emergency room or get an EKG,'” Willett tells Exhale. “Some things are outside the scope of naturopathic medicine.”
Willett, a former intensive care nurse, works at Good Sense Healthcare, a private practice in Hadley, Massachusetts, where she evaluates many aspects of women’s health. “We look at things like, are they getting enough sleep, are they urinating and having bowel movements, are they breathing and sweating,” she says.
Willett has noticed a pattern among her female patients, particularly those in their 40s who are going through menopause, that multiple obligations and responsibilities are taking a toll on their health and they don’t know how to cope on a day-to-day basis.
“They may be working, or they may have a ton of unpaid work, caring for family, parents, grandchildren,” she said. “For a woman this age, there’s a lot to take on.” Willett says her job is to give women the tools and education to take control of their day-to-day health.
For women, the traditional model is good for diagnosing disease, but for multifactorial chronic diseases;
That’s insufficient. —Keri Leighton, ND
Dr. Keri Layton, a naturopathic doctor who specializes in women’s health at Winchester Natural Health Associates in Massachusetts, told Exhale, “For women, the traditional model is great for diagnosing illnesses, but falls short when it comes to multifactorial chronic diseases. There are a lot of hormonal and social factors that affect women differently.”
“[As naturopaths] “We know that environmental pollutants affect women differently — for example, women have more body fat, and chemicals tend to accumulate in fat,” Layton says.
Dr Layton also treats conditions such as hypothyroidism, which affects both men and women but can manifest differently in women and can wreak havoc on the female reproductive system, including irregular menstrual periods and infertility.
Free from dairy, soy, pecans and garlic.
After six weeks, I can’t tell you how much better I feel. —Anna Lucas, Naturopathic Patient
Anna Lucas, 58, a professional organizer and naturopathic patient from Winchester, had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for years and was taking several medications prescribed by a rheumatologist, but when she grew tired of the temporary relief provided by the medications, she sought naturopathic treatment.
“That’s what they did. I was already on four or five different medications and they just kept giving me more. I was at my limit,” Lucas told Exhale.
Lucas’ naturopathic doctor, Dr. Shiva Barton of Winchester Natural Health Associates, took her full medical history and ordered blood and stool tests. She advised Lucas to eliminate some foods from her diet for six weeks, then add them back in one by one to see what effect it had.
“I no longer eat dairy, soy, pecans or garlic. After six weeks, I can’t tell you how much better I felt. I was free of dairy and soy, which cause inflammation,” Lucas says. “Over the next year, I was symptom-free.”
Lucas said he has been free of arthritis medication for eight years and follows a restrictive diet.
Most insurance companies don’t cover alternative therapies such as naturopathic medicine, and Lucas said that although her insurance didn’t cover Barton’s visits, she believes she saved more money in the long run by not having to shell out money on prescription drugs and multiple visits to a rheumatologist.
One of Barton’s patients, Anna Trask, began her naturopathic treatments while pregnant about 20 years ago. “I was feeling really sick and thought maybe Barton could give me some good dietary ideas,” she told Exhale. “I cut out dairy products and felt so much better.”
Lucas says natural remedies also helped her address an overlooked health issue: “I had always had migraines, but no one knew what they were.” Burton diagnosed Lucas with menstrual migraines and advised her to give up caffeine and chocolate, and the headaches eventually stopped.
“I love my Western medicine doctor, and she’s great at supporting complementary therapies,” Trask, now vice president of hearing loss biotech company Decibel Therapeutics in Boston, told Exhale. “I see it as a collaborative effort. My kids also see the naturopath for things like colds, allergies, nutritional supplements, and ways to change their mindset and environment.”
Willett said the initial consultation for new patients is 90 minutes: “There’s a ton of paperwork. We want to know the patient’s entire medical history because there could be a thousand different reasons why a health issue could occur.”
Typical Cost of Natural Therapies
The initial 60-minute consultation costs $250, with subsequent consultations costing $90, and this fee does not include the cost of certain supplements or treatments.
