JourneyToCure Naturopathic Clinic for Her » Articles

Skin Cancer Prevention

Sherry Chen, Naturopathic Doctor — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:52:39 +0000

Author: Lei Gu, ND

Skin Cancer Prevention

It is official, summer is here! Certainly, as North Americans, summer time is to be cherished and not to be taken for granted. Even just for pure health reasons, we should be spending more time outdoors, to be more physically active, to be able to get more fresh air and also to get some desperately needed extra sunshine (vitamin D).

However, as with many other good things, too much sunshine can pose a problem- increased risk of developing skin cancer. This is not ground breaking news to anyone, we are all aware of the importance of skin protection. But did you know that depending on which sunscreen you are using, you might be increasing your chances even more.

If this is news to you, remember that it’s old research.

Professor Johan Moan of the Norwegian Cancer Institute found, in 1991, that a very strong correlation between sunscreen usage and the incidence of skin cancer. He published an article in The British Journal of Cancer stating that ozone depletion is not the cause for skin cancer. Further research supported Dr. Moans’ conclusions.

Many sunscreens that are on the market contain benzophenone or its derivatives (oxybenzone, benzophenone-3) as the active ingredient. These serve their “sun-blocking” properties by absorbing UVB rays (and to a small extend UVA rays as well, depending on the brand. It is important to note that UVB rays are a primary cause of sunburns, while UVA rays are the rays that are more likely to cause skin cancer. Further, the absorption of UV rays can cause these active ingredients (benzophenones and it’s derivatives) to become unstable, forming free-radicals. Free radicals can lead to DNA damage, and thereby cancer development.

This is certainly not to say that sunscreen is to be skipped in the summer, especially if you do spend extended periods of time outside. However to protect yourself, be sure to pick the RIGHT sunscreen. There are two major types of mechanisms of UV ray blocking, chemical or physical. Benzophenone is a chemical sunblock, while ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide block the sun by reflecting it away from the skin. Physical forms of sunscreen are safe to use, as they do not lead to free radical formation.

Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that one should not rely on the use of sunscreens to protect the skin. Other skin protection tips include wearing protective clothing such as hats and light coloured shirts and pants/skirts, and avoiding/minimizing sun exposure during hours when the UV index is highest (i.e. the few hours before and after 12:00pm).

Chronic Constipation

Naturopath on Duty — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:47:22 +0000

Young boy diagnosed with Chronic constipation by medical doctors due to a lack of nerve innervation to the large intestine. Used Dulcolax suppositories on a daily basis before being able to have a bowel movement. Stools were very dry and pebble-like. Child also diagnosed with autism. Previous treatments included changes in diet (increase in fiber), homeopathic remedy (silicea) and other laxatives. Objective findings show a fast pulse, strong and bounding, deep red colour tongue with cankor sores on the lip and buccal cavity causing child to constantly salivate.

Treatment: Address the heat in the body and to moisten the intestines. Three packages of an individualized chinese herbal formula.

Result: Child was able to have a bowel movement daily with no assistance and cankor sores cleared up. Follow-up after one year, still no problems with bowel movements.

Hyperhydrosis – Case 2

Naturopath on Duty — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:46:26 +0000

45 year old female with persistent axillary (armpit) sweating for two years. Sweating during the day but will subside during the evenings. Worse when under stress at work.

Treatments: Regulate the sweat pores by supporting the lungs and calming the mind. Patient had 4 acupuncture sessions with a 2 week course of herbs and dietary changes.

Result: At the end of 3 weeks, patient reported that sweating was back to a normal type of sweating and that her clothes was no longer soaked in perspiration.

Headaches

Naturopath on Duty — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:44:31 +0000

30 year old client came in with a complaint of weekly headaches that at times would be debilitating lasting for weeks without relief. Headaches were described as throbbing in character bilaterally at the temples and the forehead. Patient believed the headaches to be work/stress related. She also had headaches upon waking but was less intense and tension is felt in the area between the eyebrows. Other symptoms included nasal congestion in the mornings and reports having cold hands and feet.

Treatment: Client came in for 10 treatments of facial rejuvenation acupuncture.

Results: Morning headaches and nasal congestion completely cleared after the 6th acupuncture treatment and by the 8th treatment, weekly headaches were no longer present.

Hyperhydrosis – Case 1

Naturopath on Duty — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:45:37 +0000

30 year old female was diagnosed with stress related hyperhydrosis by neurologist and dermotologist. Episodes of sweating will occur during times of stress and on a weekly basis. Sweat beads will appear on hands and feet and at times some sweating all over the trunk of the body. During the episodes of sweating, patient will feel cold and shiver from the coldness she describes an “internal” coldness. Sweating is worse when exposed to water. Patient reports having this condition since birth. Objective findings show that the hands and feet are red, swollen with dimpling present and sweat beads on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the extremities.

Treatments: Warm the core of the body, regulate the pores and calm the nervous system. Patient underwent 15 acupuncture treatments, 23 herbal decoctions, 1 course of treatment with homeopathics and dietary changes.

Result: Treatments lasted for about 5 months with patient reporting 6 consecutive weeks of being “sweat free”, no more coldness felt and no swelling of hands and feet. Patient was still learning how to best deal with the daily stresses that she is exposed to.

Plum Pit Syndrome (Chest pain, sensation of lump in the throat)

Naturopath on Duty — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:43:11 +0000

40 year old male came in with persistent chest pains that was described as “bruised and sore”. Breathing was painful and was worse when bending forward. Other symptoms included a sensation of a lump in the throat while swallowing or drinking, persistent coldness that is not alleviated with wearing more clothes and feels as if he is “dying”. Testing done at the local hospital included EKG, blood work, barium swallow (upper gastrointestinal tract) and ultra sound all had negative findings. Current medications consisted of taking Ibuprofen on a daily basis.

Treatment: Improve blood circulation by warming up the body and help move any qi stagnation and alleviate pain. 4 acupuncture treatments on a weekly basis and 15 packages of an individualized herbal formula along with dietary changes.

Results: Patient reports not needing to take Ibuprofen and no longer felt the chest pain, the coldness or the lump in the throat when swallowing. There were other health issues that the patient continue to seek treatment for and after 2 months, the chest pain, coldness and lump in the throat has not returned.

Constipation Constipation Constipation – Requires Action

Naturopath on Duty — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:21:06 +0000

Constipation is not a disease but a symptom. Most people growing up with constipation doesn’t even realize it to be abnormal until the discomfort starts to interfere with how they are feeling over all. In fact, some think that their bowel habits are quite normal when they have only one bowel movement a week.

Constipation can be defined as difficulty to pass stool, even if one is having a bowel movement everyday, having less than 3 bowel movements per week or having a sensation of incomplete bowel evacuation. Constipation can be caused by many diseases (hypothyroid) and medications (anti-depressant drugs, opiates).

In my practice, I tell my clients that they should have a least one bowel movement a day, with formed solid stools that are not difficult to pass. Below are some cases I have seen in my practice. If any of the cases sounds like what you, a family member or a friend is experiencing then you should seek medical help with a licensed Naturopathic Doctor.

Case 1

Middle aged lady with previous diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Currently medicated with replacement thyroid hormone and blood levels indicated all thyroid hormones to be within normal limits. Patient’s constipation described as having one bowel movement per week, stools were pellet-like brown with some mucous.

Treatments used prior to constipation treatments at Journey To Cure included colonics (gave relief from constipation while treatments were carried out but constipation would return once colonics were stopped), fiber supplements and changing her diet to include fiber rich foods.

Treatments: The patient was given 4 bags of a herbal formula that was designed specific to her symptoms (these not only include her constipation but also other symptoms that she reported. Since the human body is a whole, all symptoms are taken into consideration to formulate the herbal decoction). Dietary changes that were recommended included increase fibrous foods (which patient had already started), decrease foods that are considered goitrogenic ( eg. turnips, cabbage, cauliflower etc. because of history of hypothyroidism), and no raw uncooked foods. The herbal formula helped to provide the body with the energy to move the stools in the intestinal tract and soften the stools. Dietary changes provided long term care for the digestive tract.

Results: One year follow up, client reports bowel movements are still normal.

Case 2

Constipation for the last 20 plus years. Stools are hard but not dry and only able to have a bowel movement if more than 2 litres of water is consumed otherwise constipation would set in. Other symptoms reported included hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating), nightly leg cramps, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Treatment: 3 acupuncture treatments and 13 bags of herbal decoctions were prescribed, the formula was altered once after the first 3 bags of herbs were consumed as the client already reported having daily bowel movements. The last 10 bags of herbs were to support the body’s own ability to defecate and to increase the client’s overall energy. The other symptoms reported gradually improved. Patient reported after the first acupuncture treatment, there was a very large amount of stool evacuated and felt “cleaned” out.

Result: Patient continue to have bowel movements after 3 months after treatments.

Case 3

Patient was experiencing abdominal pain which included bloating and gas and had bowel movements two times a week. Blood tests came back within normal limits. The client requested to recieve only acupuncture treatments and declined to use any herbal treatments.

Treatment: After 2 treatments of acupuncture, client reported that she was no longer feeling constipated ie. having one bowel movement a day. Treatments are still ongoing as there is still a sensation of incomplete evacution reported by the client. Dietary recommendations included increasing fibrous rich foods and decreasing spicy foods.

Constipation should be a concern for any one that experiences it. We need to be removing waste from our body on a daily basis. If we are not removing waste, similar to a drainage system where waste gets washed down our pipes and into some sanitation plant, it can get backed up. The backing up of waste can cause a number of problems. Some common symptoms that people may experience is gas (usually odorous), cramping pains, bloating, sluggishness and fatigue, irritability etc. As mentioned above constipation can be indicative of other diseases or indirectly be related to a disease. Here is an example of what I mean by constipation being indirectly related to a disease. If diet is a factor in constipation then it means that there is usually a lack of fiber in the diet. This also means that if there is a lack of fiber we maybe have issues of high cholesterol, hormonal imbalances ( cysts, PMS, fibrous breast, weight gain) or even immune related diseases.

Liver Diseases – Hepatitis B

Naturopath on Duty — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:19:59 +0000

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). In Canada, there are about 3,000 new cases each year. For some, the infection can become deadly when the condition becomes chronic leading to liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure or liver cancer.

Once our liver is compromised we lose a major component in our body’s detoxification process including other liver functions such as glycogen storage, plasma protein synthesis and bile production. All of which is essential to the healthy functioning of our body.

HBV transmission is via blood or body fluids with an infectious rate nearly 100 times greater than that of the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) virus. Infection is usually through unprotected sexual contact, IV drug users who share needles or other paraphernalia (tattoo, body piercing), and vertical transmission from mother to fetus during childbirth or breastfeeding.

The signs and symptoms of a hepatitis B infection include some or all of the following:

Dark urine
Light stools
Weakness, Fatigue and drowsiness
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Fever
Headache
Abdominal discomfort
Irritability
Itching
Diarrhea
Joint pain and Muscle Pain
Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes (Jaundice)

For some people they may be asymptomatic (showing no signs or symptoms of the infection) such that it is imperative to have a blood test done if you believe you have been exposed to the virus. Signs and symptoms usually appear 4-6 weeks after an infection ranging from mild to severe. Chronic hepatitis is considered if the body is unable to rid the virus in 6 months.

Conventional treatments include the use of interferon and anti-virals (lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil) for HBV. Unfortunately, these medications do not come without side effects. These include such symptoms as cough, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, muscle pains, depression, and decreased production of red blood cells.

Naturopathic Treatments for Hepatitis:

The therapeutic goals in Naturopathic treatments are to support liver function and prevent further liver damage. Treatments may involve the use of herbs such as Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Artichoke (Cynara scolymus), Tumeric (Curcuma longa) and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Dietary recommendations are made to eliminate foods that may be irritants to the liver such as deep fried fatty foods and foods low in fibre content.

At Journey to Cure Naturopathic clinic we have treated many cases of Hepatitis B with success. In our cases, liver function tests (ALT, AST) return to normal levels and the patient no longer experiences the above mentioned symptoms related to hepatitis. We use individualized herbal formulas and dietary recommendations and not the shot gun approach i.e. the same supplement to treat all Hepatitis B patients. These formulas are based on your presenting signs and symptoms. As your symptoms and signs change, our formulas change accordingly. This is one of the major reasons for our success in treating Hepatitis B. If you are unable to drink herbal decoctions (as for some these formulas may be bitter) and do not have the time to cook the herbal decoctions then this may not be a suitable treatment for you. Results may vary from person to person depending on the prognosis of the disease.

Hyperhydrosis (Hyperhidrosis) – Chronic Sweating

Naturopath on Duty — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:19:08 +0000

Sweating (diaphoresis) is a natural physiologic response when the body needs to cool down (physical activity or from fever) but it can also occur in emotional situations, high environmental temperatures or even in some disease states such as an overactive thyroid to an underlying malignancy. Therefore, in any case of excessive sweating it is necessary to find the root cause of the sweating.

The cases we have seen at Journey To Cure Toronto Naturopathic Clinic are mainly due to overactive eccrine sweat glands and is associated with an emotional stimuli causing armpit (axillary) or hands/feet/facial (volar) sweating. The medical name for this is Hyperhydrosis (also spelled as hyperhidrosis).

At Journey To Cure Toronto Naturopathic Clinic we address the root cause of the sweating by:

Identifying the situations or stimuli that causes the profuse sweating.
Develop an individualized herbal formula
Acupuncture treatments (10 sessions or more if sweating is very chronic)
Develop an individualized dietary regiment that is supportive of the individuals body type.

The herbal formula that we give is to address any imbalances in the body and the cause of the hyperhydrosis (hyperhidrosis). Acupuncture is used in conjunction because it is an effective method in influencing the nervous and endocrine systems which play a role in hyperhydrosis (hyperhidrosis) patients. Dietary recommendations are also given because we all know that diet can play a role in our health and influence many aspects of our body. For instance, we may be eating foods that induce a lot of sweating, or we may be doing the opposite and that is, we may have a nutritional deficiency from what we are not eating.

Treatment results vary from person to person based on how long they have had the hyperhydrosis (hyperhidrosis). We have seen many good results here (results seen with 6 treatments of acupuncture alone for excessive armpit (axillary) sweating) at the clinic from cases of armpit sweating, to hands, feet and trunk of the body, cases where the beads of sweat can be seen by the naked eye, to facial sweating and chronic night sweats.

Additional information– allopathic treatments

Allopathic treatments include some of the following:

Focal Injections: Injection of Botulinum toxin Type A to prevent nerve signals to the sweat glands. Sweating will recur and possible side effects include sweating in other areas and pain at injection site.

Topical Treatments: application of an antiperspirant containing aluminum chloride hexahydrate. The outcome of treatment is highly variable and the duration of effect is short. One concern of using topical treatments the link between aluminum toxicity with alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer. The studies are still inconclusive but why take the chance when there are other options.

Iontophoresis: application of low-intensity electric current to affected areas (used for hands and feet sweating only) but is limited by the duration of the effect –lasting only a few weeks and the time need for the initial treatments are long (30 minutes per area).

Surgery: this is usually the last option that most people consider for the treatment for hyperhydrosis. The nerves stimulating the sweat glands are severed. This is a very invasive treatment and only manages the sweating for several years and is not a cure.

If you are looking for an alternative and a solution to your chronic sweating please Contact us today for a consultation.

Facial Rejuvenation with Cosmetic Acupuncture – Naturopathic Beauty

Naturopath on Duty — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:17:37 +0000

Cosmetic Acupuncture is a non-surgical method of reducing the signs of aging. In ancient China, dating back to the Sung Dynasty (960 AD- 1270 AD), cosmetic acupuncture was employed by the Imperial family to maintain an ageless youthful appearance. The saying “Beauty is skin deep” has never been more true when it comes to using acupuncture to rejuvenate our faces. Thin sterilized needles are inserted into the face and on the body to help balance and regulate the body’s energy or Qi ( pronounced ~ “chee”). Physiologically, the needles help to stimulate the production of collagen by fibroblast cells.

The effects of the cosmetic acupuncture treatments help to reduce or eliminate fine lines, deeper wrinkles appear less intense, improvement of facial tone and colour, and reduce sagging and puffiness. Although, not a replacement for surgical face lifts or botox, it is a good alternative that will help erase 5-15 years from your face. You will also have additional benefits that surgery and botox cannot give. These include, improved circulation, energy, sleep, digestion, and many other health benefits when the body is balanced.

The treatments last between 1 hour to 1½ hours and generally requires about 10 sessions to be able to see results. Maintenance is recommended either once per month to every 3 months depending on your specific situation. At times, herbal medicines may be recommended to improve the treatment outcome. Cosmetic acupuncture should be done early in our lives as it works best as a preventative therapy. By the time we reach 25, our bodies are starting to show the signs of aging, especially if we live unhealthy lifestyles ( smoking, drinking, not getting enough sleep etc.). A good time to begin these treatments is when we are in our 30’s.

Below are some of Journey to Cure Toronto Naturopathic Clinic’s staying young recommendations:

1) Get plenty of sleep
2) Drink enough water to stay hydrated
3) Use a UV block/anti-oxidant cream (even on cloudy days)
4) Quit smoking
5) Exercise on a regular basis
6) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
7) Balance the body’s energy ( yoga, meditation, acupuncture, qi gong etc.)

Free 15 minute Consultations available to see if you are a good candidate for cosmetic acupuncture.

There is also a free facial massage with every cosmetic acupuncture session. The facial massage helps to move and drain toxins from the face and to improve circulation.