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.

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With these drugs being pulled from the market, it leaves many going back to NSAIDs and other drugs that also have many side effects. NSAIDs alone causes 16 000 deaths in America associated with gastrointestinal bleeding and other adverse effects. Are there no other options to turn to?

Naturopathic Solutions to Pain management:

Homeopathy: Homeopathic remedies have helped many with their pain, from low back pain to degenerative arthritic conditions. There are no reported adverse effects on renal, hepatic, cardiovascular, nervous, or gastrointestinal systems and they are compatible with other medications. Remedies such as bryonia, nux vomica, rhus toxicodendron and complex homeopathics such as Zeel comp. are just a few of a wide range of remedies to choose from. Please see a licensed Naturopathic Doctor or a trained homeopath to find the right remedy for you.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Pain in Chinese medicine is usually associated with a blockage of our Qi (energy). In the traditional medical books it states “if there is pain, there is blockage, if there is no blockage, there is no pain”. This blockage/stagnation maybe caused by several factors such as, an external cold invasion, blood stagnation (maybe from injury or poor blood circulation), dampness/phlegm or damp heat. Different herbs can be used to address the specific symptom picture that you present with and help to remove the blockage. The use of acupuncture is another way of invigorating the body’s Qi to move again and therefore eliminating the blockage along the meridians (the path in which Qi travels). Recent studies it has been demonstrated that acupuncture for arthritic patients does reduce the pain substantially and improve the quality of life of the patient. In 2004, a study done by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed that acupuncture reduces the pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

Nutritional Supplements: Devil’s claw, willow bark, gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and other supplements have all demonstrated to play a role in reducing pain.

Please see a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor so they may determine which type of treatment would best suit your needs.

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Asthma is a very serious condition that can ultimately lead to death, as oxygen is blocked by the constriction of the airways. During an asthma attack, the smooth muscles of the airways contract, along with the release of large amounts of mucous by the cells that line the muscle wall.

The cause of an asthma attack can vary from environmental allergens such as animal dander, dust, pollen to someone experiencing a lot of stress.

“There is a general trend of increased deaths and hospitalizations from asthma recorded in all the industrialized countries of the world, Canada included. In Canada, approximately 20 children and 500 adults die each year from asthma.”

– statistics taken from the Canadian Lung Association

Journey To Cure’s Naturopathic Recommendations:

* Do not stop your asthma medications without the prior evaluation of your doctor.
* Always rinse your mouth out and gargle after the use of asthma medications taken via a puffer to prevent oral thrush.
* Invest in a good air filter.
* Avoid eating phlegm/mucous forming foods: foods with high sugar content and dairy products.
* Exercise (helps strengthen the body and build self-esteem especially for younger asthmatics) Please consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

Asthma can be treated with good results. The approach we take at Journey To Cure Naturopathic Clinic is individualized to each person. We help our clients to slowly wean off of their medications with a step by step approach. We will analyze your diet and make individualized recommendations.

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Most people have heard of postpartum depression and stories with tragic endings such as the one with Suzanne Killinger-Johnson, who in 2000 threw both her baby and herself in front of a Toronto northbound subway train. Although the media brings into light a very serious condition, open discussion of it still latches on to the stigmatism of a mental disorder. We tend to shy away from it and hope for the best that it only happens to “crazy people”.

But the incidence of seeing postpartum depression in a doctor’s office is increasing. Statistics show that twelve per cent of women will develop postpartum depression and that 85 percent of women will experience ‘baby blues’ –a milder and shorter lasting episode of depression after delivery. Debate still continues around the cause of such an illness. Theories and risk factors range from a physical hormonal influence to psychosocial factors. No doubt the final answer is a multi-factorial one, as the human body goes beyond just an isolated entity functioning on its own. But are there other signs and symptoms that we have over looked that may indicate to us that we are at risk for postpartum depression?

Most conventional medical doctors would not associate symptoms such as:

- cold hands and feet
- poor memory
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- poor sleep
- blurred vision
- sallow complexion
- pale lips
- scanty menstrual blood, dark clots, menstrual pain
- dry mouth

as symptoms that may put one at risk of postpartum depression. A bandage approach is generally taken where each symptom will have a separate bandage. The result is that someone with these pre-existing conditions maybe walking right into the hands of postpartum depression. So why have medical doctors continue to ignore such indicators? The simple reason is that in conventional medical theory there is not an explanation to link all those symptoms together. But, if for a brief moment in time, we can change the conventional glasses we wear and place on a different pair, we would see what most Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have seen and concluded for thousands of years. The above symptoms would suggest a blood deficient or blood stasis pattern. Having such a pattern prior to conceiving (as pregnancy tends to hide the true picture) puts the woman more at risk for developing postpartum depression. As a woman gives birth to her baby, there will be a loss of blood and Qi (energy), further exacerbating the original symptom picture. This may lead to the milder depressive state of baby blues or to the other end of the spectrum where there are destructive thoughts for the baby and the mother herself. Therefore, early identification of a blood deficiency or blood stasis pattern is key to successful prevention.

Postpartum depression does not have to be viewed as being only a psychiatric disorder. TCM practitioners believe that it can develop from an imbalance within blood and energy. They believe this imbalance can be prevented, reduced in severity or cured. The key is identification of symptoms. Further, by taking action either through lifestyle and dietary changes, or a more aggressive approach of taking selected herbs or acupuncture, the symptoms that postpartum depression can present can be eliminated or reduced.

The above article appeared in the London Kids Magazine 2003.

Naturopathic Doctors have the training and the knowledge to help. We are extensively trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Contact us today for a consultation to talk about postpartum depression or refer someone you love so that they too know that there is something they can do and that they are not alone.