True or False: “You just have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There’s nothing we can do about it, and you’ll just have to learn to live with it.”
It’s true that I hear a version of this statement often from patients, who are repeating what they’ve been told by their gastroenterologist, often after a colonoscopy, maybe also an endoscopy, and usually years of abdominal pain and discomfort. It’s false that there’s nothing to be done about it.
The “just” in that sentence is meant to be reassuring, in the sense that true organic dis-ease has at that point been ruled out (usually something severe, like cancer, or one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, or perhaps Celiac Disease).
It may not be a relief however, if you're on the receiving end. If you've been through years or even decades of abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhea, perhaps combined with heartburn and nausea, and often periods of uncomfortable bloating or embarrassing flatulence -- there is hope! If any of this sounds familiar:
...the most important you need to know is that there is in fact something to do about it. Plenty. Call or email now to set up an appointment.
I take a classic naturopathic three-pronged approach:
1. Identify Obstacles to Healing. Often in the case of IBS (as with other digestive dysfunction such as constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, gas & bloating) there are food sensitivities and/or weak digestion which are causing trouble. In fact, these may often be part of the dynamic in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis) as well. Identifying and either removing or reducing intake of foods which are not being fully digested, is an important step in facilitating healing.
2. Nourish Weakened Organ Systems. A lifetime of avoidance of certain foods is not usually the answer however (though it can be in certain cases). Even more important is to heal and strengthen the digestive system so that the patient can digest their food fully, as nature intended, so that undigested particles are not causing trouble.
3. Stimulate the Vitality. Living beings have a Vital Force – an innate drive toward health and healing. Rather than manipulate the system or only suppress symptoms with pharmaceuticals, our focus is to nourish the system, remove obstacles to healing, and then let the Vital Force sort out the details.
I'll be honest and tell you the hitch, though - being a naturopathic patient involves work. Popping a pill and changing nothing about your life is easy - and if it worked you wouldn't be reading this. What's harder is to change the nutrition and lifestyle factors that got you to a place of dis-ease. If you're not ready to do the work, it may not be time for an appointment. If you're ready, and just need the guidance on what to do and how to do it, call or email now to set up an appointment.
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