Naturopathic medicine offers an innovative way of looking at the body, not as individual parts, but as a whole being. Every system in the body is intricately connected, and that is why, in order restore health, it is essential to treat the underlying cause. This allows for balance in the body and in this place, only healing can occur.
For example, if someone has high cholesterol, it is easy to give a medication to get the cholesterol to go down. But has the problem gone away? Or was this the bodies way of telling the person that something inside is in need of balance and restoration. Naturopathic physicians look at what might be causing the elevated cholesterol levels in the first place. Is it a food allergy, or an environmental toxin that the person has been exposed to? Is the liver, or colon congested and unable to eliminate toxins? Is the body under stress, physically or emotionally? The reason for the high cholesterol levels could be a number of things, and until the underlying cause is addressed, the body will speak with an array of symptoms. You may see weight gain, joint pain, headaches, or more seriously, cancer. Therefore, cholesterol reduction with medication without additional evaluation doesn’t equal “problem solved”.
Conditions Treated
(Click on conditions below to open more information)
Digestive Challenges +
Is your life being completely controlled by gut distress? Do you never know when it will have you buckled over in pain or discomfort? There are several different ways that your intestines can show imbalance: acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating, IBS or IBD (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis) are all signs of imbalance. There are 60-70 million people in the US suffering from digestive disorders with the total health care burden, being just over $141 billion annually (1). One way to manage these conditions is through medication, however, as this may offer relief, the question you always want to ask, is, “Did the therapy restore balance?” If not, what else can be done?
Why is it so important to get help for digestive conditions? You may have heard the concept, “Your gut is your second brain”. Like the brain, the digestive tract affects every organ system in your body! With intestinal imbalance, there is often inflammation. If there is inflammation in your digestive tract, there is poor absorption. That means at a biochemical level, it is impossible for your body is to get all the nutrients it needs to support balance. While short term, your body can handle this, over a period of time other major health concerns may appear as a result.
The best way to treat digestive imbalance is to restore proper function! Your doctor should be primarily interested in making this happen. For instance, if you are experiencing heartburn, one option for treatment is an acid blocker medication. Yes, it will provide symptom relief, but NO it will not restore proper function. Why do you have acid reflux in the first place? Do you have excess stress in your life? Do you really have too little stomach acid causing acid reflux? Do you have an infection in your stomach? Are you eating foods that you are sensitive too? Do you have a hiatal hernia? This is where I start with my patients. The work is never done until we have done the best we can to restore proper function. If you are reading this article, you are most likely tired of having your digestive system control your life. You are ready to be set free. Use this article as confirmation to make a change! Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care.
Download Digestive Challenges (PDF) article here.
Weight Issues +
Have you tried just about every diet possible and had very little change in your weight? Even when you exercise, is it impossible to lose more than a few pounds? Can you lose a bunch of weight on a “cleanse” or “diet”, and then gain it right back when it’s over? Are you tired and drained from worrying about your weight?
If any of these questions ring true to you, you have come to the right place!
There is no question about it, excess or too little weight can be extremely damaging to your health. The longer the weight issues go on, the more likely you are to experience cardiovascular challenges, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. So, what can you do about it?
Get professional support! Stop trying to lose weight on your own. It might be that you have hormone imbalance, an autoimmune condition, blood sugar imbalance, food intolerances, or that you focus so much on your weight that you grow, physically!
Whatever the case, it is important to use a doctor, who looks at your whole body when determining the cause of your weight imbalance. You are a whole person and every piece of you is connected! When the right combination of support is given to your body, it will create its own balance physically, biochemically, and emotionally.
Yes, diet may be part of it, but “dieting” is never the answer!
I can imagine if you are here, you are completely ready for a change, physically and emotionally, so that you can feel incredible!
It is very difficult to feel bad about yourself, and live powerfully at the same time. We are each here to make a difference in this world, so stop letting your weight be the deal breaker and make the change! Let this article be confirmation that it’s time.
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Weight Challenges (PDF) article here.
Fatigue +
How does fatigue affect your life? Do you want to stay in bed all day? Do you become very unproductive and wish you could take a nap during the day? Do you become irritable with your loved ones? Do you have no energy to put into exercise, relationships, or self-nourishment? If you fit into any of these categories, you are probably tired of being tired, and so ready to change!
Often times, little focus is placed on getting rid of fatigue. It gets brushed under the table, as people believe there is nothing that can be done. “It’s from being so busy,” they might say. If you go to the doctor, often times a myriad of tests are run, and patients leave with no sign of imbalance, or a little thyroid support that may or may not really help.
The reason why fatigue is so hard to treat in our health care system is because every single condition out there can cause fatigue!
So, how do I address fatigue? 1) I get a detailed history of what is going on with YOUR body and treat based on what’s going on with you as an individual, not as a “symptom”. 2) I start with the basics. It is so easy to go for the worst possible scenario with fatigue. It could just be that you don’t digest food very well, so of course if you don’t get nutrients IN to your body, then you are going to be tired! If you don’t get enough sleep, you are going to be tired! If you go 90 miles an hour all day, every day, you are going to be tired! But other important, often overlooked issues include adrenal/thyroid health, heavy metal or chemical toxicity, food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions, and many others. It’s important to rule these out when treating.
The real question is, “What is going on with YOUR body?”
Wouldn’t it be nice to know so that you can make the right changes for your body and your life? I can guarantee if you are here, you are so tired of letting each day slip by feeling like you can’t live it to its fullest because you are drained! Use this message as confirmation that it is time to make a change. Let’s find out what will make you feel energized and ready to live your life powerfully!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Fatigue (PDF) article here.
Depression +
You may be experiencing feelings of sadness, doom, dullness, or a lack of joy in life. You may feel completely debilitated, stuck and have no idea where to turn. If this is you, you are not alone! According to the CDC, 1 in 10 people experience some level of depression. Depression is nothing to take lightly, as it can prevent you from really living your life to it’s amazing fullest.
So, where do you start? Depression medications are one option, but unfortunately, this is often the only option people know of. In 2009 in the U.S., $22.8 billion were spent on the treatment of depression, including mostly depression medications and ambulatory visits. Antidepressants may help symptoms temporarily, and sometimes that is all that a person needs. But often times, people end up on them for years without anyone ever addressing the underlying cause of their condition.
If most depression is caused from a lack of serotonin or dopamine, WHY then, are you deficient in serotonin or dopamine? It’s one thing to put a Band-Aid on the problem, but it’s another to uncover the cause of the underlying imbalance, so that you can live a powerful life!
“WHY?” is the question I have in my head constantly when I am treating patients. Many different factors can contribute to depression: poor digestion, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, toxicities, living your life in a way that is untrue to “who you really are”, and many others! What is it for you?
You’ve probably been living with depression symptoms for longer than you ever thought you would. It’s time to take a stand for yourself and make the changes you need to live happily, and fulfilled. It’s who you really are, underneath all of those symptoms!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Depression (PDF) article here.
Cardiovascular Challenges +
Many times, we overlook just how important our hearts are.
The heart moves 6 quarts of blood through the body, 3 times every minute. This is 12,000 miles a day; over 4 times the distance from coast to coast of the US! In an average lifetime the heart will beat an average of 2.5 billion times—100,000 times per day. Even at rest, the heart beats harder than a leg muscle while sprinting.
Because the hearts job is to deliver oxygen and nutrient rich blood to every cell in the body, it has to work very hard for you to be healthy! It makes sense, then, that if the heart isn’t successfully delivering what your body needs, so many things can go awry. As a result, common cardiovascular challenges include high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, valvular malfunction, high cholesterol, heart failure and heart attacks. If you are at risk for or have these conditions, you most likely know there’s something more to taking care of your heart than to prevent further complications. That is why you are here.
As much as I’d love to say, “Take this pill and everything will be better,” this is as far from the truth as possible! It’s great to prevent further complications, but preventing means actively working to find the underlying cause of the condition:
Why do you have plaque in your arteries? Why do you have high blood pressure? Do you eat a significant amount of processed foods and sugars? Do you have food sensitivities, resulting in increased inflammation, damage to your arteries, and increased heart rate? Do you have heavy metals or chemicals in your body? Do you have hormone imbalances? Do you have too much STRESS in your life? What is going on inside your body?
This is where the true healing can happen. Maybe your body is trying to tell you that something needs to change, and it is using high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart attacks to tell you this. If you don’t already have answers to your heart condition, use this article as a reminder that it is time to get those answers! The heart can handle an amazing amount of stress, but after a while it just can’t withstand it all.
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Cardiovascular Challenges (PDF) article here.
Links
Autoimmune Disease (Hashimoto’s, ALS, SLE, Celiac, etc) +
With many autoimmune conditions, doctors label people with the disease and the person doesn’t know otherwise than to carry the diagnosis around with them their whole life. Why? Because 1) they have received very little relief from their condition and 2) it constantly reminds them that it is there by filling their life with discomfort, pain, and fear. Research shows that 23.5 million Americans suffer from 1 of 24 autoimmune conditions. However, because there are actually 80-100 autoimmune conditions in existence, the number of people suffering from them is actually significantly higher.
Using commonly prescribed immunosuppressant medications has devastating side effects resulting in chronic infections, malignancy, and several other conditions.
There is no reason you should be a part of this statistic! The good news is, like many other conditions, “autoimmune” means the immune system is attacking itself and dis-ease is a state of imbalance. What if the immune system is just confused? What if it can be guided back to knowing that it is absolutely not right to attack its own body and it can now mount a proper response to “foreign” matter? It can!
Regardless of the autoimmune condition, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Crohn’s disease, ALS, SLE, celiac disease, and many more, the immune system is confused. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be attacking its own body. And yes, you can have these conditions, but not know it, if your immune system is in balance!
More than this, autoimmunity is often carried through the generations, but can be corrected. So if there were a way to stop this downhill spiral, would you be up for the challenge? If you said yes to this question, you have come to the right place! You are ready to make a change for yourself and your family! You are ready to start living your life with purpose and power, free of physical barriers.
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Autoimmune Disease (PDF) article here.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder +
According to a 2010 report from the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 10 U.S. children have the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated 2.7 million children, ages 4-17, are taking medication for their ADHD. The rates of this disorder have increased by 22%. According to the United Nations, the U.S. consumes 85% of the world’s methylphenidate, the drug used to treat ADHD. Long-term use of this drug has been related to memory issues and depression.
We are overmedicating our children and putting a huge Band-Aid on something that at some point will wreak havoc on the generations to come.
So, why does ADHD exist? ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder that can affect attention, hyperactivity and compulsiveness. There are several contributing factors, but the most critical influences are genetics, diet, and social and physical environments. With naturopathic medicine I work with my patient’s body to find what might be aggravating their nervous and digestive systems.
More often than not, what you are putting in your body affects your mood more than any “neurotransmitter problem” ever does. When you feed yourself food that nourishes your body, it naturally has the ability to balance your mood. Nervous system imbalance can be supported by eliminating environmental stressors such as food allergies, food additives, chemical exposure, and life stress, just to name a few.
No two people with ADHD are the same, so it is important to assess where your symptoms are coming from and why your body is reacting with imbalance. There are a variety of ways to support balance with natural medicines, diet, and lifestyle changes. Please don’t wait any longer. It is important to make changes as soon as possible, so that you can live a thriving life without the side effects of long-term medication use.
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (PDF) article here.
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Anxiety Disorders +
It may be one of the most uncomfortable places to be; in a world where anxiety or panic attacks live with you day in and day out. People often feel so helpless and debilitated and there may be little to no physical symptoms or lab work to show that there is anything wrong. People with anxiety disorders may experience palpitations, chest pain, overwhelming fear, sweating, shortness of breath and a feeling of disconnect leaving them unable to function at work, home, and other areas of their life.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US affecting around 40 million people over the age of 18. Many people walk around with anxiety undiagnosed and untreated, as only about 1 out of 3 of those with the condition seek medical care. With that being said, those treated spend upwards of $42 billion per year on medical care and go to the doctor 3-5 times more than the average person.
There is more to treating anxiety than giving someone an anti-anxiety medication and sending them out the door!
It is important to know what is going on in this persons’ body. Are their hormones in a state of balance? Are they digesting nutrients appropriately? Are they eating food allergens that increase their heart rate and cause stress? Are their lives in a state of balance and are they living a life they love?!
There is help. Not just to make the anxiety go away, but to restore balance to the body and mind!
People have anxiety for completely different reasons, but often times their life is out of balance and the only way to restore that balance is to find the underlying cause and correct it. That is how Dr. Goss addresses her patients. If you are one of these people who are ready to live a life you love without being debilitated by anxiety, you have come to the right place and are ready to make a change!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Anxiety Disorders (PDF) article here.
Thyroid Health +
Are you struggling with fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, dry skin, and cold extremities? These are all signs of hypothyroidism. On the other end of the spectrum, inability to gain weight, sweating abnormally, anxiety and heart palpitations are all symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, it is estimated that 27 million Americans suffer from thyroid dysfunction and half of those go undiagnosed. Do you have thyroid symptoms, but your thyroid tests always come back “normal?” Or, have you been treated with thyroid medication, with no change, or worsening of your symptoms? Many people struggle with these symptoms and are at a loss of what to do because either their lab values are normal and no treatment is used, or their treated with medication, which doesn’t always help.
So, why do you have the symptoms? Why is it that medications aren’t helping? The reason is that your body is intricately connected. Just because the thyroid is malfunctioning doesn’t mean that you have a “thyroid problem”. Many different factors contribute to thyroid health, including autoimmune disorders, digestive disturbances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, stress, toxicity, and hormone/endocrine imbalances. Treating with medication can sometimes exacerbate a problem and often times, doesn’t correct the cause of the thyroid malfunction.
The thyroid gland is a passion of mine. Over half of my practice is made up of people with thyroid concerns and I have been successfully treating these patients. It is so easy to get tunnel vision with the thyroid and treat just that, but when you keep doing the same thing and it isn’t working, maybe it’s time for a change.
Time to find out what is creating YOUR thyroid issues!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Thyroid Health (PDF) article here.
Seasonal Allergies (Or any other allergy for that matter!) +
Are you tired of dreading the springtime when your allergies act up, leaving you with itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, and extreme exhaustion? Are you ready to look forward to the spring, as a time to get outdoors, become more active, and create new growth both in your health and in your life? You can have all this and feel amazing!
60 million Americans are affected by allergies annually. The annual cost of allergies estimates to be $14.5 billion.* Therefore, allergies are not something to take lightly. So, how do we change this?
It starts by balancing the body’s immune system.
Let’s pretend your body’s immune system measures its stress by filling a bucket with anything that bothers it. Your immune system can handle different stressors, until the bucket overflows and that’s when you see symptoms. So, since about 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, let’s add to our bucket food allergies that cause immune system stress. Now the bucket is 1/3 of the way full. Next, let’s add to the bucket inflammation, foreign invaders such as microbes or heavy metals, and chemicals. Now the bucket is 2/3 of the way full. Lastly, let’s add poor sleep, or stress to the bucket, which both significantly alter immune function. Now the bucket is full.
So, you are going through life with no symptoms…and then springtime comes along with pollen, which gives your immune system a little extra stress that it can’t hold! And, soon you are suffering with seasonal allergies.
Seasonal allergies are not a pollen problem. Neither are any other environmental allergies. They are an immune system problem. Why is your immune system not able to handle the pollen in the springtime, when others go through the pollen season without a single symptom?
There is no cookie cutter approach to allergies. It’s a matter of finding out where the major stressors are for your immune system and correcting those. I have several patients who have come to me struggling with allergies and each one is experiencing significant improvement in their symptoms. It is time to stop letting allergies slow you down in the spring. Instead, use this time to feel good and focus your energy toward living life to the fullest!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Seasonal Allergies (PDF) article here.
Links
Insomnia +
Are you tired of feeling completely exhausted in the morning after tossing and turning all night long? Are you tired of dreading the night to come, knowing that it is going to be another night like the last several to hundreds of nights in the past? Have you tried every medication, herb, supplement there is on the market with little luck, or possibly you sleep through the night but wake feeling groggy?
You are not alone! According to the CDC, an estimated 50-70 million US adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder, that’s close to 20% of the US population. You might think it is just a sleep problem, however, people with sleep issues are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity (1). This is nothing to take lightly! If your body doesn’t make it into deep REM sleep, it is very difficult to heal. Therefore when you are in and out of sleep, healing gets put on the back burner.
Many different factors can contribute to a loss of sleep, including stress, poor sleep hygiene, poor digestion, food sensitivities, hormone imbalance, medications and chronic diseases such as arthritis, heart, and lung disease. With all of these factors in play, you can see why taking a sleeping pill, may not make miracles happen. Or, you may rely on it for the rest of your life in order to have a decent nights rest.
What if there was another way? What if you could heal your body and sleep would be just one of the many “side effects” that you might experience? It’s time to start waking up rejuvenated, energized, and ready to live your life to its fullest. You deserve that!
Call to schedule a Comprehensive New Patient Exam or schedule a Free 15-minute Consult to see if you are a good candidate for Naturopathic care. 541.585.3726
Download Insomnia (PDF) article here.
Links
What you don’t know about your sleeping pills
Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic