Menopause Treatment Article
Posted: October 30, 2004 8:40 pm
I found this for our brother Vinny (or is it Vinnie?), who currently has a Menopausal Mommy. Rather than just PM it to him I decided to start a thread in case anyone else might be interested.
http://www.menopause-online.com/naturopath.html
The Naturopathic Approach to the Treatment of Menopause
by Harry Adelson, ND
With so much information available today on the use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of menopause, whom can one reliably turn to for guidance? The only primary care providers who are trained in the diagnosis and conventional management of medical conditions such as menopause as well as a broad spectrum of natural modalities are licensed naturopathic physicians (NDs).
There exist many natural treatments; particularly botanical medicines, for the treatment of the symptoms and risks associated with menopause. Some of the better known effective botanical treatments for relief of hot flashes are black cohosh and dong quai. However, properly prescribed homeopathic medicines can be helpful as well. Soy products may help to decrease the risk of osteoporosis in women with mild to moderate risk of osteoporosis. Hawthorn is thought to improve memory loss associated with menopause, as well as lower risk of heart disease.
The first order of business when choosing a treatment plan for menopause is to assess a woman's risk for developing diseases associated with menopause, most significantly heart disease and osteoporosis. Women at moderate to high risk for these diseases are good candidates for drug therapies to most aggressively prevent these diseases, along with natural therapies to treat the more benign symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness and low libido. Women at low to low-moderate risk can be candidates for entirely natural treatment plans, supervised by a licensed naturopathic physician. Healthful diets, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines can significantly reduce the risk of disease and dramatically optimize health.
Not all NDs are created equal.
Licensed naturopathic physicians are trained at four-year, postgraduate, in-residence accredited naturopathic medical institutions as family practitioners that specialize in natural medicine and have further passed state licensing exams. Naturopathy is not currently licensed in each of the United States. Health care consumers must investigate the credentials of NDs practicing in states that do not license naturopaths.
NDs learn pharmacotherapy and minor surgical procedures, but the majority the clinical training lies in nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, and physical medicine. The profession is defined less by the modalities employed, and more by the six philosophical principles. Those principles are:
1) vis medacatrix naturae- the healing power of nature,
2) tolle causam- identify and treat the causes,
3) primum non nocere- first do no harm,
4) docere- doctor as teacher,
5) treat the whole person,
6) prevention.
http://www.menopause-online.com/naturopath.html
The Naturopathic Approach to the Treatment of Menopause
by Harry Adelson, ND
With so much information available today on the use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of menopause, whom can one reliably turn to for guidance? The only primary care providers who are trained in the diagnosis and conventional management of medical conditions such as menopause as well as a broad spectrum of natural modalities are licensed naturopathic physicians (NDs).
There exist many natural treatments; particularly botanical medicines, for the treatment of the symptoms and risks associated with menopause. Some of the better known effective botanical treatments for relief of hot flashes are black cohosh and dong quai. However, properly prescribed homeopathic medicines can be helpful as well. Soy products may help to decrease the risk of osteoporosis in women with mild to moderate risk of osteoporosis. Hawthorn is thought to improve memory loss associated with menopause, as well as lower risk of heart disease.
The first order of business when choosing a treatment plan for menopause is to assess a woman's risk for developing diseases associated with menopause, most significantly heart disease and osteoporosis. Women at moderate to high risk for these diseases are good candidates for drug therapies to most aggressively prevent these diseases, along with natural therapies to treat the more benign symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness and low libido. Women at low to low-moderate risk can be candidates for entirely natural treatment plans, supervised by a licensed naturopathic physician. Healthful diets, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines can significantly reduce the risk of disease and dramatically optimize health.
Not all NDs are created equal.
Licensed naturopathic physicians are trained at four-year, postgraduate, in-residence accredited naturopathic medical institutions as family practitioners that specialize in natural medicine and have further passed state licensing exams. Naturopathy is not currently licensed in each of the United States. Health care consumers must investigate the credentials of NDs practicing in states that do not license naturopaths.
NDs learn pharmacotherapy and minor surgical procedures, but the majority the clinical training lies in nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, and physical medicine. The profession is defined less by the modalities employed, and more by the six philosophical principles. Those principles are:
1) vis medacatrix naturae- the healing power of nature,
2) tolle causam- identify and treat the causes,
3) primum non nocere- first do no harm,
4) docere- doctor as teacher,
5) treat the whole person,
6) prevention.
