Naturopathic Doctors are trained to assess, treat and prevent the underlying causes of health conditions, including complex, chronic degenerative diseases. The complicated web of interactions that defines a patient's health is investigated, including their unique social, physiological, mental, emotional, environmental and lifestyle factors that affect total body function.
Symptoms are Signals!
Just like the red warning light in your car will flash when there is a problem with your engine, a physical symptom is a signal telling you that an underlying health problem needs to be corrected.
Common symptoms include pain, discomfort, fatigue, headaches and mood disturbances.
Unfortunately, treating such symptoms with pain relievers, caffeine, medications or supplements (without uncovering the real cause), is like placing a piece of black tape over the blinking red warning light. The consequences of this action on your car is an expensive engine overhaul.
Unfortunately our bodies cannot be overhauled so easily and ignoring these chronic symptoms could eventually lead to a serious illness.
Naturopathic doctors help their patients restore normal body function, thereby relieving symptoms that may result in serious health conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, heart diseases, osteoporosis and many other chronic degenerative illnesses.
Dr. Laura Stix's Medical Practice
The gap between emerging research in basic sciences and integration into conventional medical practice is enormous—as long as 50 years—particularly in the area of complex, chronic illness. Dr. Stix integrates best medical practices, combining modern Western medical practice and research, with what is sometimes considered "alternative” or “integrative” medicine.
Health optimization and pain-free living is achieved through:
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Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes including Clinical Nutrition & Exercise
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Use of the latest Laboratory Testing & other Diagnostic Techniques
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Prescribed Combinations of Drugs and/or Botanical Medicines, Supplements, Therapeutic Diets, Detoxification Programs
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Traditional & Medical Acupuncture
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Intravenous therapy
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Stress-Management Techniques & Clinical Hypnotherapy
Traditional & Medical Acupuncture
Trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Dr. Stix incorporates both ancient acupuncture techniques with modern Western Medical Science.
Traditional techniques treat patterns of illness and work to create balance in all bodily systems through the therapeutic insertion of fine needles in various combinations. While it is unclear how exactly acupuncture works, it is clear that one of its effects is deactivation of pain pathways. Traditional principles explain it as an enabling of the smooth flow of Qi, a subtle vivifying energy, while more modern concepts center on recruitment of neuroanatomical activities within the body.
Dr. Stix also utilises Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) techniques for chronic pain conditions that occur in the musculoskeletal system where there is no obvious sign of injury or inflammation. IMS is comparable in some ways to traditional acupuncture; however, the major difference is that needle insertions are indicated by physical signs and not according to predefined, TCM meridians. Identifying the physical signs of neuropathic pain is essential since chronic pain is often neurological as opposed to structural, and therefore, invisible to X-rays, MRI Tests, Bone and CT Scans. Needles penetrate deep within muscle tissue, targeting injured muscles that have contracted and become shortened from distress. The goal of treatment is to release muscle shortening, which presses on and irritates the nerve. IMS essentially treats the underlying neuropathic condition that causes the pain.
The needle sites can be at the epicenter of tight, tender muscle bands, or they can be near the spine where the nerve root may have become irritated and supersensitive. Penetration of a normal muscle is painless; however, a shortened, supersensitive muscle will ‘grasp’ the needle in what can be described as a cramping sensation. The result is threefold:
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A stretch receptor in the muscle is stimulated, producing a reflex relaxation (lengthening).
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The needle also causes a small injury that draws blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process.
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The treatment creates an electrical potential in the muscle to make the nerve function normally again. Subjective and objective effects are usually experienced immediately.
Intravenous Therapy
Intravenous (IV) therapy infuses nutrients directly into the veins, raising blood levels of nutrients faster, and to a considerably greater extent, than oral supplementation can. The Myers’ Cocktail is a form of IV nutrient therapy that involves injecting a “cocktail” of nutrients, containing magnesium, calcium, B12, B6, B complex, and vitamin C, directly into the bloodstream to improve energy capacity and cell function. The Myer's Cocktail has been found to be a safe and effective treatment for a wide range of conditions such as:
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chronic pain
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fatigue
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migraines
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acute muscle spasms
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allergies
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loss of appetite
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digestive problems
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depression
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asthma
It can provide a boost of immune-promoting nutrients to reduce the severity of an infection or prevent it altogether. It is beneficial to boost the body before any operation and also speeds up the healing process after operations. It is also excellent for detoxification. IV therapy works well on its own or to enhance a comprehensive wellness program and is easily tailored to meet individual needs. Click here to learn more about IV therapy.
Clinical Hypnotherapy
As evidenced by scientific research, the impact of thoughts, emotions and stress on the physiology of the body is significant, and can sometimes be the limiting factor to achieving health and happiness. The field of psychoneuroimmunology attests to this. As such, Dr. Stix pursued additional training from The Pacific Institute of Advanced Hypnotherapy, the only school in Canada affiliated with a university as a recognised elective for medical students.
Beyond its effectiveness in pain management, hypnotherapy also assists in the treatment of skin conditions, asthma, fears and phobias, behavior modification, smoking cessation, stress management, weight reduction, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, sports performance.
Click here for more information on clinical hypnotherapy.