Moonhawk Healing Natural Therapies

Medicine

TeleHealth and Face to Face Appointments Available – Clinic Open for Business

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Naturopathy is considered to be part of the allied health system within Australia. There has been no Government decision to close naturopathy from practice, and Government has encouraged naturopaths to continue to practice and to support the health of patients, and to reduce the demand on the medical system.

The current Covid19 crisis has had no regulatory impact on my naturopathy practice. Having said that, I understand that some patients may be reluctant to come onto the clinic for face to face appointments. To support these patients I am offering TeleHealth appointments. 

This means that instead of seeing me in person, your consultation will be via the internet. I can assure you that the TeleHealth system I use is safe and secure.

Booking a TeleHealth Appointment

You can book your TeleHealth appointment at https://entirephysio.com.au/entire-physio-booking-page/

Scroll down and choose a Telehealth option for a consultation.

If you prefer, you can telephone Entire Physio on 6299 5183. 
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What Patients Need for TeleHealth

To participate in a TeleHealth appointment you will need to have a stable internet connection and a device that supports video and audio. Most computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones will support audio and visual function. Make sure this function is turned on for your device.

Prior to your appointment you will be sent a link to your TeleHealth appointment in either your appointment confirmation email or reminder, and that will open up your video session with me.

Dispensing Herbs and Supplements

I will be dispensing herbs and supplements via the online dispensary vital.ly. Once I have added your prescription to vital.ly, you wil receive an email giving you access to the site. You wil then be ale to order your herbs and supplements, and choose the delivery method. Your herbs and supplements will be delivered to your door. 

I know we are living in challenging and difficult times. I hope you and your family are safe and well. My goal is to continue to help patients with their ongoing health and wellbeing. Queanbeyan

Face to face consultations will be available at my Queanbeyan clinic only due to travel retrictions between NSW and the ACT. 

Taking Medicinal Herbs and Pharmaceutical Drugs

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Taking Medicinal Herbs and Pharmaceutical Drugs – Safety Considerations

When people are concerned about the way medicinal herbs may interact with their pharmaceutical medications, they often turn to the internet to find an answer.

Facts vs. Myths
Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation on potential adverse interactions between medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs. Concerns of taking medicinal herbs with pharmaceutical drugs centre around the herbs changing the way the drugs work.

Advice of herb-drug interactions is often found on ‘reliable’ and ‘authoritative’ websites. However, it’s rare for this information to be referenced. It is often based on incorrect assumptions of the likelihood of an interaction, and contain mistakes that are not based in fact, and have been perpetuated for so long the original source is lost in time.

Professional and Considered Advice
Like many naturopaths, I take a risk based approach to herb-drug interactions. This risk based approach is based on the known pharmacology of the herb and the drug. There is a lot of clinical evidence on how herbs and drugs interact for me to draw on. 

If you are taking a pharmaceutical drug and want to also take a medicinal herb, seek advice from a qualified and accredited naturopath or herbalist. Your naturopath/herbalist will be able to assess the risks of taking pharmaceutical drugs and herbs at the same time. They will monitor you for adverse/unwanted side effects, and provide important advice like when to take your pharmaceutical drugs and when to take your medicinal herbs. Your naturopath/herbalist can advise on whether it is safe to take medicinal herbs with the particular pharmaceutical drug you are currently taking. 
This informed, professional advice is invaluable.

Eat Your Way to Happy

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Eat Your Way to Happy

Depression is a global epidemic affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide. This has generated a lot of research in ways to treat depression, particularly non-pharmaceutical interventions such as yoga, meditation, and exercise. It’s no surprise that research is now turning to diet as a way of managing depression.

The gut-brain connection means that what we eat influences our brain, and our brain determines our actions and moods. Recent research has shown which foods to eat to reduce the symptoms of depression.

Plant foods to eat to ease depression include:

Watercress, spinach mustard/turnip/beet greens (that’s the leaves on top), lettuce, Swiss chard/silver beet, coriander, basil, parsley, chicory greens, pomelo, capsicum, serrano/jalapeno chilli, kale, collard greens, pumpkin, dandelion greens, cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, acerola, butternut pumpkin, papaya, lemon, and strawberries.

Animal proteins to ease depression include:

Oysters, liver and other organ meats, poultry giblets, mussels, octopus, crag, goat, tuna, smelt, fish roe, blue fish, wolfish, pollock, lobster, rainbow trout, snails, whelks, spot fish, salmon, herring, emu, snapper.

This research highlighted that many of the foods on the list were high in anti-depressant nutrients like Vitamin B12 and omega 3 fatty acids – found in animal based foods. Although supplements may provide the nutrients missing in a purely plant based diet. .

Clearly there are concerns that some seafoods on the list may be high in heavy metals. So, start by increasing foods from the plant list before adding more seafood.

Keep Your Gut Bugs Happy and You Will be Happy Too

Remember what you eat will influence your gut microbiome, as well as modulating your immune system, and changing systemic inflammation. For this reason, choose to eat a mostly plant based diet with small amounts of animal protein. Include foods high in resistant starch e.glegumes; whole grain; cashews, green peas, green banana flour, unripe bananas.

Your but bugs and brain will thank you for including these foods in your diet.

Key Message

Take a close look at what you eat to see how your food choices may be influencing your diet. Seek professional advice if needed.

Beyond Blue: 1300224636

LifeLine: 131114

Lyme Disease and Co-Infections

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What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is defined as an infectious disease caused by tick bites infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. 

While ticks are the most common source of infection, mosquitos, march/marsh flies, sand flies and midges may also transmit the disease. 

It’s worth noting that not everyone who is bitten by a tick will get Lyme Disease.

Because the species of Borrelia varies across the world, diagnosis of the disease in Australia may be missed. In Australia, Lyme Disease is often referred to as Lyme-like Disease, or Relapsing Fever. The diversity of Borrelia bacteria complicates matters – it is currently thought that some infect humans and some don’t. 

Lyme Disease is a complex interaction of signs and symptoms across many body systems. Key elements are chronic infection, chronic inflammation and immune suppression. Lyme patients may also be more susceptible to environmental toxins, and may be more adversely affected by the toxins released by the pathogens that cause the disease.  

The endocrine system (hormones), nervous system (neurotransmitters and brain function), digestive system, and the cardiovascular system may all be impacted. Added to this is chronic pain, fatigue and insomnia. 

The Lyme Disease Association of Australia has more information on Lyme Disease in Australia.

Co-Infections

Tick bites carry more than the Borrelia species of bacteria, meaning that co-infections are quite common. Often signs and symptoms of Borrelia and the various co-infections are similar. Co-infections can make signs and symptoms more severe. Common co-infections include:

    • Babesia species
    • Bartonella species  
    • Rickettsia
    • Ehrlichia species

Reduced immune function can lead to opportunistic infections such as Mycoplasma, Candida, Epstein Barr virus, and Cytomegalovirus. 

Diagnosis

Clinical diagnosis of Lyme Disease can only be done by a medical professional – GP or Specialist. 

Naturopaths prefer to treat patients based on presenting signs and symptoms, and medical history. While naturopaths and herbalists cannot formally diagnosed Lyme Disease, they can use information from previous test results, along with their own observations, to make an informed decision about how to help people who have been bitten by a tick and suspect they have Lyme Disease, or have a clinical diagnosis of Lyme Disease.   

Signs and Symptoms

Acute Lyme

First signs and symptoms appear soon after the bite – hours or days, and include:

  • Bull’s eye rash – appears in around 30% of cases
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Aching joints and muscles
  • Heart palpitations
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or constipation
  • Vertigo, blurred vision, tinnitus 

If you have been bitten by a tick, and start to feel unwell, see your GP or another medical doctor as soon as possible. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics can make a difference to recovery. 

Sub-acute Chronic Lyme

Initial symptoms may subside in 2-4 weeks, sometimes leaving the patient feeling weak and exhausted. Signs and symptoms of acute Lyme may continue to a lesser degree. Some patients say that signs and symptoms appear to cycle from good to bad to worse and back to good. 

Chronic Lyme

Undiagnosed and untreated Lyme can result in chronic Lyme. 

Patients I see mostly have chronic Lyme and may have been unwell for months or years. Patients often present with:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Brain fog
  • Gut problems e.g bloating, diarrhoea/constipation
  • Head and neck pain
  • Muscular aches and pains
  • Mood disorders
  • A range of other symptoms are associated with chronic Lyme. 

Signs and symptoms often reflect the co-infections and opportunistic infections the patient has. 

Naturopathic Treatment of Lyme Disease – it’s complicated

Naturopaths and herbalists will assist people with Lyme Disease by prescribing specific herbs and nutritional supplements. They will assess the patient’s current diet and lifestyle, and recommend changes if needed.  

Acute Lyme needs to be treated by a medical doctor who may prescribe antibiotics. Naturopathic treatments can be given at the same time – the aim being to destroy the bacteria and help the immune system fight the infection. Naturopaths can assist patients taking antibiotics to reduce unpleasant side effects some people experience when taking antibiotics. 

Chronic Lyme is more complicated to treat due to the constellation of symptoms the patient presents with. It’s essential to address underlying microbial infection with appropriate herbs. However, it is often necessary to first stimulate detoxification, reduce inflammation, support the immune system, and address the most pressing symptoms before starting on anti-microbial herbs.

Diet and Lifestyle

Diet and lifestyle can have a very big impact on recovery from Lyme Disease. I usually recommend patients follow a low inflammatory diet – a mostly plant based diet that excludes, for example, processed foods, added sugar, dairy, gluten and foods from the nightshade family (e.g tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, capsicum, chilli, cayenne, paprika, goji berries). Other recommendations around diet will be made depending on individual patient needs. 

As far as possible people with Lyme need to have a stress free or low stress lifestyle. Unfortunately, in the modern world, avoiding stressful situations can be difficult. Most treatment plans will include stress management techniques. While many people with Lyme are too fatigued for formal exercise, undertaking some moderate exercise is essential to recovery. 

Most importantly people with Lyme Disease need to recognise when they have done too much. People recovering from Lyme need lots of rest. Overdoing it can set back recovery. 

Lifestyle changes are often the hardest to make.  

Recovery

It is possible to recover from Lyme Disease. However, the degree of recovery is individual to each patient. Some symptoms can ease within weeks or months, others may take longer. Some patients need ongoing naturopathic support, others do not. Recovery may be dependant on the patient making changes to diet and lifestyle, and generally taking better care of themselves.  

It’s Complicated

There’s no easy one size suits all answer to helping people with Lyme Disease. Each patient will present with a complex interaction of physical, mental and lifestyle factors affecting their day health and wellbeing. 

I think the key to any treatment plan is to make it as simple as possible, and personalise it to each patient I see. 

 Acknowledgements 

I would like to acknowledge the work of Professor Kerry Bone,  Amina Eastham-Hillier ND, and Dr Nicola Ducharme ND. These three people have generously shared their knowledge on how best to treat people with Lyme Disease. I am grateful for their generosity and encouragement.