51—You don't have to put up with...
51

Achy Breaky Bits

A young female displays her naked back in a writhing fashion to indicate a sports injury

We Naturopaths aren't competitive, so you'll always win with us!

Regardless of whether you’ve injured yourself, you’re suffering from a degenerative bone or joint condition, or you’ve developed one of the ‘hurty’ types of musculoskeletal conditions (Fibromyalgia or muscular spasm), we can help nurse you back to health. Naturopaths + Medical Herbalists can assist your Osteopath, Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Massage Therapist, Doctor or Surgeon with the use of natural painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants (among other things). Naturopathy doesn’t try to compete with the conventional system, rather it endeavours to complete it by slotting into its obvious gaps.

Naturopaths excel in preventative medicine (maintaining or improving health). Therefore,  it can be a good idea to see a Naturopath while you’re still healthy, rather than waiting until something happens. If you pick us first to be on your team, you may not need to be side-lined — let alone benched for the season!

Note: We’re also pretty awesome at dealing with chronic disease, and establishing wellness.

On the up-and-up

We don’t just aim to reduce the physical experience of pain, we also aim to address the underlying and surrounding issues (as appropriate).  We take the following areas into consideration:

  1. Before and after surgery care

    We offer prior support to achieve better surgical outcomes (reduced risk of infections and improved recovery time).

    We can support your body while on conventional painkillers and antibiotics.

    Note:  The effectiveness of our natural forms of pain relief may allow the dosage of prescription medication to be reduced.

  2. Promotion of efficient tissue repair & regeneration

    We provide restorative nutrients, promote correct digestive + immune function, and offer stress support.

  3. The backlash of chronic pain

    We can help improve sleep and mood disorders. We can also help to prevent painkiller dependence.

Lean on us — we'll support you!

These are the types of musculoskeletal issues that we can treat:

  1. Chronic overuse syndromes

    Conditions such as Bursitis + Tendonitis.

  2. Fibromyalgia + Polymyalgia Rheumatica

  3. Muscular tension + pain

  4. OsteoArthritis + Rheumatoid Arthritis

  5. Osteoporosis

  6. Sports Injuries

    After your injury has been initially treated by conventional medicine.

Many various supplements are displayed on a table to show what you can take for sports injury

I can be difficult to work with!

If you’ve read my post on Food Intolerance, you’ll know that I suffer from a skeletal muscle condition that I manage through diet and various other natural therapies.

Note:  I very occasionally need painkillers when it gets on top of me.  And I’m only talking about taking 2 tablets 1-2x here.

I therefore know how important it is to use multiple therapies when dealing with musculoskeletal issues. If I go to my Chiropractor or Massage Therapist when I haven’t been looking after myself as well as I could  (not watching my diet, and not taking my magnesium + kava),  then the physical manipulation isn’t effective — I’m difficult to adjust, and the treatment doesn’t ‘hold’.  However, this manipulation is incredibly effective when I target my condition holistically and stick to my dietary + supplement + medicinal herb regime.

Similarly, if a client comes to me with stress or tension headaches, one of my recommendations will be that they also seek the services of a therapeutic masseuse. Or, if a client comes to me suffering from a nervous system complaint (which could result in — or be the cause of — a myriad of conditions) I will recommend they also see a Chiropractor or Osteopath.

We can treat these conditions in a variety of ways

Depending on the specific circumstances, a Naturopathic treatment plan could include any of the following:

Dietary Recommendations

We can manipulate your diet to:

  1. MANAGE PAIN + INFLAMMATION

    We will promote certain foods + herbs that reduce inflammation (oily fish + garlic), as well as discourage certain foods that create inflammation (red meat + chicken)

  2. MANAGE WEIGHT 

    If you have poor motility, or to aid your recovery

  3. IMPROVE DIGESTION

    To promote nutrient uptake

  4. ENHANCE IMMUNE SYSTEM 

    To promote healing

  5. REDUCE STRESS 

    To promote nutrient uptake, enhance healing and improve sleep quality

    Note:  Sometimes we might use coffee therapeutically to promote ‘painkilling’ – as it works on a particular pain pathway in the body (it’s a LOX inhibitor). However, in most cases caffeine creates stress in the body. This is detrimental to the healing process.

 

 

Nutritional Supplements

We might recommend one or more of the following:

  1. A PAINKILLER

    MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

  2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES

    Bioflavonoids
    Bromelain
    Quercetin
    Vitamin C
    EPA(Fish oil)
    MSM

  3. MUSCLE RELAXANTS

    Calcium
    Magnesium
    MSM

  4. REPAIR & REGENERATION

    Glucosamine & Chondroitin
    MSM
    Specific vitamins & minerals
    Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC)

  5. STRESS/ANXIETY/DEPRESSION/SLEEP

    Calcium
    Magnesium
    B-group vitamins

I love T.L.A' s
(Three letter abbreviations).

Did you notice how many times MSM featured above?
Methylsulfonylmethane (a form of sulphur) is fabulous for1:

—  Increasing blood flow (and therefore promoting repair + regeneration)
—  Reducing muscle spasm
—  Inhibiting pain impulses along nerve fibres
—  Inhibiting inflammation
—  Softening scar tissue, and
—  Modulating auto-immune diseases e.g. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Note: Because of the many actions above, MSM is also beneficial for those that suffer from Asthma. MSM also modulates allergic responses making it beneficial for any ‘allergic’ condition e.g. sinusitis, or hay fever sufferers. And, sulphur is good for your skin, nails and hair. All of this, and it’s cheap!

Herbal Medicine

We might recommend one or more of the following:

  1. PAINKILLERS

    California Poppy
    Pasque Flower
    White Willow
    (Medicinal Marijuana; if it’s legal where you are)

  2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES

    Boswellia
    Cayenne
    Celery Seed
    Devil’s Claw
    Feverfew
    Ginger
    Liquorice
    Turmeric

    Note: our natural painkillers and anti-inflammatories work on the same enzymes as the equivalents in conventional medicine. In fact, we can access certain pathways that pharmaceuticals cannot (affecting change at the cellular membrane level), and some of our natural alternatives act on many pathways simultaneously e.g. Turmeric, Garlic, and Fish oil. 

  3. MUSCLE RELAXANTS

    Kava & Crampbark

  4. REPAIR AND REGENERATION

    Grape Seed
    Gotu Kola
    Gingko Biloba

  5. STRESS/ANXIETY/DEPRESSION/SLEEP

    Kava
    Valerian
    St Johns Wort
    California Poppy
    (Medicinal Marijuana; if it’s legal where you are)
    Rhodiola — it’s one of my favourite herbs!

Three medicinal liquid herbs are displayed on a table to show what can be used for sports injury

Arnica's not just for bruises!

There are many topical ‘natural’ anti-inflammatories on the market. They can contain substances like: Winter Green, Comfrey, Cayenne, Arnica, and MSM.  You can also choose from heating or cooling products depending upon your particular circumstances.

My favourite product for sore muscles is straight Arnica. It works a treat for any type of sore, bruised feeling — usually where there is tissue trauma.

Note: Only ever apply Arnica to intact skin.

Lisa says:

Talk to your Naturopath or Medical Herbalist

We’ll work with you, and in conjunction with your other health providers to provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan. We’ll let you know the best forms of supplements + herbs to take. We will advise the correct dosage and length of time they should be taken for.

If you’re not ready to give up your orthodox painkillers yet, then we can help to potentiate these medications to make them work even better for you. (We ensure they are working effectively, and that you only require the minimum amount.)

We can help make your big 'Boo-boos' all better — faster!

Make an appointment with Lisa

Lisa Fitzgibbon is a degree qualified (2006), experienced and registered Naturopath & Medical Herbalist. She runs her own private practice – OOMPH in Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.

Lisa has been involved in the Natural Health industry for 16 years. She draws on her professional training and experience, as well as her own personal experience to bring you realistic, holistic health advice.

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