Articles

The following are articles that Scott has written from time to time for newsletters or various other publications.

The Healing Crisis

Naturopathy, at its core, validates and encourages the processes we all go through to seek balance and homeostasis in our whole being. It understands and at times stimulates the body's natural elimination channels.

Our bodies are in a constant state of taking in and letting go. In the modern world we tend to be better at the "taking in" part. We can consume excessively. And our elimination channels can become over loaded and sluggish.

Appropriate naturopathic treatment often stimulates the channels of elimination. This has been called cleansing. I don't really like the term "cleansing". It can infer that we are in some way dirty, toxic or unclean to begin with. However it is an important concept in naturopathy and it helps to explain why some people feel like they are getting worse before they get better.

This is the so called healing crisis. With the elimination channels being encouraged the body and the mind can begin the process of removing some of the deeper "toxins" that can lie in the system. During this time we can feel unwell and we can have the symptoms of a cold, flu, nausea, fever or just generally feeling unwell.

Sore after the dentist

Sitting in a dentist’s chair for 30-60 minutes with your jaw wide open can place considerable stress on your body. Then there is the dental procedure itself which can have a compacting effect on the bones of the face and skull and therefore the neck and spine in general.

It is not uncommon for people to feel that lower back pain they haven’t felt for years after dental work. More commonly the head and neck just don’t feel right and this imbalance can affect the whole body.
 
Craniosacral therapy can help in those situations where there is pain and discomfort following dental procedures.

Lingering toothache after dental work and pain after extractions can be alleviated after a craniosacral session.

Also, orthodontic braces can restrict the bones of the face and jaw. The pain and headaches people can feel after orthodontic procedures or tightening of the braces can also be alleviated by a craniosacral therapy session.

Fertility and Acupuncture

Of all the natural therapies that are practised, acupuncture is one of the most accepted by the Western medical model. Why? Because there is a mountain of positive research out there.

Recent research from a trial conducted at the University of Adelaide concluded that a pregnancy was twice as likely to occur in a group treated with acupuncture compared to a control group. The trial was specifically for women under going IVF treatment.

Dr Caroline Smith, who conducted the trial said: "Our study showed encouraging results with an increase in the pregnancy rate in the acupuncture group…”

She went on to say: "The good news of the acupuncture use in fertility therapy is the benefit is not affected by age, meaning all age groups showed the increase in IVF success rates from the acupuncture therapy."