Advanced Naturopathic Case Taking: Naturopathic Case Taking and Analysis

Question 1

Naturopathic Principles

Answer 1

Apply naturopathic principles with every client:
1. The healing power of nature. Self-healing can occur given the right means.
2. Treat the cause, not the symptoms.
3. Treat the whole person. Recognise individuality of the ‘whole’ person.
4. Prevention is preferable to cure.
5. A naturopath is an educator / teacher. Empowering clients to take responsibility for their health.

Question 2

Causes of Disease

Answer 2

• Physical
• Mental
• Genetic Social
• Environmental
• Other Factors

Question 3

Hering’s laws of cure:

Answer 3

1. From the inside out; a boil clears internal toxins away from more vital organs to the skin.
2. From more important organs to less; from the lungs (asthma) to the skin (eczema).
3. The mind gets better before the body; anxiety starts improving before IBS does.
4. Symptoms disappear in the reverse order to when they arrived.
5. From above to below; progression of disease —fingers, wrists, elbows - elbows, wrists, fingers.
   * Think of how an infection from a cut on the finger travels up the arm. Healing occurs in reverse order.

Question 4

Disease as a process

Answer 4

Disease is a process: Disease can take a short time (stroke) or long time (cancer) to develop. There is a root cause, compounded by dietary and lifestyle factors. For example, in endometriosis:
Antecedents (predisposing factors to illness):
* Genetic predisposition, environment (xeno-oestrogen exposure e.g. BPA), low-fibre diet (bind to oestrogens), low B6, Mg, Zn, EFA status (help to regulate oestrogen).

Triggers (something which started / triggered the problem):
* Stressful life event, environmental toxins, medication, allergens.

Mediators (factors that maintain / keep the illness going):
Unhappy at work (raised cortisol), poor sleep (work shift patterns).

Question 5

Antecedents - definition

Answer 5

Antecedents:
Predisposing factors to illness:

Question 6

Triggers - definition

Answer 6

Triggers:
Something which started / triggered the problem

Question 7

Mediators - definition

Answer 7

Mediators:
Factors that maintain / keep the illness going

Question 8

Disease as an end result

Answer 8

Disease is an end result: Symptoms and cause are not the same. Clients describes symptoms, we find the cause.
Before the disease is a cause, for example:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD):
* Suppression (E.g. anti-diarrhoeals for gut infection; Steroids for IBD; Antibiotics – which disrupt the microflora, compromising the intestinal barrier and immune system, and promoting dysbiosis).
* A poor diet high in refined carbs and low in fibres, low in essential fats and vitamins that support mucous membrane integrity and immune balance.
* Chronic stress (compromises gut integrity, making it more prone to inflammation and permeability)

SYMPTOMS:
Abdominal pain
Diarrhoea
Bloating
Urgency
Rectal bleeding

Question 9

The root cause

Answer 9

Imbalances begin at the ‘root of the tree’ and include ‘traumas’ and lifestyle factors throughout lifecycle stages.
* Gestation – Birth - Childhood - Teenage years - Adulthood.
* Underlying imbalances lead to symptoms.
* Symptoms are the end result (i.e. the ‘leaves’ of the tree). Treating the individual leaves doesn’t get to the root.
* It is not what is wrong, but why.
Naturopathic nutrition addresses the foundations of health through dietary and lifestyle adjustments.Assessing the whole person

Question 10

Assessing the whole person

Answer 10

Whilst applying naturopathic principles, you should:
1. Take into account the client’s:
* Antecedents—predisposing factors to illness.
* Triggers —anything that initiates an illness. Since…I have..
* Mediators —contribute to the manifestation of the disease.

2. Uncover the client’s personal lifestyle factors.
   * Sleep and relaxation time, exercise and movement, nutrition and hydration, stress levels, relationships.
3. Plot the information on a timeline.
   * Birth ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬———————————– Present
   Events