Most women have experienced menstrual cramps, or “dysmenorrhea,” at one time or another. Menstrual cramps are dull, throbbing or cramping pains in the lower abdomen and are often experienced just before and during a period. For some women, it is merely an annoying discomfort but for others, it can be severe enough to interfere with everyday activities for a few days every month. Dysmenorrhea can be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, loose stools, sweating, and dizziness.

In many situations, there is no identifiable cause of dysmenorrhea. Many experts believe that constricted blood vessels during the period cause menstrual cramps, much in the way that angina occurs when blocked coronary arteries starve portions of the heart of food and oxygen. Most of the time painful menstruation is not considered a cause for concern and western medical treatment usually involves non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or hormonal birth control to manage the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.

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The fall equinox has come and gone and the season of infectious ailment is upon us. Nothing is more important to your health than a well-functioning immune system. Preventing disease and maintaining wellness are deeply rooted in the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine. Such ailments and diseases as the common cold, infections, asthma, food allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer are all related to immune system dysfunction. Immune deficiencies are when the immune system is suppressed by certain factors, making you vulnerable to disease and infection.

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De qi (attainment of energy) sensations – elicited as part of the acupuncture needling process, has been considered an important component of TCM acupuncture and referenced extensively in acupuncture literature. The physiological mechanism that produces the effect of the qi has been explored in many, many studies, but is not well understood. Preliminary findings suggest that de qi may be an important phenomenon to measure in clinical effectiveness of acupuncture, hence; when a patient feels the needle the positive responses are significantly increased.

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There is a distinct difference in the treatment approaches to anxiety in terms of Western and Eastern medicine. In the West, one approach is to medicate the person so they do not feel the anxiety; another is to “talk it through” in order to gain some kind of psychological understanding for the basis of the emotion. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), anxiety is the mind creating “wrong” thinking. Your mind receives information from the external world and then you process it, based on what you know from your past. You try to analyze what will happen in the future and your limited knowledge and narrowed vision cause you to see something you don’t want to see. You create this anxiety because your vision of the future does not match your wish.

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The birds are chirping, the wind is blowing, and the green shoots are jutting out of the earth. Nothing is more relieving for those of us in the Northern hemisphere than a beautiful spring after a long winter, well at least for most of us. If you are one of those thousands of people affected by seasonal allergies you know the friendly signs of spring can be a step ahead of us resulting in sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and overall discomfort and misery.

Most allergies sufferers are used to stocking up on over the counter anti-histamines pharmaceuticals in preparation for allergy season. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine can offer treatment that can not only relieve allergy symptoms but improve your overall health.

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Stress is a normal physiological response to the demands of life. Humans and other animals developed this mental and physical adaptation to deal with the impeding dangers of the natural world. Whether caused by relationships, work, family, or money, stress can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health.

The nervous system is designed to activate the fight or flight response when needed, and not remain in a constant state. Unfortunately, the less dangerous but constant demands of modern life have activated the stress response to be ‘locked in’. When one is not allowing for the necessary relaxation there is depletion of the body’s resources.

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She is a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Nova Scotia Association of Naturopathic Doctors and is registered with the Board of Directors Drugless Therapies – Naturopathy.

Robyn takes a Functional Medicine approach to practice, focusing on the core clinical imbalances that underlie most of the main disease processes seen in North Americans today. Her specific areas of interest include digestive health, detoxification, autoimmune conditions, weight loss and fatigue. She is presently welcoming new patients to her practice.

For more information visit www.truronaturopath.com
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