Naturopathic doctors seek to uncover any underlying cause for an individual’s health concerns in an effort to prevent and reverse illness, rather than simply treat symptoms. In today’s western medicine model, we are often conditioned to only visit the doctor when we’re sick or have an active problem presenting. However, from a naturopathic perspective, we are looking to maintain good health all year long, with regular check-in’s to make sure you’re staying on track with your health and wellness, optimizing your nutrition, reviewing yearly lab work, and encouraging you to implement good habits every day to keep your body vibrant and strong. 

By regularly checking in with your naturopathic doctor once or twice per year for a general wellness visit, you can rest assured that preventable health problems won’t suddenly appear “out of the blue”. Someone is tending to your health from a holistic perspective and giving you the education you need to maintain healthy habits every day. 

What you can expect from a general wellness visit:

• You don’t have to come in for your visit with anything “wrong”! Your naturopathic doctor will ask you in-depth questions about your lifestyle, diet, exercise, past medical history, and any current concerns.
• Your naturopathic doctor welcomes any health and wellness questions you may have. Do you fully understand how your body is working, or what your current medical conditions mean? Do you have questions about recent lab work or if and why supplements or medications may be helpful for you? All of these questions and more can be reviewed in your general wellness visit. 
• You can expect to be really heard. With an hour-long appointment, you have time to explain yourself and ask questions. 
• Your naturopathic doctor will create a detailed care plan for you. This may be encouraging or slightly optimizing what you’re already doing, or creating custom diet and lifestyle recommendations to support areas of your health that need a little extra attention. 

At Richmond Natural Medicine, one of our passions is to help you live a happy and healthy life that is sustainable and works for you. General wellness is all-encompassing because it requires looking at all of the unique factors that make you special. It is also important as a foundation because it paves the way for additional vitality and prevention. Some individuals don’t have a specific health concern, but rather their goal is to maximize their current health. This is what makes natural medicine different: we assess potential future vulnerabilities and also identify your strengths. General wellness through Naturopathic Medicine is one of the best ways to practice preventative medicine for a bright and healthy future.

Dr. Vanessa Ferreira, ND is our in-house wellness specialist. She has a passion for using alternative therapies in an integrative way to provide complete & balanced care and believes in empowering individuals to take control of their own health. Dr. Ferreira provides customized health plans to fit each person’s unique needs. In addition, she uses tools such as diet and lifestyle changes, supported detoxification, homeopathy, herbs, supplements, and stress management to address the underlying causes of each concern. She is committed to providing individuals with the resources to help empower their health and support them towards optimal well-being.

“I feel great! My first appointment with Dr. Ferreira was wonderful. She spent the individual time with me to understand my past and future goals and create a personalized plan.”

To schedule an appointment with her or one of our other naturopathic doctors for a general wellness visit, visit this link, or call our office. We look forward to seeing you soon!

At Richmond Natural Medicine, we are always committed to getting to the heart of your health issues. Some symptoms that become normal parts of your daily life don’t necessarily have to be something you just live with. When it comes to headaches or migraines, these can be frustrating, daily occurrences that either leave you feeling irritable or completely unable to continue your day. Headaches and migraines may be the result of other underlying health concerns or the symptom of something else that only happens occasionally. In any case, if headaches and migraines are something that you experience frequently, naturopathic medicine can offer you some insight and support. 

What is the cause of headaches and migraines?

There is no single cause for headaches or migraines, however, there can be several contributing factors unique to each person. Some of these include:

• Dehydration
• Exposure to chemicals or mold
• Consuming food intolerances regularly
• Certain trigger foods such as artificial sweeteners, MSG, or artificial additives
• Stress, tension, or emotional triggers
• Over-exercising
• Exposure to light (too bright, or strobe lighting for example)
• Genetics may play a role in migraine headaches 
• Hormonal changes 
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

How can Naturopathic Medicine Help?

First, your naturopathic doctor will take a thorough look at your health history, current health state, any medications, and supplements, and actively listen to your concerns. With there being so many causes and contributing factors to the presentation of headaches and migraines, looking for patterns and small clues is essential for your naturopathic doctor to determine where to begin. Dietary changes, hormonal testing, stress and sleep support, adjustments to exercise, and supplement changes are common recommendations that will be personalized for you and your individual case. It may be very helpful for your naturopathic doctor to review a symptom journal prior to your visit that includes your dietary inputs, stress, and symptoms. Through detailed questions and follow-up visits, your naturopathic doctor will support you in finding solutions to reducing the occurrence of headaches or migraines in your life. 

Read More: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise & Movement 

For further questions or to schedule an appointment, visit this link or call us at 804-478-0733

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Commonly referred to as UC, ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory condition primarily affecting the rectum, colon, and large intestine. The severity of inflammation can vary from person to person. Symptoms can induce diarrhea, cramping, bloating, anemia, and pain from small ulcers caused by the inflammation in the lining of the colon. Our immune system may develop an overactive response to this inflammatory condition, and many people experience symptoms of UC for several years, making it one of the more chronic digestive conditions with the Irritable Bowel disease category. 

The cause of ulcerative colitis is currently unclear, however, the research and understanding of the interplay between the role of our immune system and digestive health are rapidly growing. The naturopathic approach to supporting ulcerative colitis will take into consideration your entire health history, as well as your individual symptoms and current research. 

The Naturopathic Approach to Ulcerative Colitis

Due to our immune system being largely impacted by the overall health of our gut, symptoms of UC suddenly “flare”, or go into remission for unpredictable periods of time. Lifestyle factors such as stress, diet, sleep, environmental exposure, or even travel can impact the state of our gut, and therefore manipulate our immune response. These are all factors that your naturopathic doctor will take a thorough look at during your consultation to determine any patterns or triggers to your UC story. 

Naturopathic medicine operates under the principle that, under the right conditions, the body has an innate healing capability. The role of a Naturopathic doctor is to determine what those unique conditions are for each person. For some people, healing may look like reassessing lifestyle factors such as their eating habits and stress levels. For others, healing may mean managing chronic inflammation or immune function with herbs or other natural therapies.

Since there is often more than one issue causing imbalance, a multi-layered approach is utilized. This approach ensures that all issues are addressed, as well as further encourages long-term results. Depending on the person, various therapies and modalities may be used to improve gut health. These can range from diet changes and nutritional supplements to herbs, probiotics, and more.

One of the most important factors to achieving optimal gut health is determining the diet and dietary choices that work best for each individual. There is no “one size fits all” approach to a healthy diet and self. Your naturopathic doctor will help determine which foods work best for you, and which do not. Many people consume common foods that their bodies simply cannot break down well. This can set up an ongoing low-level inflammatory process that leads to issues beyond just digestive symptoms, such as “leaky gut,” immune reactivity, and so on.

To schedule an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors, click here.