Natural Treatment IBD Toronto
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, also referred to as IBD, is the main category for inflammatory conditions in the digestive tract that are autoimmune based. Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are two diseases that fall under this category of IBD. Conditions such as gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) or gastroenteritis (inflammation of the digestive tract) are NOT categorized as IBD because they are not autoimmune based.
If you have not yet been diagnosed with IBD and are experiencing rectal bleeding, severe abdominal cramping and pain, and weight loss, these are more worrisome signs and you should seek out medical attention immediately.
However you may not be experiencing all of these and you may have more minor symptoms that can be indicative of IBD.
How we can help
It’s very important to differentiate IBD from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). In IBS there is no autoimmune condition, there is generally no bleeding, and no major weight loss (unless you’re not eating because of pain). It is important to have a full medical workup if there is suspected IBD which generally involves a colonoscopy.
Our treatment plan begins by determining triggers that contributed to the development of IBD. By identifying IBD triggers we can learn how to avoid flare-ups in the future. We need to know why this process has continued and hasn’t gotten better, and what may be blocking your health from improving. For example, are you getting 6 rather than 8 hours of sleep?
Our treatment plan is far more involved when there is a confirmed IBD diagnosis. With a confirmed IBD diagnosis we begin in a similar way to other digestive problems such as SIBO, with our tried and true digestive reboot protocol. This is a 6 week process. However during this time we need to take more action to reduce inflammation, which is a bigger concern for this diagnosis, both with natural products and removing the source of the inflammation. A key component to identifying the source of the inflammation is doing a food intolerance blood test. At a later stage we need to continue to calm down the immune system because this is an autoimmune condition – full healing will not happen unless the immune system finds a healthy balance.
How we are different
One of the key places we are different is how our naturopathic doctor uses the food intolerance test. Often the food intolerance testing is done too early when inflammation is too high, which leads to a lot of false results. Understanding when and how to use the food intolerance test is a key component of proper treatment. Additionally, it’s important to understand IBD is often connected to the larger personal health of the individual. There could be a strong link between IBD and mental health such as anxiety, and there can be a larger family history. This means looking at more than just the digestive tract is absolutely necessary. Our expertise in both digestive and mental health has led to our great success rate.
Our focus on naturally healing the skin to clear up acne, psoriasis, and eczema without medications, is based on healing from the inside out. That is, when you address the underlying cause for the skin condition. In holistic medicine, we look at the whole person, not just the condition, such as acne.
If you are only treating the skin condition topically then you are not addressing the root cause, which means the condition is likely to keep recurring. In our experience, the majority of skin conditions result from some type of digestive disorder, which is in turn linked to hormones. It’s a matter of identifying that root cause and setting you on your path to healthy skin.