Why hormone testing and supplements are often not enough.

Chelsea here…let’s go on a little adventure together…

Our practice has changed over the years to reflect the needs of those who come in. We’ve been conjuring up solutions to a massive observation: we are working too far downstream, even in naturopathic medicine. 

i’ve been talking about the therapeutic order often. It’s a philosophical framework that facilitates naturopathic decision making in a clinical context. i’ve come to learn that it helps to inform how to live a healthy life as well.

Since starting our practice in Sarnia there has been a huge demand for hormone-related support: fertility, menstrual concerns, weight changes, thyroid, menopause, fibroids, prostate, etc… Mason and i were surprised. We didn’t expect to see this as we transitioned from Vancouver to Sarnia.

As we continued to work with these people, the vast majority women, i learned i had to take a deeper look. The therapeutic order was my guide. 

What are we really working with here?

At a root cause level, what are the overarching themes that we are noticing?

It was so rare that with simple hormone lab testing and a few key nutraceuticals, lasting cure was found. It is the fundamentals that needed to be emphasized. And then, there was always layers. i had to lean into my most esoteric tools. Such tools were key in my personal healing journey, but they aren’t the ones emphasized in common naturopathic approaches or in naturopathic medical school.

i often do not run advanced hormone panels anymore. i find they are missing the point. i prefer foundational lab markers to help paint a picture of what the physiology is doing. Paired with a comprehensive hands-on assessment and thorough history taking, we can often get a clear picture of where we are at and what we are going to do about it. 

We need to get down to the truth—what are the ideas, emotions, behaviours, thoughts at play here? How have you built the structure of your life? And how does this relate to your current experience?

At the health creation lab, we help to create the conditions for health. We know that health is an emergent phenomenon, a natural organizing intelligence that abounds, given the right conditions. This force is unstoppable, sophisticated and truly magic. We see miracles again and again in clinic.

It’s a mindset shift to trust that consistent choices, maintained over the long term is enough to shift health in a dramatic way. As a culture, we’ve been inundated with the ideas that health comes in the form of pills and all you do is take them and then you’re better. It’s tough to shake this ideology off.

Yet, this bubble is bursting. It just isn’t adequate to capture the true extent of what healing involves. There has to be a level of discipline to change the way you live your life. There has to be an open-mind ready to try new things, perhaps even modalities that are on the edge of your comfort zone. We have to be really honest with one another as client and clinician.

Pragmatically, we know this. For example, there is a family health history section on nearly every patient intake form, regardless of the care provider… but can we sink a little deeper into that trend? When you show up with a uterine condition and we can see traces of this pattern through your maternal lineage, are you healing just you? Or are you healing for your ancestors as well? What about for future generations?

These are the kinds of questions that i have been asking, and need to keep being explored. An open mind is important here. As a culture, we’ve been forcing our healing into neatly organized, discrete boxes. There has been no space for all the nuance between. There has been no dialogue about how all the boxes are communicating or what is missing entirely.

So when you go to your naturopathic doctor, stay open to the idea that there may be more at play here. Maybe this makes things more complicated, or maybe it makes everything more straightforward. Trust that your body isn’t making a mistake and that a well attuned/trained guide will be able to help identify the signs. 

It’s like reading a map. You just have to learn the language of the body to realized the way forward is written right there in plain sight; in the way you move, talk, feel, relate, behave, respond….

P.S. You can read more about Dr. Chelsea’s approach to hormone healing here and here.

The disclaimer… The amazing thing about humans is that we all have incomparably unique health profiles and needs. The health-related information contained in this article is intended to be general in nature and should not be used prescriptively or a as a substitute for a visit with a naturopathic doctor. This info is intended to offer general information to individuals. If you have questions about how these strategies could be used in adjunct to your current heath regime, book and appointment with us or consult a licensed naturopathic doctor for individualized care.