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The Holistic Approach to Women's Health
Women's Health usually refers to conditions that are uniquely female: disorders of the female reproductive
system. Evaluating your condition holistically, then treating it with natural methods without side
effects are the hallmarks of women's healthcare at South Bay Total Health.
Virtually all disorders of the female reproductive system involve imbalances in hormones. The primary
hormones involved are the Estrogens: Estrone - E1, Estradiol - E2, and Estriol -E3;
Progesterone, Testosterone, DHEA, and Cortisol.
To a lesser extent, the Thyroid hormones are also involved. In addition, deficiencies of key
micronutrients -- vitamins and minerals -- can be involved, either as the direct root cause of some
disorders, or as an aggravating cause once the condition is initiated through other means. Environmental
toxins, especially the category known as Xeno-Estrogens -- artifical chemicals whose chemical structure
is similar to naturally occurring estrogens -- can also cause or contribute to disorders of the reproductive
system. Finally, stress is a crucial factor for some women. In nature, long-term stress, which the body
interprets as a famine, will specifically inhibit the reproductive system. In most cases of infertility,
stress is usually a major factor.
While the number of causes of female reproductive disorders is relatively small, there are a large
number of ways these imbalances can manifest, based on subtle differences in genetic makeup, nutrition,
environment and lifestyle. These factors, coupled with the approach used by the conventional medical
system to compartmentalize every individual symptom as a separate illness requiring separate treatment,
means that often the underlying unifying causes may be missed.
From the perspective of Oriental Medicine, most of the disorders listed below also involve an imbalance
of Qi, Yin, Yang, Blood and Essence, the so called "Vital Fluids". Specific acupuncture protocols and
Chinese Herbs will often be recommended as part of your treatment protocol to address these crucial
energetic imbalances, which more traditional Western biochemical approaches -- even the holistic
Naturopathic version of biochemistry -- may not be able to treat.
Conditions Treated
Basic Gynecological Services
PAP Tests and Annual Checkups
Menstrual Disorders
Amenorrhea
PMS
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding:
- menorrhagia
- metrorrhagia
Dysmenorrhea
Breast Conditions
Fibrocystic Breasts
Mastitis
Insufficient Lactation
Breast cancer
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Ovarian Disorders
Ovarian Cysts
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Ovarian cancer
Uterine Problems
Uterine Fibroids
Cervical Dysplasia & Abnormal PAP
Uterine cancer
Fertility Issues
Inability to get pregnant or
Frequent Miscarriage
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Other Gynecological Disorders
Infections:
- Bladder Infections
- PID
- Vaginitis
- Candida / Yeast Infections
- Sexually Transmitted Disease
Endometriosis
Low Libido
Dysparunia (painful intercourse)
Vulvodynia
Vulvar Vestibulitis
Other Health Conditions
Fibromyalgia
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Testing and Assessment
Testing for hormonal imbalances is done by measuring salivary levels of hormones. There is a growing
body of evidence that for steroid hormones, which includes the sex hormones, salivary levels are
more representative of levels in the tissues and are therefore a more accurate method of
correcting hormonal problems.
Other important hormone tests include urine testing for Estrogen breakdown products, which is
important for assessing risk factors for breast cancer, and urine tests for bone metabolites,
which shows risk and treatment progress for osteoporosis.
Also, testing for Iodine levels is also important, since Iodine is a cofactor for all hormone absorption
at the cellular receptor level. Insufficient levels of iodine are a risk factor for all gynecological
problems, especially fibrocystic breasts, breast cancer, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and
uterine cancer.
For more basic information about the types of testing routinely used at South Bay Total Health,
Click Here.
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