THE TWIG
During a lecture when studying, a teacher shared a story with us that struck a chord with me about the naturopathic approach to healing. He was also British and spoke of a time when he was waiting, and waiting, for a bus to arrive. During this time he said that his eyes rested upon a blocked drain in the gutter. It was full with debris, leaves, a crisp packet, and other rubbish as the rain water tried in vain to pass into the drain itself.
After some time observing the accumulated mess, he surmised that if, out of all the trapped waste that had gathered there, if he just pulled out this one twig, it would allow the rest to shift and the flow would resume. This was an analogy of how a Naturopath thinks laterally, considering the links between various physical, mental and emotional symptoms, as well as past medical and environmental factors etc.
It is only at this point, following a period of consultation and questioning, will a Naturopath decide upon the course of treatments that would best in order to assist client to return to homeostasis.
‘The Twig’ is essentially an analogy for finding the information that leads to the root cause. Increasingly, I hear people say that they are tired of taking various medications every day and have an instinctual feeling that there must be another way. This is where my extensive training is really utilised. A Naturopath will seek to find the cause rather than simply treat the presenting symptoms. The process can be assisted with the latest technologies such as genome and allergy testing, which can highlight physical stressors.
Once clear insight into an individual’s particular pattern of disorders has been gained, it is then possible to address underlying causes and co-factors to the ‘Personal Picture’.
If a client is looking to reduce their reliance on synthetic medication or to alleviate side-effects, I will work in consultation with their GP in order to ascertain the safest route to achieving this. It is for this reason that my extensive training included clinical medicine, studying human disease processes and pharmacology/integrated pharmacology.
This is a process that takes time, particularly if the client has been on medication for a long period of time and also dependent upon the action/s of the medication/s in question. This will of course be different for every client, and to coin another analogy, it is akin to peeling back the layers of an onion. It’s all about roots, twigs and food at Woods Way Wellness!
Essentially, finding ‘The Twig’ is central to Naturopathic Analysis, even for the most simple of cases. For example, an otherwise healthy person who may find themselves dependent upon anti-histamines for a perceived allergen within their current environment, may actually have been unknowingly exposed to mould many years prior. This can present as an environmental allergy years later.
Please feel assured that I will never attempt to treat anyone if their situation is outside of my scope of professional practice. Indeed, the words “refer, refer, refer” are as drummed into my philosophy of practice as The Twig is. Get in touch to start your journey back to wellness.
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