Do you ever feel like your approach to medicine has been pre-determined? Like you have to pick one lane and stay in it? Like popping pills is your only solution? Like you have to choose between an ‘all natural’ approach or a conventional medical approach? What if we told you that you didn’t have to?
Welcome to the world of Ayurvedic medicine – where it doesn’t have to be ‘this or that,’ but rather an integrated approach that blends the best of both worlds. Countless clients have experienced insurmountable benefits from taking an integrative approach. Integrative medicine is a form of healthcare that combines practices and treatments from alternative and/or traditional medicines with conventional practices.
Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic healthcare system with roots dating back thousands of years, offers an alternative, complementary, and integrative approach to medical care. Ayurveda focuses on holistic health and views every diagnosis as unique to the individual.
Ayurveda understands that what we take in through each of our five senses has a direct physiological impact on the body, mind and Self. This means that what we take in through our ears, nose, eyes, tongue and skin will either foster balance or contribute to imbalances.
Therefore, Ayurveda utilizes nutrition, sensory therapies and herbal remedies to restore holistic harmony. Ayurveda emphasizes gut health because it is understood that the health of our bodily tissues is dependent upon what we absorb and assimilate through the digestive process.
The Conventional Approach – Pathology and Symptomatology
Conventional medicine focuses on measurable pathology – or the cause, effect and behavior of a disease. Conventional treatment is tied to a specific diagnosis, which is tied to a specific pathology. Therefore, the absence of pathology – oftentimes focused on symptom management – is seen as the cure, regardless of underlying root causes.
Symptomatic intervention with the use of medications is sometimes (maybe even too often) necessary. This is the result of a healthcare approach that prioritizes curative symptomatology over preventative medicine. In other words, imbalances can only be diagnosed after the relocation and manifestation stages of a disease have developed – the initial imbalance has moved into deeper tissue layers and become “diagnosable”.
Medications are prescribed when diseases have manifested and can be diagnosed and understood through a specific pathology. Medications target that specific pathology. By their very nature, medications are limited from considering the interconnections of the body’s physiology. This is why so many medications carry side effects. Often the answer for treating a symptom of a side effect from one medication is another medication.
But too many medications, sometimes referred to as polypharmacy, can become a problem—the more medicine you take, the greater the chances one medication will have a negative interaction with another and cause a serious adverse effect.
This pattern can continue repeating and, when this happens, people generally experience severe brain fog and fatigue. The body is working hard to re-balance but continuously parts are being quieted or shut down entirely to achieve one specific affect. Gut health also suffers tremendously due to the internal drying effect of medications.
The good news is that there are potentials for safe, effective and professional support that guide people on their journey to reducing medications.
Where Do You Start?
We understand coming off of medication can be a scary topic. In fact, not everyone will necessarily be able to stop all of their medications. Some medications are necessary for survival (such as thyroid hormone in the case of a thyroidectomy), others have created a level of dependency (such as prolonged exposure to antidepressants and antipsychotics), and – for many people – the fear of not knowing how the body will respond when making changes can feel worse than potentially coming off of a medication.
Knowing when and how to reduce medications can be both an art and a science. Simply stopping your medications is rarely advised. With the right support, however, many have either greatly reduced or completely retired their daily medication regime (click on link to read a case study), replaced by nutritional support, sensory therapies and herbal remedies.
As Ayurvedic clinicians, we emphasize preventative medical practices that enable imbalances to be recognized and restored before allopathic measures are necessary. But, most of our clients come to us after a disease or combination of diseases have developed. Ayurveda, as a complete medical science, can be beneficial for curative means as well.
We often work with clients to reduce or eliminate their reliance on allergy, thyroid, and autoimmune disorder medications; in addition to breaking the cycle of popping NSAIDs, pain relievers, mood enhancers, stimulants and allergy pills just to make it through the day. As a specialist in women’s health, my main focus has been in helping women restore balance to their hormones after coming off of birth control or hormone replacement therapy.
While we offer some generalized guidance (see below) to reducing medications, each journey is unique to the individual and should be crafted in conjunction with a qualified practitioner. Together, we co-create a treatment plan that works with your constitution, imbalances and goals. Working with a practitioner in a safe and supported way provides you with the tools needed to reach the goals you both desire and deserve.
Whether the goal be fertility, allergy or pain relief, mood stabilization or to feel more like yourself, you are able to receive the gifts of living in rhythm with your cycles and with the seasons of life – pain-free and unmedicated.
First Steps to Getting Off of Meds
Restoring Gut Balance
Medications can have a drying effect on the body. This can prevent proper absorption and assimilation of nutrients and disrupt cellular energy.
-Add a pinch of mineral salt to your water
-Cook with ghee, avocado oil and olive oils
-Enjoy warm, cooked, seasonally appropriate meals that are easy to digest; try this Sweet Kitachari recipe and Creamy Celeriac and Potato Soup
-Use appropriate herbs and spices to help enhance digestion and absorption. If you are unsure which spices are appropriate for your constitution, start with a mild spice blend such as cumin, coriander and fennel, which can be cooked into food or consumed as a digestive tea.
-In some cases, fermented foods or probiotics are essential to restoring gut health.
The practice of self massage enhances cellular hydration; promotes lymph flow to boost immunity; and grounds and calms the nervous system, thereby reducing stress as a precursor to almost all inflammatory conditions.
Nasal rinsing clears the sinuses, reduces allergies and lessens or completely eliminates the need for allergy medication.
Hydrates and protects the nasal passages, clears the lymph and introduces appropriate herbs to support the respiratory system, mind and nervous system.
Finding the right daily practices that introduce True Rest and Harness Your Energy provide important support through transition periods and beyond.
-Guided mediations with an emphasis on self trust
-Yoga poses
-Spending time in nature
Sensory Therapies
These therapies can be custom-tailored to each-individuals constitutional needs.
-Aromatherapy – introducing calming, clearing or energizing essential oils into your environment.
-Color Therapy – surrounding yourself with colors and tones that support your energetic needs.
-Sound Therapy – immersing yourself in sound that induces brain wave and cellular responses that promote healing.
Ayurvedic treatment plans always address your needs from a holistic perspective. We work closely with you to understand your unique physiology and mind, body, Self connections. Importantly, we conduct a thorough review of all of your medications and supplements for any contraindications and to understand their side effects and work in tandem with your medical health professionals to ensure safe and supportive care is provided at each step of a client’s journey. Ultimately ayurvedic medicine will empower you to embrace holistic well-being.
Working with a practitioner is the most effective way to implement Ayurveda into your life. You deserve to feel like yourself. The Path Wellbeing team is here to support you on your journey back to your true self.
Article authored by Chloe Chaput, who is dedicated to her role as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist (CAS) to work with women’s health, male and female fertility challenges, parents/caregivers, and children to address a variety of clinical health concerns at the root of their cause. Contact Path Wellbeing today to set up your appointment with Chloe Chaput, CAS.
The information contained within this article is for educational purposes only and should not replace the direct advice of a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always consult a medical or other professional healthcare provider when considering a new health regime.
