Dr. Masha, ND

Naturopathy

Articles

Alternative Cancer Treatments

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Naturopathic Doctors and Cancer Care

Cancer has been one of the deadliest diseases known to man. In the year 2017, there are an estimated 1,688,780 new cancer cases diagnosed, and 600,920 deaths caused by Cancer in the United States alone. Cancer patients range from young to adult, and the deadly disease has many sub-categories that can be breast, colon, bones, brain, and many more. In fact, there are more than 200 different types of cancer inexistent and continually affecting millions and millions of people all over the world. Naturopathy offers alternative cancer treatments to help strengthen the immune system and assist in healing.

 

We’ve all heard about Cancer, and probably know someone who has suffered or has succumbed to the disease but what is it really? Well, Cancer is a class of diseases that are characterized by “out-of-control cell growth”.

It usually starts to harm the body when cells that are altered divided uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue that are commonly known as “tumors”. When the tumors grow, it can affect the digestive, nervous, and circulatory symptoms to malfunction.

Over the years, there have been tons of studies made in order to help cancer patients. Thanks to Science, we have developed new treatments, systems, and instruments that can help lessen, and sometimes cure cancer. However, hospital treatments today does not guarantee a cure. Even up to this day, millions of people around the world succumb to the illness.

Orange County Naturopathic Cancer Doctor

Naturopathic Supportive care can be a good adjunctive therapy to patients who want alternative cancer treatment and are going through conventional cancer treatments. When we say Naturopathic medicine, it is a type of a health care approach that utilizes non-toxic therapies to treat the whole of a person, and “encourage” the self-healing process.

While Naturopathic cancer care is the utilization of naturopathic medicine to oncology and cancer treatment. Just like any other doctors, Naturopathic Doctors bring their innovative knowledge, perspective, and different kind of training to both cancer research and treatment to help the patients have the best possible outcome for their sickness.

 

Naturopathic cancer care is gaining its popularity among patients due to its reduced side effects, it helps increase their quality of life, change their perspective into something more positive and hopeful, and reportedly improve outcomes in overall cancer treatment.

If you or anyone one you know decides to seek naturopathic help, then expect that as a part of the intake process, some patients may be required to meet with a naturopath in order to know the different treatment options available for the patient and his/her case. The patient’s health history will also be reviewed and taken into consideration in order to come up with various recommendations for a variety of natural therapies according to your specific situation.

Many Types of  Alternative Cancer Treatments

The treatment consists of many methods. It utilizes a number of therapies such as fasting, meditation, acupuncture, herbal and nutritional supplementation, holistic practices, and homeopathic treatment. Keep in mind that the goal of naturopathic therapies is to not only help overcome cancer but to also help the patient as a whole person. This comprehensive approach to healing cancer includes a minimum of eight factors:

 

  1. Proper nutrition and clean water
  2. Detoxification
  3. Immune building
  4. Oxygen therapy
  5. Natural chemotherapies
  6. Lifestyle changes: adequate sleep, sunlight & exercise
  7. A positive attitude
  8. Spiritual Cleansing

Overall, naturopathic doctors observe and study the patient’s environment and situation that creates susceptibility to cancer and use treatments and recommend lifestyle changes that will reduce the potential growth of cancer.

Patients, themselves, are encouraged to work with naturopaths to determine the best-individualized treatment method according to their specific condition.

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology

https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2017.html

https://www.cancercenter.com/treatments/naturopathic-medicine/

https://heartspringhealth.com/services/naturopathic-cancer/

http://www.foodmatters.com/article/healing-cancer-naturally-a-holistic-approach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fertility Through Natural Medicine

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Challenges with fertility have been increasing around the world. Couple who are trying to conceive sometimes feel that they are very alone in their journey. Females who are pregnant can be noticed easily due to their adorable bellies but nobody sees females who are trying to get pregnant. By some estimates 1 in 7 couples are affected by fertility issues.[1]  Although female and male factors can usually be identified through testing and imaging techniques,  sometime the cause of difficulty remains unknown.

 

Male factors can include low sperm count, low sperm motility, morphology and diminished testosterone production. Female factors may include anovulatory cycles (cycles that do not have an ovulation time when ovaries release a follicle to be fertilized) and other disorders of menstrual cycles (prolonged menses, short cycles, and others). Some of the other conditions can also contribute to the issue with successful conception, such as endometriosis, blockage of Fallopian tubes (uterine tubes), diminished ovarian reserve, history of STIs in both partners, surgeries and procedures done on pelvic organs (ovaries, uterus, testis, penis). Difficulty conceiving can be due to low or high thyroid function, MTHFR mutations (lack of active folate available) and other hormonal dysregulations (PCOS, for instance).

 

Naturopathic medicine has a large toolbox to offer patients trying to conceive naturally and through assisted reproductive technologies (IVF, IUI).

 

 

During their visits, naturopaths consider the following aspects:

 –Detailed nutrition of the couple

-Their exposure to modern day toxins (BPAs in plastic and aluminum cans, phthalates, xenoestrogens, heavy metals)

 -Life style (high stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, being overweight or underweight)

– Any other chronic conditions (thyroid imbalances, autoimmune disorders)

– What testing and imaging have been completed in order to identify the cause of the challenge to conceive

In this article, I am not using the word “infertility” on purpose.  I personally believe it is a very negative and derogatory term that puts a mark on couples by its mere semantics.

 

In my practice, I encourage partners who are trying to conceive to think more positively about their chances to have a baby and to be open minded and patient when using naturopathic therapies to achieve desired parenthood.

 

When the diagnosis of the challenges with conception has been established, a naturopath develops a protocol. For instance, if a female has anovulatory cycles, there are a number of herbal combination and homeopathics (organotherapy + seed cycling) that over the course of several months can balance out the hormones in the body to stimulate regular monthly ovulation for optimal conception.

 

If the issue is low progesterone and estrogen ratio, then using herbal tinctures can restore a natural production of these important hormones. Possibly the issue can be connected with ovarian health, then glandulars, homeopathic combination, homeopathic drainage therapies (UNDA numbers) and specific herbal formulas can be used to help stimulate ovaries to produce healthy follicles on monthly basis.

 

Visits with naturopaths are usually longer which allows to always look at the whole person not just health of uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, sperm and testes. Pelvic floor therapy (gentle way to restore the muscular tone and healthy energy to the pelvic organs) can be utilized to help couples get pregnant and stay pregnant.

 

Working together with acupuncturist, chiropractors, endocrinologists, gynecologist and other specialists unites care for the sake of the patients and their goal to become parents.

 

If you have any questions about how naturopathic medicine can help with fertility, you can contact Dr. Masha, at drmashand@gmail.com.

[1] John A Robinson, NMD. Male Health in Trouble? The Global Decline in Testosterone and Sperm Count. NDNR, Nov 2017,  p.20

Children and Naturopathic Medicine

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Natural medicine, in particular naturopathic medicine, has safe and effective options for children of different ages. Starting from birth to adolescence. For the most part, each age has more or less predictable health concerns (with some exceptions). For example, children starting at age 6 months or earlier are at risk of frequent upper respiratory infections due to exposure to new unfamiliar viruses and bacteria while building their immune system.  This risk peaks for children ages 2-4 years. Other conditions include:  digestive discomfort, skin conditions, growth pains, and many others.

Natural medicine can deliver immediate results in some cases with little to no side effects. As a naturopathic doctor, I encourage patients to add naturopathic medicine to child’s health care.

Having naturopathic medicine as part of children’s well-being could reduce the use of potent pharmaceuticals, unnecessary hospitalizations, complications of common childhood infections, and many waking nights with a sick child.

In my practice, I offer families, Healthy Family Saturdays, where a whole family can come for one-hour visits. Families of different sizes and composition (LGBTQ community, single parents, grandparents with grandchildren or families without children) are welcome. During those visits, we discuss the diet of the whole family, sleep, family time together as well as natural remedies for acute health conditions and the best supplements to use for children of different ages.

Nutrition plays an important role in the health of the whole family.  For example, consuming sugary processed snacks instead of fresh vegetables and fruit can lead to higher infection rates and prolonged infection time. Bacteria and viruses that cause infections feed on sugar and, thus, increase in numbers. Sugars also diminish the quality of immune cells slowing down the recovery from an infection. Another concern is common food allergens which have detrimental effects on the skin. Skin eczemas require thorough investigation into the diet of the child and the whole family.

I also encourage families to have a well organized natural medicinary right in their homes with commonly used homeopathic remedies, safe for children essential oils, specific herbal combinations for children (herbal cough and digestive syrups, ear drops), a few vitamin and minerals complexes, and high-quality probiotics.

When a child gets sick, parents will be ready to help her/him recover from the illness faster and more effectively without any potential side effects.

If you have questions about how naturopathic medicine can help your child, you are always welcome to contact me at drmashand@gmail.com and I will be glad to answer your concerns.

As parents, we strive to make sure our children have safe effective options when they are not feeling well.

 

 

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

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Human adult heart pumps 7600 liters of blood per day. Heart, and its components (heart arteries, valves, chambers), blood vessels, veins, capillaries are part of the cardiovascular system. There are many condition that can compromise smooth blood flow through capillaries, such as narrowing of the heart vessels (coronary artery disease), abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, heart valve diseases (mitral valve prolapse), congenital heart disease, venous insufficiency and others.

What keeps our heart and cardiovascular system healthy?

-Decrease in systemic high stress

-Abundance of nutrients that improve health of the vessels (antioxidants, anthocyanins, essential amino acids, foods high in nitric oxide, beneficial ratio of health fats (omega 9, higher omega 3 in comparison with omega 6).  

-Stable blood glucose

–Exercise and movement

Let’s talk about one of the factors listed above – stress!

Chronic stress, or a constant stress experienced over a prolonged period of time, can contribute to long-term problems for heart and blood vessels. During stressful times heart rate goes up, stress hormones (such as cortisol) are elevated which can persistently affect the blood pressure in the blood vessels. (American Physiological Association).  This long-term ongoing stress can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke.[i]

Stress reduction exercises, meditation, yoga, positive visualizations, self-care, frequent massage, acupuncture, naturopathic adaptogenic herbs and homeopathy, and other healing arts practices, can be used to decrease the effect of the stress on the body.

There is one particular way of healing – walks in the nature or how Japanese call it –  Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing). Shinrin-Yoku is an ancient way of healing by being in the nature practiced in transcontinental Japan and China.[ii]  Increasing number of research studies appear in the literature that show how beneficial for health, especially cardiovascular system, are walks in the nature are (beach, mountains, parks, forests, any wilderness).

‘People with access to nearby natural settings have been found to be healthier overall than other individuals. The longer-term, indirect impacts (of ‘nearby nature’) also include increased levels of satisfaction with one’s home, one’s job and with life in general’[iii]

Research conducted by Kaplan, R. and Kaplan, S shows that access to nature in the workplace is related to lower levels of perceived job stress and higher levels of job satisfaction. [iv]

Research suggests that people with a view of trees and flowers reported that their jobs were less stressful and they were more satisfied with their jobs than others who could only see built environments from their window. Employees with views of nature also reported fewer illnesses and headaches. A similar study found that a view of natural elements (trees and other vegetation) lessened the negative impact of a job stress on intention to quit. [v]

These are just some of the many research studies mentioned. Being close to nature and having “nature time” at work and home environments clearly improve well-being and health of people, especially  cardiovascular conditions.

To keep your heart healthy, take time to walk in the nature daily. It will make you healthier, happier and help your heart pump blood more efficiently.

 

[i] American Physiological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body.aspx

[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580555/

Mrgaret M. Hansen, Reo Jones, Yoshifumi Miyazaki et al.  Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review.    Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Aug; 14(8): 851, Published online 2017 Jul 28. doi:  10.3390/ijerph14080851

[iii], iv,v Cecily Maller Mardie Townsend, Anita Pryor, Peter Brown, Lawrence St Leger. Healthy nature healthy people: “contact with nature” as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International, Volume 21, Issue 1, March 1, 2006, pages 45-54. Published in 2005.

https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/21/1/45/646436

 

Allergies: can naturopathic medicine help?

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Allergies are very common. Worldwide, 10-30% of the population are affected by various allergies. Though pollen allergies are quite widespread, 12 million people in USA have allergies unrelated to pollen (NIH). When we think about allergies, runny nose, congestion, skin rashes come to mind. At the same time, allergies are very diverse in their presentation and can be to many different substances (natural and chemical).

What is an allergy? It is a reaction of the body’s immune system to the substances the body should not normally mount an alarming response to.

There are a few types of allergic reactions.

Type I reactions (usually itching, hives, swelling, sneezing, runny noise) involve immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated release of histamine and other mediators from mast cells and basophils. That is why for this type of reaction, many people take anti-histamine over the counter medications (such as Benadryl) and other type of allergy medications. There are also types II, III and Type IV reactions. For example, in type IV reactions, the body has a delayed response mediated more by T cells (a type of immune cells), such as nickel allergy, or contact dermatitis.

Chronic allergies, especially involving nasal passages or skin, can be very aggravating and upsetting. A person either feels that they have to be on pharmaceutical medications of the rest of their life to ease the symptoms or just suffer through the inconveniences of the reactions of the body to allergens without any assistance from medical community.

“It is peculiar that allergies can be secondary to many other chronic conditions, meaning that a person may have developed allergies due to another imbalance in the body, and as consequence, started developing allergic symptoms. This list includes but not limited to:

  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Candida related complex
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Hypochlorhydria (lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach)
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Malabsorption
  • Migraine headaches
  • Nutrient utilization difficulties including zinc, vitamin C, potassium and others.
  • Cardiac arrhythmias and mental illness have been linked to allergies.”

Every year we learn more about allergies and how they are connected to our genetics, nutrition and lifestyle. Addressing digestive system, adrenals, improving detoxification functions in the body, limiting toxic overload, improving the hormonal balance, and identifying inflammatory foods can help many people combat their chronic allergies.

For naturopathic doctors identifying the cause of the imbalance in the body that predisposes one to allergies is one of the primary roles. Sometimes it requires additional advanced testing even though standard allergy testing (RAST test, for example) has been completed already.

Naturopathic doctors have a variety of different tools for allergies. There are a number of homeopathic and herbal formulations that can decrease nasal congestion and improve breathing through the mouth – this way allowing for more oxygen to the tissues and better sleep. Sometimes nasal congestion can be caused by eating certain inflammatory foods (thus, individual food sensitivity and food intolerance testing, such as Carroll testing).

As there are a number of herbal formulations that can be helpful to address nasal congestion and chronic runny nose, one particular herb comes to mind – Stinging Nettles (Utrica Dioca). As stringing properties of nettles can be removed by cooking, it is best to use freeze dried fresh preparations of the herb. (see the research study)

“Allergies are part of the modern life style but people afflicted with them do not have to suffer in silence. Natural medicine with all its tools can help improve every-day living and decrease the immune response, thus, prevent the allergies in the future.”

See a video about Natural Treatment of Allergies by Dr. Masha. N.D.

 

 

Balancing Your Hormones: Naturopathic approach

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Hormonal Imbalance: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

A bit technical but helpful!

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered the most common endocrine disorder of premenopausal women (5-10% occurrence » 3 million in US).  According to 2012 study it affects 5 million women in US.[i]

Signs of excess androgen stimulation (high amount of sex hormones, in particular testosterone) can range in severity from mild (such as increased acne production) to severe (male-pattern body hair distribution). Darker pigmented areas over the skin and multiple upper body skin tags.  Weight gain is a frequent (though not universal) part of PCOS. Menstrual irregularities such as long menstrual cycles, absence of menstrual cycles, sometimes heavy uterine bleeding are also common. On ultrasound imaging, multiple (over 10) small ovarian follicles (2-10 mm diameter) and overall enlargement of the ovary can be seen.

Hormonal blood or saliva testing can show elevated estradiol and testosterone hormonal levels. Insulin resistance is common in women with PCOS, and insulin stimulates ovarian androgen hormonal production. The increased hormoneal levels cause the developing ovarian follicles to be arrested leading to the cycles that lack ovulation (release of follicles from the ovaries during ovulation).

 

PCOS is a metabolic syndrome now seen as encompassing two interrelated metabolic phenomena: insulin resistance and high levels of androgens (sex hormones). Complex metabolic, hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian and adrenal interactions characterize the syndrome.[ii] Fertility challenges (inability to conceive) can be part of the condition.

 

This condition is usually addressed through the use of Metformin (to decrease insulin resistance and high glucose levels), Spironolactone (to decrease testosterone production) and other pharmaceuticals to manage different symptoms of this metabolic condition.

In naturopathic medicine, naturopathic doctors focus on the whole person. Life style factors are addressed along with specific diets that were researched for patients with PCOS. There are a number of nutritional supplements that can be of assistance to help ovaries release follicles and improves ovarian function (myo-inositol, folate, and melatonin combination). Menstrual cycle is also balanced with the helps of herbs and homeopathics. Insulin resistance and high androgen production can be mediated with the help of herbal/nutritional supplements along with the PCOS specific diet.

PCOS patients are usually encouraged to see natural medicine practitioners to help address the condition along with conventional treatments. Patient with PCOS can balance their hormones and conceive naturally.

  1. [i] Rizza R, Johnson. PCOS Criteria Clarified; Name Must Change. Medscape. 2013.
  2. [ii] Rizza R, Johnson. PCOS Criteria Clarified; Name Must Change. Medscape. 2013.