“You will never get pregnant naturally.”
“You had a baby, you’re going to have low back pain and incontinence when you exercise. There’s nothing you can really do about it.”
“We can’t do any testing until after you have had your third miscarriage.”
“You are pregnant, you are going to have low back pain and pelvic pain.”
“Your thyroid is normal. Your symptoms are normal.”
“The pain and numbness around your cesarean scar are normal.”
These are all things patients have shared with me in the last month. And I wish it was just once, but unfortunately, I am hearing stories like these almost weekly.
It is not the standard of care to order a full hormone panel, thyroid panel, vitamin D, and more before trying to conceive or after a miscarriage, but far too often do I find patients with a hormone imbalance that can be treated with diet and lifestyle modifications (and occasionally medications).
It is not the standard of care in the United States to refer to a pelvic health therapist after having a baby, yet many women experience incontinence, pain with intercourse, and prolapse.
It is not the standard of care to refer to rehabilitation or soft tissue therapy after a cesarean, yet it is a major abdominal surgery.
It is not the standard of care to order a full thyroid panel initially, but far too often I see patients with a TSH in normal range and (extremely) elevated thyroid antibodies.
Conventional medicine has a time and a place, but it is set up to treat symptoms and diseases with drugs, radiation, or surgery. Conventional medicine providers use the tools that they have to provide treatment. Their knowledge in alternative or natural treatments is limited.
How does what we do vary from conventional medicine?
We take a functional approach to your health. We want you to be an active participant in your healthcare. This does not mean that we never believe drugs, radiation, or surgery is warranted. We absolutely refer out to specialists and co-manage when appropriate.
A functional approach is more complex than “this is low, take this”. We want to find the root cause of what is going on. Where is your low back pain stemming from? Why is your testosterone low?
We don’t have the answers to everything, but I can tell you that if we don’t have an answer, we have no problem telling you this and will help you find a referral to someone that might.
We are here to listen, to support you, and to provide the best care we can because you deserve better than the standard of care.
Sending love,
Dr. C