By Dr. Candice Staniek
Have you ever been at home wondering if it’s time to go to the Doctor’s office? So many times we’re in a situation where we’re not sure any longer if the symptoms we’re experiencing are NORMAL or simply ‘normal’ for us because they’ve been happening for such a long period of time. Another reason we think symptoms are ‘normal’ is because others are experiencing the same symptoms. I want to take a few minutes to go of some AB-NORMAL symptoms related to a few body systems.
Quick Checklist (If any of these are checked off, it signifies an imbalance in the related system.)
- Gas or bloating
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Fatigue that doesn’t resolve
- Rollercoaster fatigue
- Excess bleeding during menses
- PMS (tender breasts, cramping, moodiness, bloating)
- Eczema, rashes, vesicles
- Headaches, migraines
- Burnout (i.e. adrenal fatigue)
- Disrupted sleep: waking between 1-3 am or 3-5 am
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Difficulty staying asleep
- High blood pressure
- Muscle or joint pain post motor vehicle accident that has not resolved despite treatment
- Dyslipidemia: high cholesterol, high LDL, low HDL
I know this might seem like a short list and it is. These are some of the most common complaints that are brought up during a patient visit in my office. During a medical appointment all systems are reviewed in detail in addition to reviewing your top 3-5 chief concerns. These types of appointments typically take 60-90 minutes. That’s 50-80 minutes longer than those in the traditional medical model.
During the second visit, we will spend time reviewing current blood work, applicable imaging and current supplements and medications. This can be very insightful for most people because you’ll better understand details of your blood work pertains to you symptom picture. You’ll understand your supplements better and whether or not they are suited for you. You’ll also understand if your medications are resulting in functional deficiencies.
Have you ever gone for blood work and heard that all results are “Normal” and yet you intuitively feel that something is off? You’re likely correct! I reviewed
hundreds of lab results and I’ve only had 2 sets of results that I haven’t any comments. I use the lab results to educate patients on values that are appropriate given their health history. I also use the lab results to track progress especially when we’re address thyroid hormones, infections, liver health, and cholesterol among others.
Why is all of this important? Well it comes done to what and how you’d like to live your life. If you’re not sure, I’d recommend taking a few moments to consider what you want out of the next 5 years of your life. Are there any changes that you’ll need to make in order to make that possible?
Many people come to my office seeking more energy or weight loss because deep down they are seeing more VITALITY. Wouldn’t it be beautiful to live vibrantly? I used to have extreme fatigue and the thought of walking up 3 steps was utterly exhausting. It was also extremely frustrating because everyone around me had more energy and concentration. Previous to my illness I was very active and in fact out 5-6 nights/week socializing and without any notice I found myself literally laid out. The worst of it was that it happened when I was in medical school, which made studying nearly impossible let alone getting to school using metro transportation.
I pursued naturopathic medicine because my personal beliefs aligned with the fundamental training. Your body has an innate ability to heal; we call this the VIS (veece). It’s my responsibility to provide individualized tools and support so you can heal and live your best life.