Finding the Right Holistic Doctor to Treat Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes ongoing inflammation and irritation in the digestive tract. There is no known cure yet, but several complementary and alternative medicine options exist to help patients manage symptoms.
Holistic doctors integrate both traditional medical treatments as well as natural therapies. Working with a holistic practitioner can provide Crohn's patients with a customizable treatment plan to improve gut health.
Understanding Crohn's Disease
In Crohn's disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in parts of the digestive system. This can cause persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and malnutrition.
While standard medication focuses on reducing inflammation and preventing flare ups, it comes with potential side effects. That's why approximately half of Crohns disease patients have tried complementary or alternative approaches under holistic medical supervision.
Benefits of a Holistic Approach
Holistic medicine aims to treat the patient as a whole instead of focusing only on individual symptoms. Benefits of working with a holistic doctor for Crohns include:
- Personalized treatment plans
- Focus on supporting overall wellness
- Combining natural + standard treatments
- Addressing lifestyle factors like diet and stress
- Ongoing patient education
This comprehensive approach can improve symptoms while also giving patients more control over their health.
Types of Holistic Crohns Doctors
If considering complementary medicine for Crohns treatment, its essential patients vet potential holistic doctors carefully regarding training and specialization. Some practitioners to look for include:
Functional Medicine Doctors
Functional medicine providers conduct advanced testing to get to the root biological causes of chronic diseases like Crohns. Treatment involves customized nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle changes to correct imbalances and optimize health.
Naturopathic Doctors
NDs or naturopathic physicians combine modern medical knowledge with natural therapies. For Crohns patients, they create substance plans involving herbal remedies, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, acupuncture, and other drug-free modalities.
Gastroenterologists + Holistic Providers
Some specialty GI doctors pursue extra training in functional, naturopathic, or integrated medicine for Crohns disease. They fuse their advanced IBD expertise with holistic techniques for a blended approach.
Osteopathic Physicians
DOs receive extra hands-on manipulative technique education. This equips them to identify and correct structural issues that may underlie or exacerbate digestive inflammation characteristic of Crohns.
Key Crohns Treatments from Holistic Doctors
After thorough testing and evaluation, holistic providers may recommend targeted Crohns therapies such as:
Custom Nutritional Programs
There are several specialty elimination and anti-inflammatory diets to help determine Crohns food triggers. A holistic practitioner can oversee controlled food reintroduction to pinpoint problematic items.
Nutraceutical Grade Supplements
Crohns often creates vitamin and mineral deficiencies that exacerbate symptoms. Condition-specific nutraceutical supplements in medical-grade strengths help repair gut lining integrity.
Herbal Medicine
Certain herbs like slippery elm, marshmallow root, aloe vera, and boswellia contain gut-soothing compounds. Holistic doctors may prescribe tinctures, teas, or capsules to reduce intestinal inflammation.
Probiotic/Prebiotic Treatments
There is compelling research that altering gut flora balance via good bacteria strains (probiotics) and the fibers that feed them (prebiotics) improves Crohns outcomes. Strain-specific products prevent inflammation while crowding out bad bacteria.
Lifestyle/Stress Modifications
Techniques like mindfulness, talk therapy, acupuncture, exercise, sleep hygiene, and sufficient relaxation help Crohns patients overcome chronic stress. This can reduce flare triggers and improve quality of life.
Questions to Ask Prospective Holistic Crohns Doctors
Vetting credentials, experience, specialties and treatment philosophies is key when selecting a holistic Crohns provider. Important questions to ask include:
What is your medical certification/training background?
Confirm professionals have recognized certifications like board-certified MDs/DOs, registered/licensed dietitians, or other licensed healthcare practitioners.
How much experience do you have specifically treating IBD patients?
Look for 5-10+ years focusing on inflammatory conditions like Crohns. General wellness experience isnt enough for complex autoimmune diseases.
What holistic modalities do you use to treat Crohns flares and long term?
Make sure suggested therapies align with your philosophical preferences around things like herbs, homeopathics, essential oils, supplements, diets, etc.
Do you provide support between appointments?
Managing Crohns requires ongoing adjustments as symptoms fluctuate. Seek providers offering check-ins through portals, email, etc.
How often will we meet and reassess my treatment plan?
You need to see holistic doctors regularly to make changes based on your response. Make sure they offer adequate follow up care.
Integrating Holistic Medicine for Crohns Disease
When performed under professional medical guidance, holistic and complementary techniques offer Crohns patients safe, drug-free pathways to better symptom management.
However, these approaches should augment (not replace) conventional IBD treatments unless specifically advised by overseeing gastroenterology and healthcare providers.
An integrative care model allows you to tap into the wisdom of both modern and natural medicine for optimal digestive health on your journey to healing.
FAQs
What tests may a holistic doctor run for my Crohn’s?
In addition to standard labs, holistic testing analyzes gut microbiome makeup, nutrient/vitamin levels, food sensitivities, digestive enzyme production, and inflammatory markers to create personalized Crohn’s treatment plans.
How can diet impact Crohn’s disease?
Certain foods like dairy, fiber, and high-fat items can worsen inflammation. A holistic doctor helps identify problematic foods and create elimination diets, low FODMAP meal plans, anti-inflammatory diets, or other gut-soothing nutrition programs.
Can stress reduction help Crohn’s symptoms?
Yes. Chronic stress significantly exacerbates Crohn’s flares. Holistic techniques like yoga, tai chi, meditation, nature immersion, massage, and counseling teach patients tools to actively curb stress for disease modulation.
Are there risks to stopping my Crohn’s meds?
Yes. Patients should never discontinue prescribed Crohn’s medications without direct guidance from overseeing gastroenterology doctors. Holistic approaches complement standard treatments for optimal safety and outcomes.
How long until I see improvement using holistic methods?
Effects emerge on different timelines per the individual and types of treatment used. However, most patients see gradual improvement in Crohn’s symptoms, inflammation, and flare severity starting around 3-6 months as gut healing occurs.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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