12. Advanced Naturopathic Case Taking Flashcards
What are the 5 naturopathic principles?
Healing power of nature Treat the cause, not the symptoms Treat the whole person Prevention is preferable to a cure Education
What are Hering’s laws of cure?
From the inside out From more important organs to less The mind gets better before the body Symptoms disappear in the reverse From above to below
How is health like a tree?
Imbalances begin at the roots - and include traumas and lifestyle factors throughout life stages
Symptoms are the end result - leaves on the trees
(treating the individual leaves doesn’t get to the root)
When assessing the whole person, what should you take into account?
Antecedents Triggers Mediators Lifestyle factors Timeline of events
What are antecedents?
Predisposing factors to a disease
Examples of antecedents
Genetics Constitution Age Sex Lifestyle/environment Historical trauma
What lifestyle/environmental factors can be antecedents?
Nutritional deficiency at birth
Dietary toxins - pesticides, alcohol use
Drugs - antibiotics
Other toxins - pollution, heavy metals
How do genes play a part in the health of an individual?
Genetics can influence the person but…
The expression of genes can be altered by the environment they’re bathed in
Switching genes on/off to create/prevent disease
What can congenital factors be affected by?
Gestational environment during pregnancy
Low/high birth weight
Infections
Environment on the epigenetics of the baby
What is the definition of a trigger?
Anything that initiates an acute illness or the emergence of symptoms
What are common triggers?
Physical/emotional trauma Stressful life events Medications Dietary allergens Environmental toxins Temperature changes e.g. asthma/OA in winter Microbes
What kind of questions can you ask to ascertain triggers?
When did the symptoms start?
Did anything happen around the time that the symptoms started?
How can we test for trigger factors?
Parasitology Dysbiosis (stool testing) Heavy metal toxicity Hair mineral analysis Kinesiology (muscle testing) Allergy elimination technique (NAET)
What is the definition of mediators?
Factors that contribute to pathological changes and dysfunctional responses
Examples of mediators
Chronic stress Intestinal dysbiosis Sedentary lifestyle Free radicals Electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) Cognitive/emotional Social/cultural
How can chronic stress be a mediator?
Can increase cortisol levels and decrease progesterone
This can be associated with menstrual problems and lead to the effects of excess oestrogen
How can intestinal dysbiosis be a mediator?
Western diet, antibiotics etc can affect neurotransmitters
e.g. reduced melatonin and increased oxidative stress
How can a sedentary lifestyle be a mediator?
Influences neuropeptides
e.g. increase in substance P = increase in pain
How can free radicals be a mediator?
Continued use of: Smoking Alcohol Highly processed diet Medications Vaccines
How can electromagnetic frequencies be mediators?
TVs Computers WiFi Mobile phones All can disrupt sleep (lowering melatonin)
How can cognitive/emotional factors be mediators?
Personal beliefs about illness
Poor self-esteem
How can social/cultural factors be mediators?
Lack of resources due to social isolation/poverty
Lack of cultural understanding
Reinforcement for staying sick (supported emotionally and financially when sick but not when well)
Which biochemical mediators can be tested?
Inflammatory - CRP, ESR, serum ferritin, calprotectin
Endocrine - TSH, T4, fT4, fT3, oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol
What are the seven core clinical imbalances that need to be considered when deciding which systems are under stress?
Assimilation Structural integrity Communication Defence and repair Transport and circulation Energy - mitochondrial health Detoxification and elimination
What are the areas to assess under assimilation?
Digestive secretions - HCl, pancreatic, bile, IF
Digestive motility - vagus nerve, SNS, PSNS, enteric NS
Digestive hormones - ghrelin, gastrin, CCK
Absorption of nutrients - villi, BB enzymes
Microbiota balance - parasites, bacteria, yeast, SCFA (fibre), lactobacilli, bifidobacteria
What are the areas to assess under structural integrity?
Cell membrane health - EPA/DHA
Mucous membrane/skin integrity - vit A, E, glutamine
Bones/teeth - minerals
Joints/cartilage - Ca, Mg, P, vit D, C
What are the areas to assess under communication?
Hormones/endocrine system
Neurotransmitters/nervous system
What are the areas to assess under defence and repair?
Inflammation Infections Microbiota imbalances Allergies AI Lowered immune function
What are the areas to assess under transport and circulation?
Lymphatic structures - tonsils, spleen, thymus, nodes
Vascular structures - arteries, veins, capillaries
Mobilisation of blood lipids
What are the areas to assess under energy (mitochondrial health)?
Energy co-factors
Biochemical imbalances in energy pathways - aluminium, fluoride, arsenic, lead
Mitochondrial integrity
Oxidative damage
What are the areas to assess under detoxification and elimination?
Liver/gall bladder function
Kidney function
Bowel function
Skin
Lungs
Biochemical imbalances in the biotransformation pathways
e.g. lack of methyl donors (cysteine, choline, glutathione, methionine
Signs and symptoms of assimilation imbalance
Pallor SOB Dysbiosis Gas Bloating Food intolerances Heartburn Increase/decrease in body weight
Signs and symptoms of structural integrity imbalance
Joint pain/injury, tendons, muscles Skin problems Gut membrane integrity/AI conditions Diet low in EFAs Low exposure to sunlight Low bone minerals - Ca, Mg, Zn, B, P
Signs and symptoms of communication imbalance
Hormonal issues Reproductive Fatigue Stress Mood Sleep
Signs and symptoms of defence and repair imbalance
Recurring infections Fatigue Poor wound healing Skin issues AI Intestinal permeability Low vit D/AO High free radicals
Signs, symptoms and conditions of mitochondrial health imbalance
Weakness/fatigue CFS/ME Parkinson's MS Long Covid Poor cognitive function Poor memory Intestinal permeability
Conditions suggesting a transport imbalance
CVD
Raynaud’s
Peripheral neuropathy
Oedema
Things to consider for a detoxification and elimination imbalance
Medications Poor diet/lifestyle Poor stool quality/quantity Light coloured stools Smoking Alcohol Exposure to chemicals Low AO in diet Jaundice Lethargy
For a client whose main concern is optimal health and prevention, would should you ask about?
Past/present medical history
Family history
Risk factors for potential future illness - fitness, diet, sleep, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, home/work environment, stress, relationships, goals
For a client with an active health problem, what should the questions focus on?
What was your health like before this problem began?
Ask about antecedents, triggers, mediators
Focus on where in the client’s life those triggers are occurring
What constitutes the art of case taking?
Observe
Listen
Clarify
Empower
During case taking, what can you observe?
Skin - tone, condition, markings, hair distribution Nails Tongue Posture Mannerisms
During case taking, how should you listen to a client?
Without judgment
Pay attention to repetitive words/statements/phrases
During case taking, what should you clarify?
What the client has just said, using their words
Summarise to ensure you’ve understood correctly
During case taking, how can you empower the client?
Give them an understanding of why they feel like they do
What evaluation tools can be used during a consultation to support your decision making?
Tongue analysis Nail analysis Facial analysis Urine/stool interpretations Anthropometric measurements
What is the Rule of Three?
Needing three factors to support a hypothesis
e.g. low intake Mg rich foods, muscle cramps, dilated pupils
When identifying a potential nutrient deficient, what should you avoid saying to the client?
You are Mg deficient
Your Mg intake is insufficient
When identifying a potential nutrient deficiency, what should you say to a client?
You could benefit from taking more Mg
What can strong red skin indicate?
Excess heat
What can pale red skin or flushing indicate?
Yin deficiency
SLE
Rosacea (linked to H. pylori)
B3 deficiency
What can pallor indicate?
Qi deficiency
Anaemia
What can yellow skin indicate?
Liver disease
Spleen Qi deficiency
What can puffy skin indicate?
Yang deficiency
What can dry skin indicate?
Yin deficiency
Dehydration
What can many lines across the forehead indicate?
Poor intestinal health
What can one line across the forehead indicate?
Small intestine issue
e.g. decreased absorption
What can one vertical line between the eyebrows indicate?
Stomach insufficiency
e.g. HCl, pepsin
What can two vertical lines between the eyebrows indicate?
Liver imbalances
e.g. alcoholic, suppressed anger
What can lines above the lips indicate?
‘Purse strings’ on upper lip
e.g. reproductive organ weakness, blood deficiency, smoker
What can brown shadows under the eyes indicate?
Liver stagnation
What can blue/black shadows under the eyes indicate?
Adrenal exhaustion
Kidneys
What can a strong body odour indicate?
Heat
What can bad breath indicate?
Stomach heat
What can smelly urine or stools indicate?
Damp heat
What are the observational signs of poor thyroid function?
Dry skin Thin hair Goitre Bradycardic pulse Low blood pressure
What are the observational signs of anaemia?
Pallor Angular stomatitis Pale tongue/gums Tachycardic pulse Nails - spooning
What are tissue salts?
Homeopathic remedies based on minerals
What can white nails indicate?
Anaemia
Oedema
Vascular conditions
What can white spots on the nails indicate?
Ca def
Zn def
Silica def
What can an absent lunula indicate?
Anaemia
Malabsorption
What can a pyramidal lunula indicate?
Excessive manicure
Trauma