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CLINICAL CASES 
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The
following are true cases relating to clients seen at the
Mother-Well clinic.
We have gathered them here for you as these inspiring
stories are excellent examples of the benefits and applications
of natural therapies. |
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MORNING
SICKNESS |
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A
26 year old female patient came to see us at 9 weeks
of pregnancy. She had had permanent nausea and 4
to 5 episodes of vomiting a day for 5 weeks. The
only foods she seemed to tolerate a bit better were
potatoes and white bread. In the previous two weeks,
she had also developed heartburn and the discomfort
was becoming unbearable.
Our acupuncturist diagnosed low Qi in the stomach
and liver and proceeded to treat her.
On her second visit, two days later, she no longer
had nausea or vomiting, only mild heartburn when
lying down.
She had a total of four acupuncture sessions, at
the end of which all her symptoms had disappeared,
her appetite was normal, and she was feeling much
happier.
In her feedback form she stated that she had never
used natural therapies before but was very impressed
by the effectiveness of the treatment for her morning
sickness. |
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ECZEMA |
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A
9-month-old boy came to see us with a diagnosis
of atopic dermatitis (eczema). He had bleeding,
raw skin on both cheeks and his chest, back, groin
and bottom were covered with crusty, weeping lesions.
Some of them were infected. He also had deep cracks
behind the ears and the neck. He had scratch marks
over his whole body, and could not sleep at night
due to the itching.
The skin condition had started 1 week after birth.
At his age, he was exclusively breastfed because
he was allergic to many foods, and had gone into
anaphylactic reactions (allergic shock) in 3 occasions.
As a result, he was failing to thrive and looked
like a 5-6 month old child.
Starship had been seeing him since the age of 3
months. Scratch tests revealed he was allergic to
certain foods the mother started avoiding but the
symptoms persisted. He was prescribed a high-dose
steroid cream and continuous series antibiotics
to treat the infections.
The naturopath analysed the mother’s diet
looking for allergenic foods. Mother, father and
child were hair tested for foods, additives and
environmental agents that could possibly be causing
the allergies.
The father turned out to be sensitive to all protein,
dairy, soy, eggs, sugar and pollens, even though
he did not have any symptoms as an adult. The child
came up with the same, plus a couple of other ones.
Note that most of these foods were not positive
in the skin tests from Starship.
He was slowly started on solids while avoiding those
foods to which he was allergic, and was prescribed
omega-3 oils, herbs and Bach flowers. Oils and a
cream made from natural ingredients were applied
externally.
The child was seen or followed-up on the phone every
2 weeks. His last visit was at 15 months.
He had put on weight and was walking, had had no
anaphylactic shocks and had become tolerant to foods
he was allergic to initially. No lesions at all
were apparent on his skin. |
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ABDOMINAL
PAIN |
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A
38 year-old woman consulted due to constant, severe,
stabbing pain in the upper abdomen, accompanied
by permanent nausea for the previous two months.
She had a history of digestive complaints for which
she had been studied by various specialists in the
previous 10 years, without a diagnosis.
She also had intense headaches during most part
of the day and extreme fatigue, even though she
was going to bed at 9pm every night. She was under
enormous stress, as she had been setting up her
own business for the last 3 months.
She was seen by our homeopath, who prescribed one
unique dose of a homeopathic remedy.
All symptoms resolved within one week. |
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MIGRAINE |
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A
30 year-old woman had been suffering regular migraines
since the age of 18. The headaches would occur once
or twice a week and had an intensity of 7 to 10
on a scale of 10, often requiring her to take absence
from work. The pain radiated to her back, neck and
right eye, forced her to avoid light and noises
and was sometimes associated with vomiting. She
did find some relief when taking analgesics but
had no success preventing them with beta-blockers.
She was assessed by our acupuncturist three months
ago, who proceeded to treat her, weekly for the
first month and fortnightly for another two months.
The frequency of the headaches diminished to half
in the first month and she reports no migraines
at all for the last 6 weeks.
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DEPRESSION |
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A
pregnant 30-year old woman came to see our naturopath
as she felt sad, tired and unexcited about the prospect
of having her fourth child. Blood tests showed she
was severely anaemic. Iron, vitamin and mineral
supplementation was started and a diet was specifically
designed to counteract her tendency towards low
blood sugar levels. She was also given a herbal
mixture to start combating her depressive symptoms
and reduce the risk of severe post natal depression.
Within three weeks, the client felt like her energy
levels were back to normal, she was in a better
mood and was feeling more optimistic. After six
weeks, her iron levels had doubled, depression had
totally lifted and she was looking forward to the
birth.
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LACTATION
PROBLEMS |
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A
35-year old woman with a history of being unable
to breastfeed her two previous babies due to lack
of milk consulted our naturopath during her third
pregnancy. She was treated with Bach flowers and
a herbal formula to reduce her stress levels and
allay her fears. She was also prescribed vitamin
and mineral supplements, as well as a change of
diet containing more protein and fewer snacks. Straight
after the birth, she started taking a herbal tonic
to encourage the body to make good quantity and
quality of milk and was given support to persevere
in feeding her baby.
After five months, she was still breastfeeding her
with no need for supplementation or herbal support.
The client acknowledges her experience has had a
direct impact on her relationship with her baby
and her image of herself as a mother.
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POOR
IMMUNITY AND EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES |
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A
4-year old girl presented with persistent mouth
ulcers, poor immunity and ongoing chest colds. She
was shy, lacked confidence and worried constantly.
At night, she was restless while sleeping. Her mother
was concerned starting primary school would be a
difficult step for her.
Her diet was modified to replace rice milk for formula
and to reduce the amount of additives and preservatives.
Nutritional supplements and a herbal tonic were
prescribed to support her immune function. Appropriate
Bach flowers were given to reduce her acute sensitivity
and increase her confidence.
One month later, she had no mouth ulcers, her general
health had improved and emotionally was more stable
and assertive. She was still restless during the
night. A slightly different herbal formula, as well
as cell salts and homeopathics were prescribed to
support good sleep. Six month later, the mother
reported the girl was thriving both physically and
emotionally and had adapted extremely well to school.
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ECZEMA |
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Two
brothers, aged 6 and 2 years, presented with rough,
very dry skin on different areas of their bodies,
requiring hydrocortisone cream to manage the symptoms.
The younger boy was also hyperactive and very difficult
to control. Their diet contained a large amount
of sugar, dairy and wheat. They both drank very
little water. They were prescribed probiotics and
omega-3 fatty acids; their diet was altered considerably
to avoid the substances to which they seemed to
be reacting and in order to include foods which
naturally facilitate digestion.
After four weeks, the older boy’s skin was
almost clear showing only a few red spots behind
the knees; it wasn’t itching any more. The
younger child was sleeping better, was less hyperactive
and seemed more focused on tasks. His skin was perfectly
healthy. |
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OBESITY |
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A
15 year-old girl consulted with excess weight. Her
diet was very limited and included high fat and
sugar amounts. She admitted to being “addicted
to carbs” and “very picky”.
She competed in sport and was aware that a reduction
in weight would benefit her self esteem and her
performance.
She was placed on vitamin and mineral supplements,
fish and flaxseed oils and her diet was restructured
to include more protein and water as well as less
carbohydrates. Ideas were given for her to experiment
with a larger variety of foods including fruit,
vegetables and fish. After five weeks, she had begun
to lose weight and was feeling full of energy. She
felt less puffy and was enjoying new foods. She
had no cravings and was finding her new regime easy
to adhere to. |
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PANIC
ATTACKS |
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A
48-year-old woman presented with acute anxiety,
which she had been suffering from for years but
had got worse since the beginning of her menopause.
She was experiencing daily panic attacks, difficulty
sleeping and feelings of being “unable to
escape”. She had a busy job and was the solo
mother of three children.
She was prescribed a potent vitamin and mineral
supplement with extra magnesium and calcium, as
well as a herbal tonic to control her stress levels,
reduce anxiety and counterbalance her hormonal changes.
After two days, the client reported feeling calmer
and less stressed. After four weeks, she was feeling
a lot more energized and in control, and her anxiety
had greatly diminished.
She was given homeopathic drops to help with her
sleep as she was still waking up once in the night.
She was also referred to our hypnotherapist to change
her coping mechanisms and reactions to stress as
these had become habitual. |
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BABY
COLIC AND RESTLESSNESS |
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A
2-month old baby girl was brought by her mother
so she could learn how to massage her. She was a
very unsettled baby who had been suffering from
colic since she was three weeks old. She showed
all the symptoms of colic, with a distended abdomen,
arching her back a lot and crying vigorously. Her
mother felt hopeless and at her wits end. The first
session was distressing for baby and mother as the
infant was unaccustomed to massage and touch. The
massage therapist demonstrated the “colic
routine” to the mother, who was instructed
to massage her baby twice a day.
Within a few days of starting her massage routine,
the baby had become more comfortable, experiencing
a release of gas or a large bowel movement after
the end of each session, after which she relaxed.
She was sleeping much better at nigh and the long
periods of crying had become minimal. Two weeks
later the mother was taught the full body massage
technique, which the baby seemed to enjoy largely.
The mother felt heir bond was re-established and
a loving relationship restored. |
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LOWER
BACK PAIN AND OEDEMA |
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A
30-year old woman came for her first treatment two
weeks before her due date. During the last month
she had experienced terrible lower back pain. She
was suffering from insomnia as a result and was
feeling worn out. She had also noticed oedema in
her legs , which added to her discomfort.
With the client positioned on her side, the massage
therapist released all the muscles in the buttocks
and lumbar area and then worked up the back to the
neck where she found a lot of stiffness. Mother-Well's
"Legs so Light" was used to massage the
legs and help drain the fluid, noticing a big difference
in the ankle size straight away. The session was
finished by teaching the client yoga stretches to
maintain the movement in the spine and keep the
circulation in the legs.
Two weeks later, the client had experienced considerable
relief in the back pain and the oedema had improved.
However, she was feeling anxious about the birth
and was sleeping badly. The massage therapist focused
on deep relaxation during the session to encourage
the client to release the anxiety she was experiencing.
She performed a lot of repetitive slow movements
and talked the client through breathing techniques
and visualisation for birth. She finished with Reiki
(hands on healing) to energise and centre her. The
client felt relaxed and more prepared for the birth.
The client returned 6 weeks after the birth of her
baby boy. She had had a natural birth and was very
excited albeit overwhelmed by motherhood. She had
been getting neck and shoulder pain over the last
4 weeks as she was breastfeeding frequently, often
3-4 times a night. She was treated with a deep tissue
massage with trigger point release and advised on
breastfeeding posture. She was also shown stretches
for her upper back and neck to do twice a day, after
which she reported feeling alleviated.
The client has since been coming for regular monthly
appointments, in order to keep her muscles free
and enjoy some time for herself, away from motherhood
duties. |
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