What exactly IS Naturopathy, anyway?

Find and fix the true source of your health issues with clinical naturopathic testing, powerful natural medicines and expert advice.

Over the past twenty to thirty years, naturopathy has evolved into a well-established science underpinned by centuries-old knowledge of herbs and proper nutrition.  With tens of thousands of scientific papers studying a whole plethora of research areas in natural medicine, naturopathy – which is at the forefront of natural medicine – is now a respected and integral part of health care around the world.  In Australia alone it’s actively used by millions of people, each and every year.

Let’s face it – we live in a toxic world.  According to statistics, approximately 10 million tons of toxic chemicals are released into our environment every year, and 2 million tons of this overload is carcinogenic.  Over 80,000 new chemicals have been invented since World War II, most of which did not previously exist in nature and many of which are now widely dispersed in our environment and will persist for decades or even centuries.

We breathe it, we eat it, we bathe in it … sadly, we no longer live in a clean, pristine world and it’s pretty much impossible to maintain a healthy body without regular detoxing and consciously choosing to eat nourishing and chemical-free food.  While we have organs and biological processes which are designed to keep our internal environment free of toxins and pathogens, we are simply not biologically adapted to cope with the enormous onslaught of toxins we experience in the modern era.  The pollution we inhale, the chemicals in our water, the pesticides and herbicides on our fresh food, and all those little numbers on the backs of the packets do add up, and what they add up to, in the end, is serious health problems.

The health solution to living in a toxic world

Using the guidance of an experienced naturopath is nowadays the very best means available to return to a state of true health.  Keeping your body clean on the inside, minimising the degeneration of ageing, preventing you from falling victim to debilitating (and fatal) diseases and helping you to lead an energetic and vital life, are all areas that are the domain of the Naturopath.  While we mean absolutely no disrespect to the medical profession – we see doctors as essential to health care, in particular emergency care – doctors are simply not schooled in the intricate science or inherited knowledge of nutrition and herbal medicine.  Regardless of their mastery of medical science and expert management of acute health situations, they are not taught how to successfully treat chronic conditions beyond suppression or management of symptoms.

At Natural Pain Solutions we successfully treat chronic conditions every day.  Our approach is that your body wants to heal, and has a built-in natural healing ability.  To observe the natural self-repair of a child’s skinned knees is to witness this everyday miracle.  In fact, your body is constantly repairing itself, whether from viral damage, muscular strain, oxidation from toxins and mental stress … all kinds of inflammatory processes are continually being generated by your diet, lifestyle and environment and are being repaired by your body.  Problems begin to occur when your body is not getting the correct nutrition, exercise or cleansing it needs to function optimally and self-heal.  Eventually, these problems may result in a pathology that can be detected using medical diagnosis tests and hey presto! You have a disease.  However, as sudden as it seems, in reality your body has been moving towards a disease state over a period of years.

Naturopaths focus on discovering the true cause of your ill-health

In naturopathy, we don’t diagnose disease states (that is the doctor’s domain) – instead we use clinical naturopathic testing to identify nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, heavy metal and toxic loads, parasite impacts, pH levels, cell health and a whole lot more to get an in-depth understanding of the internal environment of your body.  Circulation to different areas of the body is a particular parameter we look at because without proper circulation it is impossible for nutrients to get to where they need to go.

Clinical testing enables us to do the first part of our job as naturopaths, which is to figure out what is preventing your body from healing.  Often clients come to us because they feel unwell but nothing is showing on their medical tests.  This is the ideal time to use clinical naturopathic tests to investigate further and find out why you are experiencing symptoms of ill-health – before your body deteriorates to the point where a disease state can be diagnosed.

Naturopaths optimise your body’s self-healing ability – and then teach you how to stay healthy

The second part of our job is to set about changing the internal environment of the body so that it can repair itself.  This is achieved through expert advice on dietary change, targeted natural medicines, treatment and lifestyle advice.  Normally clients either see our practitioner by coming for casual consultations (initially fortnightly, then monthly) or through a 12 month health program.  Our health programs are great value and also have the advantage of establishing a long-term framework to follow an action plan designed to restore your health to an optimal level.  They also enable us to monitor your progress through regular testing.

The third part of our job – which happens alongside the second – is to educate you on how to maintain your health long-term, so you don’t have to suffer from the degenerative diseases that afflict most people who consume the typical western diet and lifestyle.

Our Naturopath, Scott Hankinson

Our practitioner, Mr Scott Hankinson, has been a Naturopath since 1994 (he has loads of great reviews on WOMO and Google). Scott is a member of ATMS (Australian Traditional Medicine Society).  Scott is also a qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture practitioner, however is currently non-practising due to regulatory impositions of the Victorian government on Allied Health practitioners.

You can read more about our initial naturopathic appointment choices on our What to Expect page, where you can also book online.

And of course, we’re just a phone call away on 03 9876 8786 if you’d like to have your questions answered in person!

Common conditions treated by Naturopathy

Below is a list of common conditions for which people come to see us for a naturopathic consultation.

• Fatigue
• Digestive problems (Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bloating, constipation, nausea, flatulence etc)
• Hormonal conditions
• Headaches and migraines
• Food and environmental sensitivities (please note that “allergies” by law can only be treated by a medical doctor)
• Stress, Anxiety and Depression
• Insomnia
• Thyroid imbalances
• Weight management
• Cardiovascular issues
• High or low blood pressure
• Fibromyalgia
• Pain – Back Pain, Neck and Shoulder Pain
• Skin conditions
• Diabetes
• Fertility
• Diet counseling

Of course, this is just a small sample – if your condition isn’t on this list it’s highly likely we can still help you.  Give us a call on 03 9876 8786 or send us a message if you’d like to find out for sure.

Our Naturopathic centre is located in Ringwood, in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs

We’re conveniently located in Ringwood, just off the Maroondah Highway Eastlink exit and only a short ten minute walk from Ringwood Train Station and Eastland Shopping Centre.

We look forward to meeting you at the centre soon!