– Jacqueline Garman DipNat. DipAcc, Naturopath, Practitioner and Director of Studies (CNM Brighton)
Firstly, I will explain the principle of naturopathy. A Naturopaths ethos is to heal using natural methods. Having a broad knowledge of many diagnostic and treatment methods and a good understanding of the physiology and anatomy of the body, the competent Naturopath is able to analyse the bigger picture of the patients health. It is always the work of a Naturopath to ascertain and treat the cause of disease rather than the symptoms. For example: A patient presents with thyroid problems due to a lack of iodine. A GP would treat this with medication; a Nutritionist may recommend dietary change or supplementation, a Naturopath, using thorough diagnostic techniques, would find the cause of the iodine deficiency and treat this, thus returning the patient to optimum health.
The liver, in my experience is one of the quickest organs to respond to acupuncture. Liv3 for example seems to have a dramatic effect in clearing liver heat. GB34 can tone the liver and also relax the tendons and sinews, generally being a good tonic for liver pathologies. He7, used in conjunction with Liv3, can be an excellent combination for people with long standing liver pathologies, not only is effective for clearing liver heat, it also has a very calming effect on the heart which is so often affected. However, whilst acupuncture is essential to give the patient immediate relief and indeed contribute to the eventual recovery, it is important to examine the patient from every perspective. The liver is by far the most affected organ due to emotional stress and toxins, almost without exception every patient presenting with a liver pathology will have an external stress either causing or contributing to their condition. Indeed, it would be true to say that a great percentage of all pathologies will have a liver element at some level.
Unfortunately liver conditions can have the chicken and egg scenario. External factors mentioned previously can damage the liver and a weakened liver can lead to emotional and physical symptoms. The skill then is to determine by way of a thorough case history which scenario is relevant.
Detoxification and addressing the way a patient reacts to emotional influences is nearly always the first step to recovery. This may sound relatively simple, but great support is needed from the practitioner during this time. The body needs support through the cleansing process, all those toxins need a passage from the body and one of the most effective ways to do this is with the use of coffee enemas, a challenge indeed as so many are conditioned to believe the colon and the rectum as socially unacceptable areas. If a practitioner can overcome that barrier with a patient the results are seen amazingly quickly. Nutritional advice is another important element, as we saw earlier it is essential to have all anti-oxidants present to allow the body to fully detoxify. Practical advice about emotional issues is another aspect that holds great importance, a patient has to take responsibility for their own health, emotional issues, childhood problems etc. An innate lack of self esteem is often seen and a patient will look to the practitioner to offer solutions. The skill in practice is to inspire your patient to believe in themselves and see their body as the fundamental transport to emotional well being and something which is totally under their influence and control.
I hope this has given you an understanding of just how important the health of your liver is, whether approached with orthodox or Chinese medicine. It is a vital organ to our very existence and deserves our full care and respect. You can see from the information you have gained whichever approach in diagnosis is adopted the symptoms caused are universal. It is my belief as a Naturopath that all medication, including anti-depressants, chemotherapy and steroids totally repress the bodys natural healing methods and ultimately lead to further illness.
