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Let’s talk about osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory condition that begins when the protective cartilage that surrounds certain joints start to break down. When you have osteoarthritis you may start to experience morning stiffness in your joints, with pain that worsens with increased joint usage throughout the day. Another common symptom you may experience is “cracking” and/or “creaking” withing those joints, perhaps in your knuckles or knees. 

So what’s causing all of this pain? If you take a look at osteoarthritis on an x-ray, you will see joint space narrowing. This spacing represents a loss of cartilage within the joint. You may also have bone spurs, calcifications, morning stiffness and other changes.

How Western Medicine Explains Osteoarthritis

Today, osteoarthritis is believed to be a result of wear and tear on the joints. It is theorized that increased age, previous joint damage, repetitive stress, genetics and obesity can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis. Currently, the condition is said to be incurable, as well as unpreventable. It is managed with anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections and eventually joint replacement if applicable. 

How Naturopathic Medicine Explains Osteoarthritis

We have found that osteoarthritis is likely caused by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to systemic inflammation that develops within specific joints. In the patients we see living with osteoarthritis there is a specific underlying cause to their inflammatory process, one that is both identifiable and reversible. By helping to identify the root cause of their inflammation, they can begin to reverse symptoms and see a significant reduction in pain. While a genetic predisposition can be a factor in osteoarthritis, we have seen that environmental influences, such as diet, play a key role in symptom relief.

Most people do not realize that they have a specific food intolerance due to the lack of immediate concerning symptoms like hives, swelling, or diarrhea that may be associated with food sensitives or food allergies. Food intolerances can go visibly unnoticed for years until they manifest in other ways, like osteoarthritis, due to the chronic inflammation they are causing on the inside of our bodies. Because of this most people continue to eat the same foods that they always have without thinking twice. 

When you identify your food intolerance and remove it from your diet, you are able to stop the inflammatory process occurring within your body. Once the inflammatory food group is identified, a trial removal period of 4 weeks is recommended to allow the body time to begin healing. However, most individuals notice a significant reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms, like joint pain, in just the first two weeks. 

We believe there is a way to heal from osteoarthritis and live pain-free. By reversing the underlying causes of inflammation in your body, you can start the process of healing. You can improve your quality of life with a few simple steps.

Give us a call today to request your free 15-minute consult to find out if we can help you.

Call: 518.290.7599 – Email: Neintegrativehealth@gmail.com

Is your child falling victim to chronic ear infections? If so, they are definitely not alone. From the painful sleepless nights to the countless trips to the doctor, one third of children experience six or more episodes of ear infections by the age of 7 years old. Thankfully for you, there are ways to not only stop this cycle, but also prevent them almost entirely.

First off, let’s understand what the problem is. Bacteria are always present in the ear. A common misconception is that we need to kill the bacteria to prevent ear infections. When in reality, the terrain is far more important. We all have a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat, the eustachian tube. Its purpose is to maintain equal pressure behind the eardrum. Children have a shorter and straighter tube that makes them more prone to ear infections. Why is this? Because their tubular structure makes it harder for them to clear mucus. The tube is more easily plugged, providing the perfect environment for bacteria to take over.

” Increasing nutrient levels and removing inflammatory substances is the key. “

So how can you prevent these painful and recurring ear infections?

Step One

Dairy is one of the top contributors of inflammation. Eliminating dairy is a key step. This includes removing all dairy from the diet, including milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream etc. If the child is being breast-fed, then the mother will have to remove all dairy intake from her own diet. While dairy is the most common culprit, other food sensitivities can contribute to inflammation as well. You may need to experiment taking out different foods, one at a time, that your child regularly has. The most common to start with being gluten, soy, corn, eggs and nightshades.

Step Two

Sugar helps feed bacteria and also aids inflammation. Removing sugar or greatly reducing sugar intake is another major aid. Keep an eye on sugar intake, especially in foods like jam, gummies, soda and even fruit. Some fruits have high-sugar content that can still feed the infection. This includes bananas, mangos and papaya.

Step Three

Although this step is also about sugar, it is often overlooked. Many parents substitute soda and high-energy sugar drinks with juice, which is a great alternative, but when looking at the label it is another culprit of high-sugar content. Removing or reducing consumption of juice is another important step. An alternative can be water with squeezes of real fruit or watering down organic real-fruit juices.

Step Four

If you are dealing with an infant, bottle-feeding in a reclined position can be another factor in reoccurring ear infections. In addition, reducing pacifier use past 10-18 months can also help prevent chronic ear infections.

Step Five

Increasing nutrient levels in your child is essential. As far as children’s multivitamins go, my personal favorite is called Ultra Preventative Kids, an orange flavored chewable by Douglas Labs. Additional vitamins and minerals are an added help in preventing infection. These include vitamin D, vitamin A, and zinc. Ask your Doctor about correct dosage for your child.

Besides the listed dietary, vitamin and mineral suggestions, various biotherapies are greatly beneficial as well. You can contact your local Naturopathic Doctor to learn more ways to help deal with ear infections, as well as additional steps to prevent further ear complications.

Everyone is buzzing about Bone broth right now, and for good reason. This homemade broth has earned its reputation as a superfood being abundant in minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, trace minerals, collagen and the list goes on.

Not only is Bone broth a boost to the body, but a boost to the immune system. It is one of your best defenses to make it through cold and flu season. When you’re sick, digesting solid food takes excess energy away from healing your body. Substituting with Bone broth helps your body use energy efficiently and provide your body with essential minerals for enzyme function.

Besides being great for your health, Bone broth is delicious! It can be used in countless recipes throughout the week. But remember, a good Bone broth is only as good as the quality of the ingredients you put into it. Always strive to use ingredients that are organic and bones that are from grass/forage-fed animals. You may want to find a local farmer who is raising grass fed beef near you. My go to is a farm out of West Charlton named West Wind Acres.

Check out the recipe below to start enjoying all the benefits Bone broth has to offer.

Beef Bone Broth Ingredients:

3 onions
3 carrots
4 celery stalks
4 cloves of garlic
2 shallots (optional)
1 bunch of parsley
4-5 lbs of beef bones (knuckles, knees, marrow, shank)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
salt (sea salt or himalayan)
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place bones on baking sheet and roast until browned. When browned place them in pot and add halved onions (3), rough chopped carrots (3), celery (4), garlic (4 cloves), shallots(2). Add ½ cup of apple cider vinegar. Add 12-16 cups of cold water. Add additional water if necessary to cover bones. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-24 hrs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 bunch of chopped parsley 15 minutes prior to end of cooking. After cooking strain the liquid into a new pot. Allow liquid to cool in refrigerator or cold area. After liquid has cooled use a ladle or large spoon to remove the congealed fat layer. Transfer the liquid into mason jars or other form of storage and freeze. Broth will be slightly congealed when cold. the broth will store up to 4 months in the freezer.

 

This weekend I had an amazing experience at a family-owned local soap company. However, those words do little to describe what this family is doing behind their warehouse walls. Rad Soap Co. is not only creating products for the better, but their story exemplifies both the American dream and the awakening of consciousness in individuals.

The owner of Rad Soap Co., Sue Kerber, invited me into her world to explore the all-natural soap business. From the days of making soap in her basement to now owning and operating a soap factory, the team’s mission, work ethic and story is inspiring to say the least.

The factory produces a variety of all natural products that are responsibly made and chemical-free including soaps, lotions, scrubs and even bug sprays and deodorants. The passion behind every employee in the building was beyond impressive. Rad Soap Co. truly believes in what they are doing, as they should. Creating quality, non-GMO and all-natural products that are free from toxic chemical preservatives, binders, emulsifiers and other harmful substances is a success in itself.

This trip served as a gratifying experience for me because our skin is one of the 5 primary organs of elimination. In today’s world we constantly expose ourselves to chemical compounds that are toxic to our cells; from what we wash with in the shower, to the products we mindlessly apply every day. We bombard and literally bathe ourselves in chemicals on a daily basis.

Using responsible and ingredient-safe products on our skin is essential to preventing repeated chemical exposures that can be a contributing factor to things like chronic disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders and other medical conditions. As individuals become self-educated on the dangers of chemical substances found in our everyday lives, we can begin to seek out products that represent our beliefs.

I have always believed that you should trust your own experience. I, myself, have now made the switch to Rad Soap Co. products, from bug spray and soap to my lip balm and deodorant. The quality speaks for itself and I have been greatly impressed thus far. I would like to thank the RAD Soap family and CEO Sue Kerber for their hospitality and cannot wait to see their company continue it’s success. Check them out at Radsoap.com

Kyle Sampson, ND

To see the article featuring Dr. Kyle Sampson see page 81 in Health Saratoga Magazine

Article: Meet The New Doc in Town

Written by: Megin Potter

A special thanks to Healthy Saratoga and Megin Potter for allowing me to be apart of this amazing local magazine

It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.”  

-Hippocrates

A proper diagnosis is crucial to effective medicine. However the diagnosis itself tells us almost nothing about the individual in front of us. It does not inform us of a patient’s heredity, their lifestyle, past life events or mental emotional state.

Given ten individuals with the same diagnosis, ideally there should be ten specialized treatments.

Unfortunately we know that is not the case. Most people with the same diagnosis are treated with a similar generalized approach, despite the fact that their conditions have developed in completely different ways.

The underlying causes of a disease need to be resolved before healing can truly occur in the body.  The present symptoms are important and must be addressed, however they are not the sole problem.

Your whole being must be re-aligned: body, mind and spirit. When this is achieved the disease can no longer reside in the body. 

To accomplish this we work to

• Tonify weakened organ systems
• Improve and optimize nutritional and mineral levels
• Stimulate the body’s innate ability to heal itself
• Remove obstacles to cure
• Optimize the body’s ability to detox
• Correct structural integrity.

As a Naturopathic doctor, it is my job to look at you as an individual and see the entire person, from before birth to present day. When you truly understand the entirety of a person, you can make the necessary adjustments to bring them back to a place of health.

Follow @naturecuredoc