My Final, Final

This past term I only had one course and it was a psychology class, which I did enjoy. I especially enjoyed finals week, where I only had one final and it was my last final—EVER! From here on out, I will only be doing rotations at the clinic and at elective sites. I still do have looming board exams ahead, but I have until August to study.

In my psychology class we touched on all of the various psychological conditions and became acquainted with the DSM-IV. This class was a great compliment to the patients I was seeing on Dr. Raymers rotation, which had an emphasis on psychology. One of the most interesting patients I saw was a woman who has dysthymia. She was currently taking a prescription medication to enhance her mood, but she wanted to wean down off the drug. We helped her do just that and integrated naturopathic supportive therapies into her care. One therapy was asked her to try was hydrotherapy. We are taught constitutional hydrotherapy in our clinic. The theory behind this type of hydrotherapy treatments is that they normalize the blood and lymph by promoting circulation through the tissues. Aiding the flow of blood and lymph can help move toxins and waste through the body’s organs of elimination (skin, liver, kidneys, lung, and colon) more quickly to improve health.  Hydrotherapy was one of the main treatment methods in the 1920’s and 1930’s and continues to be useful today as in my patients case. Constitutional hydrotherapy can also be useful in digestive problems like Crohn’s, respiratory conditions like chronic asthma, and immune deficiency problems—just to name a few indications. One modern day indication of these treatments is that it forces people to slow down and take time to relax. Rest and relaxation are a vital component to healing and often a luxury in our busy lives!