Mission/Vision

At Naturopathic Specialists, Dr. Marchese seeks to empower women by teaching them about their bodies, female-specific processes, how to recognize changes and how to successfully and safely deal with such changes. Vision: to provide each woman with her healthcare needs over her lifetime; Mission: compassionate care alongside clinically proven and cutting-edge therapies to offer women the best possible naturopathic and primary care.

What to expect at an office visit

At Naturopathic Specialists we provide natural healthcare for women of all ages. A first office visit will take 1-1.5 hours. During this visit a health history will be taken, pointed physical exam(s) will be completed and an initial treatment plan will be created. It is important to bring copies of recent lab testing or have copies sent to our office of any labs that you have had which might be important in determining your treatment plan. Follow up visits usually take ½ hour. At follow up visits we will revisit current symptoms and laboratory results if necessary and discuss any changes to the initial treatment plan.

Common female health complaints

Although the Dr. Marchese treats women with a variety of conditions, the following is a list of the more common conditions for which women seek our services:
 
Painful or heavy menstruation

Menstruation is a normally occurring process for a female of reproductive age. It should not be painful, and bleeding should be reasonable (5-7 days of bleeding, with the first 1-2 days being heavier than the rest). Pain during menstruation could signify an underlying imbalance such as inflammation or poor oxygen supply to the pelvis (some women carry their stress in their pelvis). Other considerations for causes include: uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis-all of which could cause heavy bleeding as well. Once the cause is discovered a variety of natural therapeutics can be employed to relieve pain, or resolve the underlying condition.

Irregular menses

The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28-32 days. The causes of irregular menstruation vary. It is most important to understand the underlying imbalance in order to correct it with natural therapies. Some causes include: hypothyroidism, anemia, stress, luteal phase defect, perimenopause and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Each potential underlying disorder has a unique set of characteristic accompanying symptoms. Natural therapies such as botanical medicines, nutrition, dietary changes, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy may be utilized to correct any of these underlying disorders. Occasionally pharmaceuticals are employed in our practice to correct the imbalances associated with irregular menstruation.

Infertility

The definition of infertility is the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse or after 6 months of unprotected intercourse in women over 35 years of age. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the U.S., equivalent to ten percent of the reproductive age population. Female infertility accounts for one third of infertility cases, male infertility for another third, combined male and female infertility for another 15%, and the remainder of cases are "unexplained". Naturopathy has much to offer the “infertile couple”. Both partners can benefit from lifestyle changes, dietary recommendations, and specific therapeutic doses of nutritional supplements based on his or her imbalances. Acupuncture has been studied to support fertility positively in a variety of settings for both partners.

Decreased libido (low sex drive)

While this topic has been studied for over 50 years for the male population, female sexual dysfunction has only been studied extensively for the past 10 years. Female sexual dysfunction includes low libido as well as decreased ability or inability to reach orgasm. Causes include psychological (stress, depression, anxiety), pain with intercourse (either vaginal or pelvic), pelvic pain, decreased circulation to the pelvis or low testosterone. This experience can be distressing for anyone and compassionate care during this time is most important. Treatment varies depending on the cause of dysfunction and may include: Hormone therapy, hydrotherapy, nutritional therapy, local crèmes, botanical medicines, counseling and stress reduction techniques.

Uterine fibroids

The growth of a uterine fibroid (a benign tumor on the uterus) can occur at anytime during the reproductive years and very commonly occurs during the perimenopausal years. While the exact causes are unknown, it is known that estrogen stimulates the growth of uterine fibroids. Naturopathic physicians look at estrogen metabolism, environmental influences and a woman’s personal balance of hormones in order to create a complete plan.

Ovarian cysts

Cysts on the ovaries can be a normal finding—each month a number of follicular cysts form in the ovary. When a cyst continues to grow larger, or when multiple cysts are maintained on the ovary a woman must be assessed for underlying causes. It is important to look at estrogen metabolism, environmental influences and a woman’s personal balance of hormones in order to create a complete plan.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. It can be painful, cause irregular bleeding and infertility. The location of the endometriosis can dictate treatment. While there are a number of theories regarding causes of endometriosis, not one cause can explain the variations in presentation. It is important to look at estrogen metabolism, environmental influences and a woman’s personal balance of hormones in order to create a complete plan.

Vaginal infections

Vaginal discharge can be normal, and changes throughout the month of a reproductive age woman. During ovulation an egg-white consistency is often noted, after ovulation if can be normal to note a paste like white discharge. When there is a change in odor, color or if there is vaginal itching it is important to have the discharge assessed. The vagina is its own ecosystem and there are many different types of normal bacteria that live in the vagina. The job of the predominant bacteria that live in the vaginal is to produce hydrogen peroxide in order to keep the vagina acidic. This ensures the immune function of the milieu and prevents any one bacteria from overgrowing. When the milieu becomes disturbed (from a new partner, douching, vaginal lubricants, etc) it can become a breeding ground for one of the normally occurring bacteria or for a foreign bacteria that has been introduced. Most of these bacterial (and yeast) infections can be treated effectively with Naturopathic medicine through herbal suppositories, nutritional supplements and dietary changes.

Abnormal Pap smears

The most common cause for an abnormal Pap smear is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and one strain of the virus causes the common wart. The sexually transmitted form of HPV does not always appear as a visible wart. This is why it is most important to have a Pap smear each and every year. There are over 150 different strains of HPV most are benign forms. There are however, some forms of HPV that are considered High Risk because without treatment these forms of HPV can cause cervical cancer. After the diagnosis of an abnormal Pap smear it is important to know if you have contracted HPV. If you have HPV it is important to know whether it is “High Risk type” or Low Risk type”. All forms of HPV related abnormal Pap smears can be treated naturopathically with both systemic herbs and therapeutic doses of nutritional supplements and possibly with local treatments of vaginal suppositories or escharotic treatments.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a syndrome that can affect women of reproductive age with symptoms such as: weight gain, abnormal hair growth, acne, irregular menstrual cycles or no menstruation. While there are a number of theories about causes, most women will have insulin resistance as part of the picture. By addressing the insulin resistance with dietary changes, nutritional supplements and botanicals, women can resolve symptoms associated with this syndrome.

Insulin resistance (Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome)

Women with Insulin resistance will often have symptoms of weight gain, elevated blood pressure, and increased cholesterol. Insulin resistance occurs when less than optimal amounts of insulin receptors are available on each cell. It is important to increase expression of these insulin receptors and this is possible with diet, exercise and therapeutic amounts of nutrients and botanicals.

Menopausal symptoms

The definition of menopause is the consecutive cessation of menses for >1 year. The most common menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, memory changes, emotional changes and weight gain. All of these symptoms can be explained by the biochemical changes occurring in a woman’s body during the years just prior to menopause and with menopause. Support would ideally start for women when she was in her 30’s but this does not commonly occur. Support during this phase of a woman’s life includes caring for symptoms with herbs, nutritional supplements or hormone replacement. Or supporting the body prior to menopause to prevent symptoms. Most important during this time is assessing a woman’s risk factors for cardiovascular disease, assessing her bone health and her breast health. Once baselines are established in each of these area’s prevention of chronic disease is imperative. Naturopathic physicians are trained specifically to prevent chronic disease through lifestyle, diet and supplementation. If you or any woman you care about is entering menopause be sure to address your concerns with one of the physician’s at Naturopathic Specialists.

Perimenopausal symptoms

Women can experience many of the same symptoms of menopause during the 5-10 years just before menopause deemed the “perimenopausal years”. In addition she may experience irregular menstrual cycles, headaches, changes in libido, weight gain, mood changes and sleep disturbances. As naturopathic physicians we see each and every one of these symptoms as important guides in helping us understand the underlying imbalances. These symptoms help guide us to appropriate treatment. Our goal is to help keep you balanced and symptom free as you enter into this new and exciting time during your life! As well we are watchful for the common health risks that women encounter during this time as well: cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and bone loss. Treatments include lifestyle change, acupuncture, nutritional support and botanical medicines.

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis)

Bone health assessment through a bone mineral density test (DEXA) is important for getting a baseline at or around menopause. Our bone density increases continuously until around 35 years old. After this time we continue to lose bone. The important difference is at what rate we are losing this bone. Lifestyle such as exercise and diet plays a very important role in the health of our bones. Supplementation is only a piece of the puzzle and should be addressed at different phases of a womans life. Supplementation includes Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K, Boron, Strontium, and fish oils to name a few. Taking a high quality supplement at the appropriate dose is essential for long term bone health.

Prevention of chronic disease

Naturopathic physicians are trained specifically in preventing chronic disease through assessing family history, personal history, and lifestyle. As a woman transitions into different phases of her life she is at risk for auto-immune diseases, heart disease, cancers and diabetes. All of these chronic diseases are affected by lifestyle and influenced to some degree by our environment. To learn how you or a woman you know and love can receive support to prevent chronic disease or the sequelae of chronic disease, encourage her to visit with one of the physicians at Naturopathic Specialists.

Sleep disturbance

Sleep disturbances can be caused by a number of factors such as: stress, anxiety, sleep apnea, hormonal changes, nightmares, or pain. Sleep is an important time during which the body restores itself. When a person does not get enough sleep many systems in our body can become impaired including immune function, cognitive abilities, energy levels often plummet, and emotions can run short. Understanding the cause lends insight to caring for the disturbance. Often therapies employed include stress management, weight loss techniques, homeopathic remedies, nutritional and lifestyle support and botanical medicines.