DIGESTIVE HEALTH

It is said that as many as half of visits to family physicians for chronic complaints involve digestion. Many of our patients describe being frustrated with trying to get help for their ongoing issues. Dr Joe is dedicated to helping you find the root cause of your problems. He takes the time to genuinely listen to his patients’ stories and understand how their health is affected. He believes that understanding the function of the gut, and the importance of a healthy gut flora (microbiome) are key to helping you have healthy digestion. 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes a group of conditions, the two main forms of which are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD also includes indeterminate colitis. 

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are diseases that affect the lining of the gut and disrupt your body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrition, and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. These are lifelong diseases and people can experience acute periods of active symptoms, and other times when their symptoms are absent.

Symptoms can include abdominal pain and cramping; severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, blood in stool, weight loss and diminished appetite.

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis remains unknown, and as a result, there is no cure for these diseases. However, it is a reasonable goal to try to minimize the flare of these diseases and to keep the ongoing damage in remission.  Causes of Crohn’s and colitis include genetics, food sensitivity, the environment, and microbiome.

Constipation and other lower digestive tract issues also frustrate many people, and often they feel they have tried everything without finding lasting benefit. The GI Effects Digestive Stool Analysis offers insight into digestive function, parasites, pathogens and the microbiome. Dr Joe understands your discomfort and in addition to food sensitivity testing, and the GI Effects, Grassroots Naturopathic offers colon hydrotherapy to help stimulate a sluggish bowel and to increase the elimination of accumulated fecal matter.