Health Over All Welcomes Dr. Alison Gottschalk, ND

Get to know Dr. Gottschalk…

 

Hi!  I’m Dr. Alison Gottschalk, the newest member of the Health Over All team.

 

My experience in women’s hormonal health, working with women of all ages.  Typically, I see hormonal concerns ranging from painful and heavy, absent or irregular periods, and hormonal acne, to menopausal hot flashes, insomnia, bloating, and hormonal weight gain associated with PCOS, perimenopase, and menopause. 

 

I believe there is so much more we can offer our female patients, other than providing the two conventional options – synthetic hormone replacement therapy for women beyond reproductive age, and birth control for women of reproductive age. 

 

Let’s figure out what’s actually going on. 

 

Listed below are some common questions I get asked;

 

“The hot flashes aren’t so bad right now, but they do come and go.  Is there anything more natural I can take for them?” – Absolutely.  We have several therapy options available to us, including bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, herbal medicines, vitamin supplements and nutraceuticals, as well as foundational dietary protocols, specifically curated for addressing hormonal imbalances.  To determine what would be best, we requisition for lab work on the first visit – either salivary, urine or blood – putting together a treatment approach based on that lab report.

 

“I know I should be eating better, I’ve read up about various supplements and foods.  So I don’t know why I don’t actually just do it.”  – Weight loss is tricky, there is no question about that.  It’s important to not be so hard on yourself, as there could be a hormonal imbalance at play, inhibiting successful weight loss.  Depending on your age, and menstural cycle history – we’ll likely run a hormonal assessment, which may include testing estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, cortisol and insulin, or run a more extensive panel including the hormone metabolites.  If any of these are suboptimal, we’ll want to put together a plan to ensure those are addressed, as potential road-blocks to successful weight loss.

 

“My skin isn’t as clear as it use to be, I’ve tried cutting out dairy.  Is there anything else I can take aside from Accutane or birth control for my skin?” – Whenever I address skin concerns, I want to make sure digestion is optimal – as the link is ever so strong.  Also, there can absolutely be a hormonal imbalance linked with cystic acne, in which case birth control is commonly suggested as the only option.  We know the oral birth control pill won’t actually regulate your hormones, as your hormone production and ovulation are actually being suppressed by the synthetic hormones in the pill.  For this reason, we typically see the same concerns (like acne) that drove women to go on the pill, re-arise once the pill is discontinued.  Thus, the problem is not be addressed, rather masked.  Determining the type of acne is important, which dictates the food and supplemental protocols we use.

 

“I don’t feel like my self.  I’m ready to try anything at this point.  Tell me what to do.  I feel so bloated by the end of the day” – I hear you.  You’ve come to the right clinic, let’s work on getting you feeling your very best.

 

As a healthcare provider, I take care of the busy women.  The ones who take care of everyone else, who have responsibilities to what seems like everything else, but their own health.  And I get it. In such a fast-past world, it is so easy as women to put our responsibilities before our own health, often letting it slide as the years go on, repeating, ‘I’ll get around to it once my X Y or Z is looked after’.  Don’t buy into that thought process any longer – now is the time to bring focus back to you.

 

My promise to you – to really listen to your health story and goals, creating a safe and comfortable clinical space to have your concerns fully addressed.  Even if the health concern is small – if its important to you, its important for us to address.

 

Have a question?  I’d love to hear from you.

 

Click here to book your first appointment with Dr. Gottschalk!