ARTICLES
Women's Health
Dr. Russell

When Motherhood Feels Heavy: Unraveling Postpartum Depression

Bringing a baby into the world is often portrayed as one of the happiest times in a woman’s life. While welcoming a new child can certainly bring joy, it can also bring exhaustion, overwhelm, anxiety, identity shifts, and emotional struggles that many mothers never expected. During Postpartum Depression Awareness Month, it’s important that we normalize these conversations and remind mothers that struggling after birth does not mean they are failing. Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 1 in 7 women, though

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Women's Health
Dr. Russell

Endometriosis: More Than Your Average Monthly Nuisance

I recently completed our family with the birth of our daughter, Paulina, in November. While I am not a fan of being pregnant, one of the few perks is not having a period for an extended period of time. For reasons that I cannot comprehend, my period quickly returned, not even 7 weeks postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding. With the return of my period, it made me reflect on periods in general. One thing I’ve commonly seen in practice is

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Women's Health
Staff

From PMDD to Peace: A Real-Life Homeopathy Case Study

Homeopathy is one of the most versatile and rewarding tools I use in clinical practice. I incorporate it into care for the majority of my patients because it allows for deeply individualized treatment across physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms.  Despite its long history, homeopathy is frequently misunderstood. This real patient’s story demonstrates not only the value of homeopathic treatment, but also sheds light on some common misconceptions that patients and practitioners may have.  CASE PRESENTATION A 46-year-old female came to

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Women's Health
Dr. Russell

Is It My Thyroid? How To Comprehensively Evaluate Thyroid Health

What distinguishes our practice from conventional care is our personalized, whole-person approach. We meet individuals where they are and thoughtfully evaluate all of their symptoms to piece together a clearer picture of their health. However, one area where I sometimes feel a bit “lazy” is when it comes to ordering labs, especially thyroid panels. By “lazy,” I mean that I test almost everyone for thyroid function.  Because the thyroid influences nearly every system in the body, dysfunction can show up

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Mental Health
Staff

If Herbs Could Talk: The SAD Winter Council

The transition into colder and darker months is a difficult transition for many. We are no longer offered the gift of long days and the warmth of consistent sunshine on our skin.  Seasonal affective disorder, also known as “seasonal depression,” affects up to 10% of the United States population and increases in prevalence as you get further from the equator.  We deserve to honor and nourish our cyclical natures and offer the fall and winter as times to slow down

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Digestive Health
Staff

Healing Beyond The Gut: Inflammatory Bowel Disease Awareness

For those living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), planning your day can feel like a big question mark. – Will this meal send me into a fit of cramping pain?– Where’s the closest bathroom at the mall?– Can I make it through the hour-long car ride without stopping?– How do I explain to my aunt that I can’t eat her dish at the potluck? And perhaps most importantly – how do I emotionally cope with the stress of having an

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Women's Health
Dr. Russell

POTS, Hormones, and Hidden Triggers: What Every Patient Should Know

What Is POTS? Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, commonly called POTS, is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. This part of the nervous system controls “automatic” body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation. In people with POTS, the body has trouble adjusting to upright posture. When standing, instead of blood flowing smoothly back to the heart and brain, it tends to pool in the lower body. To compensate, the heart races —

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Hormones
Dr. Russell

How Do I Know If I’m In Perimenopause?

I hear it all the time. A woman in her 40s comes to me feeling like she’s going through puberty again. She’s irritable at the smallest things and feels like she’s PMS-ing half the month. Her sleep and energy are all over the place and she’s having a hard time concentrating at work. Is this perimenopause? Like any concerned individual, she goes to her doctor to see if they can figure out what’s going on. After a quick visit, she leaves

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Acupuncture
Staff

Back to School, Not Back to Stress: 5 Tips to Stay Grounded

As the new school year begins, families are often swept into a whirlwind of new routines, early wake-up calls, extracurricular commitments, and academic pressures. This abrupt shift can lead to heightened stress for both parents and children, manifesting as disrupted sleep, increased irritability, weakened immunity, and even digestive issues. For parents, the mental load of managing logistics, preparing meals, and staying emotionally available for their children can be overwhelming. Meanwhile, children and teens may struggle with separation anxiety, peer dynamics,

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Hormones
Staff

Calming the Overactive Thyroid: A Natural Approach to Graves’ Disease

July is Graves’ Disease Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to shine a light on this autoimmune thyroid condition. Even though the thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck, it has a big job — helping to regulate your metabolism, energy levels, temperature, mood, and more. When something goes wrong with the thyroid, your whole body can feel it. And that’s definitely the case with Graves’ disease, where the immune system starts attacking the

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