Real-Life Decision Making
In your naturopathic practice, some of your patients are children. A few
weeks ago, a mother brought in her son. The boy has asthma, which acts up
from time to time. He has recently had a lot of problems with skin rashes
as well. In addition, he's been acting out in his Grade 2 class. Recently
his mother met with his teacher to discuss his behavioral problems.
As a naturopath, you've been trained to treat the whole person. You want
to identify the root cause of his illness. You're not going to treat the symptoms
alone. You believe that all of the body's systems are interconnected.
You're meeting with the mother and son again today. You have the results
of his blood work, and you have reviewed his diet with his mother. You've
noted a magnesium deficiency. He eats few foods containing magnesium, such
as bananas, grains, yogurt, beans, spinach, broccoli, as well as certain types
of nuts and fish.
A magnesium deficiency can cause nervousness, irritability and mood problems.
Magnesium sulfate is also used as a treatment for asthma.
When you meet with the mother and boy, you provide her with a list of foods
that are high in magnesium. You ask her to get more of these foods in to her
son's diet.
She reads the list out loud in your office. Her son screws up his face,
crosses his arms and yells "Ewww!" You can see that there may be a problem
getting him to eat more broccoli and tuna.
If a patient -- no matter what age -- is not agreeable to the changes that
need to be made, the treatment will not be successful.
Dr. Melissa Bradwell says finding a solution that works for each patient
is important.
Supplements in the form of pills are available as an option. However, typically,
you don't like to substitute pills for healthy foods -- especially when it
comes to children.
Do you recommend a magnesium supplement, or do you help his mother find
a way to get magnesium-rich foods into the boy's diet?