 PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is thought to affect up to 15% of women of childbearing age. Not only does the condition prevent ovulation and therefore pregnancy but it also has a multitude of other distressing side effects.
The latter can range from thyroid problems and chronic fatigue to excess facial and body hair, skin disorders like acne and male pattern baldness in females.
Postmenopausal women are also prone to PCOS, as are females who are overweight, of normal weight or even lean.
Treatment of PCOS is now widely recognized as a highly complex process, requiring careful management not only of medications in some cases but also lifestyle issues like nutrition, regular exercise, weight and, in many instances, unwitting addiction to carbohydrates.
There is also the issue of related, reversible conditions like heart-damaging metabolic syndrome (syndrome x) and pre-diabetes. If neglected, the latter disorder can lead to type 2 diabetes, which is irreversible in most cases and may require daily injections of insulin.
With so many aspects to consider, what if there were a "one-stop shop" for PCOS management - in other words, a licensed medical professional skilled in diagnosis, medication, nutrition and lifestyle management, as well as patient education, who also has adequate time to spend with a patient?
Some would say just such an "all-purpose" medical professional already exists, namely the naturopathic doctor, or ND.
 Many argue that naturopathic doctors are a much-needed resource because they're an excellent match for the wide-ranging demands of efficient PCOS management, which can make all the difference to the health of a woman with this condition.
Trained in four-year accredited postgraduate medical programs and certified under national board examinations, NDs spend the clinical years of their training in outpatient settings rather than in hospitals, focusing on primary care medicine and conditions such as PCOS.
Their approach to medicine has a deep grounding in a set of philosophical tenets - primarily a profound trust in the body's ability to heal itself.
Symptoms are viewed as signals that various stressors are overwhelming the body's innate self-healing design. So naturopathic treatment is oriented towards removing or better managing the causes of such imbalances and restoring the body's self-healing mechanisms using the safest effective means.
Along the way, NDs aim to treat each PCOS patient as an individual and to educate that patient about a lifestyle approach which promotes her optimal health. The aim is to empower women to maintain themselves at a high level of overall wellness.
 To effectively and safely apply such a wide range of PCOS therapies, naturopathic doctors are well-trained in potential interactions between medications like metformin (glucophage) and health-boosting natural vitamins and minerals, also called nutraceuticals.
The great advantage of access to such a diverse collection of therapies is the ability of NDs to tailor treatment to each individual PCOS patient. This feature of naturopathic care is often the key to successful outcomes for women with PCOS who have experience of failing to respond satisfactorily to conventional medical treatment.
Learn what is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
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