Naturopathic Consultations

A tailored-to-you naturopathic health plan to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.

It’s a chance to take control of your life back.

To stop feeling anxious about your next migraine attack and start feeling optimistic about your future.

It’s less days lost to a darkened room.

And more time being fully present and pain-free.

It’s the confidence of a step-by-step plan, from a specialist who knows what it’s like.

And the relief of knowing that treating the root cause of your migraines means long-lasting results.

Join the Migraine Well Facebook Group

A fun, supportive and safe space for women and non-binary folk who are interested in living well with migraine through natural medicine and nutrition. In this private group, members can access free content, training videos, and connect with others living with migraine.

Join now, it’s free.

Be supported by a natural health practitioner who really knows migraine.

Migraine getting worse? Attacks more frequent? Are you sick and tired of the pain that is pounding inside your head, to the point where you can’t focus or accomplish anything, and it feels like your have to stop your entire day because the pain is so bad?

Are treatments not as effective as they used to be? Looking to rely less on medication?

Maybe you have other health issues such as weight gain, low energy, difficulty coping, hormonal issues, digestive issues, menopause, anxiety and depression or fatigue? Tired of not being able to do all the things you want do to in life?

If you need help with migraine, then you are in the right place.

’m creating a revolution in how we manage migraine.

With a holistic approach drawing on nutrition and plant-based medicine, I can support you to achieve the best health you can - physically, mentally and emotionally - so you can be more resilient against migraine.

I also can help you with other health concerns in the areas of women’s health, anxiety, stress, digestive concerns, weight loss, peri-menopause and menopause.

With all the information out there, figuring out what is best for your health can be overwhelming. Plus when it comes to migraine, there are often several factors we need to consider, which can make working out what is really going to help you be frustrating and confusing.

That’s where I come in. We explore your current and past health to come up with the right strategies for you to move towards more pain-free days.

As a qualified, clinical naturopath I support women living with migraine to get their life back.

My approach is a little different, in that I treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.

The reason for this is:

  • treating just the symptoms will not fix the root cause - which means that migraine attacks keep coming back

  • many clients don’t come to me with just migraine - they often have other health conditions or issues

  • each client is unique, and requires an individual health plan which takes into account readiness to change, budget, diet and lifestyle preferences

How can a naturopath help with migraine?

Migraine is a complex condition, with a lot going on. The guidance of a naturopathic health practitioner is really valuable to help those living with migraine break out of the cycle. I've seen for myself how life-changing naturopathic treatment can be in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks.

As a practitioner, I start with your health history, diet and lifestyle while looking at further lab testing to determine what the underlying factors are. Then I will look at addressing any hormonal imbalance, stress or trauma, liver function, musculoskeletal, digestive problems, nutrient deficiency or food intolerances. Many of these issues are interrelated and we help correct any imbalance through good food, herbal medicine and lifestyle changes.

A series of sessions with a naturopath, combined with your own determination will help you break out of the migraine cycle.

Through our appointments, I empower you with knowledge and guidance to manage your own health. The type of information we may cover can include:

  • An introduction to the Migraine Circle of Self-Care

  • How a migraine develops and strategies to manage migraines at each step

  • Why your hormones play a role in migraine, and how to balance or manage hormones

  • Managing hydration and electrolytes for migraine prevention

  • What to do when you feel a migraine attack coming on

  • Environmental causes and triggers to look at

  • The importance of nutrition in preventing migraine, and a simple eating protocol to reduce your migraines

  • Recipes and meal plans

  • Natural pain management

  • A guide to give to family and friends to help them support you when you have a migraine

  • Supplements for migraines which have been clinically proven to help

  • How movement and gentle exercise can help migraine

  • How to build a team of health professionals for a holistic approach to migraine management – where you are in control!

My toolkit is a combination of traditional and evidence-based naturopathy approaches (nutritional advice, herbal medicine and supplements) combined with modern functional medicine (testing) and lifestyle guidance.

You are unique, and every migraine sufferer experiences migraine differently. That's why naturopathy - with its holistic and individual approach - can achieve great results with migraine patients. This is also why I spend a lot of time in our first appointment to take a thorough medical history so I can understand your particular migraine picture.

ABOUT MIGRAINE

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is thought to affect more than 10% of people globally and occurs highest in those aged 30-39 years.

In Australia, 14.9% of women patients seen in general practice are diagnosed with migraine.

A migraine is not just a bad headache.

Headache is a term used to describe aching or pain that occurs in one or more areas of the head, face, mouth, or neck. Headache can be chronic, recurrent, or occasional. The pain can be mild or severe enough to disrupt daily activities. Headaches are a symptom of many conditions and management requires accurate determination of the cause.

Migraine is a neurological disorder typified by unbearable head pain along with various additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia, noise intolerance and occasionally visual sensory disturbances. An attack can last from a few hours to a few days.

You can also experience migraine without headache (known as ‘silent migraine’). In children, migraine can be felt through abdominal symptoms.

Signs And Symptoms of Migraine and Migraine Attacks

How you experience a migraine attack differs from person to person, and sometimes episode to episode, but the most commonly experienced symptoms are:

  • A headache that often begins as a dull ache and grows into throbbing pain. It usually gets worse during physical activity. The pain can shift from one side of the head to the other, can be in the front of the head, or feel like it's affecting your entire head.

  • Sensitivity to light, noise, and smells

  • Anxiety or depression

  • Cravings

  • Nausea and vomiting, upset stomach, and belly pain

  • Loss of appetite or extreme hunger, food cravings

  • Feeling very warm or cold

  • Pale skin

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness

  • Blurred vision or droopy eyes

  • Diarrhea

  • Feeling great the day before a migraine

  • Feeling "washed out" the day after a migraine

  • Stiff neck

  • Mood swings

  • Yawning


What Causes Migraine Attacks

As migraine sufferers, we are different.
In fact, we are very special.
One of my favourite metaphors is of the “Ferrari” brain. Susan Hutchinson, MD, in her book “The Woman’s Guide to Managing Migraine” explains that individuals who have migraine have inherited a brain that tends to be sensitive to internal or external changes.
Certain changes can set off a cascade of events that cause the migraine episode. 
“Triggers” are factors that may increase the risk of migraine attacks in someone who lives with migraine. Triggers do not cause migraine but are thought to activate the process in predisposed migraine sufferers.

Triggers can include:

  • Changes in hormone levels, especially oestrogen

  • Stress including periods of high stress, long term stress or stress letdowns

  • Neck muscle tightness

  • Changes in barometric pressure

  • Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance

  • High altitude

  • Sun exposure, glare, heat

  • Food triggers (eg preservatives such sulphites)

  • Alcohol

  • Excess caffeine

  • Skipping meals

  • Changes in blood sugar (eg hypoglycaemia)

  • Not enough protein

  • Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep

  • Some medications, such as synthetic oestrogen or reliance on painkillers