Praxis für Naturheilkunde Tracy Siemetzki

26/12/2024

Happy Christmas to all my clients and colleagues. Wishing you all happiness and health over the holidays and for the coming year.

08/10/2024

I am delighted to be a part of this initiative with Sean Kelly and associates from Castlebridge Complementary Healthcare which will help make Holistic/Complementary Healthcare available to more people.

💥Introducing... SERENITY DAYS

We here at John (Sean) R Kelly & Associates, Registered Osteopaths would like to announce the launch of our Serenity Days in our Castlebridge Clinic.

We have decided to set aside dedicated days where individuals who are in receipt of long term illness benefits or social welfare benefits can avail of our services at what we hope is a manageable cost for them. Our Serenity Days will be every second Wednesday when one of our practitioners alternately will dedicate a full day to those wishing to avail of the service.

We work closely with a number of very good practitioners in other healthcare disciplines as some more challenging health problems require a multidisciplinary approach to restore good health. These practitioners will be joining our initiative, offering their services at a much reduced rate under the same conditions.

For information on the wide range of health problems we address in the clinic, we encourage you to visit our website www.skosteopathy.ie.

10/05/2022

Hormonal problems are something we all know about and mostly associate with women’s health issues.

Our hormones are part of an intricate messenger system involved in a multitude of biochemical and metabolic processes. Imbalances in this system can have an affect on our health and well-being and in far more ways than most of us are aware of.

The list of hormones we produce is long.
S*x hormones, like Progesterone, Estrogen and Testosterone, the so-called stress hormone, Cortisol and thyroid hormones are well known to most.

The intricacies of production, function, balance, and interaction etc, less so.

Not only are a multitude of hormones involved in metabolic processes but a multitude of factors influence their finely tuned interplay.

Even a small disruption somewhere in this orchestration can lead to an imbalance, affecting how we feel…anywhere on the scale from subtle to severe.

With so many factors and systems involved, it is no wonder that hormonal imbalances frequently occur, particularly for women.
Physiological changes in hormone levels experienced in puberty-males and females-, pregnancy, post-partum, peri and post-menopause, the use of synthetic hormones for contraception or HRT, MANopause 😉, etc have the potential to imbalance the system in such a way that unpleasant symptoms like PMS, Dysmennorrhoe (painful periods), irregular periods, migraine, mood changes, loss of libido, hair loss, weight gain etc are experienced.

More far-reaching, “downstream”, health problems can also result from hormonal imbalances such as endometriosis, PCOS, gallbladder disease and thyroid dysfunction,
also far more common in females than males. However, blood pressure dysregulation,metabolic disease, insulin resistance, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, chronic bowel disorders/digestive issues, tissue overgrowth - most commonly breasts in females and prostate in males -, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, ADHD, child development issues, Autoimmunity, acne and other skin problems etc etc. can have a hormonal factor, cause or trigger.

The connection to hormonal imbalance in many of these problems is often not made at all in males and children and often not in females.

Most frustrating of all is that problems such as PMS, dysmenorrhea, mood problems, tender breasts, hot flushes in menopause etc are still often considered problems that “go with the territory”, so to speak, of being female!!

These problems are a sign of hormonal imbalance and not something girls and women need to „put up with“.
Your body is telling you when there is a disruption in hormonal balance ….

Often tweaking your diet, lifestyle, managing stress and blood sugar, having sufficient sleep and exercise can be enough to settle these imbalances but for more complicated problems, there is help to be found such as identifying where the problem lies as a first step, physiologically adapted bio-identical hormone treatment, phytotherapy, neutraceuticals, homeopathy and even osteopathy.… each case is individual.

22/03/2022

Auto-immune Thyroiditis = Hashimoto Thyroiditis is the most common auto-immune disorder in the world, affecting females up to 8 times more often than males
It is a multi-system disorder which affects not only the thyroid but explicitly the immune system, the brain, the microbiome/digestive system/gallbladder, cardiovascular system, blood sugar stability…. the list is long.
The far reaching affects of this auto-immune disorder are underestimated, leaving multitudes of the people affected treated on one level only… the thyroid.
When hypothyroidism has been diagnosed, hormone replacement medication is prescribed. Symptoms caused by Hypothyroidism will improve to some extent with replacement medication but often, after a so- called „honeymoon period“, many symptoms persist.
This is because the autoimmunity in itself, what triggers the autoimmune response and the affects the autoimmune response has had, usually over many years before diagnosis, is causing a multitude of problems which are not actually being addressed at all.
Many patients are not even aware that Hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmunity. Conventional medical treatment usually only offers thyroid hormone replacement anyway, regardless of whether symptoms resolve…. as long as the TSH value remains in normal laboratory range treatment is considered effective!
Some patients will experience periods with hyperthyroid symptoms during active phases of tissue destruction which will make treatment with hypothyroid medication even more challenging, even for an experienced, well-informed practitioner.
Autoimmune activity will also cause inflammation at thyroid hormone receptor sites reducing the uptake of hormones into the target cells.
Genetic disposition, dietary factors, particular food proteins, lifestyle, poor sleep, pollutants, infections, plastics, contraceptives, immune status and so many more factors can trigger Hashimotos/flare-ups/disease progression, effectiveness of thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Like with all autoimmune disorders, remission is possible as is aggressive progression … it is very individual.
It is not as simple as ensuring normal TSH levels.
Identifying individual triggers, treating and adjusting the multiple factors involved can be a game changer for so many people.
Education and understanding Hashimoto are the first steps to take in learning to live with this disorder.

06/03/2022

Looks complicated? This is how Thyroid hormones affect our basic metabolism….
A:- Thryroid hormones affect the osmotic pressure in our blood vessels which regulates blood pressure and pulse. Hypothyroidism (insufficient Thyroid hormones) causes low blood pressure and pulse while Hyperthyroidism (excess hormones) will cause the opposite.
B:- Adipose tissue (fatty tissue) produces a hormone called Leptin which affects the release of Thyroid Releasing Hormone in the part of the brain called the Hypothalamus and production of Thyroid hormones, the levels of which will also affect the release of TRH. This interaction with each other is affected by increased or decreased fatty tissue and of course in thyroid dysfunction.
C;- T3 is specifically involved in the production of fatty acid synthesis and affects so-called AMPK pathways directly affecting the production of energy with the consequence of low energy levels in hypothyroidism and the opposite in hyperthyroidism.
D:-T3 activates the SNS, sympathetic nervous system, to increase heat production and decrease body weight from brown fatty tissue so hypothyroidism can cause low body temp and weight gain/inability to loose weight and again the opposite in hyperthyroidism.
E:- T3 stimulates the SNS to activate adrenergic receptors to use T3 to breakdown white fatty tissue.
F:- Thryroid hormones, particularly T3 are involved in converting Cholesterol to bile acids.
Hypothyroidism can lead to increased Cholesterol and fatty acid levels and the low bile acid production to the formation of gallstones. Since bile salts also bind to receptors, TGR5 receptors, which are involved in gastrointestinal and autonomic function, general GI problems like constipation and digestive issues can arise. Hyperthyroidism will cause the opposite such as diarrhea.
G:- Thyroid hormones activate the production of energy in muscle fibers which will affect muscle endurance and the ability to repair/recover
H:- Thyroid hormones are directly involved in the development and maturation of beta cells in the pancreas which release insulin for controlling blood sugar levels. The release of insulin when blood sugar rises is activated by T3.

Diagnosing Thyroid problems is not always as obvious as it seems. A full Thyroid work up ie measuring the stimulating hormones, levels of bound and free hormones and thyroid antibodies is the minimum bloodwork necessary for determining what mechanisms are affected. Waiting for a raised TSH and prescribing hormone therapy is the standard mode of treatment when abnormalities are found. There is so much more involved in treating and, just as importantly,
in preventing dysfunction and/or progression of thyroid disorders.

11/02/2022

A multitude of health problems we are dealing with today are caused and/or worsening because of inflammatory processes. Genes, medications, infections, inflammatory foods, sedentary lifestyles and lack of sleep play a
role in activating these processes. High blood pressure, high blood sugar and insulin surges/insulin resistance are well-known factors but chronic low blood sugar and blood pressure, even over-training will also lead to problems.
Most of these processes start many years before conditions become pathological ie before the effects are seen in laboratory tests or imaging. A diet high in fiber, low sugar and carbohydrates (like breads, juices
pasta, processed foods), plenty of good fats (like olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados) regular exercise, in nature if possible, and replenishing sleep are steps we can all take for our health.

Do you know the signs of dysglycemia/insulin resistance?
Is it keeping the „flame“ of chronic inflammation in your body alive?

19/12/2021

Anyone who knows me will know how I propagate the effectiveness of deep breathing exercises …. Love this short MRI image

10/11/2021

A diagnosis of auto-immunity is overwhelming for patients. It is chronic, there is no cure.
One of the first steps necessary in dealing with an auto-immune condition is to actually understand what is going on in the body, what symptoms are associated with which condition, what can trigger flare-ups and enhance and maintain remission. It is complex, it is difficult to treat and outcomes and disease development are very individual and unforeseeable.
Many people don’t even realize that their condition is an auto-immune condition eg Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or Hashimoto Thyroiditis… they are prescribed meds without any support or consideration for the complex cascade and interaction of various physiological disruptions that have led to the condition, what imbalances and triggers are maintaining/ enhancing their condition.
Auto-immunity is preceded by an inflammatory process, promoting development of Stage 1 auto-immune response (raised tissue antibodies) to Stage 2 auto-immune reactivity (raised antibodies with symptoms) to stage 3 auto-immunity (tissue destruction and full blown disease). The time frame that this happens can be rapid as often seen with Type 1 Diabetes or very, very slow and long drawn out. In both scenarios the underlying physiological processes need to be addressed.
Many people develop more than one auto-immune disease, often going undiagnosed and therefore untreated.
Signs, symptoms and clinical presentation will help in finding where problems lie, they are usually manifold, identifying what possibilities can help, putting the pieces of the puzzle together and opening at least a possibility for improving a patient’s feeling of well-being and the chance to prevent any further auto-immune responses and disease development.
Feeling ill, going from one doctor to another for help is very typical for an underlying auto-immune process. It can take 10-15 years for auto-immunity to show pathological findings in eg blood tests but the signs, symptoms and indicators are often presenting themselves many years previously.

13/10/2021

The benefits of a ketogenic diet are being proven over and over again to be beneficial on so many levels…. It does however need guidance and education to do it correctly and healthily.

So while it makes sense to consider the ketogenic diet for Alzheimer’s patients, how is this dietary plan going to play out as it relates to the heart?