How a Naturopath Can Help With POTS & Dysautonomia
Sept 12, 2026
Dysautonomia is a broad term for any autonomic nervous system dysregulation - the part that keeps our automatic bodily functions running smoothly. This includes breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive motility. POTS is a subset of dysautonomia, with a more specific focus on heart rate and blood pressure. POTS is "postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome", or having your heart race when you get up from sitting or lying down because your blood pressure is not adequately controlled. Alongside this dysregulation comes dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, palpitations, nausea, shaking or trembling, and headaches.
Conventional medications can help by maintaining blood pressure and focusing on electrolyte support to maintain blood volume. Naturopathic approaches try to tease out whether there is a root cause we can improve. For example, many people develop POTS after a significant stress on the body - this can be physical or emotional. Viral infections, post-covid, concussions, car accidents, chronic prolonged stress or trauma, shock, or even injuries causing prolonged bedrest.
Some functional labs can be helpful to assess viral activity, immune function, mold toxicity, or hormonal balance. Focusing on nervous system repair with herbs and nutrients can help the small nerve fibers that control blood vessels to function better, while focusing on nervous system regulation can settle a heightened or stuck nervous system in a "fight or flight" response.
These debilitating conditions may feel hopeless, but with time and a clear plan that understands your unique symptom picture, there is a path to improvement.
For more information, book a 10-minute virtual Insight Session
How a Naturopath Can Help With Anxiety
Sept 9, 2026
When it comes to anxiety, a naturopathic doctor's approach has many angles. We may look for any obvious physical obstacles that may be impacting mood. Blood work for red and white blood cells, iron levels, vitamin B12 levels, vitamin D levels, thyroid function or other hormonal imbalances may be involved. Looking at the gut microbiome may be useful as well. It is important to know if there is a clear deficiency or physical issue that is impacting our success.
Working with nervous system regulation is a broad area encompassing techniques like somatics and self-regulatory tools, as well as learning about ourselves, our triggers, our reactions, and how to shift them for a more healthy response. This can include discussing past traumas and experiences and how they may have shaped us, discussing relationship patterns, and understanding our interpretation of safety in the body. Using somatic techniques help to re-pattern our body's baseline, leading to a more calm, regulated state.
For more information, book a 10-minute virtual Insight Session