A place to learn more about me as a person and practitioner.
On one hand, hypermobility can mean graceful flexibility, impressive yoga poses, or “party trick” joints. On the other, it may bring chronic pain, repeated sprains, fatigue, GI issues, headaches, and a nervous system that never seems to fully relax. Many patients spend years being told their symptoms are “anxiety,” “just growing pains,” or “normal” test results, without anyone naming what’s really going on.
Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide, yet for many, the cause is not always structural damage but nerve irritation — an often-overlooked source of persistent discomfort. Traditional pain management approaches, from medications to surgeries, tend to focus on symptom control or correcting mechanical problems, leaving neuropathic components unresolved.
I can’t remember the last time I was this busy! While I tend to do my best work when I am overburdened and scheduled to the max, I can’t help but ask myself if I’m running from something or trying too hard. I have to say that all of these things have flowed so naturally and easily that I didn’t really question them until my mentor pointed out how attractive it is for the world to bring so many things to me… rather than allow the world to unfold for me.
Last week was rough finding time for all of my passion projects… as in I didn’t find as much as I needed. I officially started as a fourth-year naturopathic medical student, which means I began my internship. Unlike medical doctors who get four years of medical training and then multiple years of residency (the first of which is known as their internship year), we get three years of medical training and then a year of internship, all within the context of our four-year doctorate level of education.
The intern year for naturopaths is where we get to see patients and work under licensed naturopathic doctors and learn through hands-on experience. It’s also known as our clinical year, which is meant to prepare us for working as independent, licensed naturopathic doctors within a year and a half’s time.
