Naturopathic Medicine in Southwest Edmonton

Women’s Wellness Visits are appointments tailored to addressing specific Women’s Wellness concerns. These visits are designed to help you feel informed, empowered and confident when it comes to the “routine” aspects of women’s care.

A Woman’s Wellness Visit includes:

• A head-to-toe physical exam
• A PAP test, if needed and
• Screening tests not included in a regular physical

Together Dr. Candace and you will look at different markers or clues from the body, discuss your health concerns, identify and address specific issues, and detect potential deficiencies!

These conversations will be handled so that you understand everything that is being discussed, allowing you to feel more confident and in control of your own wellbeing!

Simple nutrition or lifestyle recommendations may be discussed. To address a particular health concerns, an initial or follow-up appointment will be required, where a treatment plan can be provided.

An empowered PAP test is a regular PAP test that is adapted to your pace, ease and comfort, giving you the option of inserting the speculum so it’s at your pace and ease and the option of seeing your cervix. The PAP test can be incorporated into any other naturopathic medicine appointment with Dr. Candace or can be scheduled exclusively.

An Empowered PAP Test Includes:

• A brief discussion of your pelvic health
• A PAP test, including vaginal pH measurement
• The opportunity to see your own cervix and take a picture, if desired
• Option of vaginal swab
• A follow up call with your PAP test results, no matter what the result

Holistic Pelvic Care™ is a gentle form of internal pelvic bodywork developed by Tami Kent, a women’s health physical therapist. Just as other muscles of the body can become tightened, stressed and imbalanced from overwork, the muscles of the pelvic floor also become imbalanced from stress, illness or trauma.

Holistic Pelvic CareTM combines traditional physical medicine practices of addressing pelvic floor imbalance through gentle, intravaginal massage along with breathwork, education, visualization, lifestyle changes and body awareness exercises. These integrative techniques help create connection to this part of the body that we often disconnect from.

Specific concerns addressed by Holistic Pelvic Care™ include (but are not limited to):

What Are The Benefits?

• Relief from painful symptoms Increased blood flow and sensation
• Reduced tension and trigger points in pelvic muscles Increased strength in pelvic muscles
• Improved sexual function
• Feeling more relaxed and centred
• A sense of connection to the rhythms and cycles of the female body Feeling empowered with pelvic knowledge and self-care

What to Expect
The first appointment is typically the longest and includes a medical history and discussion of your goals for treatment. We will also review female pelvic anatomy and muscles with a 3D model and will address any questions or concerns you may have.

We will start with basic external work and, if you are comfortable, we may move on to internal work. Internal work is manual therapy where your provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the vaginal canal. A woman’s pelvic muscles will be assessed for tone and strength as well as any areas of tension or trigger points. The assessment is followed by treatment using techniques such as gentle massage and trigger point release as well as breath work and visualization tools.

Follow-up appointments are typically shorter once the initial goals have been determined.