Melatonin has it’s most notable indications as a sleep aid. However, a host of other benefits are amongst it’s wide range of action and clinical benefit. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the human body by the pineal gland and secreted into the bloodstream. A number of conditions and medications have been shown to decrease melatonin levels in the blood, but most importantly, a number of medical conditions are responsive to treatment with melatonin. These include: insomnia, cognitive impairment, infertility, endometriosis, tinnitus, GERD, migraines, jet lag, Hypertension and ADHD. In addition, it’s role as an antioxidant and immune modulator indicate other uses as well.
Learning Objectives
- Clinicians will enhance their understanding of production, circulation, metabolism and tissue receptivity thus enhancing skills in utilization as a medicine
- Clinicians will achieve proficiency in utilizing melatonin for select clinical conditions
- Clinicians will achieve skills in dosing- both timing and dosages.
CE credits
CONO: Category A: General -1.0 credit
British Columbia: Category C- General -1.0 credit
AANP: General -1.0 credit
OANP: General -1.0 credit
Dr Tori Hudson, ND
Dr Tori Hudson, Naturopathic Physician, graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in 1984 and has served the college in several capacities, including: Medical Director, Associate Academic Dean, and Academic Dean. She is currently a clinical adjunct professor at NUNM), Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University, and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr Hudson has been in practice for more than 36 years, is the medical director of her clinic, “A Woman’s Time” in Portland, Oregon, co-owner and director of product research and education for VITANICA and the program director for the Institute of Women’s Health and Integrative Medicine. She is also the founder and co-director of NERC (Naturopathic Education and Research Consortium), a non-profit organization for accredited naturopathic residencies.
Dr Hudson has been appointed as a faculty member of the Fellowship in Integrative Health and Medicine, Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine.
Dr Hudson was awarded the 1990 President’s award from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians for her research in women’s health, the 1999 prestigious Naturopathic Physician of the Year award, the 2003 NUNM Alumni Pioneer Award, the 2009 Natural Products Association Pioneer Award and in 2012 was inducted into the NUNM Hall of Fame. In 2016, she was the recipient of the annual Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physician’s “Living Legends” award.
In 2021 she received the 2020 American Botanical Council’s prestigious Fredi Kronenberg Excellence in Research and Education in Botanicals in Women’s Health Award for 2020.
She is a nationally recognized author (book: Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine second edition, McGraw Hill 2008), speaker, educator, researcher, and clinician. Dr Hudson serves on several editorial boards, advisory panels and as a consultant to the natural products industry. She also writes monthly columns and freelance articles for several publications.
