POTS or Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a condition that is gaining more notice as many people who contracted COVID but failed to recover, developed POTS. POTS is a condition that falls under the umbrella of dysautonomia. The term dysautonomia is used to describe several different medical conditions that cause a malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System.
Symptoms include: Dizziness, shortness of breath, brain fog, tachycardia, migraines, fatigue, insomnia, flushing, neurological pain, digestive pain, and hypersensitivity. Some symptoms are due to orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion, but the rest may be more complex.
POTS effects the circulatory system, the immune system, the digestive system and the neurological system. There are few tests for POTS, but when a patient is suffering from POTS and is left undiagnosed or untreated, any other conditions they suffer from can’t be treated. POTS is a type of condition that has to be treated first for the successful treatment of the other conditions.
It adds more complication to this condition, POTS has been linked to mast cell activation syndrome for (MCAS). But the good news is that many POTS patients respond to Naturopathic Treatment and our knowledge and scope of practice is well suited to diagnose and treat this condition.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lecture, the clinician will be able to:
• Discuss the mechanisms of POTS as it relates to certain conditions
• Review the symptoms of POTS
• Discuss the types of POTS, the current medical treatment of POTS, and the Naturopathic treatments of POTS
• Discuss cases to highlight lesioned lesion plan
CE Credits
CONO: Category A General – 0.75 credit, Pharmacology – 0.25 credit
British Columbia: Category C General – 1.0 credit
AANP: General – 0.75 credit, Pharmacy – 0.25 credit
OANP/OBNM: General – 0.75 credit, Pharmacy – 0.25 credit
Dr Carissa Doherty, ND
Dr Carissa Doherty Naturopathic Doctor. She completed her premedical studies at the University of Guelph obtaining a Specialized Honours degree in Bio-Medical Toxicology. During her undergraduate years, Carissa was fortunate enough to be one of the first people in Canada to work in product development with inulin, a complex carbohydrate, now used widely in the supplement industry as a pleasant tasting fibre.
In 2002, Carissa received her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and remains a member in good standing to this day.
Dr Carissa Doherty, ND, and her sister Dr Sonya Doherty, ND, founded The Natural Care Clinic in Burlington in 2005. The Natural Care Clinic is an internationally recognized centre of care and education. The Natural Care Clinic team is committed to improving awareness about chronic disease and how Naturopathic Medicine can improve quality of life. Their approach to treating chronic illness has become world renowned drawing patients to the Natural Care Clinic from all over Ontario, Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe. The Natural Care Clinic team, led by Dr Carissa Doherty ND, provides educational conferences for healthcare providers focused on management of complex disorders.
In addition to a general family practice, Dr Carissa Doherty takes a special interest in Lyme disease and chronic infections, methylation medicine and environmental medicine and has an advanced training in Lyme disease.
