Practitioners



Dr Kylie Dodsworth BMBS, BSc, FRACGP, MACNEM, MAIMA

KylieI am a fully qualified medical practitioner (GP) with 10 years of clinical experience and I have a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Flinders University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Adelaide. I have also been awarded my Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and I am undertaking further post-graduate studies in Nutritional Medicine. I am a Member of both the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.

My professional work and undergraduate studies have offered me varied experiences including work as a GP in both a rural setting in Mannum on the Murray River and in a number of practices in urban Adelaide. I have also worked in a Youth Health Centre called The Second Story, and with homeless youth in the inner city. As a final year medical student I worked in rural Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and on an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory.

My travels have lead me further afield in my own time and I have visited an ashram in India, climbed the Himalaya in Nepal, wandered the rice fields in Bali, game parks in South Africa and the Eiffel Tower in France. I have also been to Belgium, Scandinavia, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Many of these travels were the result of my involvement with an organisation called WYSE (World Youth Service and Enterprise) which teaches young leaders that we have a mind, a body, emotions and a spirit and it is only when each of these works in harmony that we truly achieve our potential.

My philosophy for health care reflects my belief that true healing involves much more than simply managing symptoms. I practice in a way which encourages people to understand their own bodies and empowers them to claim their health as an inherent condition.

My work involves focusing on the potential imbalances in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of life which tend to cause physical illness in our bodies. I then work with you to determine a program of health care which allows your body to heal itself using natural ‘tools’ including dietary change, nutritional and herbal supplements, bio-identical hormone therapy and stress management strategies.

Using this approach I am able to address many health issues in an integrated way including:

Women’s Health: pre-menstrual symptoms, menopause, osteoporosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome
Men’s Health: prostate issues, male andropause, low libido
Children’s Health: low mood, poor concentration, food sensitivities, poor digestion, recurrent infections
General Health: blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, arthritis
Mental Health: depression, anxiety, bipolar mood disorder, psychosis, drug and alcohol withdrawal.

I look forward to assisting you in your journey back to your natural state of true health. As Galileo said:

“We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”

For your first appointment please bring with you:

  1. A brief outline of your medical history
  2. The results of any investigations or specialist consultations relevant to your current health problem.
  3. A list of any medications and nutritional supplements you are taking (it is actually helpful if you bring the bottles with you so we can check the actual amounts of the various nutrients in the supplements you are taking, as it is impossible to keep track of all the different formulations available).
  4. A 3 day example of your normal diet and exercise routines
  5. If you have been very ill please arrange for your partner or primary care-giver to attend with you for these sessions. It is important that they understand the program being developed for you and the rationale behind it so they can assist you in your efforts to reclaim your health.

If you are interested in ‘natural’ or ‘bio-identical’ hormone therapy, there is also a very good website at www.natural-progesterone-advisory-network.com

For further information about doctors using Nutritional and Integrative Medicine you can visit the following websites: www.acnem.org and www.aima.net.au – the philosophy of this approach is summarised below:

Philosophy of Integrative Medicine

Members of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association uphold and work from the principle of whole person care guided by

  1. the Hippocrates oath of "first do no harm";
  2. the WHO (World Health Organisation) mandate for optimal health to be inclusive of physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual well being; and
  3. the Declaration of Helsinki (of World Health Organisation) that a physician must be free to use the most appropriate treatment if in his or her judgment it will result in the alleviation of suffering or the restoration of health or saving the life of a patient.

A holistic approach is encouraged through models of health care which attend to the person, their experience of illness, as well as their symptoms of disease via ethical, natural and wherever possible validated therapies.
The AIMA works towards enhancing this awareness amongst its members as well as encouraging the social and ethical responsibility of all practitioners towards serving the community.

Core Values

  • To encourage a holistic attitude amongst doctors and medical students and enhance skills in whole person medicine.
  • To encourage the "Wellness" paradigm amongst medical practitioners by fostering an attitude of Prevention and Health Promotion as a fundamental cornerstone in primary care
  • To foster an attitude of respect for the rights of patients to exercise choice, an ownership of their treatment and management, and doing so with the giving of proper information, both mainstream and complementary, to assist patients with their decision towards consent or refusal of specific treatments.


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Dr Ramona Chryssidis MBBS, FRACGP, Dip .Child Health, Grad. Dip. Musc. Med

RamonaI am a fully qualified GP having graduated with a medical degree from the University of Adelaide and a Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. I specialise in musculoskeletal medicine which is a branch of medicine that addresses pain in muscles, bones, ligaments and joints. I studied this science through a Graduate Diploma in Musculoskeletal medicine and continue to enhance my skills at regular seminars. This technique includes a hands on approach of muscle release, joint mobilisation, adjustment, ultrasound and dry needling. I also perform prolotherapy. Nutritional medicine is utilised to assist in recovery and prevention.

My other special interest is paediatrics and I have a Diploma of Child Health and have worked in hospital paediatrics for a number of years, as well as at Torrens House. I enjoy working with children of all ages and with their mothers antenatally and postnatally. I also have extensive breast feeding counselling experience.

PROLOTHERAPY

Prolotherapy is a safe and effective, non-surgical treatment that provides increased strength in joints, ligaments and tendons. It can eliminate even chronic longstanding back, neck and joint pain. It repairs weakened and torn ligaments by a natural healing mechanism. The body responds to irritation from the proliferant injections by laying down extra ligament-like tissue.

Ligaments are vital for joint stability.
Ligaments are bands of tough, fibrous tissue that hold the joints in place. If the joint is put under sudden great strain as in a car accident, a severe fall, or from lifting a heavy object, the ligament will be stretched or torn. Often torn or stretched ligaments do not heal well due to poor blood supply. They can also become strained if overstretched constantly, for example the typist’s upper back.
When the ligaments are too loose, the joint slips and slides out of the track it was designed to follow and the cartilage will become worn. This is osteoarthritis.

The goal of prolotherapy is to inject an irritating solution to produce a slight inflammation. This increases the blood supply. Fibroblasts (healing cells) travel to this irritated spot and lay down new fibrous connective tissue (collagen) within and around it, strengthening the ligaments. Over a few months the new tissue is remodelled and shrinks to fit around the joint.
As a result there is increased joint, ligament, and tendon stability and greater strength. Chronic joint pain is relieved. Surprisingly mobility has been shown to increase. This is because stiffness is often due to protective muscle spasm, and once the pain from the ligaments is relieved the muscles relax.

The Technique
The solution contains 25% glucose which is irritating because it is so strong. A weak solution of lignocaine (local anaesthetic) is added. Sometimes stronger solutions are used for a stronger effect.

The solution is injected to where the ligament attaches onto the bone. Usually many different points must be injected, into various ligaments around the joints to strengthen the whole area.

The local anaesthetic brings relief of pain for a short time. This can be useful diagnostically; especially if there has been some doubt about where the pain is coming from. Then inflammation begins – and pain may occur and may last about 2 days. Pain relief is used if necessary.

How many treatments?
A series of 6 to 8 injections are usually necessary for low back pain, 4 to 6 for neck problems, 2 to 3 for upper back, elbow or foot, while the knee is variable. The spacing of the treatments varies from weekly to monthly. Two weeks apart is a good time.

How effective is it?
A success rate of about 88 percent is reported by US doctors for low back pain. The treatment causes the patients own connective tissue to strengthen formerly unstable joints and discs so that the area becomes stronger even more than normal. Prolotherapy doctors report on patients who experience falls or car accidents after their joint reconstructions are complete - even if they injure the very areas that have been treated, they usually do not have any resumption of their chronic pain.

What can I do to help?
No aspirin, other anti-inflammatory drugs or liniments should be used for pain relief as they will prevent the inflammatory process that is being encouraged. For pain relief use paracetamol, dextropropoxphene or codeine. Ask your pharmacist if in doubt.

Exercises are necessary to re-educate correct muscle patterns. This is particularly so for the low back. They can begin immediately or when the pain has decreased. They should not be painful. Ask for the correct ones for you.

Nutrients are very important to encourage good health and repair of ligaments and discs and bones. The following should be taken until three months after the end of treatment:

  • Vitamin C 1000 to 2000mg per day – makes strong connective tissue, helps healing
  • Manganese chelate 200mg 1 per day – essential for discs, cartilage
  • Zinc 15 to 30mg per day – wound healing, important for new protein

People who eat lots of vegetables, wholemeal bread, nuts and animal protein will do better than those who eat lots of sweet foods, breakfast cereals and white bread.

Research

2 double blind, placebo controlled trials have shown that this treatment is significantly more effective for low back pain than injecting local anaesthetic alone.  Many more reports of success have been published for other joints.
  • Klein, Eek, DeLong and Mooney – “A Randomised Double-Blind Trial of Dextrose-Glycerine-Phenol Injections for Chronic Low Back Pain” – Journal of Spinal Disorders 1993 6 23-33
  • Ongley, Klein, Dorman and Eek – “A New Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain” – Lancer 1987 2 143-146

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Angie Willcocks B.Health Sc. (Hons Psych). M. Couns. Psych.

AngiI am a fully qualified psychologist with a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Adelaide, and a Masters of Counselling Psychology degree from Macquarie University in Sydney. My Masters level research thesis examined psychological factors related to a successful transition to parenthood, and this research was recently accepted for publication in the Australian Journal of Counselling Psychology.

I have a broad range of experience working with individual adults, couples, families, and children. I have gained this experience through working in a wide variety of settings including community mental health centres, non-government organisations and private organisations. My work has assisted clients to manage issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, bereavement and many other life stressors.

I am registered with the South Australian Psychologist’s Registration Board, and hold membership with the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health. I am committed to providing a caring and high quality psychological service that supports people in their unique life journey and enhances both their own health and wellbeing and that of those around them.

“Live the life you have imagined”

 

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Robyn Wilson Dip Kinesiology, Applied Physiologist

Robyn Kinesiology like all other natural therapies aims to improve your health and wellbeing by stimulating your body’s own healing potential

It is a complementary medicine, a science that works to bring your body into synchronisation so that all facets are used to their full potential thus resulting in the opportunity to live your life to the full.

We understand that a balance between what we eat, and when we work, rest and play is essential for maintaining a happy and healthy mind and body.

Just as in a similar way, a balance between our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional states is also important for our overall wellbeing. However the stresses of life can disturb these delicate energy balances and manifest in various parts of the body, resulting in a range of symptoms and problems.

I examine what the cause is as to why your mind and/or body is not functioning effectively, and set about to make a change in that area.

I have worked with people wanting to make changes to their lives and adopt a new attitude, different thoughts and belief in themselves.

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Tatiana Sokolova ND

Tatiana

The essence of true complementary medicine is using lifestyle as preventative medicine so that if further medication or treatment is required, it is in reduced amounts.

I am a qualified Naturopath and I have extensive training in several diagnostic and treatment modalities as well as a varied background in the health professions. I have been in Australia for the past 13 years and prior to that I trained as a Medical Practitioner in Russia.
I am now able to combine these areas of knowledge with my naturopathy, which allows me to effectively manage many health conditions including:

 

●”Life hurricane”:  the increasingly urgent need to take care of ourselves, day by day.
● Learn to ride the wave of stress:  to uncover a life of health and joy.
● Solutions for midlife maladies: hormone balancing.

●Explore your relationship with food. Overeating, food sensitivity, malnutrition. Healing and repair of the gut/skin.
●Specific strategies to crack the abdomen/visceral fat cells code. Prevention of metabolic diseases.

● A breath of energy into your life:  detoxification options.
● Healthy ageing:  Making appropriate adjustments to stabilize the body processes.
● General loss of enthusiasm and motivation about life and living:  it may be common, but it’s not normal. Depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, fatigue.

● Other options:  Is taking medication the only solution for your problem?
● Pain of different origin: instruments of healing include unique the SCENAR therapy and Biomesotherapy.
● Freedom from PMS symptoms.

I currently work with the following modalities:

  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Homeopathy
  • Western Herbalism
  • The Ion Flush Foot Bath (Energiser)

 

I offer a high quality naturopathic consult for a reasonable price - health fund rebates do apply.

Get well and be energized in body, soul, and spirit.

I look forward to meeting with you and assisting you and your family with your health needs.

Help your body find its balanceso that you can feel well, through a detoxification program. Detoxification is your body’s natural way of coping with toxins.

External toxins are part of our every day lives. They are substances that we are eat, drink, breathe in and have skin contact with: herbicides, pesticides, food additives, polluted water, pharmaceutical medicines, heavy metals, chemicals that are released by building materials, skin care products, some kinds of clothing, etc.
Internal toxins are toxins that are produced inside our bodies. Some of these are part of our bodies’ normal processes; others are produced only when we are sick. Toxins through digestion if you eat rich, low-fibre/high sugar food, organisms living inside our bodies (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, worms and other parasites), negative thought patterns and stress, just to name few.
Relieving stress is an important part of any detoxification program. Stress can increase your body’s toxic load in many ways: less efficient digestion, reduced blood flow to vital body areas, reduced oxygen and nutrient transport to body tissues and reduced ability to effectively remove wastes.
Fortunately, our bodies were built to deal with a certain amount of toxins. When the body’s eliminative organs cannot fully cope with toxins, we store them inside and in between our cells. Accumulations of these toxins in certain tissue areas lead to inflammation, pain, poor energy and rapid aging. It may also increase your risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, allergies, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Detoxification means to open the gates of the cells to eliminate toxins, clean and repair tissue damage, and supply the cells with its metabolic requirements. Homoeopathic medicines, which are made from very small amounts of natural substances, can be very valuable in helping your body to detoxify. These medicines act quickly to offer a very gentle and effective form of healing and do not interfere with other medicines you may be taking or cause problems with pre-existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

Drug-free pain relief using Biomesotherapy and SCENAR/ENAR Therapy.

Biomesotherapy/Biopuncture is a new therapy consisting of stimulating the body by putting a sterile saline solution under the skin of the painful area and giving oral homoeopathic medicines simultaneously, which focuses upon the organ or tissue requiring treatment.
SCENAR/ENAR Therapy incorporates some of the most up-to-date research in pain management. It delivers therapeutic electro-signals through the skin and stimulates the nervous system to produce its neuropeptides (endorphins) or our natural opioids. By providing a new signal, SCENAR (Electro Neuro Adaptive Regulator) suppresses the previous dominant focus of pain in the cortex, and activates the parasympathetic (relaxing) nervous system.
Both methods have been successfully used to relieve symptomatic pain associated with osteo-arthritis, neck and low back pain, frozen shoulder and tennis elbow, migraines and headaches, muscular aches and injuries. It speeds up wound and fracture healing, normalises metabolism and balances hormones, corrects sleeping disorders and then improves the immune system. It’s a wonderful stress-reduction technique.

Nutri-Energetic System (NES) testing

NES testing allows us to read your electro-magnetic body field and compare it to the optimum human body field, which is programmed into the computer software. The reading is obtained by putting your hand on a special probe which works as a form of antennae and carries your body-field picture into the computer, which is then compared with the optimum field and the results are displayed on the computer screen. Numerous impacts on your health can be determined this way, including those screened by traditional Vega testing: foods, heavy metals, solvents, insecticides, chemical toxicities, vitamin, mineral and hormonal imbalances and organ functioning; as well as emotional state, stress level, the impact of trauma, body pain and subtle energy field changes.

Vega testing

The Vega machine is a highly refined instrument, which is used to access electromagnetic energy running through an acupuncture point on a client’s thumb or finger. This measurement of energy may be used in relation to the bioenergetic measurement of certain foods or substances in order to determine the individual’s food, chemical or environmental sensitivities or intolerances.
Vega testing is used in a functional capacity to provide a greater framework of information about the client to assist in optimal treatment options, reinstating harmony and balance. Factors impinging on the clients’ health, affecting or disturbing the individual may be determined. In this way complex or numerous reasons affecting homeostasis may be simplified. Testing may encompass a wide array of foods, vitamins, minerals, chemicals, heavy metals, hormonal imbalances and organ functioning on an energetic level. Vega testing is quick, gentle and non-intrusive which makes it an attractive guide in the determination of health states of babies, children and adults of any age.

ENAR/SCENAR therapy

ENAR is an acronym for Electro-Neuro-Adaptive-Regulator
ENAR/SCENAR therapy is a non-invasive medical technology directed at stimulating the body’s inherent self-healing resources. This therapy generates a cascade of natural healing enzymes and facilitates pain relief and healing.
The device sends out a series of signals through the skin and measures the response. In response each signal is reshaped as a change.
Responses you might see during the treatment include reddening of the skin, area numbness or hypersensitivity, or stickiness (the device will have the feeling of being magnetically dragged), and/or an increase/decrease in the electronic clattering of the device.
The way SCENAR processes information is an ongoing interactive process of bio-feed-back, intelligently prompting the nerve-energy flow. This active interaction is set up to prompt the body to identify and harmonize areas where normal homeostasis is not present, or at least not optimal.
Treatment has a profound effect on both, chronic and acute painful conditions and injuries. A study at Sydney showed ‘dramatic and sustained results’ with chronic pain reduction, functional improvements and general health restoration.
Using SCENAR techniques we can help reestablish the body’s inherent mechanisms of adaptation and stress reduction, hormone balance, immune response, and normal energetic processes.

Biomesotherapy

Biomesotherapy is a new therapy which stimulates your body’s own healing capacity and has been shown to be beneficial for the treatment of arthritis, neck and low back pain, sore joints, Achilles tendonitis, Osgood Shlatter’s epiphysitis, sprains and other soft tissue injuries.
There are over 70 million consultations in this therapy in Europe per year. It is a very popular form of Natural Medicine and its safety profile is excellent.

The treatment involves gentle stimulation of local nerves through injecting a small amount of sterile saline solution (which is exactly the same as the body’s fluid composition) and /or Traumeel and Zeel (diluted natural medicine) just under the skin of the painful or damaged area. This stimulates a deeper organ system known as a cutivisceral response, which normalises any nervous system imbalance and the body is encouraged to start healing itself. Oral homeopathic medicines are given simultaneously and this generates a specific healing focus upon the organ or tissue being treated.
Another important area of Biomesotherapy is the eliminating of toxins. Toxins can disturb the responses of your nervous system, causing pain and discomfort. Some combinations of medicine are specifically designed for this purpose and your specific needs will be determined during your consult.

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Rick Hopton

RickI am a Remedial Massage Therapist and Energy Healer with a Diploma in Remedial Massage and I am a Quantum-Touch® Practitioner and Instructor. My massage skills include Remedial, Relaxation, and Pregnancy Massage, Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy and Anma. My energy healing modalities include Quantum-Touch and Polarity.

I have been drawn to this work to help people heal, learn to manage the stress and strain of our lifestyles, and resolve pain issues. Often there is no ‘quick fix’ to things that have taken years to manifest, however a change in approach and attitude can produce a dramatic difference.

I use all my skills in my approach to each treatment and incorporate them in a seamless flow. Each client is different and there is no set predefined treatment.

I hold a nationally accredited Diploma of Remedial Massage, and am recognised as a Health Provider with Health Insurance Rebates where applicable.

QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Diploma of Remedial Massage HLT50302, with specialisation in Myofascial Release and Craniosacral Therapy.
Diploma of Energy Medicine: Polarity, Qi-gong, and Quantum-Touch. Studies were completed at the Natural Health Academy of Australia
Quantum-Touch Practitioner/Instructor.
He is a member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS).

MASSAGE

Massage - styles available include Remedial for therapeutic purposes, Relaxation, and Pregnancy. These different styles of massage are used to suit your needs and preference, tailored to your situation to help with aches and pains, strains and stress, and also restricted movement.
Massage stimulates blood and lymph flow through the body, increasing the rate of exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, promotes healthy metabolism, reduces muscle tension and restrictions in movement. It also allows the recipient to become more aware of where they hold stress and also where the aches and pains originate. Most of all massage feels great!

Remedial massage has a therapeutic focus, where the aim is to assist healing from strain, injury, or restriction.

Relaxation massage is a gentle soothing therapy aimed at stress relief and allowing the recipient to drift off and enjoy a safe, peaceful, relaxing experience.

Pregnancy massage is quite different and gentle; taking into account the changes that occur within the mother’s body. Its focus is body awareness and relief from the growing pains and discomfort. Each trimester has different requirements in order to support the mother as comfortably as possible.

Quantum-Touch - Energy Therapy is a form of energy work that is great for pain, tension, and restrictions and allows for emotional healing where appropriate, without the need to re-live the issues.

Quantum-Touch is a hands-on-healing modality that is continuously proving it to be one of the most powerful and successful alternative medicines of our time.
(www.quantumtouch.com)

Myofascial Release - is a great therapy that relieves tight muscles and increases range of movement, without pain and bruising. This therapy works with the connective tissue throughout the body to release adhesions and restrictions.

Myofascial Release Therapy is helpful for many physical problems, including:

  • Back strain and general chronic or acute back pain
  • Lumbar and thoracic pain (Pain in upper back, ribs and lower back)
  • Chronic cervical pain (Neck pain)
  • Dizziness, vertigo
  • Carpel tunnel syndrome (Wrist pain, stiffness, and reduced movement)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Fibrositis
  • Headaches
  • Myofascial pain dysfunction
  • Plantar fasciitis (Foot pain)
  • TMJ dysfunction (Jaw pain, clicking)
  • Whiplash
  • Chronic pain syndromes


Craniosacral Therapy - is a gentle but profound therapy working with the cerebrospinal fluid and the bones of the head, spine and pelvis. This therapy is great for headaches, sinus problems, TMJ issues, and pelvic imbalance.

Craniosacral Therapy helps to boost general well being, reduce stress, improve quality of sleep, increase energy and enhance the functioning of all the body's organs. It is a non-intrusive therapy that works with the entire structure, physiology, mind and spirit.

Anma - is a style of massage where you do not need to undress. It is ideal when treating elderly, pregnant, or inhibited people or even children, and in situations where it is not easy to undress. It allows the recipient to remain in their comfort zone while receiving a massage. This style is the basis for corporate massage and is both therapeutic and relaxing.

Polarity - Dr Randolph Stone developed Polarity Therapy, which heals by activating the Chi energy and balancing the natural life force energy fields around the body. Universal energy flows through all of nature, and as we are a part of nature, the energy also flows through and sustains us by the law of opposites.
It is an energy technique that uses the practitioner to jump start energy flow around blockages in the client's body. It increases the sense of wellbeing and vitality.

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