Dr. Erica Volk, Naturopathic Doctor, Kelowna, BC

Dr. Erica Volk is a naturopathic physician passionate about the mind-body connection in health and disease. As a general practitioner, her clinical practice includes treatment of a wide range of health complaints, particularly digestive issues, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance including PMS and menopause, autoimmune disease, anxiety, depression, allergies, fatigue, insomnia, weight challenges, skin complaints, pediatrics, and neurodevelopmental challenges. My own health challenges led me to naturopathic medicine. After struggling with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for over 15 years, I had a lucky encounter with a functional medical doctor who diagnosed and treated the real issues causing my IBS. The day I learned I could resolve my symptoms was one of the best days of my life. I became passionate about helping people with chronic symptoms they've been told are "normal" and that "can't be treated." If you have symptoms, whatever they are, there is probably a cause that can be treated. ​I was born and raised in Kelowna, British Columbia, and then moved to Victoria, BC, to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English Honours and work in libraries. But my own health challenges and my lucky discovery of naturopathic medicine led me to completely switch gears. Following completion of my B.A., I spent two years completing the pre-requisites to apply for medical school. I then moved to Portland, Oregon to complete my 4-year naturopathic training at the National University of Natural Medicine. To learn more about what's required to become a naturopathic doctor, click here. Before starting my practice as a naturopath in Kelowna in 2017, I practiced in Portland in two different clinics. One focused on Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. I'm passionate about this work since I have an older brother with Down syndrome. My current clinical passions include digestive health, mental health, trauma, and burnout. Understanding the significant impact of past trauma on our overall health, I've recently undertaken additional training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy. ​​

If you are looking for local services or  treatment  in the office with your Naturopathic Doctor or hospital from a to inquire if they are accepting patients or you need a referral.   Phone number to book an appointment 778 760 3400 ( Dr. Erica Volk) is in good standing with the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors ( Dr. Erica Volk) is in good standing with the American Society of Regenerative Medicine ( Dr. Erica Volk) is in good standing with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

The speaker in the video may have no association with  may talk about some of the conditions and some of the treatment options shown on the videos. Always talk with your Naturopathic Doctor  about the information you learnt from the videos in regards to treatments and procedures the naturopathic Doctor healthcare practitioner could  perform and if they would be appropriate for you. Remember good information is the corner stone to understanding your condition or disease.

Please contact ( Dr. Erica Volk, Naturopathic Doctor Kelowna, BC ) to enquire if this health care provider is accepting new patients.

One of the most common conditions women experience during their first trimester of their pregnancy is nausea and vomiting and although it is quite normal, it can cause women a lot of stress and fatigue as well as a loss of a lot of nutrients and fluids.

The cause isn’t fully understood. However, it’s mainly due to the increase – the exponential increase of hormones experienced during this time, mainly HCG, estrogen, and progesterone. These hormones have effects on all other cells in the body as well which can cause some of these gastrointestinal symptoms women feel.

Although nausea can be very frustrating and tiring for women, there are a lot of treatment options to help. Simple things like changing your diet and your lifestyle can make a huge impact, like having regular exercise or ensuring that there’s always food in your stomach. Having an empty stomach can actually make the nauseating symptoms much more severe. So keeping a snack in your purse or in your car will help alleviate some of these symptoms.

Dehydration is common in women with increased nausea and vomiting so it’s really important to find ways to replenish fluid in the body. If you’re not able to keep water down or have trouble taking in water, intravenous vitamin therapy is a great alternative.

With this treatment, your naturopathic doctor can also infuse vitamins directly into your blood stream. Vitamins such as B6 and B12 will help decrease the nauseous feeling as well as increase energy throughout your pregnancy. Again, it depends on the patient. And we often will design very specific treatment plans in terms of supplements and dietary change to help with these symptoms.  Lab tests, of course, play a big role in diagnosing digestive issues. So, we would look at systemic levels of inflammation. We can also measure hydrogen and methane on the breath to determine if there are any microorganisms contributing to these symptoms.  If you’re experiencing digestive issues of any kind and you’d like to learn more about what’s causing these symptoms, see your local naturopathic doctor.