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Alan is a fully qualified Five Element Acupuncturist and has been practising this wonderful system of medicine at Napiers Clinic in the West End of Glasgow for the past 18 years.
Angela practices Herbal Medicine at Napiers Bathgate, Edinburgh & Glasgow, as well as with the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
Audrey is a Medical Herbalist, graduating in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine & Phytotherapy from Edinburgh’s Napier University and is a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (MNIMH). Audrey is a practicing member within the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
As a fully qualified, experienced Holistic Therapist, Bettina works with clients on a one-to-one basis to establish an optimal treatment plan or therapy to best support your skin health and well-being.
Cat offers a range of massage including holistic, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, advanced sports stretching and pregnancy massge.
Claire is an experienced Western Medical Herbalist (BSc), a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and works at Napiers online clinic.
Clare is an experienced medical herbalist based in the West Highlands of Scotland, home to deer, livestock, ticks, and Lyme disease. She works for the Napier's CLAID clinic on a Thursday morning.
Clare began training at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2005, gaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine in 2009. She joined the Napiers Clinic team shortly after her graduation, initially working in the dispensary before beginning her herbal practice in 2010. Since then she has been a key member of our clinical team, working alongside Dee Atkinson in running the general herbal clinics, as well as heading the Baby & Child Clinic.
Cybele is a passionate Sophrologist and founder of Chamapola, Healing Yourself - Healing Together.
Dean is a Naturopathic Practitioner experienced in Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. With interests in nerve problems, cardiovascular health, digestive disorders as well as male and female reproductive system wellbeing.
Dee is the senior herbal practitioner at Napiers the Herbalists in Edinburgh. She runs a general medicine clinic with a special interest in women’s health, managing hormonal health and ageing. More recently, Dee set up the Napiers Long Covid Clinic to facilitate an integrated approach between doctors, herbalists and nutritionist to this new disease.
Isabelle has over 20 years helping individuals and couples achieve their fertility goals through nutrition.
Jill is a fully qualified and insured Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist offering Outcome Based Treatments
John is a friendly and experienced counsellor offering 1-1 sessions on Fridays at Napiers Clinic in Edinburgh city centre and online via FaceTime/Skype. He has worked in private practice supporting people for over 18 years and brings a wealth of experience.
Kate is a BANT registered Nutritionist who owns and runs the Edinburgh Clinic of Nutrition. She trained for three and a half years at Patrick Holford's renowned Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London and is currently studying with The Institute of Functional Medicine in the US.
Kim is qualified in Aromatherapy Massage and Indian Head Massage. Working with the needs of her massage clients led to a deeper interest in their health and Kim studied the BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine degree at Napier University, Edinburgh. Kim is one of the lead herbalists within the Napiers CLAID Clinic and sees many patients.
Kirstin is a fully qualified member of the Society of Homeopaths and holds an RSHom distinction in Classical Homeopathy. Kirstin qualified from the Northwest College of Homeopathy's four-year training course in Manchester.
Lynn is a registered osteopath and has been practicing osteopathy for nineteen years. She studied osteopathy and cranial sacral therapy at the European School of Osteopathy and graduated in 1991. Lynn has a background in physiotherapy and is trained in structural, craniosacral, functional, fascial and visceral osteopathy.
Malgorzata graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Western Herbal Medicine and Naturopathic Nutrition /Diplomas in Herbal Medicine (2017), Naturopathy (2017), and Naturopathic Nutrition (2020). She is also qualified in KORE Therapy, Anmo-fu - 5 Element Abdominal Massage, Craniosacral Balance and Stress Release Therapy and Cupping. Her first degree is a PhD in History.
Margaret practices Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy at Napiers Edinburgh.
Mark runs the podiatry clinic, offering diagnosis and treatment of various disorders relating to the feet, ankles, legs and lower back. He offers podiatry, chiropody, orthotics and nail surgery.
Mary is a qualified therapist in Swedish, Indian and Thai Foot Massage.
Mary trained in Edinburgh, and has been working as a complementary therapist since 1999, holding diplomas in Clinical Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Therapeutic Massage and Hopi Ear Candling gained from the International Therapy Examinations Council (ITEC). She is a member of, and is fully insured to practice with, the Complementary Therapists Association (CThA).
Melissa qualified from Middlesex University in 2000. She runs a general herbal practice from her boat, The Herbal Barge, which is based on the river Lea in North London. Melissa joined the CLAID Clinic Co-operative to work collaboratively in an integrated and specialised context to support patients with long covid.
Mike is a body worker and NLP Practitioner who is passionate about working with the person as a whole; offering treatments that integrate body and mind.
Monica has a Masters degree in herbal medicine from the University of Central Lancashire. She is the research herbalist heading up the Napiers CLAID Clinic. The CLAID Clinic specialism is Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi and co-infections - crypto-infections Bartonella, Babesia, Rickettsia, Erlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, etc. A research herbalist is not the same as a medical herbalist and Monica does not run a general clinical practice. This allows her to focus on Lyme disease and bacterial and viral infections.
Natasha is an experienced and qualified medical herbalist in Western herbal medicine, a forager and mycotherapist. As well as practicing as part of Napiers' general herbal medicine practice, she also sees patients as part of the CLAID Clinic.
Nikki was awarded a first class honours degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of East London and trained at clinics in Glasgow and London. She was also awarded the Arthur Barker prize for her final examination grades. Nikki also has ITEC Diplomas in Holistic Massage and Aromatherapy. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists which is the UK’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. NIMH members follow a strict code of conduct and are committed to ongoing and continual practitioner development and training.
Ona Madorell is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist, graduating with distinction from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). She has further enhanced her expertise through a course in blood test interpretation and a postgraduate program focused on the microbiome.
Pearlyn is a licensed acupuncturist and a registered member of the Acupuncture Society, and is fully insured to practice acupuncture, tuina, cupping and moxibustion.
Rebecca is an Associate Nutritionist, specialising in gut health and women's health, from hormone imbalance to fertility, pregnancy and beyond.
Sara is qualified Medical Herbalist, Ayurvedic Therapist and Yoga teacher, holding an MSc. in Western Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University.
Satya trained at the School of Natural Medicine where she graduated with a Diploma in Healing Diets and additional immersion studies in Herbal Medicine, Healing Diets, Iridology & Naturopathy, Quantum Botanicals and Flower Essences. Satya has a Nonviolent Communication Leadership Certificate with Bay NVC and an MA in European Dance Theatre Practice from Trinity Laban.
Sheila is a Holistic Therapist who qualified in KCR in 2019 with the KCR Academy. After a long career in retail, an ankle injury led her to seek an alternative approach to healing.
Shona has worked at Napiers Clinic for 30 years where she has picked up a wealth of knowledge about various complementary therapies. She trained as a Food Sensitivity tester with The Health Partnership Company, where she was taught how to use the 3 point marker system.
Thanos is an experienced Medical Herbalist and practises as a Herbalist and Orthopaedic Acupuncturist at Napiers in Edinburgh and at Napiers Bathgate.
Wendy qualified in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) in Phytotherapy. Since then she has practiced in Fife, Angus and the Lothians. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
GERD is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease commonly called heartburn, acid indigestion or reflux disease.Between the bottom of your throat (the esophagus) and your stomach you have a valve that separates the two called the lower esophageal ...
Between the bottom of your throat (the esophagus) and your stomach you have a valve that separates the two called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
Normally the LES opens to let food go into the stomach and closes to prevent the contents of your stomach flow back.
In GERD what happens is that the LES valve is weak, or relaxes at the wrong times, allowing your stomach contents (partially digested food mixed with stomach acid and bile) to flow back into the bottom of your throat. This is what is called reflux disease.
You experience this as heartburn - a burning pain that begins behind your breastbone and moves up to your neck and throat.
Sometimes you might feel as if food is coming back up, leaving a bitter, acid taste. It can last around 2 hours after eating and is worse if you lie down or bend over. It can be exceedingly painful and interfere with your life making you feel miserable.
Other symptoms can include chest pain or pressure, abdominal pain and sometimes, a cough.
GERD is nearly always caused by poor diet and lifestyle. You can make it better by addressing the cause even if the change to a healthier diet and lifestyle seem hard initially, it is best for you in the long run.
Left untreated, the backwash of stomach contents into your esophagus can damage its lining. There is potentially a link between this damage and esophagal cancer. But aside from that, heartburn is painful and needs to be sorted out!
Taking drugs only alleviates the symptoms temporarily and does not solve the underlying cause. In fact, taking drugs often makes it worse because when you stop taking them your body experiences 'rebound' - a period when the original symptoms come back, seeming worse than before, as your body tries to readjust again. So many people experience rebound and go back on the drugs, for years, but these drugs weren't meant to be taken for a long time and this can lead to diarrhoea, poor calcium metabolism - in some cases leading to broken bones - and a build up of magnesium in the body which is harmful for your kidneys.
"Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food"
Hippocrates 460-370 BC
Eat smaller amounts and more often. Try five smaller meals during the day rather than 3 large ones. Watch your portion size with everything. For example, coffee can trigger heartburn and a 'tall' is equivalent to 3 cups! So order small sizes on everything when you're out. Also don't eat last thing at night. Allow at least 3 hours between eating and sleeping. A rule like not eating after 6 pm often makes a big difference.
As well as eating smaller amounts, eat more slowly. Take smaller amounts and chew your food well. Also don't wash it down with water or a flavoured drink.
Initially when you read the lists of food triggers and do's and dont's in a diet for reflux, it feels as if you can no longer have anything that you like! The secret to not having to give up all food and drink is keeping a food diary. Write down everything you eat for a few weeks and score your heartburn symptoms from 1 to 5 (where 1 is a bad as they can be and 5 is as good as they can be). Soon you will start to see patterns and the cause and effect of different foods. You'll soon identify the culprits that are setting you off.
Here are some pointers for the most common heartburn trigger foods:
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and orange juice are all acidic and often caused heartburn especially if taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
Tomatoes sadly are also highly acidic and will trigger heartburn if you are sensitive to it. Some people also find onions and garlic problematic.
Pepper, chillies and spicy foods such as Mexican, Indian or Schezuan Chinese can trigger heartburn.
Foods that are high in fat take longer for the body to process. This involves the body needing more acid around in your stomach longer to try and digest them. You may need to avoid steak, cheese, cream, nuts, avocado and other high fat foods especially late and night. If you love cheese, try moving it to morning snack time instead of having it after a meal. Fried foods also come into this category and they are fried in fat and oils.
Alcohol (beer, wine and cocktails), fizzy and caffeinated drinks don't help either as they weaken the LES valve.
Chocolate and mints are definitely triggers. High amounts of peppermint oil in after dinner sweets definitely aggravate heartburn even though sipping peppermint tea after a meal traditionally helps a lot of people with indigestion. However, if you have had a confirmed GERD diagnosis, avoid peppermint - take chamomile tea instead.
Food that tend to be safe tend to be plainer but if you cook with herbs and ginger (not hot spices), that doesn't have to mean less interesting.
Try broiled, baked or roasted chicken (without the fatty skin).
Fish and seafood are excellent - again, like chicken, baked, grilled or sautéed but never fried! Oily fish, such as salmon, herring and sardines two omega-3 fats; EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which help relieve inflammation linked to tummy troubles.
Accompany these with baked potato, sweet potato and vegetables or a salad. Most root and green vegetables, including cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus and green beans.
Fennel is a great vegetable for acid reflux diets as it has a positive beneficial effect on stomach function. Try it thinly sliced in a salad with spinach or rocket, or baked with chicken. Celery and parsley are both tasty additions to any meal as well.
Salads are good but don't add tomato, onions, nuts or cheese.
Salads are excellent but use a dressing made with a light oil and Apple Cider Vinegar - it is not acidic in the same way that other vinegars are. Try a bean salad for a change.
Oatmeal is excellent in porridge to start the day, in cereal bar snacks and, lightly toasted, as a base with raspberries and honey for a dessert.
All complex carbohydrate are good carbohydrates! So also include couscous (semolina wheat), bulgur wheat and rice (wild, red or brown rice).
Other snack ideas could include wholegrain toast with cottage cheese.
Bananas and melons (including honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon) are good for all but 1% to 2% of acid reflux sufferers.
Try and control your heartburn through diet and herbs.
The herbs of choice for GERD are Chamomile flowers, Calendula flowers and Marshmallow root. These can be taken together as a tea or used in tincture form.
2 parts Marshmallow root Althaea officinalis
1 part German Chamomile Matricaria recutita
1 part Calendula Calendula officinalis
Take up 5ml in a little water up to three times a day. In addition, make up Organic Chamomile Teaand sip slowly throughout the day. You can also make an infusion of Marshmallow root if you want a change.
Add small amounts of fresh ginger to your cooking. It helps with many gastrointestinal symptoms and is anti-inflammatory.
If you are overweight, try and lose some weight. Excess body fat pressing on your stomach exacerbates the symptoms of GERD.
Raise the head of your bed by putting a 6 inch block of wood under the legs at the pillow end. This helps gravity to keep your stomach contents down. Don't just add another pillow as that doesn't help.
It may sound obvious, but don't wear tight clothes even if skinny jeans are all the rage. And loosen your belt an extra notch.
Give up smoking as it weakens the LES valve.
Aloe vera gel is considered an excellent soothing food supplement.
There is a lot of debate as to whether taking digestive enzymes can help but we find that patients report good experiences with them. The body produces around 22 digestive enzymes. Each has a specific actions.
Some people lack enough enzymes because of poor diets that lack nutrient and are high in refined foods, environmental toxins, over use of antibiotics and general poor health. Symptoms of indigestion, bloating, gas and heartburn are thought to be the outcome.
Patients have found taking additional plant-based digestive enzymes such as bromelain (from pineapples), papain (from papayas), and enzymes grown on the fungus aspergillus, to be helpful in managing the symptoms of GERD.
They are also often used by older people who have lower amounts of stomach acid and take longer to digest food, which can then pass into the intestines without being fully broken down, causing indigestion.
Your doctor can prescribe drugs which inhibit the amount of acid your stomach produces but these are not meant to be a long-term solution. When you stop taking them you often have a 'rebound' period when the symptoms come back and seem even worse than before - this is your body trying to adjust again. Reflux treatment is best approached naturally first, as this can lead to permanent change.
Drugs can also have unpleasant side effects. Many of our patients on omeprazole complain of low libido. Here is an example of the known side effects for rabeprazole (Aciphex):
Headaches - up to 9.9 percent of people
Diarrhea - up to 4.5 percent
Nausea - up to 4.5 percent
Vomiting - up to 3.6 percent
Abdominal pain (stomach pain) - up to 3.6 percent
Pain (the type of pain was not specified) - up to 3 percent
Sore throat - up to 3 percent
Flatulence - up to 3 percent
Infection - up to 2 percent
Constipation - up to 2 percent.
The above side effects were discovered during the clinical trials before this drug was approved and so stated on the Patient Information Leaflet. Probable and possible side effects reported after a drug has been approved are called the post marketing experience. For Aciphex these include:
Osteopenia (as calcium absorption is impaired)
Broken bones (some studies suggest this or other similar medications may increase the risk of bone fractures)
Low blood magnesium (hypomagnesemia)
A coma
Yellow skin (jaundice)
Sudden death
Disorientation
Pneumonia
Increased TSH (found using a blood test), indicating possible hypothyroidism
Anemia
Low white blood cells
Low blood platelets
Serious skin rashes
Allergic reactions, including life-threatening reactions
If you ever experience a side effect from any medication please report this to The Yellow Card Reporting Scheme
Marshmallow root is demulcent. This means that it soothes and coats and protects the lining of the esophagus and stomach. In herbal medicine we use it in treatments for acid reflux, GERD and stomach ulcers.
Chamomile is anti-inflammatory, carminative and soothes digestion, especially where there is also an element of stress.
Calendula is astringent and also anti-inflammatory. It is a very healing herb and helps cells to regenerate quickly.
Ginger is anti-inflammatory and has been used as a treatment for gastrointestinal conditions for centuries.
Aloe vera gel juice is extremely soothing for reflux.
Fatty foods like milk, cream and cheese will trigger heartburn especially taken late in the evening. Switch to low-fat milk and have cheese as a morning snack and not after a big meal.
Many nuts also have a high fat content and are hard to digest.
Alcohol, like acidic wines, beer, as well as fizzy or caffeinated drinks, orange juice should be avoided to keep GERD at bay.
Oats are helpful. They are a slow burning carbohydrate providing a lot of energy from a small amount. Make with low fat milk, add grated apple and sprinkle with cinnamon for the perfect breakfast.
Choose apples, pears and non-acidic fruits instead of oranges and citrus fruits.
Cook chicken without the fatty skin for a tasty, easily digested meat instead of red meat.
Fish is also an excellent source of protein and will not cause heartburn. Eat with lightly steamed vegetables.
Salads and green vegetables are a really important part of a healthy pain-free diet.
Fennel really is food as medicine. Whether used as the herb and the vegetable.
Celery helps to liven up dishes and salads too.
If you need help balancing your diet, or self help methods are not helping, you can see a medical herbalist for a consultation.