Crohn's disease

Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. It causes inflammation that can affect any part of the digestive tract, and unlike ulcerative colitis it can reach through the full thickness of the bowel wall.

It’s a chronic condition. It’s diagnosed and managed medically, usually by a gastroenterologist, and that is not something a naturopath replaces.

⚠ This is a medically managed condition

If you have Crohn’s, or symptoms that suggest it — persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain, blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, fever, fatigue — you need medical assessment. Complications of Crohn’s can be serious and some are urgent.

Your naturopath will work with your medical team, not around them.

Where naturopathic care contributes

Nutritional status. Inflammation of the bowel wall interferes with absorption, and several of the medications used affect nutrient status as well. Iron, B12, vitamin D and zinc are commonly affected. Your naturopath can assess this and arrange pathology where it’s clinically appropriate.

Diet. What’s tolerated varies enormously between people and between flares and remission. Your naturopath can help you build something workable and nutritionally adequate rather than progressively more restricted.

The gut environment more broadly, and the practical load of managing a chronic condition — sleep, stress, and keeping food from becoming a source of anxiety.

⚠ Tell your naturopath about every medication you take. Some herbs and supplements interact with immunosuppressants and biologics.

Related: IBS, bloating, coeliac disease.