Market Street Clinic in Skibbereen has rebranded as Roe Health to present a clearer picture of the comprehensive holistic health services under its umbrella. Run by respected husband and wife team Eoin and Amanda Roe, Roe Health is a functional medicine, chiropractic, hypnotherapy and acupuncture clinic. The couple, both highly trained in their professions, offer help for a range of complex health issues, in particular for anyone unsure of where to turn to for help.
“People who don’t have the symptoms of a known pathological condition may be rejected by the medical profession and, as a result are chasing solutions going from one alternative practitioner to the next,” explains Eoin. “Oftentimes a more holistic, very in-depth approach, looking at multiple issues at the same time, is what will really help them.”
This is what Eoin and Amanda strive to offer at Roe Health: A complementary holistic approach with a positive outcome for the client. Roe Health’s services include Functional Medicine, Chiropractic, Diagnostic services, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Inner Child Healing, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Life and Health Coaching.
Eoin’s training and continued learning and research in functional medicine serves to help him understand where a person’s physiology has gone wrong and how to correct it using lifestyle, diet and nutritional interventions. At times these changes can be challenging for an individual but with Amanda available to offer emotional support, clients are in a better position to make the necessary lifestyle changes or deal with past issues.
Eoin has been working full-time as a chiropractor since 2013 and as a certified functional medicine practitioner since 2019, helping people to manage chronic health conditions.
“The more I work with individuals with chronic health problems, the more I realise that I don’t necessarily have all the skills to help people,”shares Eoin. “I can understand what the problem is, what dietary and lifestyle advice is appropriate and how that is going to help the person. But they have to make the changes and, for some people, Amanda’s skills are better at helping people make changes. Additionally there are also emotional factors involved for many people so working with someone like Amanda, who is focused on helping people deal with and overcome these issues, can be really beneficial.”
A trained clinical hypnotherapist, acupuncturist and life and health coach, Amanda help clients who have experienced trauma or who are emotionally overwhelmed and dealing with anxiety, depression, weight/eating, hormone issues and other physical ailments.
“Our mental health affects our physical health but sometimes it is our physical health that is causing our mental health to suffer,” she says.
As a clinical hypnotherapist and acupuncturist, understanding the full picture is key when it comes to achieving the best outcome for her clients.
“I know how my skills can best help my clients but also if their symptoms are beyond my expertise. For example, if their pain is structural pain rather that emotional pain, they may need chiropractic help. Or if they are showing signs of having an autoimmune condition or suffering from neuro-inflammation or other complex issues, then I know they would be best helped by Eoin. In that case, I will share that information with my clients.”
Functional medicine is an increasingly popular medical approach that can help people find answers to symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, gastrointestinal complaints, sleep problems, chronic pain or autoimmune conditions.“Whilst people may have similar symptoms they can often be from different causes,” explains Eoin, who is passionate about understanding the underlying mechanisms that are causing difficult to diagnose health issues in individuals.”
Offering advice often based on scientific studies and a good understanding of pathophysiology, Eoin can work with clients to make impactful changes to their lifestyle, diet and nutritional supplements, while preventing time being wasted on often expensive and ineffective treatments.
There is a rise worldwide in autoimmune diseases and one of the most common presented at the clinic in Skibbereen is Hashimotos. “Many people with this condition just think that they have low thyroid function (Hypothyroid),” explains Eoin.
Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism will be done with a blood test indicating an elevated TSH and low level of T4 (thyroxine). If this is the case thyroid replacement therapy usually L thyroxin is given.
Hashimotos is confirmed by an additional blood test showing the presence of Tg and TPO antibodies.
While for many, using thyroid replacement therapy works really well, other individuals may find that their dose of L thyroxine is continually increasing and they are still suffering with low thyroid symptoms such as fatigue, sensitivity to cold, constipation, hair and skin issues, difficulty controlling their weight and muscle weakness.
There is also another group of people who seem to have what looks like normal thyroid function (on a blood test) but still have antibodies present – so they can have autoimmune reactivity and thyroid symptoms but are considered to have normal thyroid function.
“For those showing immune reactivity in the case of Hashimotos producing TPO and/or Tg antibodies, very specific guided nutritional advice can help them to manage their Hashimotos and reduce their symptoms,” says Eoin. “This approach is not a replacement for thyroid hormone replacement therapy,” he stresses, “as if someone has low thyroid function, it is important for them that it is well-managed using hormone replacement.”
Autoimmune conditions cannot be treated or cured but they can be managed very well.
“By their nature autoimmune conditions flare up and calm down naturally,” explains Eoin. “There are significant triggers from foods, environmental toxins, chemicals and other lifestyle issues that can have a significant impact for individuals and cause flare-ups.”
While autoimmune conditions are on the rise, so too is anxiety, with so many people struggling with the stressful challenges of this pandemic.
Amanda is seeing more individuals suffering from anxiety across all age groups.“Often they have already been to see councillors and their doctor and they are now looking for a natural holistic approach to avoid or come off medication (always under supervision of their doctor),” she says.
“Trauma, anxiety and fear exhaust the body and clients may find that they are more emotional, finding it harder to cope, and having difficulty sleeping.”
These individuals are often suffering from a range of symptoms like adrenal fatigue, depression, PMS, irregular periods, peri-menopausal symptoms, infertility, aches and pain, headaches or digestive problems.
“Stress exhausts the body,” says Amanda, “and no two clients symptoms are exactly the same.”
Amanda’s training allows her to treat the mind and body simultaneously, which means that her clients can get better faster – this has a positive impact on their relationships, work and life.
If you are curious about whether Eoin and Amanda’s services may be right for you, it is possible to speak with either of them and book a free 15 minute consultation on the website www.roehealth.ie or make contact via the web form.
