A Natural Woman; Herself a Miracle Baby, Leigh Maxwell’s Fascination With Female Health Issues Grew From the Cradle

As a teenager she gravitated towards the ancient knowledge of plants and their healing properties. "When I was 15 I followed instructions from a book to make an ointment using marigold flowers for treating sprains and strains. My brother used it on an injured ankle, it worked and I was immediately hooked on the medicinal wonder of plants."

Self-taught at that stage, though she felt she had found her niche, there was nowhere to go to learn more. "If I could have done a course on the subject from school that would have been me, straight away," she says.

Instead Leigh followed a more conventional education route, ending up with a successful, though ultimately unsatisfying, career as a PA. While mainstream careers in the health field – such as nursing or midwifery – didn’t suit, that desire to heal, with her from childhood, never waned. "I’m too soft to be a nurse," she admits. "I couldn’t cope with people dying." Eventually Leigh saw an opportunity to change career direction.

She took six months out from her day job to work in a busy health shop in Lisburn, studied for a diploma course in holistic therapy part-time over three years at Newry Technical College and is a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

Leigh explains: "My ultimate aim was to learn enough to set up my own business in women’s reproductive health. After four years of planning, researching and training, I have now launched Dharma Health and our reputation and client base is growing.

"This complementary clinic specialising in women’s reproductive health is unique to Northern Ireland, as far as I know. It has been designed with peace, tranquillity and comfort in mind: a home from home. We’re based at a gate lodge, tucked away in beautiful grounds, 35 minutes’ drive from Belfast and around 10 minutes’ drive from Banbridge, Lurgan and Portadown."

There, a small, hand-picked, team of qualified therapists deliver treatments including aromatherapy, acupressure, lymphatic drainage, massage, naturopathy, nutritional therapy, reflexology and Western herbal medicine, using A Vogel products.

Conditions addressed range from endometriosis; to fibroids; irregular, heavy, painful or absent periods; pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS); the menopause; fatigue and stress. To anyone inclined to dismiss the treatments as New Age, Leigh counters that they are ancient and long-tested. Take Western herbal medicine "Willow bark for instance, has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory and mild painkiller,"she says. "In 1838 chemists identified the active ingredient of willow bark as salicylic acid – from salix, the botanical name for the willow family – of which one synthesised form is known as aspirin.

"Herbal medicine works with your body to encourage self-healing and is an effective alternative to more orthodox medicine which may cause harmful side-effects. Aromatherapy is one of the most effective ways to work on both physical and emotional needs. Reflexology is a healing therapy based on the principle that all the bodily structures including organs and glands are represented in reflex areas on the feet and hands."

Leigh believes such complementary therapies are becoming much more widely adopted alongside mainstream medicine. And, as well as relief, they can hand back control to sufferers. "My passion is for bringing awareness and control back into women’s lives, she says. "Here, we understand the physical and emotional aspects that play havoc with the delicate balance of hormones. We teach the clients to be more aware and in tune with their own bodies."

With as many as one-in-three couples having problems conceiving, according to some studies, problems with fertility is an area that undoubtedly plays physical and emotional havoc with people’s lives. Dharma Health – "the name comes from Indian Sanskrit for ‘to do the best you possibly can in everything you do’ " – approaches this from a pre-conceptual care starting point.

"As society has evolved, many women are deciding to have children later in life," says Leigh who, at 34, has yet to start a family. "But, after the age of 35, the chances of conceiving are halved. About 30% of female infertility is due to failure to ovulate. Ovulation is controlled by the same finely orchestrated release of hormones that controls the menstrual cycle." Hormone imbalance, a malfunctioning hypothalmus, a malfunctioning pituitary gland or irregular hormone levels in polycystic ovarian syndrome can be factors.

And, of course, it takes two to conceive. "Ideally, both partners should start to condition their bodies for optimum health at least four months immediately proceeding any attempt to conceive," she says. "It takes four months for an egg to mature and approximately four months for sperm to form.

"What we eat, drink and how we live our lives, before and after we conceive, determines the health of our children into adulthood. More and more people are interested in conscious conception and pregnancy. There is quite a demand for a more rounded approach to what is, for many, the most important experience of their lives.

"Those thinking of having a baby or experiencing fertility challenges can also find more holistic and natural approaches neglected by mainstream health professionals so, by working alongside orthodox medicine, the two complement each other brilliantly, giving the client the best and full range of treatments available."

Childbearing gives rise to a whole host of "women’s problems". "Women are resigned to menstrual cramps, fluctuating mood swings, PMS, bloating and discomfort bang on cue every month. Putting on a brave face and taking painkillers or relying on caffeine and chocolate to get us through is not the way to go," Leigh insists.

Treatments

"Women need to sort out the underlying problems instead of masking them with painkillers or stimulants, or they can expect the same symptoms month after month."

Anecdotal accounts can be dramatic. "A client who suffers from endometriosis came for two treatments and ‘phoned me very excited, thanking me, because for the first time in 20 years her menstrual cycle just arrived unannounced, without the pain she suffered 48 hours beforehand each month. I was very pleased to have helped."

A natural approach to the menopause which is, Leigh points out, a "natural life stage", is also part of the available therapy.

"Culturally, menopause has been considered as a disease of deficiency and decline, she says. "Although ovarian function does diminish, other areas of the body almost double their production of hormones and naturally fulfil the needs of women at this life stage.

"However, leading a stressful lifestyle with poor nutrition in the years approaching menopause can mean that the body is not in the best health to meet the new hormonal requirements effectively, which is where common menopausal symptoms arise."

So who might benefit from complementary holistic therapy such as is offered here? "Women who suffer each month; those preparing to get their bodies into tip-top condition for conceiving; professional women who have concentrated on their careers, delaying having children until their 30s and 40s; women heading for the menopause; new mothers and anyone who wishes to de-stress, detoxify and re- energise," says Leigh.

Dharma Health, based in Gilford, can be contacted, tel: 3883 2528. Sessions, generally of two-hour duration, range in price from around pound(s)50 to pound(s)70

(c) 2007 Belfast Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.