Naturopathic Solutions for Common Health Issues
If you find yourself searching for a naturopath in San Francisco, you’re likely ready for more than a quick fix… You’re tired of putting a bandaid on something that is clearly not optimal. You want real answers, deeper support, and a long-term plan for feeling well. Naturopathic medicine offers an approach that looks at the whole picture, helping you understand the root cause of your symptoms and giving your body the tools it needs to heal.
Of course, each person’s health journey is unique but after 15 years of practice, we often see hormones, gut and autoimmune conditions as being related to each other. So in this article, we’ll explore the most common concerns people seek help for, and how a naturopath can help you move toward lasting health and a truly pleasurable life.
Uncovering Naturopathic Solutions for Common Health Issues
Naturopathic medicine is a holistic, science-based approach that focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of illness rather than simply managing symptoms. It combines current scientific knowledge with more traditional and time-honored medicine, like herbal medicine.
At the heart of naturopathic medicine is the philosophy that the body is inherently intelligent, adaptive, and constantly moving toward balance. Symptoms are not random malfunctions but signals from a system doing its best to heal under the conditions it has been given. In naturopathic medicine, our role is not to override or control the body, but to listen to it and support it back into balance.
This is fundamentally different from approaches that focus primarily on managing symptoms or optimizing individual systems in isolation. Naturopathic medicine works with the body’s innate healing intelligence, creating the conditions for the body to do what it already knows how to do. Healing, in this view, is not forced. It is allowed.
This approach is ideal for people who:
Feel dismissed or rushed by conventional care and are looking for personalized, collaborative support
Want to get to the root cause of their symptoms, rather than simply managing them
Seek education and a deeper understanding as to what’s going on with their body
Experience chronic symptoms without clear answers
Want a more holistic, integrative approach
Want to incorporate lifestyle changes that can help optimize their health over the long-term
At Nova Wellness, many clients come in with years of unanswered questions, only to discover that their varied symptoms are often all connected.
Common Health Issues Treated by Naturopaths
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones play a central role in how we feel day to day, influencing energy, mood, sleep, metabolism, and reproductive health. When hormonal signaling becomes disrupted, symptoms may include irregular cycles, PMS, perimenopause symptoms, thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, anxiety, acne, or brain fog.
From a naturopathic perspective, hormones do not operate in isolation. They function as part of a complex, interconnected system involving the nervous system, gut, liver, and immune system.
It’s very common for doctors to say that your PMS symptoms are just part of being a woman, or that your perimenopause symptoms are just what happens when you hit a certain age. For many people, they are not given lifestyle or diet recommendations to help alleviate these symptoms and are told they are “normal”. But struggling with excessive cramps, bleeding, mood swings or sleeplessness are not something you just have to deal with.
Your hormones are a beautiful and complex web and there are ways you can improve your experience and take control of your symptoms with lifestyle, diet and supplements.
Understanding Hormonal Health
A naturopath views hormones as part of a larger ecosystem. When one hormone shifts such as cortisol, thyroid hormones, estrogen or progesterone, the entire system feels the impact.
Naturopathic care may include:
Empowering you with information about how the entire system is connected
Functional testing including a DUTCH test get a bigger picture of what’s going on
Helping you experience deeper, better sleep
Supporting detoxification and elimination pathways
Addressing gut health, which plays a role in hormone balance and elimination
Reducing inflammation
Balancing blood sugar
Regulating the nervous system
Using herbs, adaptogens and nutrient supplementation
For many clients, debilitating symptoms like brain fog, chronic fatigue or PMS may improve once the root cause is identified and treated. When you experience relief from these symptoms, the overall quality of your life improves. You finally have the mental and energetic capacity to pursue a new skill, take a dance class, book an overseas trip or enjoy intimacy with your partner. But when you’re dealing with chronic hormonal symptoms, all of these can feel impossible.
Our goal is to support a state where your cycle feels predictable and easeful, perimenopause is met with energy and steadiness, and your vitality remains consistent and strong over time. Believe it or not, all of this is possible for you with the right care!
Gut Health
Your gut is the foundation of overall health. A good naturopath knows that digestion, immune function and hormones are all intertwined. The gut communicates directly with your brain through the vagus nerve and microbiome. When digestion is impaired, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, bloating and mood swings often follow.
In 2026, it’s hard to find anyone who isn’t experiencing some sort of gut issues. The joys of travel can unfortunately expose you to dirty water or parasites, and we’re seeing this more than ever. Our food systems are becoming more toxic and organic food may be hard to find in some places. Food sensitivities are becoming more common and may change over time. What you used to be able to eat with no problem, may no longer serve you over the long-term. So what is there to do?
Naturopathic Approaches to Improve Digestion
Naturopathic strategies that we use at Nova Wellness may include:
Identifying food sensitivities or intolerances
Supporting gut function and improving nutrient absorption
Addressing bacterial imbalances or parasitic infections
Healing the gut lining and reducing inflammation
Incorporating stress reduction strategies that directly support digestion
If you’re someone who has experienced any gut issues such as diarrhea, constipation, uncomfortable bloating, embarrassing gas and belching or stomach aches after eating certain foods you know how much your gut health can affect your entire life.
We also know that food is such an important part of pleasure and socializing, but if you struggle to eat anything without a flare-up, you’re missing out on some of the biggest joys of life. Because we know how important this is, healing gut issues with naturopathic care is one of our favorite things to work on at Nova Wellness.
Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune conditions are increasingly common. They include Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, lupus and others.
Autoimmune conditions occur when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. This causes inflammation and destruction of the tissues.
Many people are told these conditions are “incurable,” which is exactly what Dr. Mann was told when she received her diagnosis of Hashimoto’s. This can be incredibly disheartening to hear - that your symptoms are something you will just have to live with for the rest of your life. It’s hard to keep up hope and joy when you believe that you’re never going to get better.
After receiving this diagnosis, Dr. Mann made a decision to seek true healing. She studied naturopathic medicine and became a naturopathic doctor working in San Francisco, focused on addressing the root causes of many autoimmune conditions. Ultimately she was able to cure her Hashimoto’s through naturopathic medicine.
At Nova Wellness, we’ve worked with thousands of clients who have been diagnosed with autoimmune conditions and told they will never be cured and can only hope to manage their symptoms. The truth is that naturopathic medicine can significantly reduce symptoms and sometimes even reverse an autoimmune disease.
A naturopath evaluates the root causes that may be driving autoimmunity which may be things like:
Chronic inflammation
Gut permeability (aka “leaky gut”)
Food sensitivities
Viral reactivations
Environmental toxins
Hormonal imbalances
Long-term stress
… and often it’s a combination of several of these. However, rather than chasing symptoms and playing “wack-a-mole” to try and alleviate each of them, the goal is to calm the immune system and ultimately stop the symptoms altogether.
Nova Wellness: A Naturopathic Clinic in San Francisco
Nova Wellness is a naturopathic clinic in San Francisco led by Dr. Jen Mann, who brings over 15 years of clinical expertise across thousands of cases, and a deeply personal understanding of chronic illness.
Services Offered
Nova Wellness provides integrative, naturopathic support through:
Comprehensive functional testing
Gut health and microbiome analysis
Autoimmune and thyroid specialty care
Personalized treatment plans
Holistic nutrition, lifestyle optimization, and supplement protocols
Ongoing care to track progress and refine your plan
Our Success Stories
Our clients frequently come to us feeling completely exhausted, overwhelmed and fed up with the treatment (or lack of treatment) they’ve received so far. Often we are their “last resort”, after being told there’s nothing that can be done for them. When we get to work with these clients, they often share that they finally feel seen and validated for the first time. Over time, they experience improvements such as:
Clearer digestion
Increased energy
Improved thyroid function
Hormonal balance
Reduced inflammation
Better mood and sleep
A renewed sense of hope
A client recently came to us with Ulcerative Colitis and several times a month, he'd develop flares. These flares would involve severe digestive issues and also create fatigue, brain fog and anxiety. He is a highly driven person with a successful career but it was becoming difficult for him to bring energy to his career, wife and kids. His doctor prescribed him an immunosuppressant, which partially controlled his symptoms, but he wanted more.
Through dietary changes, taking herbs and supplements to decrease inflammation, and through regular stress reduction techniques his flares stopped occurring. He felt so much more in control of his health because he had tools to support him now and in the future. He felt a level of confidence and presence that he didn't have before.
“It's been almost a full 180 over the past 6 months. In partnership with Nova, I've taken a completely different perspective on what my body was going through and telling me. I've always considered myself a healthy person - conscious of what I eat and physically active. Fast forward, I think about my health and journey much more holistically - a combination of diet, physical, and mental health. Being more considerate of these factors, my health has improved significantly. I feel more energized, more healthy, better gut stability, and more positive outlook…Everything has improved. Day to day, I have more energy. Which means I am more present and engaged with family, kids, friends. I can focus more on work and have been able to regain physical activity.”
How to Choose the Right Naturopath in San Francisco
When evaluating a naturopath in San Francisco, consider:
Training & credentials — Choose a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND).
Specialties — Look for expertise in your concerns (e.g., hormones, gut health, autoimmune).
Approach — Ask if they combine clinical testing with natural therapies and if they offer a one-size-fits-all approach or something more personalized
Communication style — How do they communicate with you? You deserve a practitioner who listens deeply.
Patient experience — Ask to see testimonials. They’ll reveal how supported people actually feel.
What to Expect During Your First Visit
Your first visit at Nova Wellness includes:
A 15 minute Discovery Call to explore your symptoms and see if we’re a fit
A 60 minute deeper dive into your symptoms and medical history
Reviewing past labs and ordering new tests if needed
Discussing lifestyle, stress levels, and environmental factors
Identifying potential root causes
Creating an initial treatment plan tailored to you
The Benefits of a Naturopath for Your Health Journey
Naturopathic medicine gives you a more complete picture of your health: not just what’s happening, but why. It empowers you to understand your body, reclaim your energy, and take steps toward long-term healing.
If you’ve been living with unresolved symptoms or feel like something is “off” despite normal labs, a naturopathic approach may finally give you clarity. Nova Wellness is here to guide you with science-backed, holistic support so you can feel like yourself again. Book a Discovery Call today to get started.
