Naturopathic

What is naturopathic medicine?

This is a comprehensive system of health care that integrates the latest advances in medical science with time-tested natural principles and therapies. Naturopathic Doctors attend graduate-level, accredited naturopathic medical schools where they are trained to diagnose by taking thorough histories, performing physical examinations and reading lab tests. What separates them from standard MDs is that they use natural medicine treatments and use pharmaceuticals only as a last resort. Naturopathic Medicine - includes: nutrition; homeopathy; herbal medicine and bio-identical hormones. Naturopathic Medicine treats an array of health concerns including digestive troubles, weight management, menopause, women’s health issues and all other chronic and acute conditions.

What health concerns do Naturopathic Doctors address?

Naturopathic Doctors can work with a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions. They treat a broad range of patients from pediatrics to geriatric and everyone in between. Naturopathic doctors are trained as general practitioners, although many do specialize. They can treat acute and chronic conditions as well as support nutritionally those wishing to attain optimum health and vitality. Naturopathic doctors do not perform surgery or do ER care. They can, however, effectively co-manage cancer patients during and after conventional cancer treatments, as well as assist in healing and recovery. Naturopathic Doctors may order laboratory work and prescribe some pharmaceutical medication such as antibiotics only when they feel it is warranted.

The Naturopathic Perspective

When a patient comes to see a Naturopathic Doctor, he/she can expect to be treated according to the following principles:

Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

1. First Do No Harm – Use the least invasive, least toxic therapies first.
2. Identify and Treat the Cause – Understand the true cause of the presenting symptoms.
3. The Healing Power of Nature – Trust in the body’s inherent healing power.
4. Treat the Whole Person – Look at the spiritual and emotional as well as physical being.
5. Doctor as Teacher – Educate patients in achieving optimal health.
6. Prevention – Focus on promoting health and preventing disease.

What does all this mean?

This means that the Naturopathic Doctor focuses upon finding the cause of the problem. The Naturopathic Doctor takes into account the emotional, mental, spiritual, social and physical health of the patient in an effort to find the true cause of their illness or complaint and comes up with a comprehensive protocol that will get results!