What is naturopathic medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary care that addresses the root cause of illness or disease and promotes health and healing using natural therapies. Treatment modalities may include clinical nutrition, botanical (herbal) medicine, homeopathic medicine, physical treatments, acupuncture and Asian medicine and lifestyle counselling.
The primary goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the cause of the illness rather than simply treating or suppressing symptoms. While naturopathic care helps to alleviate specific symptoms, NDs are primarily concerned with addressing the root cause of an illness: the focus is more on the why of a disease than the what.
What is the difference between naturopathic medicine and homeopathy?
Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are general practitioners of natural medicine. They are trained to treat ailments using clinical nutrition, acupuncture, botanical medicine, physical medicine, lifestyle counselling and homeopathy.
Homeopaths, on the other hand, are trained to practice in one discipline – homeopathy.
So while a homeopath would prescribe a homeopathic therapy, a naturopathic doctor would use any of the approaches listed above, including homeopathy, in their treatments.
In addition, homeopathy is not a regulated or licensed health profession in Ontario. Naturopathic medicine is regulated and licensed in Ontario.
What is a naturopathic doctor?
Naturopathic doctors are highly educate primary care providers who integrate standard medical diagnostics with a broad range of natural therapies.
What can I expect from my first visit to a naturopathic doctor?
Your first visit with an ND may be one hour or more in length. A very extensive patient history eliciting information about your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health is taken and a complaint-oriented physical exam performed. Your ND may then suggest further specialized testing.
With your input, your ND will propose a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve your health goals.
Do naturopathic doctors have specialties?
NDs may have ‘special interests’ in health conditions in which the ND has had extensive treatment experience or holds keen interest, or a modality used preferentially with a high degree of success.
We do not refer to these as specialties, as this implies that the ND has special training in a particular area.
At present, there are no specialist-level educational programs for NDs provided by naturopathic colleges, although NDs may have special training beyond their training at a naturopathic college (for parenteral therapy, for example).
Although an ND may have a special interest in a specific disease or treatment modality, naturopathic care is always holistic in nature and highly individualized and unique to each patient.
Can naturopathic doctors treat ——————— ?
Yes. NDs are primary health care practitioners, which means that they can treat the same conditions as a family doctor, including both acute concerns and chronic health conditions. In the event that an ND is unable to treat your condition, they will refer appropriately.
Are there naturopathic doctors who are also medical doctors?
There are no naturopathic doctors in Nova Scotia who are licensed medical doctors. There are a number of naturopathic doctors that trained and practiced as medical doctors outside of Canada, and whom decided to train and practice as naturopathic doctors in Canada. These individuals are not licensed as medical doctors in Canada and thus are not covered by MSI or government insurance and do not prescribe pharmaceuticals.
Undoubtedly there are medical doctors that have an interest in providing advice on natural therapies. However, these doctors would not be considered naturopathic doctors and do not have the specialized training in each and all of the disciplines of naturopathic medicine.
