Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care that addresses the root causes of illness and promotes health and healing using natural therapies. Naturopathic physicians integrate standard medical diagnostics with a broad range of natural therapies.

Naturopathic doctors undergo a minimum of 7 years of higher education, which includes at least 3 years of university, covering prerequisites in biology, psychology, English, general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry. They typically have an undergraduate degree. Following this, they receive 4 years of education from one of six recognized naturopathic medical schools in North America, which are carefully regulated to ensure high-quality, standardized education. This rigorous education includes 3500 classroom hours covering health sciences, therapeutic modalities, clinical sciences, and professional development. These include: physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, neuroanatomy, physical clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging. Therapeutic modalities include: botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, psychology, Traditional Oriental Medicine and physical medicine. Clinical sciences include: pharmacology, dermatology, environmental health, gynecology, oncology, obstetrics, pediatrics and geriatrics.

Additionally, clinical training involves 1200 hours in the teaching clinic and 300 hours preceptoring with licensed naturopathic physicians. Board exams are taken after the 2nd and 4th year, and additional training and examination is required for prescribing rights, which are similar to those of a family physician but exclude specialized medication and narcotics.

How are naturopathic doctors regulated?

To be licensed to practice naturopathic medicine in BC you must:

• Have completed at least 3 years of liberal arts or sciences at a university
• Have graduated from a recognized naturopathic medicine education program. There are currently four schools in the United States and two in Canada
• Have successfully completed rigorous professional board exams, both written and oral
• Have your application accepted by the CNPBC

What diseases do you treat?

I treat people rather than diseases. There is no cookbook protocol or magic natural bullet that will cure all IBS, osteoarthritis or cancer because everyone is an individual with different factors that need to be addressed. The therapies I choose are targeted at removing a person’s unique obstructions to healing and adding things that promote optimal health. This treatment approach can be applied to anyone who would like to improve his or her health.

When would a patient visit a naturopathic physician?

Due to the fact that ND’s education integrates a wide range of therapies with traditional medical sciences and diagnostic equipment, naturopathic physicians are unique in the field of healthcare. We have several instruments at our disposal thanks to the capacity to incorporate many beliefs and practices. When handling challenging issues like health and disease, this enables greater flexibility and creativity.

Typical justifications for naturopathic doctor visits:

Individuals go through a serious health issue and are looking at their therapy possibilities.
They are tired of feeling ill or in agony.

They desire a complete illness prevention program because they are overwhelmed by the expanding pile of health goods they believe they should be taking and need assistance prioritizing.

What is the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a specific system of medicine that uses diluted potencies of natural substances to stimulate the body to heal itself. Naturopathy is a medical practice that integrates a wide variety of therapies, including homeopathy, to treat the cause of an individual’s symptoms.

Why would I see a naturopathic doctor when my local health food shop can provide me wise counsel on natural products?

Primary care physicians are naturopathic physicians. This implies that rather than relying on symptoms, they base their suggestions on a diagnosis or likely cause of a disease. For instance, hundreds of various causes, such as cancer, anaemia, and sleep disturbances, might contribute to weariness. An evaluation by a naturopathic physician determines the most suitable, secure, and efficient course of therapy by taking into account the patient’s medical history, physical examinations, and relevant laboratory tests. Individualised treatments are provided that consider your entire medical history. A additional advantage of seeing a naturopathic physician is that your reaction to treatments is tracked and modified as necessary.

Do you work with other health care professionals?

Teamwork and communication are essential to providing quality healthcare. I am willing to collaborate with your other healthcare providers at your request and I am pleased to recommend patients to other experts when I believe their expertise or education would be useful. Because naturopathic medicine has so many resources at its disposal, your therapy may be tailored to fit with any additional therapies you might be getting. Pre and post surgery care to help lower your risk of problems and hasten your recovery are examples of alternative medicine.

It is crucial to understand that every system of medicine has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no doubt that conventional medicine has strong tools and resources available when a life-threatening occurrence, such a serious injury or meningitis.

Specialists like oncologists, endocrinologists or gynecologists, have a focused body of knowledge that allows them to be experts in a specific area of medicine. Similarly, doctors of Chinese medicine, chiropractors and medical herbalists, are all trained to be experts in their chosen philosophy and therapy. Naturopathic doctors are trained to be primary care doctors that can integrate a number of different philosophies and therapies. By understanding both conventional and alternative treatments, we can help our patients combine the best of both worlds.