During Naturopathic Medicine week (May 13-May 19) Naturopathic Doctors across Canada come together and share information with their community to raise awareness about the value of Naturopathic Medicine. Naturopathic Doctors strongly believe in health promotion, disease prevention, healthy living and overall better quality of life. For those of you who are not familiar with how Naturopathic Medicine can help you achieve your health goals, please read further. I break down what Naturopathic Medicine is and how it may be useful to you!

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct primary health care system that addresses the root cause of illness. It encompasses modern scientific knowledge with traditional forms of medicine. The notion revolves around stimulating a person’s ability to heal on its own through emphasizing prevention, health promotion and natural treatment. Naturopathic Doctors focus on empowering and educating patients to take charge of their own health from a personalized perspective. We treat using natural therapies like clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, natural supplementation, hydrotherapy, Asian medicine/acupuncture, and lifestyle counselling.

Naturopathic Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

Medical doctors and Naturopathic doctors can both diagnose and treat disease. The primary difference between Naturopathic and Conventional medicine are the therapies used to treat. I truly believe there is much room for both types of medicine in today’s healthcare system. Working in tandem with both a medical doctor and a naturopathic doctor is the best form of integrative health. 

What can Naturopathic Doctors treat?

• Respiratory disease (Asthma, COPD, etc.)
• Cardiovascular disease (High blood pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes)
• Digestive Concerns (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, etc.)
• Women’s health (PMS, Menopause, PCOS, infertility, hormone imbalances)
• Weight loss
• Pain management (Headaches, Arthritis, etc.)
• Allergies
• Immune strengthening
• Nutritional deficiencies and diet recommendations
• Skin conditions (Eczema, Psoriasis, etc.)
• Detoxification
• Stress management
• Anxiety
• Insomnia

What does an initial visit with a Naturopathic Doctor entail?

Typically the initial visit with a Naturopathic doctor can vary in length from about 60-90 minutes. During the first visit, your Naturopathic Doctor will ask about your health goals, look at a detailed history of your current and past health concerns, review any medications or supplements you are on, request appropriate lab work or diagnostic imaging and may conduct a physical examination. Don’t be surprised if you get questions like “describe your stress levels both at home and at work” or “tell me what you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner”. The first visit is an avenue for the Naturopathic Doctor to get to know you at ALL levels. We may ask questions that you feel will have nothing to do with your chief concern. We know that all systems of your body work in tandem and if one aspect of your health is off it may affect other body systems. So it is really important that we address all physical, mental and emotional concerns to really get to the root cause. Naturopathic Doctors will then take all the information gathered in this first visit to create an individualized treatment plan for your health goals, which will be reviewed during the second visit.  

Naturopathic medicine is for people of all ages and varying health histories that want to take their health into their own hands. Getting healthy does not have to be hard or overwhelming. Seeing a Naturopathic doctor can help you to prioritize your health goals while tackling them one by one with constant support and guidance! If you are interested in learning more e-mail us at askthedoc@vitamart.ca with your questions!

**Disclaimer

The advice in this article is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the care of a Naturopathic physician. 

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