naturopathic medicine

Simply put, naturopathic medicine is using natural treatments and the healing power of the body to treat illness, whether acute or chronic, instead of pharmaceutical drugs.

Individuals are first assessed according to naturopathic philosophy. Naturopathy’s chief concern is uncovering and treating the root of the problem as well as removing what are called “obstacles to cure”.

Many factors contribute to ill health and in practice, “the root” is rarely one factor. Instead it is a combination of factors – food, lifestyle, stress, sleep, negative thoughts/beliefs – that lead a person to experience health concerns.

Obstacles to cure are similar to the potential root causes in that the same factors mentioned above can be the obstacles to cure as well. For example, a lack of sleep may not have been an issue 10 years ago when a person’s health condition started, but if there is currently a lack of sleep/poor sleep quality, this would interfere with the body healing itself. This obstacle would need to be removed, ie. get sufficient sleep, in order for treatment to be effective.

It is not enough for someone to simply take some natural remedies and feel better while not addressing the root cause or obstacles to cure. Why? Because the underlying imbalances that have led to the health concern are still there. The imbalances are still active and sooner or later, another health concern will arise. This “new” health concern will stem from the root imbalance as before.

For many people, the day comes when new health concerns seem to be showing up fairly frequently. People will say “I’m falling apart!”. What is happening in these cases is that the imbalances in the body have reached a “threshold” and are now “spilling out” at a rate which is the person can no longer tolerate.

The Guiding Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

• First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)
  
• Medicine should not attempt to help one part of your body while it hurts another.

The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

The body has amazing healing powers. We just need to get out of it’s way! Some examples of things that get in the body’s way are: stress and anxiety, lack of sleep, sub-optimal nutrition, lack of exercise, a weakened system and negative thinking. There are other factors as well, but these are a few of the biggest.

Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)

The cause needs to be found in order to be able to heal the effect. The rule of cause and effect applies quite simply here: if the cause remains, so does the effect. The effect can be masked with medication (pharmaceutical or even with supplements), but it can only be masked – the underlying process will continue and will most likely show up again as a different condition/issue.

Treat the Whole Person

Just like our head is attached to our body (and vice versa), the health of our mind affects the health of our body and the health our body affects the health of our mind. If a person has digestive troubles, they are not a perfectly balanced person with a digestive system that is defective – they are a person who has digestive symptoms that are raising a red flag. These digestive symptoms are sounding an alarm: that there is a imbalance somewhere that needs to be addressed. As far as most digestive problems go, I find the cause is usually food and/or stress.

Doctor as Teacher (Docere)

It is important that patients understand what it is they are doing and why. It is important to me to teach each one of my patients the “why” so they can maintain their own health. Maintaining one’s health in today’s stressed out society can take quite a bit of effort – it’s easy to put effort into something when you understand why you are doing it and what you are getting from it.

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Waiting until you get sick is the long route to health. Prevention is the short and relatively easy path. The best way to prevent disease and enjoy optimum health is to eat healthy food, live a healthy lifestyle and manage your stress level.

naturopathy FAQs

Q. What can I expect on the first visit?

A. Your first visit will be one hour long and will include a full history, screening physical exam and naturopathic assessment.

Q. Do I need a referral from my medical doctor? How do I make an appointment?

A. No, you don’t need your medical doctor’s referral. You simply call the office and request an appointment.

Q. Is it covered by OHIP?

A. Naturopathic medical visits are not covered by OHIP, but are covered by most extended health care plans. Be sure to check your plan; many people have coverage that they are not aware of.

Q. What kind of education do naturopathic doctors require?

A. Naturopathic Doctors require a minimum 3-year undergraduate university degree with prerequisites similar to conventional pre-med requirements. The naturopathic medical program is a 4-year program and currently the only accredited college in Canada is the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. The training includes bio-medical sciences, diagnosis, naturopathic principles and therapeutics, including one year of supervised clinical experience. Graduates must pass North American licensing examinations before registration is granted to practice as a Naturopathic Doctor (ND).

Q. Are Naturopathic Doctors regulated in Ontario?

A. Yes, the Ontario government began regulating Naturopathic Doctors under the Drugless
Practitioners Act in 1925. Naturopathic Doctors are currently trained, examined, licensed and regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) in Ontario and other provinces.

Q. My insurance plan only covers visits to a licensed and registered naturopathic doctor. Do you have a license and registration and what does this mean?

A. Yes, I am both licensed and registered to practice Naturopathic Medicine in the province of Ontario.

A license is a license to practice naturopathic medicine, in the same way that your medical doctor has a license to practice medicine. Registration simply means that the naturopathic doctor has registered themselves with the naturopathic governing body: The Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy.

When looking for a naturopathic doctor, make sure to ask if the person is both licensed and registered, as both are required to legally practice as a naturopathic doctor. If you are unsure, call the Board (416.866.8383); they exist to protect the public and will be more than happy to tell you if the person you are considering is licensed and registered. Do not be afraid to ask questions; you have the right to be informed!

Q. What types of conditions can Naturopathic Medicine treat?

A. Some chronic conditions that can be treated with naturopathic medicine are: asthma, allergies, arthritis, menopause, low sex drive, enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hypertrophy), conditions of overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, mild- moderate anxiety, mild-moderate depression, eczema, psoriasis, acne, low thyroid function (hypothyroidism), high thyroid function (hyperthyroidism), chronic diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue (tiredness), poor sleep, chronic nasal congestion, heartburn, poor digestion, PMS, difficult menstruation, excessive menstruation, amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), infertility (both men and women), ADHD, ADD, chronic recurrent colds and flus, chronic infections, abdominal pain, polycystic ovarian syndrome, headaches and migraines, sinus problems, neck and back pain, the negative effects of stress on the body,

Some acute conditions that can be treated with naturopathic medicine: colds, flus, throat infections, coughs, sinus infections, yeast infections.

Return to the Stress and Naturopathy page here.