What is Naturopathic Medicine?
It is a distinct branch of primary health care that focuses on treating the root cause of illness and disease by stimulating the healing power of the body, while minimizing the use of surgery and drugs.
How is a Naturopathic doctor different from a regular doctor?
The primary differences between Naturopathic and conventional doctors are the philosophical approach to treatment and the therapies used by each. Naturopaths commonly utilize the following modalities:
- Diagnostics, examination, and laboratory testing
- Botanical medicine
- Clinical nutrition
- Homeopathic medicine (homeopathy)
- Physical medicine (hydrotherapy, massage, etc)
- Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture
- Lifestyle counselling and prevention
What type of people benefit from Naturopathic medicine?
All age groups, including pre/postnatal, infant, child, adolescent, adult and the elderly would benefit.
What kind of illnesses does Naturopathic medicine treat?
Virtually everybody can benefit from Naturopathic medicine because the treatments are highly individualized. Some of the most common conditions seen by Naturopathic doctors are:
- Acute illness – candida (yeast/fungal infection), cold/flu, sinusitis
- Allergies – environmental, food, seasonal
- Chronic illness – cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, eczema, fibromyalgia, psoriasis
- Digestive issues – crohn’s/colitis, food sensitivity, indigestion, IBS
- Endocrine problems – diabetes, thyroid dysfunction
- Female issues – cycle irregularities, menstrual cramping, menopausal symptoms, PMS
- Fertility & pregnancy concerns
- High blood pressure & cholesterol
- Male issues – prostate enlargement, erectile dysfunction, prostatis
- Mental concerns – ADHD, anxiety, depression, mental fog, stress
- Pain – arthritis, headache, low back, migraine
- Weight loss, detox & immune boosting
- Wellness check-ups & illness prevention
Are the appointments covered by OHIP?
Naturopathic appointments are not currently covered by OHIP. Most extended healthcare insurance plans cover all or partial cost of naturopathic treatments. Please check with your provider for specific details.
What is the cost associated with a Naturopathic visit?
Fees are based on a schedule created by the professional associations of Naturopathic doctors.
- Initial consult – $130 + HST
- Follow-up consult – $70 + HST
- Acupuncture & TCM – $50 + HST
- B12 injection – $20 (HST included)
Will Naturopathic medicine be able to help me?
Naturopathic medicine has great success in helping patients achieve wellness. However, the individuals that see the best results are those who are motivated to make the necessary lifestyle changes and are willing to learn how to prevent future illness.
What is Botanical Medicine?
Botanical or Herbal Medicine is a branch of Naturopathy which uses various types of plants as medicinal agents in the treatment of disease.
It is estimated that healing herbs are the primary medicines for two thirds of the world’s population. According to the The World Health Organization (WHO), 25 – 30 % of all prescriptions still contain active constituents derived from plants, and the average physician writes eight herb-based prescriptions daily!
Various carbonated drinks (Coke) and other beverages (Coffee and Tea) are all based on herbal medicines. Did you know that Coca cola began as an attempt to develop an herbal headache remedy?
The very word drug comes from the early German “droge”, meaning to dry, as in drying herbs, which is the first step in processing herbs in to medicines. Aspirin was originally created from two healing herbs – willow bark and meadowsweet. In fact, meadowsweet’s old genus name, Spirea gave us the “–spirin in “aspirin.”
What to Expect of your Naturopathic Visit
Visiting a Naturopathic doctor is unique and may be unlike any other doctor’s appointment you ever had. Naturopathic Medicine integrates modern medicine with a wide range of natural therapies. Naturopathic doctors have seven years of postsecondary education and use evidence-based treatments such as nutrition, lifestyle counselling, acupuncture and botanical medicine. Your ND will need to know as much as possible about you and your family. For this reason, appointments are typically much longer than those of conventional Medical Doctors in order to allow ample time for discussion about your physical, mental, and emotional health. Naturopathic Doctors focus teach you healthy habits to ensure optimal health and prevention of disease.
On your first visit your naturopathic doctor will take a detailed history concerning all areas of your health, lifestyle, stress and diet. A physical exam may be performed that focuses on your main area of concern. Further diagnostic testing (such as blood work or allergy testing) may be recommended at this time.
Once a diagnosis has been reached, your naturopathic doctor will discuss and offer treatment options at your follow-up appointment. You can then decide which options will work best for you. The treatment modalities that Naturopathic Doctors use include botanical medicine, diet and meal planning, nutritional counselling, nutraceutical supplementation, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, homeopathy, lifestyle modification, hydrotherapy and always involves patient education.
To find out if you are a candidate for naturopathy, please contact our Carleton Place office today at 613-253-2344.
