What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a primary health care system that addresses the root causes of illness and emphasizes prevention of illness or disease. Naturopathic doctors are primary health care providers who integrate standard medical diagnostics with a wide range of natural therapies. Naturopathic medicine plays an important role in integrative health care, as treatments can be used on their own or in combination with conventional medicine.
Naturopathic medicine supports the body's own ability to heal using treatments such as traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, physical medicine, homeopathy, and lifestyle counselling. Learn more about these treatments here.
Naturopathic medicine supports the body's own ability to heal using treatments such as traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, physical medicine, homeopathy, and lifestyle counselling. Learn more about these treatments here.
What kind of training do Naturopathic Doctors have?
After completing a university undergraduate degree including specific pre-medical courses, naturopathic medical students complete a four-year full-time program in an accredited school of Naturopathic Medicine. This program includes more than 4,500 hours of classroom training in basic medical sciences, naturopathic principles and therapeutics and 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience. Graduates must pass two sets of licensing board examinations, specific provincial board exams, and maintain ongoing continuing education in order to hold a license to practice naturopathic medicine.
Naturopathic Doctors undergo training similar to medical doctors while also studying the naturopathic disciplines. The areas of training in the four year, full-time Naturopathic Medicine curriculum are:
Basic Sciences: anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and pathology.
Clinical Disciplines: physical and clinical diagnosis, differential and laboratory diagnosis, radiology, naturopathic assessment and orthopaedics.
Naturopathic Disciplines: clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulation and lifestyle counselling.
Naturopathic Doctors undergo training similar to medical doctors while also studying the naturopathic disciplines. The areas of training in the four year, full-time Naturopathic Medicine curriculum are:
Basic Sciences: anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and pathology.
Clinical Disciplines: physical and clinical diagnosis, differential and laboratory diagnosis, radiology, naturopathic assessment and orthopaedics.
Naturopathic Disciplines: clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulation and lifestyle counselling.
Who can benefit from Naturopathic Medicine?
Everyone! Naturopathic medicine treats all forms of health concerns and is suitable for people of all ages and stages of life. Naturopathic doctors are primary health care providers and are qualified to see and treat everyone. Whether your goal is general health promotion and disease prevention, or you have a specific health concern, naturopathic medicine is for anyone who wants to take charge of their health and experience improved quality of life.
Common conditions treated by Naturopathic Doctors include:
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Allergies (seasonal allergies, food allergies/sensitivities)
Cardiovascular diseases (cholesterol and blood pressure) Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia Diabetes (Type 2) Digestive concerns (GERD, IBS, IBD, constipation, food intolerances) Headaches and migraines Hormonal imbalances (acne, menstrual concerns, infertility, menopause, thyroid conditions) Insomnia and sleep concerns |
Mental health (depression, anxiety, mood disorders)
Pain management (arthritis, sports injuries, chronic pain) Pregnancy (prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal) Respiratory concerns (allergies, asthma, colds and flus) Skin conditions (acne, eczema, hives, psoriasis) Stress management Weight management (obesity, metabolic syndrome, underweight) ... and more! |
What will my appointment be like?
On your first appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor, you will be asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to fill out the intake forms. The visit itself will last anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the nature of your concerns. Follow-up appointments are typically 30-45 minutes. Aside from discussing your current health concerns, your naturopath will ask about your health history in order to learn about your lifestyle, life stressors, family history, past history of medical events, accidents, injuries and any significant events in your life that may have affected your health or overall well-being. Naturopathic Doctors also ask questions to gain an understanding of your nutritional status, eating habits and dietary preferences in order to assess the effects that your diet may be having on your health.
Naturopathic Doctors are trained to do complete physical exams and will use them as a standard part of an assessment, as well as to aid in diagnosis and assessment of your health concerns. Having a complete yearly physical exam is an essential component of preventative health care. Naturopathic Doctors take the time to perform a thorough physical exam in order to ensure that early signs and symptoms are identified and addressed before they become significant problems.
In addition to physical exam, Naturopathic Doctors use laboratory testing as an invaluable aspect of a complete medical assessment; this includes blood work, urine analysis, and saliva testing. Any additional medical reports, including MRIs, X-rays or other test results are also valuable assets in making a comprehensive assessment. To ensure that all patients receive the best quality health care, Naturopathic Doctors will refer patients to other health care professionals when indicated, in order to gather all needed information and to fully understand a patient's health concerns.
Naturopathic Doctors are trained to do complete physical exams and will use them as a standard part of an assessment, as well as to aid in diagnosis and assessment of your health concerns. Having a complete yearly physical exam is an essential component of preventative health care. Naturopathic Doctors take the time to perform a thorough physical exam in order to ensure that early signs and symptoms are identified and addressed before they become significant problems.
In addition to physical exam, Naturopathic Doctors use laboratory testing as an invaluable aspect of a complete medical assessment; this includes blood work, urine analysis, and saliva testing. Any additional medical reports, including MRIs, X-rays or other test results are also valuable assets in making a comprehensive assessment. To ensure that all patients receive the best quality health care, Naturopathic Doctors will refer patients to other health care professionals when indicated, in order to gather all needed information and to fully understand a patient's health concerns.