It's rare that I still get the furrowed brows and pursed lips when I answer the question, "What do you do?" More commonly people now say, "Cool. My uncle saw one of you before."
For those who are here (and thank you) and reading this (again thank you) and are finding it hard to see through their lowered eyebrows, please, let me explain.
So what is Naturopathic Medicine?
It is a primary form of health care. So you'd see an ND for anything for which you'd see your general, family doctor. The difference generally lies in the approach.
First of all, ND's generally spend more time with their patients. The first visit, which can last from 1-2 hours depending on the practitioner, entails a thorough medical history including the chief concern(s), injuries, surgeries, illnesses, energy, sleep, dietary habits, bowel patterns, stress, and environmental concerns. After this a relevant physical exam is usually performed, blood or other lab tests are ordered, and a treatment plan is discussed and laid out. My treatments typically include stress reduction, diet modification, herb and nutrient supplementation, acupuncture and colonic treatments. We ND's like to track our patients' progress over time, so we often have patients return every month or so. At every meeting we see what has changed (I especially like it when things have changed for the better) and see what we need to switch up. At the end of the day, I listen, try to understand, and create solutions.
Does that help you understand?
Here is a bit more:
Naturopathic medicine is:
HIPPOCRATIC - first and foremost, we choose treatment options that cause little, if ANY harm
EXPLORATORY - we try our darndest to find and address the ROOT cause of illness.
INNATE - we work with the NATURAL ability of the body to heal itself if given the right circumstances.
WHOLISTIC - we look at the WHOLE person in the CONTEXT of their environment, not their symptoms or their disease.
INDIVIDUALISTIC - we see each patient as UNIQUE, not as a statistic.
EDUCATIONAL - we are teachers first, and educate and EMPOWER our patients to live healthier lives.
PREVENTATIVE - we find ways to ELIMINATE risk for chronic disease progression.
Wanna learn more? Check out this Intro to Naturopathic Medicine.
Still need more? Hang out here a bit longer, or sign up for my newsletters to get a better sense. Or better yet! Come see for yourself. I practice at Arbour Wellness Centre, in Nanaimo, BC and am graciously accepting new patients.
