Naturopathic medicine is a form of primary health care. This means that as Naturopathic Doctors we are trained to prevent and treat all types of acute and chronic illnesses. Our patients come to see us, as they might see their ‘family medical doctor’ for help with a variety of conditions ranging from the common cold to diabetes and heart disease.
We offer a wholistic model of patient care, one that takes into account conventional treatments should a patient choose a complimentary approach for their treatment. Naturopathic Doctors recognize the totality of their symptoms and build a unique program that touches on all the areas having the biggest impact on a patient’s health. Treatments are gentle and non-invasive and are intended to stimulate the body’s capacity for healing.
More commonly, however, we take an integrative approach and work in conjunction with conventional medicine – working together with other health care providers such as family medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists and many others to best support our patients to optimal health and wellness.
People are often curious about what conditions are best treated with Naturopathic Medicine. The simple answer is ‘all kinds’! The bulk of our patients (perhaps 50% or more) are folks that may not have a specific diagnosable condition that satisfies the medical definition of disease. Yet their symptoms persist, lacking a clear path to resolving what we call ‘sub-optimal wellness’. It’s important to recognize that before ‘disease’ manifests, it’s usually prefaced by years of ‘dysfunction’, often manifesting as fatigue, inflammation, pain, sleep disturbances and low mood. These are the types of patients that are best served by the Naturopathic model. Our emphasis on the ‘whole person’ brings about profound change by addressing the underlying cause behind their symptoms. We want you to do more than just endure your life. We want you to thrive!!
Of course, we also see patients that already have a label or diagnosis – Inflammatory bowel disease, mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, metabolic diseases like diabetes or heart disease. They may be interested in either treating these conditions exclusively though Naturopathic Medicine or augmenting their pharmacotherapy with wholistic remedies to reduce their dosages. Further, supporting weakened systems with naturopathic tools often allows patients to reduce harmful side effects of the medications used to manage their symptoms.
Naturopathic Medicine can address MANY common complaints:
