What can I expect from an initial naturopathic appointment?
Your appointment will be approximately 60 minutes long. In the visit a thorough case history will be taken and a screening or complaint oriented physical exam will be performed.
Please bring any relevant laboratory results from other health care practitioners to your first visit. This will add in the understanding your current health status.
From the information you provided the Naturopathic Doctor will develop a comprehensive treatment plan and answer any questions you may have.
Depending on the treatment plan decided upon, the appropriate type of follow up visits will be scheduled as needed.
What can I expect from a follow up naturopathic appointment?
In your subsequent visits the Naturopathic Doctor will gather any further information needed, discuss and implement your treatment plan and answer any questions you may have.
The duration of the follow up visits is determined by the treatment plan agreed upon by the patient and Naturopathic Doctor and the nature of the treatments. For example a patient being treated with acupuncture will typically have regular short follow up visits whereas another patient may have longer visits initially followed by occasional “check in” visits later.
What are the guiding principles of naturopathic medicine?
Naturopathic doctors are guided by six principles. This set of principles emphasized throughout a naturopathic doctor’s training outlines the naturopathic approach to health and healing and forms the foundation of this district form of health care.
First Do No Harm (Primum Non re)
Naturopathic medicine follows three principles to avoid harming the patients: utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects avoid, when possible, the harmful suppression of symptoms acknowledge and respect the individual’s healing process using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness Your naturopathic doctor chooses remedies and therapies that are safe and effective to increase your health and decrease harmful side effects.
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
Your naturopathic doctor works to restore and support the powerful and inherent healing ability of your body, mind and spirit and to prevent further disease from occurring. Naturopathic doctors identify and remove obstacles to recovery, facilitating and augmenting this ordered and intelligent healing ability.
Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)
The primary goal of your naturopathic doctor is to determine and treat the underlying cause rather than simply managing or suppressing the symptoms. The underlying cause may be due to diet, lifestyle habits, life events, posture or environment. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body’s natural attempt to heal.
Treat the Whole Person
Each person is unique and requires individualized care. In treating the cause of any condition your naturopathic doctor takes into account not only your physical symptoms, but also mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, spiritual and other factors. Disease affects the entire person, not just a specific organ or system. Your nutritional status, lifestyle, family history, feelings, environmental stresses and physical health are all carefully evaluated and addressed.
Doctor As Teacher (Docere)
Your naturopathic doctors will assist you in understanding health and illness. He/she will provide with an understanding of the factors that affect your health and help you balance and become more capable of maintaining your own health. Naturopathic doctors also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor- patient relationship.
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Your naturopathic doctor applies all of the above principles in a proactive form of disease prevention and health promotion. Naturopathic doctors emphasize healthy daily habits, they assess risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to disease and make appropriate interventions to prevent illness. Health is more than just the absence of disease. Health entails daily functioning on the highest possible levels, and is obtained by proper nutrition, exercise, balanced lifestyle, positive emotions, thoughts and actions. The capacity for optimal wellness or an improved quality of life is inherent in every body.
What training do Naturopathic Doctors receive?
To obtain entry into a naturopathic medical program an person must have completed a three year pre-medical science degree at a University maintaining a grade point average of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 point scale. Prerequisite courses include biology, biochemistry, chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory psychology and humanities.
Naturopathic medicine is taught at one of six colleges in North America. The program is a 4-year-full time program in an accredited school of Naturopathic Medicine that includes more than 4,500 hours of classroom training and 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience.
In order to be licensed Naturopathic Doctors must Pass NPLEX board exams that are written after the 2nd year and 4th year of study. NPLEX is the standard examination used by all licensing jurisdictions for Naturopathic doctors in North America. Naturopathic Doctors must also meet the Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits as required by the provincial regulatory boards on an ongoing basis.