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Naturopathic Medicine (see also our FAQ on homeopathy)

Naturopathic medicine is becoming more widely known to the public and understanding our philosophy is key.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a complete and coordinated approach to health care. It is an art and science of disease diagnosis, therapy, and prevention, using natural and gentle techniques.

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine:

Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by six principles on which its practice is based:

1. The healing power of nature: Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process that is ordered and intelligent. Obstacles to healing and recovery are removed to facilitate this self-healing process.

2. To identify and treat the causes, rather than eliminate or suppress them. For example, a traumatic event in one's life can often be the cause of prolonged illness. The cause can be as unique as the person himself.

3. First do no harm: Naturopathic doctors (N.D.s) follow guidelines to avoid harming the patient. This involves methods and substances that minimize the risk of harmful side-effects, using the gentlest methods to diagnose and to treat.

4. Doctor as teacher: The word "doctor" has as its root the Latin word "docere", meaning "to teach". This principle is taken very seriously by naturopathic doctors.

5. Treating the whole person: Allopathic (conventional) medicine tends to treat only specific symptoms. In naturopathic medicine, the individual's physical, mental, emotional and hereditary factors are extremely important and are always taken into consideration.

6. Prevention: Prevention is an extremely important part of health care that is often largely ignored. The aim of naturopathic medicine is not to simply treat a problem once it has started; naturopathic doctors strive to prevent problems from starting in the first place. With naturopathic medicine, a person who has recovered from an illness also has the knowledge to prevent the problem from recurring.

Possible Therapies:

One or more of the following therapies may be implemented when a naturopathic doctor develops a treatment plan to suit your specific needs:

Clinical Nutrition: concerning the relationship between diet and disease - this can include supplementation of vitamins, minerals, and/or professional formulations.

Homeopathy: Based on the principle of "like cures like," meaning that any substance capable of producing symptoms in a healthy person can cure the same symptoms in the sick person using minute doses.

Lifestyle Counseling and Botanical Medicine are additional therapies.

Physical Therapies: hydrotherapy, acupuncture and the 'Bowen Therapeutic Technique'. The latter two are used mainly for pain relief, but any of the three can be incorporated into a treatment plan.

Training and Education:

A naturopathic doctor undergoes the same rigorous training as does a medical doctor. To be registered as an N.D., one must have successfully completely a four-year program at an accredited college of naturopathic medicine. Before that, one must first complete three years of premedical sciences at the university undergraduate level. Chiropractors and medical doctors must also complete these three years of premedical sciences before they are eligible to apply to their respective programs. There are presently five naturopathic colleges in North America, the one in Canada being the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) locate in Toronto, Ontario.

The first two years of the four-year program focus on basic medical sciences and diagnosis. The last two years concentrate on naturopathic principles and therapy, including clinical practice. CCNM's clinic is highly respected, as there senior students treat patients under the direction of registered naturopathic doctors.

The graduates then must pass rigorous standardized board exams supervised by a government-appointed regulatory board, the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy-Naturopathy. Successfully completing these exams qualifies naturopathic doctors to be licensed to practice in Ontario. It is important to confirm that the N.D. you are considering is registered, as you can be then assured of an extremely high quality of care.

Licensed practitioners of naturopathic medicine are required to undergo a minimum number of hours of continuing education per year. Many N.D.s carry on to do postgraduate studies. For instance, some have chosen to undertake a three-year postgraduate program in advanced homeopathic prescribing. Homeopathic prescribing is a special interest area of the practice at Integral Health Clinic.

Important Notes:

• No two people coming to an ND with the same condition are treated alike, since everyone is unique and has different sensitivities and needs.
• A person will go to a naturopathic doctor for the same conditions that they would go to their medical doctor for.
• A referral is not necessary.
• N.D.s are trained to refer to other health professionals whenever appropriate. Often an individual will have regular visits with their medical doctor as well as their naturopathic doctor.
• Most work-related health insurance plans and private health insurance plans cover consultations with your N.D.; check you plan for coverage details.
  

Integral Health Clinic has on staff three highly skilled and qualified naturopathic doctors: Shahram Ayoubzadeh, Julek Meissner, and Mark Orbey.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic at (613) 241-0005 to speak to someone in person.