What to Expect
Prior to your first appointment, you will be asked to complete a health intake questionnaire and to bring these forms with you to your first appointment along with any available laboratory or diagnostic results that you’ve obtained from your Medical Doctor.
The length of your first appointment is about an hour. Naturopathic Medicine is very individualized, and your appointments are about you as an individual. We are all very unique, and therefore the way we experience health and the cause(s) of our conditions are unique as well. Understanding you as a person is important in the development of an effective individualized treatment plan.
Your first appointment will also include an extensive personal and family medical history. Further diagnostic testing may be recommended at this time and a general screening physical examination is usually performed at your first or second appointment.
Follow-up appointments are typically 30-45 minutes and include monitoring treatment plans, implementing treatment plans (ie acupuncture) and making adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Can Seek Naturopathic Medical Care?
Naturopathic Doctors can treat almost any health condition or concern(s). Conditions treated range from acute to chronic illnesses and from mild to severe conditions. Those seeking naturopathic care may be male or female from all ages, children to seniors.
Any symptoms or condition(s) that can be treated by your Medical Doctor can also be treated by a Naturopathic Doctor. The focus of conventional medicine is primarily to treat and/or manage symptoms with the use of medication, whereas the primariy goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the underlying cause of these symptoms. Conventional and Naturopathic Medicine do not work exclusively from one another, but are rather complementary.
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Is Naturopathic Medicine Covered by O.H.I.P? Naturopathic Medicine is not covered by O.H.I.P. Yet, many extended healthcare plans provide coverage for naturopathic treatments performed by a registered Naturopathic Doctor. Contact your extended healthcare provider to determine if your benefits package includes coverage for Naturopathic Medicine.
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How is a Naturopathic Doctor different than a Medical Doctor?
Naturopathic Doctors and Medical Doctors receive similar basic medical training, yet how this information is applied can be slightly different.
Your first visit with a Naturopathic Doctors may last approximately one hour and information will be collected on all aspects of health including physical, mental, social, spiritual and environmental factors. This information is very important in discovering the root cause (s) of the condition which can then lead to the development of an effective treatment plan. Careful consideration will be taken when looking at your personal and familial medical history as prevention and education are key components to a Naturopathic Prescription.
Alternatively, conventional medicine has a large focus on symptom management through the use of prescription medication.
As Naturopathic Medicine approaches treatment of illness from a ‘health building’ perspective, conventional medical approaches it from a ‘disease management’ perspective. For this reason, Naturopathic Medicine and Conventional Medicine can be used effectively to complement one another in the overall treatment and prevention of health.
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How is a Naturopathic Doctor the same as a Medical Doctor?
Naturopathic Doctors and Medical Doctors have similar training in medical sciences and they use the same scientific resources to diagnose and treat your condition. Your Naturopathic Doctor will perform a general screening physical examination during your visit and may request laboratory testing. Naturopathic Doctors treat just about any condition and people of all ages. They are family doctors who can treat all members of your family. If the treatment of your illness is beyond the scope of a naturopathic medicine, your Naturopathic Doctor will refer you to another medical professional.
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Do I need to stop seeing my Medical Doctor if I want to see a Naturopathic Doctor?
Definitely not. Naturopathic Medicine and Conventional Medicine do not work exclusively from one another but rather work to complement one another. Naturopathic medical care enhances the health services that are provided by other health care professionals, including your medical doctor. Naturopathic Doctors enjoy working with Medical Doctors and other health professionals to offer you a more globally effective approach to health care.
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Is Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy the Same or are they Different?
Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy are distinct systems of medicine. Homeopaths are practitioners who are trained exclusively in homeopathy. Naturopathic Doctors are trained in homeopathy which is one of many modalities that can be used in the development of a treatment plan. Naturopathic Doctors are also trained to use nutritional counselling, botanical medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, hydrotherapy and lifestyle counselling. A treatment plan may use these modalities individually or together.
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Is Naturopathic Medicine Supported by Research?
Naturopathic medical practices are supported by centuries of empirical evidence and the safety and efficacy of naturopathic treatments have been validated by modern scientific research. Nutrition is a modality that is implemented in almost every treatment plan and it is well supported by many large clinical trials for a variety of health concerns. Botanical Medicine has been used for thousands of years and its use is validated by current medical research and safety data. Extensive scientific research also exists exploring the direct link between dietary, environmental, social, psychological, spiritual and other lifestyle factors and a person’s health. Research and evidence-based studies exploring the safety and effectiveness of naturopathic medicine is being added to the literature daily.
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Is Naturopathic Medicine safe to use with prescription medications?
Just because we use natural products, it doesn’t mean they are always considered safe, especially when taken with prescription medications. Naturopathic Doctors are the only health care professionals that have extensive education and training in the use of natural medicines and conventional medical diagnosis and treatment and are therefore qualified to identify potentially harmful herb-drug interactions. As Naturopathic Doctors are trained on a wide variety of modalities, should adverse interactions become a concern, alternate or more appropriate therapies may exist.
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Are you interested but you have more questions? Send me a message either by using the online contact form, the live chat option, by email (reneeparadis.nd@live.com) or by phone 519.829.6011. I’d be happy to answer your questions.
