Naturopathic Medicine
 What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is the practice of returning a patient to health by using the healing power of nature. Naturopathy is a holistic system, meaning that naturopathic doctors (ND’s) strive to find the cause of disease by understanding the patient as a totality of body, mind, and spirit. Most ND’s use a wide variety of therapies and techniques such as nutrition, herbal medicine, and homeopathy.
There are two areas of focus in naturopathy: one is supporting the body’s own healing abilities, and the other is empowering individuals to make lifestyle changes necessary for the best possible health. While ND’s treat acute illness and chronic conditions, their emphasis is on prevention of disease and patient education.
When should you see a Naturopathic Doctor?
- When you have a health condition that has other in the medical community baffled.
- When you’ve been told there’s nothing wrong, or it’s all in your head.
- When your lab tests come back normal, yet you still have symptoms.
- When you’re concerned about prescriptions drugs and their side effects.
- When you’re interested in prevention rather than just treating symptoms.
- When you’ve tried nutritional supplements without noticeable results.
- When you’re looking for a health expert who will get to the underlying cause of your health problem.
What types of conditions does a Naturopathic Doctor treat?
Naturopathy is utilized in the treatment of many health problems, both acute and chronic, including such concerns as:
- stress, anxiety and related problems
- menopause and women’s health issues
- hormonal and glandular imbalances
- headaches
- high blood pressure and cholesterol
- asthma and respiratory illness
- blood sugar abnormalities
- thyroid disorders
- yeast infections and candida
- fatigue
- fibromyalgia
- bone and joint health
- digestive system disorders
- allergies
- skin conditions
- insomnia
- arthritis
- degenerative diseases
- immune disorders
What should you expect from a visit?
A visit to a Naturopathic doctor will be similar to a visit to your family doctor. Your first visit may take more than an hour. During this time, a very thorough history is taken, including questions about diet, lifestyle, stress, and environmental exposures. Next, the ND will perform an appropriate physical examination, which may require laboratory tests. Naturopathic doctors treat the whole person, which means they consider a variety of factors before they diagnose and treat an illness.
Experience the art of Naturopathic medicine. Read more about Dr. Ellen Heinitz, ND |
