Frequently Asked Questions About Naturopathic MedicineA: Naturopathic Medicine is a unique and comprehensive approach to improving health and treating illness. Focusing on prevention, and using natural substances and treatments, naturopathic doctors support and stimulate the body's ability to heal itself.
The primary goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the cause of illness, rather than simply treat or suppress symptoms. The patient is seen as a whole person and the naturopathic doctor takes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions into account when diagnosing and developing a treatment plan.
A: Naturopathic doctors take a minimum of three years pre-medical studies at university, followed by four years at one of four recognized colleges of naturopathic medicine. The only two in Canada are the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (North York, ON) and the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic medicine (British Columbia).
The education encompasses basic medical sciences, naturopathic principles and therapeutics, and 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience.
In regulated (or licensed) provinces and states across North America , graduates must also pass rigorous standardized exams to qualify to practice. In Canada, naturopathic doctors are regulated in British Columbia , Manitoba , Ontario and Saskatchewan . Legislation is pending in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
A: The difference is twofold: First of all homeopaths only use homeopathy as a treatment tool, whereas Naturopathic doctors use homeopathy as one of several treatment tools.
The second major difference is that homeopaths are not regulated and licensed in the province of Ontario . Therefore anyone can call themselves a homeopath regardless of training, whereas only those individuals following the steps outlined above can call themselves Naturopathic Doctors.
A: A Doctor of Natural Medicine (DNM) is not regulated and licensed in Ontario.
Anyone, regardless of training and education, can call themselves a Doctor of Natural Medicine in this province. There is no independent regulatory body that ensures that these individuals have appropriate training, or that standards of practice are being maintained. If a patient/client has any concerns their only recourse is a court of law. Most insurance companies only cover practitioners that are licensed.
The regulatory board for Naturopathic Doctors in Ontario is the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy (BDDT-N) see www.boardofnaturopathicmedicine.on.ca/. This board is a government-appointed board that is independent of any of the naturopathic associations and its job is to protect the rights of the public and to ensure a standard of patient care.
A: The Board of Directors or Drugless Therapy maintains an up-to-date list of registered naturopaths in the province of Ontario here:
College of Naturopaths of Ontario
A: Various tests can be utilized to investigate the cause behind your particular health concerns. These can be found on this webpage - KIH Laboratory Testing and include the following:
Blood lab tests
Salivary hormone testing
Hair mineral analysis
Toxic urine analysis
Neurotransmitter testing
Food sensitivity testing
Physical exam
A: Virtually all chronic and most acute conditions may benefit from treatment by naturopathic doctors. People of all ages can be helped. If you have more questions feel free to contact us and we will set up a complimentary 15 min appointment for you with one of our Naturopathic Doctors.
