Listen to Brent Loucks of News Talk 650 interview Dr Jacqui Fleury, ND about naturopathic medicine.
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is a complete approach to improving your health and treating illness. It uses a combination of natural medicines and hands on techniques to support and stimulate the body’s ability to heal.
Naturopathic Medicine assesses and treats the causes of disease through careful investigation into the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of a person’s life. Patients are treated with an individualized treatment plan made up by their doctor.
Licensed naturopathic doctors must complete at least 3 years of standardized pre-medical studies at a recognized university prior attending an accredited naturopathic college. The 4 year, specialized program in naturopathic medicine includes training in basic and medical sciences, diagnostics, and pharmacology as well as in naturopathic treatment modalities, including 1500 hours of supervised clinical experience.
What kinds of health problems can be treated with Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine truly excels over conventional medicine at treating chronic conditions and preventing the development of diseases where risk factors exist. Naturopathic medicine treats most health conditions, including allergies, colds, high blood pressure, fatigue, pain and headaches, skin conditions, and digestive problems. Women’s issues and hormonal issues are frequently treated successfully, ranging from menstrual difficulties to infertility to menopausal complaints. Men’s health care, prenatal and pediatric care is also offered.
What training do Naturopathic doctors have?
Like a conventional doctor, dentist or chiropractor, naturopathic doctors must first complete pre-medical studies at university. A four year, full-time program in naturopathic medicine is then completed at an accredited naturopathic college. The first two years of study focus on basic medical sciences and diagnosis. The last two years concentrate on naturopathic principles and therapeutics, including extensive clinical practice in a supervised teaching clinic. To become licensed two sets of standardized NPLEX exams must be passed. Naturopathic doctors must take ongoing continuing educational courses to maintain their licenses.
What is a first visit like?
The first visit is 30-90 minutes long. It includes a detailed medical history including your current concerns, your past medical history, a complaint oriented physical exam and a basic plan for your individual case.
The second visit usually follows the first visit by about 4-8 weeks, depending on your case.
Do naturopathic doctors work with MDs or other Doctors?
Yes, naturopathic doctors can work in conjunction with conventional medical and other practitioners. Naturopathic doctors may also refer or consult with other health care specialists during treatment.
How long will it take me to feel better using naturopathic medicine?
The response to naturopathic medicine varies from individual to individual. Generally the longer that you have been experiencing symptoms, the longer it will take for healing to occur. That said, you should have some degree of improvement in the first 4 visits provided that you are following the treatment plan closely. The more effort that you put into your healing process, the more you will get out of the experience.
If you are not experiencing improvement or are not comfortable with your treatment plan, there are many avenues that naturopathic medicine can take. Naturopathic medicine has so many different types of treatments modalities that there are many ways to treat the same condition and your current plan is simply what the doctor thinks will work best for your situation. It is important to remember the role that the patient plays as an active partner in their health care.
Is naturopathic medicine covered by Saskatchewan Health or Private Insurance?
At this time, naturopathic medicine is not covered by Saskatchewan Health, but the majority of extended health care plans include naturopathic medicine. Insured patients should contact their employer or insurance agent to see whether they are covered and for what amount.
What are the benefits of using supplements from a professional company?
Professional companies products have undergone extensive research to ensure efficacy and safety for patients. This ensures the high quality of supplements and herbs used in these products. Better quality ingredients in products translates to better results for the patients.
