The Practice of Naturopathic Medicine

The Practice of Naturopathic Medicine 1

Naturopathic Medicine is a system of primary healthcare for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illness using a holistic approach to address the root cause of a patient’s condition. Naturopathic Medicine uses safe and effective natural therapeutic approaches that support and stimulate the body’s inherent healing processes and are customized to each patient as an individual.

Naturopathic Physicians (ND or NMD) provide care for all aspects of family health from prenatal to geriatric care, with a special focus on creating and maintaining a foundation of optimal health and wellbeing for each patient.

NDs are the only healthcare professionals fully trained to utilize natural, non-toxic therapies alongside current advances in the study of health and human systems to identify the underlying cause and appropriate therapies for serious acute and chronic illnesses.

NDs are the only healthcare providers with in-depth training and expertise in all these Holistic Treatment Modalities

  • Herbal Medicine
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Homeopathy
  • Lifestyle Counseling
  • Physical Medicine

In clinical practice, Naturopathic Doctors:

  • Spend an average of 45 minutes with their patients
  • Perform physical examinations and take thorough health histories*
  • Conduct lifestyle and dietary assessments
  • Order diagnostic lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, and other imaging procedures*
  • Provide practical guidance to help patients manage stress, achieve restful sleep, be physically active, and minimize effects of environmental toxins (detox)
  • Create personalized plans for nutritional, supplemental, herbal, homeopathic remedies and/or physical medicine treatments *

* This type of customized care and treatment is available for people who live in states where Naturopathic Doctors are licensed to practice. They are not currently available to residents of Florida. You can be part of the change. Learn more about what you can do to bring naturopathic medical care to Florida.

Why Patients Choose NDs for Health Care:
Many people choose an ND because they have complex health concerns or chronic medical conditions that require a high level of doctor-patient engagement. This includes conditions such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Heart Disease
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Chronic Pain
  • Cognitive Decline
  • Food Allergies and Food Sensitivity
  • Digestive Disorders
  • Thyroid and other hormonal disorders
  • Women’s Health concerns (Menopause, menstrual irregularities, fertility, etc)

Patients who choose NDs understand the importance of being involved in their own health care plan and having a doctor committed to the time necessary to help them. This makes it more likely for patients to experience the full benefit of recommended treatment.

Many patients who choose Naturopathic Doctors want a treatment approach that does not rely on pharmaceutical prescription medications. Others are interested in natural approaches that complement conventional treatment. For example, NDs provide treatment plans for:

  • Relief from Chronic Pain without using highly addictive opioid drugs
  • Managing symptoms that have not responded to conventional treatment
  • Managing and minimizing side effects caused by other medical treatments that can undermine health and wellbeing, for example chemotherapy

Where do NDs work?
Naturopathic physicians work in private practice, large healthcare systems, research institutions, public health organizations and in integrated settings with other medical providers such as mainstream medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, acupuncturists and chiropractic physicians.