Treatment Options
There are six major treatment options that help to define Naturopathic Medicine. Each is a distinct area of practice and includes diagnostic principles and practices as well as therapeutic skills and techniques.
Asian Medicine and Acupuncture
The practice of acupuncture has been around for over a thousand years and has proven to be very effective at treating many conditions, especially pain relief, stress management and hormone support. It is a complete healthcare system that is based on maintaining balance within the body. Treatment includes the use of acupuncture. Acupuncture is the use of very thin needles inserted into specific meridian points around the body, based on the specific nature of the individuals health concerns. Each acupuncture point has specific effects on the body and work together with the other carefully selected points in the treatment protocol.
Clinical Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition is a personal favourite. It examines the connection between the food we eat and how it affects our health. Food intolerance, deficiencies, dietary imbalances or nutritional excesses have been associated with many medical conditions. Naturopathic Doctors are trained to understand the impact that your diet is having on your health. Special diets may be recommended, high quality nutritional supplementation such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutraceuticals.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates
Physical Medicine
Physical Medicine offers treatment for many different health concerns. Treatments can include soft tissue work (including therapeutic massage), hydrotherapy techniques, stretching, and exercise recommendations. The benefits of these adjunctive therapies include stress reduction, detoxification, soft tissue repair, immune stimulation, among many more.
Lifestyle Counselling
Health is not simply the absence of disease. It depends on various factors in one’s life, including physical, emotional, nutritional and environmental factors. Lifestyle Counseling helps patients make informed choices about their health and work towards improving overall health. Developing tools and strategies to deal with stressors in your life can help in both short term health improvement and also the prevention of disease.
Botanical and Herbal Medicine
Botanical Medicine is a highly effective and safe treatment option in the correct dosage and with the correct combination of other herbs and treatments. Plant substances from around the world can be prepared in many forms – teas, tinctures or capsules. Naturopathic Doctors are extensively trained in botanical medicine and are currently the only health care providers in Canada to be regulated for the use of botanical medicine.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like cures like”, and uses minute amounts of natural substances to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself. This safe and powerful system of medicine has been around for over 200 years and is widely accepted in many countries.