Naturopathic medicine is essentially the original functional medicine - we look for the root cause, and choose an approach to treatment which will best support your body's own innate mechanisms of healing. We are, in fact, primary care doctors in BC, and in the other provinces where Naturopathic Medicine is licensed and regulated. What sets us apart from our medical counterparts is the approach we take, and a set of underlying principles that inform how we practice. The tools we use are varied and often are grounded in natural substances, but what we use to treat is not what defines us - understanding your health issue in the context of your individual make-up, your environment, genetics, lifestyle, diet, age, gender, cultural norms, and many other factors, gives us a window into the best way to help you with your particular ailment.
To be licensed in Canada, an ND must have an undergraduate degree which includes a combination of sciences (the 'pre-med' courses) and humanities, followed by a 4-year Naturopathic Medicine diploma at an accredited College or University (of which there are currently 7 in all of North America). Added to this, an ND must complete over 1500 hours of internships or preceptorships with licensed health care professionals, hundreds of hours of volunteer work, and finally the completion of a stringent set of internationally standardized board exams. Once licensed in regulated provinces, ND's are self-regulated by a regulatory College much the same way that Medical Doctors are. In BC, this is the CNPBC (College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC - www.cnpbc.bc.ca ). To stay licensed and in good standing, an ND must complete ongoing continuing education over the years of practice. This allows an ND to stay current with research and changing trends & information in the medical world. For more information on accredited institutions for this profession, please go to The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges at https://aanmc.org/naturopathic-schools/
There are now over 600 ND's licensed and practicing in BC alone, and that number continues to grow. Every licensed province has an Association which helps tie us together, and is also a great public resource for questions about the profession. In BC we have the BC Naturopathic Association (the BCNA - www.bcna.ca ) and there is also the national association, which is the CAND (the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors - www.cand.ca ). We have two accredited schools in Canada: The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, and The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, BC. With greater emphasis on evidence-based medicine, along with a continued focus on the core traditional medicines, Naturopathic Physicians provide safe, non-invasive, intelligent care to every individual, and, with thorough medical training in pathologies and diagnostic methods and criteria, ND's are able to recognize conditions which require more than Naturopathic therapeutics. This means that ND's are well-placed to redirect you to the medical practitioners that are the most appropriate for you, when needed.
To be licensed in Canada, an ND must have an undergraduate degree which includes a combination of sciences (the 'pre-med' courses) and humanities, followed by a 4-year Naturopathic Medicine diploma at an accredited College or University (of which there are currently 7 in all of North America). Added to this, an ND must complete over 1500 hours of internships or preceptorships with licensed health care professionals, hundreds of hours of volunteer work, and finally the completion of a stringent set of internationally standardized board exams. Once licensed in regulated provinces, ND's are self-regulated by a regulatory College much the same way that Medical Doctors are. In BC, this is the CNPBC (College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC - www.cnpbc.bc.ca ). To stay licensed and in good standing, an ND must complete ongoing continuing education over the years of practice. This allows an ND to stay current with research and changing trends & information in the medical world. For more information on accredited institutions for this profession, please go to The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges at https://aanmc.org/naturopathic-schools/
There are now over 600 ND's licensed and practicing in BC alone, and that number continues to grow. Every licensed province has an Association which helps tie us together, and is also a great public resource for questions about the profession. In BC we have the BC Naturopathic Association (the BCNA - www.bcna.ca ) and there is also the national association, which is the CAND (the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors - www.cand.ca ). We have two accredited schools in Canada: The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, and The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, BC. With greater emphasis on evidence-based medicine, along with a continued focus on the core traditional medicines, Naturopathic Physicians provide safe, non-invasive, intelligent care to every individual, and, with thorough medical training in pathologies and diagnostic methods and criteria, ND's are able to recognize conditions which require more than Naturopathic therapeutics. This means that ND's are well-placed to redirect you to the medical practitioners that are the most appropriate for you, when needed.
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The 6 Underlying Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatrix naturae) Within all of us is an ordered and intelligent inherent healing process. Our goal is to support, facilitate, and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery. Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle causum) Symptoms can be the body's attempt to defend or to heal itself, or the direct result of a disease process. Rather than just eliminate (or suppress) symptoms, an ND seeks to find and treat the cause. First Do No Harm (Primum non nocere) Methods and medicinal substances are chosen to minimize the risk of harmful effects, using least possible force or intervention, while still achieving benefit. Doctor as Teacher Our word for doctor is derived from the latin Docere, meaning 'teacher'. ND's strive to help you understand your body and your health processes, so that you can make more informed choices and have more control over your health. Treat the Whole Person Many factors affect your health: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, genetic, environmental, and social. Keeping this in mind helps an ND to treat you, not just your health issue. Prevention Health promotion is the best prevention of disease. Prevention is easier than treatment, less stressful than being ill, more conducive to a fully-rounded life, and - incidentally - more cost effective on our health care system. ND's will help you assess risk factors, look at your hereditary susceptibility to illness, examine your lifestyle choices, and help you stay in good balance before disease can get a foothold. |
The Core Treatment Modalities of Naturopathic Medicine
Clinical Nutrition A complete diet analysis to identify specific nutritional needs, followed, if necessary, by dietary revisions. This can include supplementation if warranted, but emphasis is, first, on the right foods for each individual. Botanical Medicine Herbs are nature's medicines, used in many forms to support, treat, balance, and heal health imbalances in all of our body's systems. ND's are trained by Medical Herbalists to use herbs safely and effectively, specifically in regards to interactions with pharmaceutical drugs, and where there could be vulnerability as in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in children. Homeopathic Medicine Over 200 years old, homeopathy involves the serial dilution of thousands of different substances to energetically treat various health issues, safely and without interaction with most other medicines. Based on the principle of like-cures-like, homeopathic medicines are used to stimulate the body's own healing abilities. Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine Used for thousands of years with great success to manipulate and balance the body's energy patterns and correct disease processes. Physical Medicines Hands-on techniques, such as massage, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, and alignment techniques have long been used by ND's in conjunction with other treatments for a well-rounded approach to a health issue. Lifestyle Counselling True healing and balance can only be achieved when all aspects of a person's life are addressed - this is arguably the most important therapy used by ND's. |