Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is naturopathic medicine cost-effective?
A: Definitely. Naturopathic medicine is focused on treating causes, not solely symptoms. While identifying the cause of any particular condition may take time, each treatment step is aimed at improving your overall health. This is all part of preventing illnesses in the future, which will cut down or eliminate health care costs in your future.
Q: What types of patients can naturopathic medicine treat?
A: All ages and types of patients: women, men, and children. Patients who suffer from chronic pain, chronically and terminally ill can all benefit from naturopathic medicine.
Q: What about my children, can naturopathic medicine help them?
A: Yes. Naturopathic medicine approaches them on their level and strives to help them feel comfortable and safe.
Q: Do NMDs work with other health care practitioners?
A: Absolutely. NMDs believes that a health care team is the best way to support patients.
Q: If I am taking prescription medications, can I take natural medicines?
A: Yes, depending upon circumstances. NMDs have been trained extensively in the interactions of pharmaceutical medications and herbal medicine. This training includes the potentially adverse effects that may occur if improperly combined. They avoid harmful combinations of both drug-nutrient interactions and drug-herbal interactions.
Q: In what ways are naturopathic and conventional physicians alike?
A: Naturopathic and conventional physicians receive very similar training in the basic sciences in the first two years of medical school. Both study modern physical, clinical and laboratory diagnosis and are trained to diagnose disease. Both refer patients to other health care providers when appropriate.
Q: How is naturopathic medicine different from conventional medicine?
A: Naturopathic medicine differs in its strategy. Rather than suppressing a few key symptoms, NMD’s goal for their patients is the restoration of their overall health. In this regard, they work to identify the underlying cause of the medical condition(s) that brought you to the office and they use treatments that promote the natural healing mechanisms of the body. Typically, NMDs spend more time with their patients and are therefore deeply familiar with their health. Subsequently, side effects occur much less frequently. They consider education of patients and answers to their questions a vital aspect of the care.
Q: Will insurance cover naturopathic treatment?
A: Some insurance plans will cover naturopathic medicine. Please ask your insurance carrier prior to seeing an NMD.
Q: How long will treatment take?
A: NMDs believe in establishing a dynamic relationship with each patient. Each patient is unique, as is their journey towards health. NMDs tailors a plan to each individual and therefore healing takes a different amount of time for each person.
Q: What type of training does a naturopathic physician receive?
A: Naturopathic physicians are required to have an undergraduate degree and Post-undergraduate training requires four years of naturopathic medical education from one of six recognized schools in North America. Including 4,100 classroom hours divided among Health sciences and Clinical education. Similar to the curriculum at a conventional medical school, the first two years of naturopathic medicine are focused on gaining an in depth understanding of the science of the body. Clinical education includes 1200 hours in the teaching clinic, treating patients under the supervision of a licensed naturopathic physician and 300 hours observing naturopathic physicians in their own offices. Upon completion of this education, naturopathic physicians are qualified to work as primary care physicians.