How To Use A Naturopath To Harness Naturopathic Medicine And Alternative Therapy
When an issue related to your health arises, what’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most, you make an appointment to see your local MD.
Whether it’s because you have come down with a severe case of the flu, you’ve fallen and injured your leg, or you have a nagging pain that you just can’t seem to figure out, your medical doctor is the first place you go.
From there, you can either be referred to another professional, or as is often the case, be prescribed medication to take until you are feeling better.
Now however, as times are changing, more and more people are seeking out alternative medicine.
We’ve come a long way research-wise are have realized that while conventional medicine can very likely help many health ailments, the long-term side effect of certain treatments aren’t always as positive as we once hoped.
As more people make the transition to focusing on doing whatever they can to keep their body in a natural state, the need for a naturopathic doctor is increasing.
What is naturopathy and how can it benefit you? To learn further what the main differences in between your regular MD and a naturopath, check out the video below.
To help you better understand if naturopathic medicine is for you, let’s go over a few of the key facts that you must know to make an informed decision.
Naturopaths are also allowed to order blood work to further assess your current health and are also now starting to be allowed to write some prescriptions as well.
With this new movement coming into place where they are able to do this, we are seeing a closer link between the MD and the ND.
You might be wondering now what can a ND do or not do? If they can prescribe medications, why see an MD in the first place?
MD’s are still able to do certain things that an ND is not. This includes ordering MRI’s and ultrasound testing (or related procedures) as well as referring to surgical specialists when required.
Basically, they want to go to the next level – they want to bio-optimize themselves.
ND’s can play a key role in this process, which is one big reason why they are not to be overlooked.
Each person will have their own unique benefit to visiting a ND, so taking into account where your current health stands and where you want to go health-wise, will help you better realize what naturopathy can do for you.
They’ll also likely inquire about your stress levels and may also have you performing a physical examination while in the room with them.
If you have brought old lab tests or other medical records, the ND will also review those and look for links to how you are currently feeling today.
After you have finished with your first ND visit, you’ll typically book a follow up visit in another couple of weeks at which point, the ND will go over any new lab results they may have ordered and lay out a more firm plan of attack, so to speak, for how you will continue on with your treatment.
Before you leave for that first session, your ND may also give you some initial changes to start focusing on to get you moving towards a path of healing and optimization.
You can then focus on working on these until you see them again for your next appointment.
While everyone’s experience of working with an naturopathic doctor will be slightly different, this is a good general outline of the process that you can expect.
So there you have the facts about naturopathy and alternative medicine. It’s a growing field as more and more people are starting to take the natural approach and become very interested in what it has to offer.
To learn more about other practices you can use to optimize your health and well-being, be sure to check out my entire 84 day course on bio-optimization.
What Can (And Can’t!) A Naturopathic Doctor Do?
It’s important to note that an MD and a ND (naturopathic doctor) are not one of the same. There are some things that a ND will be able to do that an MD won’t and vice versa. To become a naturopath, the individual will have to first complete a degree in pre-medical science and then follow this with four years of work in one of the accredited schools of naturopathic medicine. From there, they will need to pass regulatory board exams and then they can begin their practice. While the MD is typically going to look at your symptoms and then follow this with medication, the ND seeks out a more natural means of treating your condition. This may involve any one of the following methods of treatment:- Acupuncture
- Homeopathy
- Massage therapy
- Hydrotherapy
- Changes to your nutrition
- Blood testing
- Lifestyle adjustments

The Benefits Of Naturopathic Medicine
Now that you know what a naturopathic doctor can and can’t do, what are the benefits to going to an ND? Let’s take a closer look.- ND’s offer a holistic approach to health care
- ND’s look more at the root cause of the problem
- ND’s provide solutions that may come with fewer side effects
- ND’s can focus on optimizing your health overall

Looking For A Naturopath
If you’ve decided that naturopathic medicine is a route that you would like to explore further, the next step is going to be to start looking to find a naturopathic doctor to see. There are a number of things that you’ll want to consider when doing this. The Education Level The first thing you want to look at is the education of the naturopath. Note here that there are two people you can see:- Naturopathic doctor’s
- Naturopathic practitioners
- Mental Health
- Chronic fatigue (and related conditions)
- Hormonal problems
- Thyroid problems
- Digestive problems
- Auto-Immune disorders
Preparing For Your First Visit
Once you’ve found a ND that you wish to see, you’ll then need to prepare for your first visit. Practicing Patience Depending on where you live, it may take a few weeks to a few months to get in to see the ND of your choice, so the first thing you’ll need to do is practice patience. The earlier you can book in with them, the better. When you do get in to see your ND, expect the first visit to last between one to one and a half hours. The ND is going to go over all your health history during this time so it can be a lengthy process. Here again, practicing patience is key. Form that first visit, you’ll then likely see them a couple more times as you work to finding a treatment plan that works for you. Once on this plan, follow up visits once a month or every few months will likely be required. Another area where you will need to practice some patience is in the results that you see. We are a ‘quick-fix’ society right now and unfortunately this will work against you when going to an ND. Realize that the right treatment can take some time. Most people will need to follow the treatment plan for a few months before seeing clear results. This isn’t to say you won’t feel better quite quickly upon starting, but the results may not be quite as pronounced as they would be if you were taking conventional medicine. Patience with these approaches is a must. Bringing Documentation If you can, try and obtain any recent blood work tests you’ve done in the past, along with any other health related documents that may help your ND better learn about your health history. The more information you can present to them at the start, the better prepared they will be to put forth a treatment plan for you. This isn’t to say they won’t want to run some of their own tests (especially if the tests you have completed are a bit outdated), but it gives them something to work from. You’ll also want to make a list of any current medications as well as supplements you are taking and give that to your ND as well. This will keep them ‘in the loop’, so to speak on everything that you are putting into your diet. Along with documenting the medications you are taking, also be sure to document what you are eating on an average day as well. As much of the work an ND does is through your food choices, they’ll need to see precisely what your current everyday diet looks like. Your ND may have you keep a food journal for a certain length of time as well to further expand on exactly what you are eating. Preparing Yourself With Questions Many people have it in their mind that doctors rarely want you to be asking questions while you are being treated. This is not the case with most naturopathic doctors. You’ll be encouraged to take an active role in your healing process, asking any and all questions you may have. Thinking about what questions you may have ahead of time and writing these down to bring with you to your appointments can help make sure nothing gets overlooked. As you are paying for the time with them, you’ll want to be sure that you are making the most of it. Getting prepared to see your naturopath does take some time and effort, but by going in prepared, you will increase your chances of a successful outcome.Your First Visit To A Naturopath
What will your first visit to a naturopathic doctor look like? As noted above, the visit will typically start with a full health inventory. The ND will ask you a series of questions about your current health as well as any health history that may be applicable to why they are seeing you. The ND will likely ask questions regarding your current diet and exercise habits, your sleep patterns, as well as your overall health habits that you maintain on a day-to-day basis.