What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Natural Medicine is steeped in philosophy derived from 2000 year old Hippocratic teaching — the Vis mediatrix naturae — nature is the healer of all diseases. Naturopathic Medicine draws upon this historic, therapeutic knowledge and combines it with modern, science-based medical research. It is a primary health care profession with a goal which emphasizes the prevention and treatment of disease, maintenance of optimal health, and promotion of the individual’s inherent self-healing process.
Naturopathic medical practice focuses on each patient as an individual, treating underlying causes of disease in order to recover and maintain lasting wellness. Naturopathic Medicine addresses the whole person–mind, body, and spirit – to find the safest, least invasive, effective treatments necessary to correct health problems.
Naturopathic Medicine has been shown to be effective for treating most health problems, both acute and chronic. Some of the therapies most commonly utilized by NDs include clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, physical medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and counseling and stress management.
In the past 30 years there has been an extraordinary increase in consumer demand for safe, effective and cost-efficient natural healthcare. Naturopathic Medicine has emerged as the health care profession best suited to meet this demand.
What is a Naturopathic Doctor?
At a time when modern medicine is suffering from an epidemic of technological over-load, over-specialization and over-use of drug therapy, NDs are being increasingly called upon to provide natural health care.
A Naturopathic Doctor has completed a postgraduate medical education specializing in primary care natural medicine. Naturopathic Doctors are distinct from acupuncturists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and medical doctors. They are uniquely trained to provide a comprehensive and integrated approach to assist your body's innate healing processes. In addition to providing recommendations on lifestyle, diet, and exercise, NDs may use a variety of natural therapeutics including clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine & acupuncture, hydrotherapy, therapeutic manipulation, and counseling.
The goal of the Naturopathic Doctor is to eliminate the obstacles to healing and to provide the tools for patients to take responsibility for their health. To achieve this goal, the ND strives to understand you, the patient, by taking a comprehensive health history, thoroughly researching any physical, mental, emotional or spiritual factors that may be preventing you from achieving optimum health. In addition, the information from a physical exam and laboratory tests assist in making an assessment and diagnosis. This patient-centred approach results in the creation of a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan that is custom-tailored to your unique health condition. This approach offers patients the opportunity to learn about and incorporate healthy lifestyles and thereby maintain resiliency and wellness for life. Naturopathic doctors cooperate with all other branches within the medical field, referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.
How does Naturopathic Medicine compare with conventional medicine?
Both conventional Medical Doctors (MDs) and Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) provide primary health care and both are similarly trained as doctors. The main differences between naturopathic and conventional medicine are the philosophical approach and the therapies used. Naturopathic doctors treat patients as individuals by addressing the physical, mental, emotional and environmental aspects of health. This allows Naturopathic Doctors to find and treat the root cause of the disease using natural, non-invasive therapies and therefore restoring health for the long term. Conventional allopathic doctors generally address and treat the symptoms of disease and use pharmaceutical therapies or surgery.
What can I expect at my first appointment?
At The Lakeside Clinic the first visit with Dr. Yarish, ND is 1 to 1.5 hours and consists of a thorough health and medical history. Your health concerns are discussed in detail as well as each body system to screen for past and present imbalances with the aim of addressing all the contributing factors involved with your concerns. In this visit he determines if there is a need for further diagnostic or assessment procedures including any lab work. We ask you to bring any previous lab or diagnostic results from the past year. To assist in making an accurate diagnosis of your concern(s), Dr. Yarish, ND may choose from an array of laboratory tests, ranging from conventional blood and urine tests, to more progressive, functionally-oriented tests. Dr. Yarish, ND discusses your goals, options for treatments, and decides with you what the focus of treatment will be.
