Everyone wants to live a long, healthy life. Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) are primary general health care practitioners and can help guide patients on the path to feeling their best.
Primary General Health Care
Committed to understanding of root cause of what’s wrong, and supporting the body’s innate ability to heal, NDs look beyond treating and suppressing symptoms to determine the cause of illness. Every ND is trained to know that accomplishing this requires the time to fully understand each patient’s situation, answer all of their patients’ questions and conduct a thorough naturopathic assessment.
Naturopathic Doctors focus on early diagnosis and treatment of chronic conditions. With a wide range of therapies and a collaborative community at their fingertips, NDs provide comprehensive, individualized care with the patient, rather than the illness, as the focus.
Prevention
NDs are trained to handle a broad range of health issues and concerns. NDs are leaders in health and in chronic disease prevention. Naturopathic Doctors take the time necessary to understand each individual patient’s current health, health history and familial health history. They use this information to create a naturopathic assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan to affect positive change and in some cases even help reverse the progression of chronic illness. The majority of NDs in Ontario work in multi-professional networks or practices, as part of a patient’s circle of care.
Lifestyle Modification and Counselling
Naturopathic Doctors work with patients to create a full picture of their health. Diet and lifestyle changes that can benefit overall health will be addressed according to each individual patient’s needs. For NDs and their patients, healthcare is a continuing conversation – also involving inter-professional collaboration with other healthcare professionals in their circle of care – in which informed input and consent from patients is key. Naturopathic Doctors spend substantial time with each patient. The bottom line is to help patients achieve an optimum level of health and to support patients along the way.