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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Seek Naturopathic Medical Care?
Naturopathic Doctors can treat almost any health condition or concern (s). Conditions treated range from acute to chronic illnesses and from mild to severe conditions. Those seeking naturopathic care may be male or female from all ages, children to seniors.
Any symptoms or condition(s) that can be treated by your Medical Doctor can also be treated by a Naturopathic Doctor. The focus of conventional medicine is primarily to treat and/or manage symptoms with the use of medication, whereas the primarily goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the underlying cause of these symptoms. Conventional and Naturopathic Medicine do not work exclusively from one another, but are rather complementary. (Back to the top)
Is Naturopathic Medicine Covered by O.H.I.P?
Naturopathic Medicine is not covered by O.H.I.P. Yet, many extended healthcare plans provide coverage for naturopathic treatments performed by a registered Naturopathic Doctor. Contact your extended healthcare provider to determine if your benefits package includes coverage for Naturopathic Medicine. (Back to the top)
What Is A Naturopathic Doctors' Education?
Naturopathic Doctors are licensed professionals that have a minimum of 7 years of post secondary education. They must complete at least 3 years of university undergraduate education including pre-requisite medical science courses, to be eligible to enter one of the six recognized North American Colleges of Naturopathic Medicine.
The Naturopathic Doctorate program is a four-year, full time course study that encompasses over 4200 hours of study and 1500 hours of clinical practice. The first two years of study involves medical and clinical sciences, similar to those studied by Medical Doctors. In the final two years, Naturopathic Doctors' study advanced medical diagnostics, naturopathic medical therapeutics, and they receive extensive clinical experience.
Naturopathic Doctors are the only health care professionals that have extensive education and training in the use of both natural medicines and conventional medical diagnosis and treatment. To become a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario, graduates must successfully complete two separate standardized North American examinations and one provincial licensing examination. (Back to the top)
How Is Naturopathic Medicine Regulated?
In Ontario, Naturopathic Doctors are regulated by the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy (BDDT-N) under the Drugless Therapy Act. The BDDT-N role is to ensure that naturopathic doctors are properly qualified to practice naturopathic medicine, and that they follow the appropriate standards of practice. Currently, the Naturopathic Medical profession is transitioning into regulation by the Regulated Health Professionals Act (RHPA) which is expected to be completed by 2010. The RHPA regulates most other health care professionals, including Medical Doctors, in Ontario. (Back to the top)
How is a Naturopathic Doctor different than a Medical Doctor?
Naturopathic Doctors and Medical Doctors receive similar basic medical training, yet how this information is applied can be slightly different.
Your first visit with a Naturopathic Doctors may last approximately one hour and information will be collected on all aspects of health including physical, mental, social, spiritual and environmental factors. This information is very important in discovering the root cause (s) of the condition which can then lead to the development of an effective treatment plan. Careful consideration will be taken when looking at your personal and familial medical history as prevention and education are key components to a Naturopathic Prescription.
Alternatively, conventional medicine has a large focus on symptom management through the use of prescription medication.
As Naturopathic Medicine approaches treatment of illness from a 'health building' perspective, conventional medical approaches it from a 'disease management' perspective. For this reason, Naturopathic Medicine and Conventional Medicine can be used effectively to complement one another in the overall treatment and prevention of health. (Back to the top)
How is a Naturopathic Doctor the same as a Medical Doctor?
Naturopathic Doctors and Medical Doctors have similar training in medical sciences and they use the same scientific resources to diagnose and treat your condition. Your Naturopathic Doctor will perform a general screening physical examination during your visit and may request laboratory testing. Naturopathic Doctors treat just about any condition and people of all ages. They are family doctors who can treat all members of your family. If the treatment of your illness is beyond the scope of a naturopathic medicine, your Naturopathic Doctor will refer you to another medical professional. (Back to the top)
Do I need to stop seeing my Medical Doctor if I want to see a Naturopathic Doctor?
Definitely not. Naturopathic Medicine and Conventional Medicine do not work exclusively from one another but rather work to complement one another. Naturopathic medical care enhances the health services that are provided by other health care professionals, including your medical doctor. Naturopathic Doctors enjoy working with Medical Doctors and other health professionals to offer you a more globally effective approach to health care. (Back to the top)
Is Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy the Same or are they Different?
Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy are distinct systems of medicine. Homeopaths are practitioners who are trained exclusively in homeopathy. Naturopathic Doctors are trained in homeopathy which is one of many modalities that can be used in the development of a treatment plan. Naturopathic Doctors are also trained to use nutritional counselling, botanical medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, hydrotherapy and lifestyle counselling. A treatment plan may use these modalities individually or together. (Back to the top)
Is Naturopathic Medicine Supported by Research?
Naturopathic medical practices are supported by centuries of empirical evidence and the safety and efficacy of naturopathic treatments have been validated by modern scientific research. Nutrition is a modality that is implemented in almost every treatment plan and it is well supported by many large clinical trials for a variety of health concerns. Botanical Medicine has been used for thousands of years and its use is validated by current medical research and safety data. Extensive scientific research also exists exploring the direct link between dietary, environmental, social, psychological, spiritual and other lifestyle factors and a person's health. Research and evidence-based studies exploring the safety and effectiveness of naturopathic medicine is being added to the literature daily. (Back to the top)
Is Naturopathic Medicine safe to use with prescription medications?
Just because we use natural products, it doesn't mean they are always considered safe, especially when taken with prescription medications. Naturopathic Doctors are the only health care professionals that have extensive education and training in the use of natural medicines and conventional medical diagnosis and treatment and are therefore qualified to identify potentially harmful herb-drug interactions. As Naturopathic Doctors are trained on a wide variety of modalities, should adverse interactions become a concern, alternate or more appropriate therapies may exist. (Back to the top)

The greatest discovery of any generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering the attitudes of their minds.

- Albert Schweitzer