Naturopathic Medicine

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

"Naturopathic medicine blends centuries-old natural therapies with advances in the science of health and human systems, covering all aspects of family health throughout the lifespan.

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are the only primary care physicians trained in both natural and conventional approaches to prevent disease, treat acute illness, and manage or reverse chronic health conditions. NDs are also trained to perform many screening procedures such as pap smears, breast exams, sports physicals, ordering and interpreting lab tests and imaging studies.

Naturopathic medicine concentrates on whole-patient wellness, centers around the patient, and emphasizes prevention and self-care." 

From Oregon Association of Naturopathic Medicine,
https://www.oanp.org/page/overview

What are Naturopathic Doctors trained to do?

"Naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in four year, accredited naturopathic medical colleges.  They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illness to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person's inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized treatment plans to address them. 

Accredited naturopathic medical schools are four-year, in-residence, hands-on medical programs consisting of a minimum of 4,100 hours of class and clinical training. During naturopathic medical school, students are educated in the biomedical sciences as well as the latest advances in science in combination with natural approaches to therapy. They also study disease prevention and clinical techniques. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, schools require their graduates to complete four years of training in disciplines such as clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine, and counseling. For at least the final two years of their medical program, naturopathic medical students intern in clinical settings under the close supervision of licensed professionals. Given the importance of hands-on, clinical experience for naturopathic medical students, the accrediting body for naturopathic medical colleges does not recognize degrees from online programs of study."

From American Association of Naturopathic Doctors,
https://naturopathic.org/page/WhatisaNaturopathicDoctor

Why choose a Naturopath as your Primary Care Physician, or as a part of your medical team?

1. Naturopaths are trained to treat the cause, not just the symptoms. I always strive to keep symptoms managed as much as possible while we root out the cause- but treating a cause will truly eliminate the symptoms. Band aids do work to ease pain, but the skin must heal. One definitely does not get a headache due to a deficiency of ibuprofen, but this band aid might be appropriate while we find the cause.  
   

2. Naturopaths are trained to treat the whole person. We believe all of our systems are interconnected, and cannot be treated without looking at the whole picture. A very thorough history is always taken directly from you.
   

3. Time spent speaking directly with a physician yields more thorough medical care. More access yields better care. You will spend your visit speaking directly with the physician. You will never need to repeat yourself to multiple members of a support staff.
   

4. I am an excellent team member for your health care: I spent three years in an integrative medical residency, shadowing naturopaths, cardiologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, OB/GYN surgeons, neurologists, and primary care MD’s. This gave me incredible insight into how having a medical team really does yield the best possible outcomes for patients. The more information we have, the better your treatment plan becomes. We have a network of physicians in our community that do excellent work and come highly recommended by other patients and by our team.
   

5. I tailor screening guidelines to each patient. Did you know many of the screening guidelines are set by comparing the cost of screening versus how many people will be saved by that screen? I believe in considering the patient’s personal, social and family history when addressing each screening guideline.
   

6. More options means more hope for healing. You will benefit from access to evidence-based natural product options in addition to prescriptions. Being a patient at Circle Healthcare means full access to a discounted online natural supplement and body care formulary.
   

7. I respect your right to choose health care options. If you do not agree with a suggested protocol, I will not disrespect you, or your choice. I respect your choices for your body. My job is to give you information and options, and your health choices are ultimately up to you. If you decline a supplement or a prescription, then we work from there to find another option. I will never dictate your treatment plan, unless you ask me to!
   

8. I am comfortable telling you, “I don’t know.” No physician knows everything, and I will honestly tell you if I do not know an answer. I love research, I have a great network of knowledgeable specialists, and will work hard to find answers- but there are limits to human medical knowledge. I will honestly tell you if I have not yet learned what you seek or we are in uncharted territory.  You deserve the truth.
   

9.         Having a Primary Care Physician has been shown to provide patients with lower overall health care costs and health complications. Lack of access to a primary care physician has been linked to increased cost of healthcare due to increased ER visits and lack of screening and preventative care:

“A nationally representative survey showed that adult U.S. respondents who reported having a primary care physician rather than a specialist as their regular source of care had lower subsequent five-year mortality rates after controlling for initial differences in health status, demographic characteristics, health insurance status, health perceptions, reported diagnoses, and smoking status(1). That is, people who identify a primary care physician as their usual source of care are healthier, regardless of their initial health or various demographic characteristics.” (2)

““Preventive counseling and services are an important component of the periodic health check-up. Preventive services are more likely to be discussed when patients have an established relationship with an identified clinician. Studies have shown that patients who were connected to a specific clinician have higher rates of preventive services received. Patients with more visits to their primary care providers were more likely to undergo screening for colorectal and breast cancer, have lower incidence and mortality of colorectal and breast cancer, and have lower overall mortality. Periodic visits may have other benefits, such as developing the patient-clinician relationship, relieving patient "worry," and educating patients about how to access the health care system.” (3)

1. Franks P, Fiscella K. Primary care physicians and specialists as personal physicians. Health care expenditures and mortality experience. J Fam Pract. 1998 Aug;47(2):105-9. PMID: 9722797.

2. Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J. Contribution of primary care to health systems and health. Milbank Q. 2005;83(3):457-502. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x. PMID: 16202000; PMCID: PMC2690145.

3. Viera, Anthony J. Overview of preventive care in adults. Up To Date, 2024 Sep.