What Is
Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a system of medicine that combines natural therapeutic traditions with modern science to restore and optimize health.
Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) are highly trained healthcare professionals who deliver personalized primary care for patients of all ages and genders. During a naturopathic visit, NDs assess the full picture of a patient’s health to create tailored treatment plans, including clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, physical and behavioral therapies, prescribed medications, and lifestyle recommendations. By blending science with natural medicine, NDs empower patients to achieve lasting wellness.
Naturopathic care aims to activate the body’s natural healing power and help prevent future illness.
Naturopathic Medicine Articles
Naturopathic doctors treat the whole person, merging natural therapies with conventional care to meet each patient’s unique needs. Guided by the therapeutic order, NDs prioritize treatments that offer the most benefit with the least risk, while ensuring patients’ active participation in their healthcare decisions.
NDs support patients in managing a wide range of health concerns, from acute issues to chronic conditions such as pain, gastrointestinal disorders, fertility challenges, and cardiovascular problems.
The Therapeutic Order
Remove Obstacles to Health
The first step to restoring health is addressing factors that disrupt it, such as poor diet, digestive issues, chronic stress, inadequate sleep, and lack of exercise. Naturopathic doctors develop personalized plans to remove these “obstacles to health,” creating a strong foundation for effective treatment.
Stimulate Self-Healing Mechanisms
NDs stimulate and strengthen the body’s innate self-healing and curative abilities through clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, constitutional hydrotherapy, mind–body medicine, and acupuncture.
Restore Weakened Systems
NDs identify imbalances and work to restore optimal function.
Correct Structural Integrity
Physical modalities such as spinal manipulation, massage therapy, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercise, and craniosacral therapy maintain and improve the musculoskeletal system.
Natural Substances to Restore and Regenerate
The primary goal of naturopathic medicine is to restore health. When addressing specific conditions, naturopathic doctors prioritize safe, effective treatments that minimize toxicity and avoid additional stress to the body.
Pharmacologic Substances to Halt Progressive Pathology
NDs are trained in pharmacology and the use of pharmaceutical drugs when needed. They specialize in identifying drug–herb and drug–nutrient interactions. Depending on their jurisdiction, NDs can prescribe medications or refer patients to medical colleagues as appropriate.
High-Force Interventions to Halt Pathology
When necessary, NDs may recommend or prescribe medication, radiation, and other conventional measures to suppress pathology. Naturopathic medicine works alongside high-force care to help keep patients as healthy and supported as possible during treatment.
Specialty Areas
Naturopathic doctors are trained to provide primary care, and some choose a specific area of focus. Endocrinology, environmental medicine, gastroenterology, parenteral therapies, pediatrics, primary care physicians, psychiatry, and oncology are naturopathic specialties.
Medical Training
The naturopathic medical education (NME) curriculum is a rigorous and comprehensive program that complements conventional medical training. NME combines biomedical foundations, innovative natural therapies, and supervised clinical practice. All naturopathic doctors must pass a two-part standardized licensing exam and engage in ongoing continuing education.
Learn more about how NDs are educated, trained, and licensed.
Sustainable Health & Wellness
Naturopathic doctors empower patients to make lasting positive lifestyle changes. Beyond treating physical symptoms, NDs address the social, emotional, and psychological factors that affect well-being through a range of therapies, lifestyle counseling, and comprehensive stress-reduction techniques.
Scope of Practice
Naturopathic doctors can perform and order physical exams, lab tests, nutritional and dietary assessments, metabolic analysis, allergy testing, x-rays, gynecological exams, and other diagnostics. They can prescribe medication and perform minor surgeries, including superficial wound repair and removal of foreign bodies, cysts, and other masses, using local anesthesia as needed. Scope is determined by state, and more aggressive therapies are used only when necessary.
Botanical Medicine & Clinical Nutrition
Botanical medicine, or herbal medicine, uses plants as safe and effective treatments for a range of illnesses and health conditions.
Clinical nutrition is a cornerstone of naturopathic medicine, prioritizing food to maintain health, prevent illness, and treat conditions. Dietary recommendations are based on symptoms and clinical assessments and often include targeted vitamin and nutrient therapies, either orally or via IV.
