Like the conventional medical system, naturopathic medicine is based on the core principle of “First, do no harm”. Naturopathy sees the mind, body and environment as a whole. A Naturopathic Doctor in Vaughan honours the body’s innate wisdom to heal by providing patients with natural tools and medicines that support lifelong wellness.
It implements an approach to medicine that encompasses the wisdom of nature, scientific evidence, and our body’s own power to heal through an understanding that the body is not made up of individual parts, but a collection of interconnected systems.
Naturopathy: A Natural, Preventive Approach to Wellness
Naturopathic medicine utilizes the most natural, least invasive, and least toxic therapies to treat illness, with a strong focus on prevention. Education about risk factors and preventive measures is key to empowering patients in supporting their own long-term health. Therefore, naturopathic doctors strive to educate their patients on total body health and wellness, identifying potential areas of imbalance, and teaching patients how to achieve optimal health and maintain it.
Naturopathic Doctors in Ontario Can Diagnose and Treat Illness and Disease
Licensed Naturopathic doctors in Ontario are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with acute and chronic conditions, addressing disease symptoms as well as any contributing issues by viewing the body as an integrated whole. This allows them to run lab tests to look deeper into a patient’s symptoms and uncover the roots of disease conditions while implementing the least invasive and most natural forms of treatment.
The History of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic medicine has a rich history dating back to early civilization with Hippocrates being viewed as the father of conventional and naturopathic medicine. The term ‘naturopathy’ was formally codified in North America and attributed to Dr. Benedict Lust. Dr. Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy in New York in 1902.
Since that time, naturopathy has become extremely popular as people seek more natural ways to treat and prevent illness. Naturopathic medicine in Vaughan is founded on solid educational standards, regional and programmatic accreditation, and consistent regulatory requirements for licensure making naturopathic medicine a safe and effective choice for everyone.
The following principles are at the core of naturopathic medicine:
- Treating the whole person
- Choosing minimally invasive therapies
- Trusting the healing power of nature
- Identifying the underlying reasons a disease state is developing
- Remembering the role of the doctor as teacher to empower patients
- Disease prevention and health promotion
Evidence-Based Treatments Naturopathic Doctors Use
Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care providers to provide highly individualized natural therapies for their patients. They focus on minimally invasive protocols that support the body and mind to restore healthy function while implementing personalized plans that not only treat illness but help prevent future health concerns.
Naturopathic therapies include:
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Your Naturopath will begin by assessing your current lifestyle to identify imbalances in your diet, nutrition, physical activity, and stressors. By identifying the biochemical and physiological imbalances within the individual, and using natural, scientifically proven solutions, NDs can create individualized plans to rectify these imbalances.
Lifestyle recommended changes may include diet, physical activity, meditation, or another natural approach to get you back on the road to optimal health.
Natural Supplements
Carefully selected supplements can effectively treat underlying deficiencies affecting a multitude of illnesses and diseases including anxiety, depression, menopausal symptoms, cancer treatment-related symptoms, and much more. NDs select supplements based on their patients’ unique needs after performing a series of scientific testing such as blood work as well as a full health history. Supplements may include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, herbs and extracts.
IV Nutrient Therapy
The gut often holds the key to easing many health-related symptoms and immune concerns. A great deal of research supports the gut-brain connection and its impact on stress, fear, and anxiety. Balancing the microbiome and addressing any food sensitivities and leaky gut is an important first step in making sure you’re absorbing the vital nutrients you need to heal. But gut issues are common, and the necessary work of healing the gut takes time. Is there a way to bypass the gut and speed the healing process?
IV (intravenous) nutrient therapy is a medical treatment by which sterile solutions of vitamins, minerals, and other naturally occurring nutritive substances are infused directly into the bloodstream. This allows nutrients to be absorbed without gut interference for those suffering from nutritional deficiencies.
At the Marsden Centre, we offer IV Nutrient therapy designed to help improve many issues from digestion and absorption to energy levels, skin health and more.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture treatments involve the insertion of fine needles into specific points (acupuncture points) on the body. According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theory, when acupuncture needles are inserted into acupuncture points, it serves to stimulate the body’s innate energy channels, or Qi, and can be focused on different organ systems such that any imbalance can be corrected. This would provide the body with the ability to heal from the ailment that caused yin and yang to fall out of balance.
At the Marsden Centre, we practice evidence-informed medicine. Our acupuncture treatment plans are based not only on empirical evidence from TCM but also evidence based on “Western” scientific research. We ensure that our patients receive the safest, and most effective acupuncture treatments available.
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses bioidentical hormones (natural hormones derived from plants) to address symptoms related to hormonal imbalance. Through laboratory testing and ongoing evaluations, a good BHRT protocol can help to regulate your hormone levels and relieve many symptoms relating to hormone imbalances such as weight gain, fatigue, pain or stiffness in joints, depression, anxiety, muscle weakness, and more.
Our highly trained naturopathic team at Marsden Centre can help you get your hormones back into balance allowing you to achieve your optimal health naturally.
Herbal Medicine
Herbs are nature’s medicine, and many have been scientifically proven to provide the same benefits as their medicinal counterparts. Naturopathic doctors use herbs in a variety of treatments to boost immunity, relieve pain, regulate imbalances, and improve the overall health and wellness of their patients.
Like traditional pharmaceuticals, herbs in the wrong combinations or doses can have unwanted side effects, therefore, it is essential to rely on your naturopathic doctor for guidance when considering adding herbs to your supplement list.
At Marsden Centre, herbs may be used as part of your holistic treatment plan based on your individual needs and requirements. Testing and complete body workups are essential to understanding what methods will work best for your unique situation for total body, mind, and spirit wellness.
Is a Naturopathic Doctor Right for You?
Naturopathic medicine is an effective system of medicine that has been practised in North America for over 125 years. It is a system of primary medical care that helps people of all ages and health histories who want to take their health into their own hands naturally.
If you are suffering from chronic pain, gut issues, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, migraines, or other comorbidities and a general feeling of unwellness – or – if you want to learn how to ignite your innate healing powers, bring balance to your body and help prevent illness before it starts then naturopathic medicine is for you.
Talk with us at the Marsden Centre today to discover how naturopathic medicine can improve your quality of life and overall wellness. We look forward to answering your questions and developing a personalized plan just for you.