illness or medical condition. Be prepared to be asked a wide range of questions that you may or may not think are relevant to your case. At any time, you can choose not to answer the questions, but it is in your best interest to be as thorough and honest.
Focused physical:
ND’s are trained to do physical examinations. Upon your first visit, you will have you vitals taken (blood pressure, temperature, pulse and breath rate) and a focused physical done for your specific concerns.
Lab work and assessments:
Laboratory work-ups are often requested to identify a cause for your concern and to track progress. Naturopathic doctors are trained to read blood work and assess common lab reports. In the case of specialized medical attention, your MD is required to make a direct referral.
Treatments:
Depending on your concerns, in-office treatments may be performed in your first visit (ie. acupuncture, B12 IM shot) or prescribed (ie. supplements, botanicals,
homeopathics, diet recommendations). In some unique cases, your ND may not prescribe anything if they feel they have not gathered enough information or there is a more serious underlying condition that required further investigation.
Pharmaceutical drugs:
It is standard practice that the doctor who has initially prescribed your medications is the one that should be monitoring and making any alterations to that prescription. If you would like to have your medication dosages changed, ensure that both your MD and ND have given consent and are working together to monitor your progress.
Expected number of visits:
The number of visits to expect varies depending on the person and condition. Naturopathic medicine is not about “quick fixes” or suppressive treatments. Healing from the root of the cause takes more time and effort than the conventional reactive model, but it is sustainable and preventative for future ailments. It’s often estimated that for every year you’ve had a condition or symptom, it will take approximately 1 month to reverse. For example, someone suffering from headaches for 5 year may take 5 months to clear. However, sometimes the correct diet and lifestyle change can remove a symptom almost immediately. Always stick to your treatment protocol for at least 1 month before deciding if it is helping or not.”