Naturopaths: want a natural family doctor? Then you'd want a naturopath

WHO THEY ARE Naturopathic doctors, or naturopaths, are primary care physicians who look for the underlying causes of disease and try to help the patient eliminate them. Naturopaths look for physical, emotional, dietary, genetic, and environmental factors in a person's life that could explain an illness, and they suggest changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle that will help prevent chronic diseases from developing. Naturopaths also diagnose and treat illness, injury, and disease. They are trained to use modem diagnostic techniques, such as physical exams, blood tests, and X-rays; but unlike medical doctors, who favor the use of surgical procedures and prescription drugs, naturopathic doctors more commonly treat with homeopathy, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbs, physiotherapy, Oriental medicine, and stress management.

THEIR TRAINING Most naturopathic doctors (N.D.s) hold an undergraduate degree that includes standard premedical courses, and they graduate from a four-year college of naturopathic medicine. In their first two years of training, they study basic sciences -- anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology -- and diagnostic skills. In the last two years, they learn specific therapies, such as nutrition, acupuncture, psychological counseling, and botanical medicine.

COMPARED TO M.D.S. N.D.s and M.D.s both diagnose disease and make prognoses. M.D.s, however, seek to eliminate symptoms without necessarily identifying causes. Although N.D.s can treat surface wounds and remove superficial cysts or foreign bodies, they don't perform major surgery. N.D.s rarely prescribe drugs and they treat patients in private practice and outpatient clinics, not in hospitals.

WHAT HAPPENS An initial consultation lasts from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You are asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about your health. The naturopath reviews this questionnaire with you, laying the groundwork for understanding how your health history and lifestyle are affecting your health. In states where naturopaths are licensed, the naturopath may give you a physical examination. (In unlicensed states, naturopaths are not permitted to do so.) If you have an acute condition (an infectious illness, for example), the naturopath will prescribe a treatment. In other cases, the doctor will recommend gradual dietary changes or suggest dietary supplements.

THEIR STRENGTHS In addition to helping the patient build a foundation for good health, naturopathic doctors are effective in either curing or, in some cases (AIDS and cancer), reducing symptoms of chronic disease.

THEIR LIMITS Their effectiveness is limited when the disease has progressed too far or when injury or illness is acute and emergency procedures are needed.

THEIR LIMITS In eleven states (Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington) and five Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan), naturopaths are licensed. Those who practice in unlicensed states are limited in the procedures they can perform. For instance, in a licensed state, a naturopathic doctor is authorized to do a pelvic exam, while in an unlicensed state, the patient must be referred to a gynecologist.

HOW TO FIND ONE Approximately 1,500 qualified naturopaths practice in the U.S. Make sure you consult one who is a graduate of a four-year accredited naturopathic college in North America. Contact the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at 206-298-0125 to locate a naturopath in your area.

COPYRIGHT 1998 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group