14 Mar Top 5 Benefits of Naturopathic Medicine for Health
Naturopathic medicine is defined by several principles, that define what we believe in and how we treat our patients. We leverage the power of nature, to allow the body to heal itself under the right conditions. We treat the cause of illness, in a highly personalized way that empowers the patient with health education, lifestyle changes, and prevention.
We treat the root cause. For example, patients with headaches often take medications to reduce the pain, just so they can function and get through the day. Naturopath medicine takes a different approach—rather than just managing symptoms, it focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying cause. For instance, a natural remedy like Willowbark can help reduce pain due to its similar chemistry to certain medications, but naturopathic medicine is not about simply substituting prescriptions for herbs. It is about finding and treating the root cause of headaches to resolve the health condition.
What causes headaches? You can have headaches due to hormones, constipation, infection, food sensitivities, dehydration, stress, deficiencies, muscle tension, or a misaligned neck, just to name a few. Therefore, if your headache is due to low magnesium or dehydration, taking medications or Willowbark might provide temporary relief, but the issue will persist long term. If your headache is structural—caused by whiplash, tight muscles, or misalignments—your treatment plan would include massage, osteopathy, or chiropractic care, aligning with the holistic approach of naturopath medicine.
We treat the whole person. The definition of health in the naturopathic profession is the optimum function of the body, mind and spirit. Physical symptoms can often happen due to emotional reasons. For example stress can cause insomnia, high blood pressure and even stop a woman from menstruating! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they also regroup the body into different systems. For example, the liver controls the eyes, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids, and can cause symptoms at 1-3 am. Or the kidney function includes the brain, thyroid, fertility and bone health. As naturopaths, we look for these types of patterns and how the organs and systems affect each other. Therefore, a patient can come for headaches, eye pain and hemorrhoids, and go home with a liver product.
We educate patients on healthy lifestyle. Naturopathic doctors set aside time in patients’ appointments to get a thorough understanding of their patients lifestyles. We educate them and support them to make as many lifestyle changes as possible. The goal is to maximize lifestyle medicine as the preferred solution, and to avoid or minimize the need for supplements at all. A great example of this is the topic of poor sleep. Many people use electronics in the evening, and the blue light exposure reduces our ability to make the sleep hormone melatonin. Taking melatonin could help, or using blue-light blocking glasses. The best answer would be to avoid your electronics, not take a supplement, nor wear the silly glasses!
We improve quality of life. Traditional blood tests are great, but they don’t catch every diagnosis. Sometimes patients struggle with a great amount of unwellness, but their medical tests came back normal. Sadly, this can continue for years. We call this a state of “dysfunction”, and it comes before disease. Maybe it’s something like fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, infertility or aches and pains. Your chemistry and symptoms can warn you years before a clear diagnosis, that your health needs attention. You don’t feel cholesterol. You don’t feel your bone density. You don’t feel the early stages of high blood pressure. You don’t feel nutritional deficiencies or food sensitivities too.
It’s common for naturopaths to have additional methods of assessing health. Naturopath medicine incorporates various kinds of health testing equipment that can be offered on-site in a naturopathic office, such as body composition analysis, live blood microscopy, or biofeedback. In addition, there are many private labs that can test for microbiome, food sensitivities, neurotransmitters, hormones, and more.
We save you money! Some patients hesitate to see a naturopath if they don’t have insurance. However, naturopath medicine can actually help you avoid unnecessary expenses. Many patients lose money by self-prescribing supplements incorrectly or struggling to identify high-quality products. It’s also crucial to schedule supplements properly—some work best with or without food or at a specific time of day. If you’re on medications, it’s important to be mindful of potential interactions. In older populations, even the right supplement may not be effective due to weak digestion or poor absorption.
In conclusion, chances are you’ll feel better faster with some professional advice from your local naturopathic doctor, ensuring you get the most out of naturopath medicine. Bronte Natural Health Clinic has provided excellence in naturopathic and alternative medicine for over 30 years. Contact us at 905-825-8787, bnhc@rogers.com or www.brontehealth.com to schedule
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