What Is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct form of primary healthcare.
It’s a mixture of modern scientific analysis and research, and traditional forms of natural medicine.
Its general focus is on promoting overall well-being.
Rather than simply treating an illness, a naturopathic doctor works toward identifying and removing the roadblocks that stand in the way of you achieving a state of optimal health.
Dr. Pat Nardini is a naturopathic doctor, which means he holds a valid doctor of naturopathy diploma.
What Are The Tenets Of Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a diverse field of medicine. Each practitioner will take a unique approach, but all naturopathic doctors follow the following six tenets of naturopathic medicine.
First, Do No Harm
In the practice of attempting to heal someone, a naturopathic doctor must take every effort not to make the problem worse or cause other problems. As a result, Dr. Pat is committed to using the gentlest, least invasive treatment methods available.
The Healing Power Of Nature
Dr. Pat’s approach to health focuses on giving your body the tools it needs to strengthen its own ability to heal you. When your body is in the right state to take care of itself properly, you’ll have a much easier time achieving a state of optimal health.
Treat The Cause
Rather than simply treating your troublesome symptoms, naturopathic medicine focuses on uncovering what’s causing those symptoms in the first place. In some cases, Dr. Pat may offer solutions to ease your symptoms as well, but the primary focus is always on treatments for the root cause.
Treat The Whole Person
Your health issues aren’t isolated to the area where you feel your symptoms. Naturopathic medicine takes a whole-body approach to health. When Dr. Pat works with you to assess your current level of health, he does so from a physical, mental, emotional, environmental, and spiritual perspective.
Doctor As Teacher
When you work with Dr. Pat, you’re getting more than just a doctor who tells you what to do. Dr. Pat will take the time to help you understand what’s standing in the way of your achieving a state of optimal health and empower you with the tools you need to make it happen.
Prevention
Offering treatment for current health conditions is important. However, Dr. Pat’s approach focuses on helping you achieve a greater state of overall health and wellness. This will help reduce your risk of developing other chronic illnesses later in life.
“It is more important to know what patient has the disease than to know what disease the patient has.”
-Hippocrates
What To Expect From A Naturopathic Doctor?
A naturopathic doctor’s approach is different than what you may come to expect from working with other healthcare practitioners. Here are some of the ways your experience with Dr. Pat will be unique.
Naturopathic Doctors Listen
Naturopathic medicine is based on building a long-term strategy for maintaining your highest level of health. So, it’s important that you take an open, forthcoming approach to your health.
Dr. Pat will ask you a variety of questions about your current state of health, from many different angles. The purpose of this is to get the best understanding of what treatments will work for your unique needs.
Dr. Pat will offer treatment that combines strategies to meet your immediate needs with a deeper plan designed to optimize your overall health.
Naturopathic Doctors Teach You
Dr. Pat wants to teach you what you need to know in order to stay healthy. Rather than becoming dependent on a doctor to maintain your health, Dr. Pat will take the time to help you understand how your body works.
There’s more to naturopathic treatment than just coming to see Dr. Pat once every three years for a physical. Taking the principle “doctor as teacher” to heart, Dr. Pat will give you the knowledge you need to take control of your health.
What To Expect From a Naturopathic Doctor on the First Visit
Your first visit to Dr. Pat’s comfortable office along the shore of beautiful Lake Ontario will take between 60 and 90 minutes. This is because Dr. Pat needs to create a complete and comprehensive picture of your health. Some of the things you may talk about include, but are not limited to:
- Your primary health goals and concerns
- Diagnoses of health conditions
- Symptoms you may feel
- History of injuries or surgeries
- History of health conditions
- Dietary habits
- Lifestyle factors (work schedule, commitments, sources of stress, etc.)
- Sleep schedule
- Any prescription drugs or supplements you’re taking
- Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures that you may have done or plan to have done
Dr. Pat may offer some naturopathic treatment at this point, as well as order some new.
What To Expect on the Second Visit
During your second visit, Dr. Pat will provide you with a full appraisal of your current state of health, as well as what needs to be addressed.
He’ll explain how your primary health goals fit into this assessment and present you with an individualized treatment plan designed to help you achieve those goals.
Depending on your unique health needs, this plan may include:
- Dietary recommendations
- Health supplements to take
- Lifestyle recommendations
- Treatment recommendations (acupuncture, moxibustion, etc)
- Recommendations for laboratory testing and other diagnostic procedures
What To Expect on Follow-up visits
Visits after your initial two may vary in length depending on your needs. You may want to book for a specific treatment, or to monitor progress with a treatment plan. It may last anywhere from 15-60 minutes.
Is Naturopathic Medicine Right For You?
Naturopathic medicine is well-positioned to offer treatment for a variety of different health concerns.
But if you’re not certain whether naturopathic medicine is right for you, that’s okay.
For those new to naturopathic medicine, Dr. Pat offers a FREE health clarity session.
During that 15-minute session, you’ll get a chance to sit down with Dr. Pat in his comfortable and relaxing clinic in Toronto.
He’ll answer all of your questions and address any health concerns you may have. In the end, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of how naturopathic medicine can help you.
Contact Dr. Pat to book your FREE health clarity session today.