Conditions

Naturopathic doctors are primary care doctors who specialize in a natural approach to healing. NDs treat most conditions. Just like a family doctor, NDs refer to specialists for conditions that are beyond their scope of expertise.

A few specific conditions that NDs commonly treat are listed at left. Read through some of the conditions to get a sense of the naturopathic approach to each of these health concerns. Naturopathic medicine can treat a wide variety of conditions, including:

• Acute conditions
  • Acute conditions are health problems that are short-lived and that the body can usually recover from.
  • Headaches, colds & flus, ear infections, urinary tract infections, sprains and strains are all examples of acute conditions.
• Chronic conditions
  • Chronic conditions are health problems that are on-going; the body has not been able to recover from. “Chronic” does not always mean incurable.
  • Common chronic conditions include diabetes (type I and type II), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatigue, insomnia, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases.
• Mental/emotional conditions
  • Many emotional conditions have physical causes – and vice versa. The mind, body and spirit are all connected.
• Wellness care
  • Check-ups
  • Well-baby visits
  • School physicals
  • Gyn exams and Pap smears
  • Preparation for pregnancy & childbirth
• Weight loss
  • Medically supervised weight loss that is safe and effective.
• Prevention
  • Preventing chronic disease – for example, if you have a family history or risk factors for cancer, heart disease or diabetes.

Our bodies have tools to heal all kinds of conditions. Our immune system combats infections. Our skin heals if we get a cut, and our bones grow back together if they are broken. The role of the doctor is to give your body the help it needs to heal itself. A doctor applies a cast to help your bones realign, so they heal properly. In the same way, a naturopathic doctor can give you the support you need to help your body heal from other types of conditions as well. Because naturopathic doctors look at your overall level of health, they can help with almost any condition.

What do naturopathic doctors NOT treat? For life-threatening emergencies, you should CALL 911 and NOT your naturopathic doctor. If you need stitches, please go to the emergency room. NDs also do not treat cancer. While naturopathic therapies can help with the side effects of cancer treatment, NDs always refer to an oncologist for treatment of the cancer itself.

We do not give treatment advice over the phone. However, if you have any questions or would like to find out if naturopathic medicine is right for you, please call the office at (206) 729-0907. We’re here to help!