How does a naturopathic doctor differ from a medical doctor?

In the state of Washington and other licensed states, both naturopathic doctors and medical doctors are primary care physicians; naturopaths are very similar to medical doctors in their education and diagnosis.  Naturopaths take many of the same classes and types of examinations as medical doctors, and naturopaths employ much of the same diagnostic methods as medical doctors.  Most naturopathic doctors don’t have the privilege of residency programs due to inadequate funding.  Naturopathic doctors aren’t allowed to work within hospitals due to a long history of political discrimination.  However, through current lobbying efforts most insurance plans accept naturopathic care as primary care in Washington state.

 Here are a few areas of clear differences in regards to patient care:

• Prescription Drugs: Many prescription drugs are available to naturopathic doctors for prescriptions.  While some naturopaths don’t prescribe prescription drugs at all, other naturopathic doctors do.  Naturopaths use a hierarchy of use regarding prescription drugs–that is, natural means are used to combate illness prior to employing these toxic substances.
• Focus of Care: Naturopathic doctors focus on health rather than disease.  It may be important to know the name of a disease, but how the person functions with the disease is of utmost importance.  In this way, naturopathic medicine can be called a functional medicine.
• Length of Visit: The typical naturopathic appointment is 30 to 60 minutes.  It is important for the naturopath to get to know the patient very well during the appointment and to be able to spend a good amount of time discussing lifestyle and treatment options.
• Cause of Disease: To a naturopathic doctor, and especially a homeopath, the pursuit of the cause of disease is neverending.  Germs are never the focus.  While germs are important coconspirators to disease, it is the deficiency in health that allowed the germs to be able to take hold.  It is the deficiency of health that causes disease.

Comments are closed.