This blogger is going on vacation!
Well readers, up until this time this blog has been devoted to all things philosophical and instructional in the world of naturopathic medicine. Time for a little change...
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How do I find a well-trained naturopathic physician?
Despite my many blog posts about our educational level, I realize that there is still some misinformation about naturopathic physicians. Many people want access to naturopathic medicine and well-trained naturopathic physicians, but it is still a little confusing as to who's who. Here's my guide to finding a legitimate naturopathic...
So what’s the difference, really? (Naturopathic Medicine and the Therapeutic Order)
This morning I had a fascinating conversation with a current medical student who wants to transfer from her allopathic school to Bastyr's ND program. This young woman wants to be a primary care provider, and after much soul-searching decided it was in the best interest of herself and her future...
Lobbying in DC!
This morning I am in Washington DC preparing to speak with my senators and representative about naturopathic medicine. Every year the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the AANP (www.naturopathic.org), hosts an event called the DC FLI, where hundreds of naturopathic medical students and naturopathic physicians travel to DC to support federal...
“A restricted diet should be part of standard of care for all children with ADHD”
Whaaaaaat? This was my response as I read this summary article in BlackBag, a free medical app that has dozens of medical news articles delivered daily to your smartphone or ipod. The title of the summary article was exactly as I typed it above, and the author’s conclusions were based...
Naturopathic medicine: the best preventive medicine
I strongly believe that prevention is the answer to our current healthcare crisis. I have heard a lot of discussion in the media lately saying preventive services are too expensive and significantly add to the enormous cost of healthcare in this country. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the concept...
Docere – Doctor as Teacher
We are in the age of passive medicine. Our current medical model reimburses physicians for investigating/making a diagnosis, and managing treatment of that particular diagnosis. Physicians get paid for the diagnosis or treatment, not for the amount of time spent with patients (with some exceptions). This leads to short patient visits...
The Vis Medicatrix Naturae – Vitalism, Evolution, Creation or Homeostasis?
I love the philosophical principles of naturopathic medicine: Treat the Whole, Treat the Cause, Prevention, First Do No Harm, and Doctor as Teacher. I find these concepts easy to discuss with patients, colleagues and my peers in the medical profession. Then we get to The Vix Medicatrix Naturae, translated The Healing...
Treat the Whole AKA psychoneuroimmunology and its effects on physiology
Another philosophical principle that guides naturopathic physicians is called Tolle Totem or "Treat the Whole". Naturopathic physicians have long been advocates of treating the whole person, including mind, body and spirit. Addressing the emotional, mental, and physical problems simultaneously is often the key to uncovering the true cause of a disease...
Tolle Causem
One of the 6 prinicples of naturopathic medicine is Tolle Causem, or Treat the Cause. The ultimate goal of a naturopathic physician is to identify and treat the cause of the patient's disease or symptoms. Conventional physicians will often claim to do the same thing. I recently saw an advertisement for...
Prevention versus screening
What is prevention? The standard of care for preventive medicine specialists in conventional medicine is determined by the USPSTF (The US preventive services task force), which is an independent panel of experts in primary care (like internists, pediatricians, gynecologists, etc). The USPSTF determines when screening exams are necessary, which medications...
Is naturopathic medicine science-based?
I had a great question about naturopathic medicine and science: You say that your medicine is evidence-based. Would you define "evidence" in the same way that the traditional medical model would (peer-reviewed journals, RCTs, meta-analyses, etc.)? Are all of your treatments supported by research? Thanks Anonymous! I'll do my best to answer...