Frequently Asked Questions
Are naturopathic consultations
covered by OHIP?
What training do registered
naturopathic doctors have?
How is naturopathic medicine
different than regular medicine?
What conditions can naturopathic
medicine treat?
Is naturopathic medicine scientific?
Is it safe?
Are naturopathic doctors regulated?
Do naturopathic doctors cross refer
to other practitioners?
What’s the difference between naturopathy
and homeopathy?
Do I need a referral to come see
a naturopathic doctor?
What’s my first visit like?
What are subsequent visits
like? How often do I need to come?
How do I book
an appointment?
Are naturopathic consultations covered by OHIP?
No. However, many extended healthcare plans cover naturopathic consultations.
Check with your workplace insurance company to see if you are covered.
When you come for a visit, simply pay for the visit, and then submit
the receipt to your insurance company for re-imbursement.
What training do registered naturopathic
doctors have?
Naturopathic doctors go through extensive medical training and examination
before they are legally allowed to practice. They require a Bachelor
of Science degree or a minimum of three years of university education
in pre-medical sciences to enter one of the five naturopathic medical
schools in North America. The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
is Canada’s leading accredited school for the naturopathic program.
The program is four years long and includes a one year intensive clinical
rotation. Midway through the program, and upon graduation from any of
the colleges, two sets of NPLEx licensing exams (coordinated by the
North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE)) must be successfully
completed before naturopathic doctors are allowed to practice.
For more information about naturopathic licensure, examination, or provincial and national associations, please visit our Resources page
How is naturopathic
medicine different than regular medicine?
The goal of naturopathic medicine is to treat the whole body through
individualized treatment that is safe, natural, and free of side-effects.
Its main mechanism is to stimulate the body’s own natural ability to
heal itself. It does this through the use of nutrition, acupuncture,
botanical medicine, homeopathy, and supplementation, to name a few.
In addition to ridding the body of disease, the goal is to raise the
overall health of all organ systems within the body, and to prevent
future development of disease. This is in contrast to the long-term
use of prescription medications that can sometimes do more harm than
good by deteriorating your vitality in the long run.
Just as each individual is unique, so too are the individually tailored treatments for each person. Naturopathic medicine is about much more than simply labeling an individual with a disease, and then prescribing a medicine for it. It is a true health-care system that recognizes the individual needs of each person.
What conditions
can naturopathic medicine treat?
Naturopathic medicine can treat almost any condition. This is because
it provides more than just ‘disease-care’. It’s a total ‘health-care’
system. Its goal is to treat the whole body and to improve one’s total
health. By doing this, it becomes easier to treat the specific disease
one may be suffering from. Some common conditions naturopathic doctors
see in their offices are:
Chronic Illnesses:
- Chronic Inflammatory disorders
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Arthritis
- Hypertension, Atherosclerosis, Heart Disease
- Cancer
- Eczema, Psoriasis, Acne
- Allergies and Environmental Illnesses
- Fibromyalgia
- Improper Digestion
- Crohn’s, Colitis, IBS
Acute Conditions
- Colds and Flus
- Ear and Throat infections
- Headaches and Migraines
- Intestinal upsets
Women’s Health
- Menopausal problems
- PMS and menstrual disorders
- Breast Cancer and Fibrocystic Breast Disease
- Infertility
- Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids
Men’s Health
- BPH and Prostatitis
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Infertility
Other
Weight Management, Insomnia, Depression, Stress,
ADHD etc.
Is naturopathic
medicine scientific? Is it safe?
Each year countless research studies, both scientific and clinical,
are produced by hundreds of independent companies, laboratories, and
universities. With the growing demand for Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM), naturopathic doctors meet high standards of practice
and base their treatments on sound scientific studies. Furthermore,
naturopathic colleges such as the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
(CCNM), fund their own research departments to examine and study natural
substances.
As for the safety of naturopathic medicine, one could say that its treatments produce less harm than any other medical practice. This is understandable, since it focuses on using substances that are natural, gentle, non-toxic, and non-invasive. Side effects are rare and naturopathic doctors are well trained about interactions between naturopathic remedies and conventional medication.
To learn more about naturopathic research, contact the CCNM Research Department
Are naturopathic doctors regulated?
In Ontario, naturopathic doctors are licensed through the Board of Directors
of Drugless Therapy – Naturopathy. They are regulated under the Drugless
Practitioners Act (since 1925). The naturopathic profession is currently
applying to be regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act
(RHPA), an act which regulates other health care professions such as
medical doctors, chiropractors, optometrist, physiotherapists, and midwives.
To find out if a naturopathic doctor is licensed, please contact the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors
Do naturopathic
doctors cross refer to other practitioners?
Yes. It is becoming more common that naturopathic doctors, medical doctors,
chiropractors, massage therapists, and other health care professionals
cross refer clients for a coordinated and complete health care plan.
Naturopathic doctors are trained to recognize conditions that are outside
their scope of practice and to refer to other health care providers
when it is appropriate.
You do not need a referral to see a naturopathic doctor.
What’s the difference between naturopathic
medicine and homeopathy?
Naturopathic doctors are trained in conventional medical sciences as
well as other complimentary and alternative treatments. Naturopathic
medicine is an umbrella term for doctors that practice many different
treatments, called modalities. These modalities include herbal or botanical
medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (including acupuncture and herbs),
clinical nutrition, vitamin supplementation, lifestyle counseling and
homeopathy. A naturopathic doctor requires an undergraduate degree,
four years of naturopathic medical school, and is regulated to practice
in the province of Ontario.
A homeopath, on the other hand, is trained to use strictly one modality, which is homeopathic remedies, and does not need an undergraduate degree to study homeopathy. The homeopathic profession is not regulated in Ontario.
Do I need a referral to come see a naturopathic
doctor?
No, you do not need a referral to see a naturopathic doctor.
To find a naturopathic doctor in your area,
please contact the Ontario
Association of Naturopathic Doctors
What’s my first
visit like?
Your first visit is between 1-1½ hours long. This amount of time is
needed to gather all the necessary information to understand the nature
of your health concern, as well as all the factors in your life that
contribute to your health and wellbeing. This is important because no
single condition is separate from the rest of the body. Treating a disease
goes hand in hand with improving the health of the body as a whole.
A detailed charting of your chief complaint is done, as well as a thorough medical history, a brief physical examination (if required), and a review of your diet. Other factors that affect your health are also reviewed, such as the quality of your sleep, your energy level, your digestion, your emotional health, etc.
Based on all this information, an appropriate course of treatment will be recommended. In more complicated cases, short term and long term health goals will be set, and a plan to achieve them implemented. The goals and plans will be agreed upon by both you and your doctor to encourage a co-operative framework for improving your health.
Subsequent visits will be shorter in duration, usually 30 minutes, and their frequency depends on each individual case. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
What are subsequent
visits like? How often do I need to come?
Subsequent visits are usually 30 minutes long and their frequency depends
on the nature of your complaint. More severe or chronic condition may
need more treatment; therefore more visits may be required. Also, a
treatment plan including acupuncture may likely require more than one
visit. Please visit our Services page to find out what sorts of treatments
may be included in your plan
At subsequent visits, you are encouraged to ask all the questions you may have about your condition or course of treatment. At this time laboratory results are also discussed and explained in full detail.
How do I book an appointment?
To book an appointment:
Please call the Core Link Wellness Clinic at (905) 592-0095
Or email us at info@kianiND.com.
We are located at 518 Brant St., 3 blocks north of
Lakeshore Rd, in Burlington.
To avoid spending time filling out forms in our waiting room, please download the Patient Intake Forms and complete them before you come for your visit. For the forms please visit our Resource Page, or just click here – download.
