Diversify your health care team

What is naturopathic medicine, and other questions.

December 31, 2017 By Dr Allison Egan

I am a naturopathic physician (ND). I am proud of this statement but I do still get the occasional quizzical look when I declare my profession. More than anything I want to reassure the value of my profession and to reiterate that ND’s have a place in everyone’s healthcare.

What is naturopathic medicine?

The short answer is that naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body retains an ingrained ability to heal itself. It is a distinct healthcare profession that believes in emphasizing prevention, optimal health, and treatment though the use of natural medicine that encourages the body’s natural ability to heal itself. You can find a longer description and education examples here.

While my profession is more common where I now practice in Seattle, WA I still get questions about how I practice compared to conventional doctors. Ultimately I believe the root question being asked is something like:

“which medicine is better?”

My answer may surprise you, I don’t think there is one “right” medicine with all the answers. And individually, just as every human is a unique being, every medical provider practices differently, and no single practitioner has all the answers.

“Integrative medicine”, since the 1990’s this has been a term gaining popularity. Integrative medicine is a health system that includes different types of practitioners and medical disciplines. Often incorporating conventional biomedicine, clinic psychology, naturopathic medicine, Chinese medicine (just to name a few) into a patients care, creating a “health care team” so that patients may benefit from multiple approaches.

How this may work is that a patient may see an MD who manages their pharmaceutical, surgical, and other biomedical needs. Then that same patient may coordinate care, either on their own or by referral from their MD, with a naturopathic physician. An ND can do a lot for a patient on their own acting as a primary care provider, but in this example they may help manage their patient’s possible pharmaceutical and supplementation interactions, give advice on diet and lifestyle modifications or recommend herbal therapies, physical medicine, or additional supplementation to meet their goals for the specific problem the patient was referred for. With good communication several practitioners working together can provide individualized patient centered care.

Ultimately my goal for all my patients is to empower them to be in control of their health care. The best health care teams form a working relationship with you the patient and encourage interaction between all stakeholders. If you are not currently a part of a system that supports integrative care and refers you to other types of practitioners you can build your own health care team! Here are a few key points to remember when searching for the right provider for you:

    • Find providers that you trust. This can be difficult with different insurance models and may require a little more investment both monetarily and time wise; but in the long run your health will be worth the effort.
    • Let all your providers know who else is in your care team. We want to know who to send updates to and many of us like to learn of other providers who offer exceptional care!
    • Bring a current list of medications to all your visits, including supplements. Provide all dosages and understand what you are taking them for.
    • Question anything that you don’t understand. A lot of information can be thrown at you in an office visit, so take notes, ask questions, and if you are not comfortable with a treatment ask if there are other options.
    • Only you get to decide what gets done to your body, you can say no to any treatment offered.

Remember that you are the one in charge of your health care.

If you don’t like how you are treated, change your provider. If you don’t like a treatment, ask questions or refuse treatment (just let your other providers know what you decide).

I would love to be a part of your health care team! I specifically work with pain management but I can help you with many other health goals you may have. Call (206)906-9239 to schedule an appointment.

References

  1. Lim E, Vardy JL, Oh B, Dhillon HM. Comparison of integrative medicine centers in the USA and Germany: a mixed method study. Support Care Cancer. 2017 Jun;25(6):1865-1872. doi: 10.1007/s00520-017-3590-2. Epub 2017 Jan 25.
  2. Maizes V, Rakel D, Niemiec C. Integrative medicine and patient-centered care. Explore (NY). 2009 Sep-Oct;5(5):277-89. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2009.06.008.