Basic Naturopathic Therapies

New patients may book an initial consultation appointment only. Appointments for specific treatments are not available to new patients because by law we cannot recommend treatment or prescribe supplements without having performed an initial consultation.

Basic naturopathic therapies are the main services that a naturopathic doctor will use when treating a patient. After consulting with the patient, the doctor will determine which basic naturopathic services should be used and how they could be used to treat the causes of a patient’s health problems. The doctor will then review with the patient what is causing the health problem and how these basic therapies are used to remedy the condition.

Clinical Nutrition Therapy 

The doctor will examine the patient’s diet in detail and establish whether there is anything in the patent’s diet that is causing their health problems, if they are reacting to foods.

We work with our patients to implement changes that will work for the patient. We don’t immediately put everyone on a vegetarian or a low carb diet and we don’t put people on a restrictive gluten-free or dairy-free diet if it’s not necessary.

We examine the patient’s eating habits, when they eat, what they are doing through the day, what their schedule is like and how any changes will be implemented.

For example if someone is skipping breakfast, is busy all day, has no time and can’t get a chance to cook a meal (and so is eating nutrient-impoverished fast food as a staple of their diet) we might recommend they do the week’s cooking on Sunday, package it up for suppers for the week and have a simple cereal for breakfast and a healthy wrap for lunch. Then when they get home they don’t have to cook; they just reheat supper.

We always find what will work for the patient, something that will fit their schedule and lifestyle. We formulate therapeutic diets that are easy to follow. [BACK TO TOP]

Vitamins and Supplements Therapy 

We will often recommend supplements and vitamins for their therapeutic effects to our patients. We always keep it simple and we never use shopping bags of supplements in a shotgun effect. It is common that we will recommend 1 to 4 products to our patients.

The products that we use are the ones that we have the most experience with. As our doctors have over 20 years experience, we will recommend specific products that we know work in most situations.

We do carry a limited supply of our products on site but patients are not required to purchase them from us. They are free to choose products anywhere they would like. The pharmacy in our building carries a number of the products that we recommend.

If a patient chooses to find a product on their own, we will do our best to work with that but we cannot guarantee quality or outcomes of products we are not familiar with. [BACK TO TOP]

Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is the use of small single-use sterile needles that are inserted into very specific acupuncture points called meridians.  Meridians are pathways to different organs or glands in the body along which Qi flows.

Qi (life energy) is found in all living things and serves as a driving force. It also protects the body from injury and disease. A person’s health is influenced by the quality, quantity and balance of Qi. Meridians can be obstructed by many things including physical or emotional trauma, lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, seasonal and climatic changes, among others.

When a meridian is blocked, the flow of Qi is restricted.  When this occurs, it can lead to poor health in the organ system that is fed by that particular meridian and may result in pain, illness, or disease.

Acupuncture adjusts the flow of Qi in the meridian system to stimulate the body to heal itself.

With this therapy we are not only stimulating a local healing response but also working on its connection to the internal organ systems. Acupuncture stimulates the body to heal itself, both locally and within the body.

Acupuncture is recognized by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of medical problems.

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Botanical and Herbal Medicine 

Herbal (botanical) medicines are plant extracts that are put into a medicinal form such as teas, liquids, dry powders and capsules. These herbs stimulate the body to heal itself.

There are many scientific studies on what herbs are used for. For example Black Cohosh has been extensively studied in its use for menopausal hot flashes.

We custom design herbal (botanical) treatments for our patients. The ingredients and herbs that can be used have multiple different healing properties that have been used for hundreds of years. If a patient needs a certain ingredient for one reason and another ingredient for a separate problem, we can combine the ingredients in a custom solution for everything the patient needs. [BACK TO TOP]

Exercise Therapy 

Naturopathic doctors are trained in the different exercise techniques available for improving health. Improvements in diet and exercise can improve anyone’s health. Research shows that improving exercise will improve overall health outcomes. We work with our patients to design an exercise program that works for them and that they actually like to do. It’s always more effective if you actually do the exercise, and making it something you will want to do is key. [BACK TO TOP]