What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a system of primary health care that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine. It emphasizes the use of natural modalities – such as nutrition, lifestyle counseling and botanical medicine – to promote wellness and treat illness. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) work according to a set of basic principles – the Principles of Naturopathic Medicine – that include such things as stimulating the healing power of the body and addressing the underlying causes of disease, rather than focusing on alleviating symptoms. The practice of naturopathic medicine requires understanding illness within the context of a person’s whole life.
Source: Council on Naturopathic Medical Education

Naturopathic Principles

• First, do no harm
• Cooperate with the healing power of nature
• Address the fundamental cause of disease
• Heal the whole person through individualized treatment
• Prevent disease and promote health
• Doctor as teacher

Your CCNM Clinics’ health-care team encourages you to become an active partner in your health care decision-making about treatments and lifestyle changes that are right for you. You’ll benefit from the education, training, research efforts and experience of a licensed naturopathic doctor and senior student interns.

Our Approaches Include:

Botanical Medicine

Botanical medicine uses plants for their healing and nutritional values. The flowers, roots, leaves or oils of a plant may take the form of teas, tinctures, ointments, essential oils and supplements. Your naturopathic doctor or intern will review your health situation and prescriptions before recommending a botanical therapy.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Counselling

Nutritional and lifestyle counselling – along with naturopathic therapies – can help you maintain long-term health and wellness. It may include counselling, exercise and sleep recommendations.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a unique system of medicine used for thousands of years. Through acupuncture, acupressure, diet, massage, and medicinal herbs, the naturopathic practitioner manipulates the physical and energy processes of the body to realign and balance the body’s systems..

Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. The traditions of Asian medicine observed physical and emotional issues as being affected by the flow of energy termed “Qi” (pronounced “chee”). Acupuncture uses fine, sterile needles to correct the flow of “Qi” in the body.
Physical Medicine

Physical Medicine offers many ways to improve well-being, recover from injury and strengthen the immune system to support healing. Physical medicine focuses on treating muscle and joint strains, arthritis and other types of pain. Treatment may include massage, muscle stretching, acupuncture, manipulation of the spine and extremities, and hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy

The use of water in treating disease which includes hot and cold packs, steam baths, hot and cold baths, sauna, and peat baths.
Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicine is when a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if taken in large quantities; in other words, ‘like cures like.’ The World Health Organization recognizes it as the world’s second-largest therapeutic system of medicine.