Published June 26, 2004 in
the North Island Weekender
During my first appointment
with clients I always give a brief description of who we are, and what our
training and expertise is.
This is what I tell them:
The work doctor comes from
the Latin root “docere” which means to teach. Naturopathic physicians are
teachers as well as coaches in “health care”, not “disease care”.
Most (ND’s) have 8-9 years of post-secondary education. The four-year full time
naturopathic medical programs available from the two schools in Canada and the
four schools in the United States require 3-4 years of pre-med to gain
entrance. (See my website for links to these colleges). The first two years of
education is very similar to what MD’s receive, studying anatomy, physiology
and biochemistry. The next two years greatly differ as MD’s become experts in
drugs and surgery and ND’s become experts in herbs, homeopathy and nutrition.
MD’s do very well with the horizontally ill, those requiring emergent care and
hospital medicine and ND’s do very well with the vertically ill, those who are
able to function who don’t feel well, but all the “tests” are “normal”.
During my initial evaluation of the patient, which usually happens over the
first two or three visits, I review the so-called “normal” results of the blood
work tests, looking for optimal values instead. I also evaluate the five
aspects of optimal health which are 1: structure and hormones; 2: nutrition and
deficiencies; 3: elimination and infections; 4: mental emotional stresses and
5: heredity and environment. What ND’s are trying to do is to evaluate the
cause of the health condition in order to best treat it and prevent its’
recurrence.
I saw a woman for one appointment only and one of the key things we identified
was she needed the most help with the housework. She went home and hired a
house cleaner every week or two and thus gave herself the time she needed to
take better care of herself. Her over work was an obstacle to cure.
Every person coming to my
office complaining of headaches gets asked about their structure. Did they have
a car accident at any time in their life, how were they delivered at birth,
(i.e. forceps?), have they seen a chiropractor or physiotherapist to assess
their structure? The most chronic of headaches will not resolve if there are
imbalances in the alignment of the spine. I also see it as my job to dispel
some of the myths around chiropractors and introduce patients to the more
gentle techniques of chiropractors using the “activator” or “grostic” methods.
Having a bowel movement every other day or once per week is not healthy. It is
common but not ideal. The first thing ND’s do is work with the digestion. But
elimination does not just include the bowel, we also look at the bladder and
the kidney. I always ask about the teeth as they can be a source of chronic
undetected infection.
Heredity and environment can
give us clues as to the cause of some symptoms. I will always inquire about the
source of the water people are drinking, look at artificial sweeteners, or look
at where the electrical fuse box is in the house. All of these are stressors on
the body and most underestimate their serious impact.
I have developed Basic Treatment Guidelines (BTG) that form the basis of my
healing programs that are followed in their entirety in the case of chronic
diseases, or partially in the case of a healthier person. Individual programs
are added to complete the BTG; the BTG allowing all prescribed remedies to work
better in the body.
We often get asked by folks from far away how to find an ND near them. The
first thing is to look on my website as I link to the BCNA (British Columbia
Naturopathic Association) www.bcna.ca and the
College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC (CNPBC) www.cnpbc.bc.ca to find an ND somewhere in
BC. Outside of BC there is the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors,
(CAND), our national association which lists all ND’s in Canada, www.naturopathicassoc.ca and in the
United States www.naturopathic.org
If you need phone numbers instead just call our office. These
sites will list only those
professionals who have completed the four-year full time ND program from an
accredited college. There are some schools issuing the NMD degree, which is not
the same as the ND degree. Even so there are those calling themselves ND’s and
they have not graduated from one of the six schools I referred to above. The
task of then finding someone who practices in such a way as you are looking can
be onerous. The websites can be useful in providing further information about
the practice style of each practitioner. However there are three associations in
Canada where you can call and talk to a person with some of your questions:
BCNA in BC, the OAND (Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors) in Ontario
and the CAND for the rest of Canada. Your job as a patient is to be clear on
what your health goals are in working with your naturopathic doctor. Often they
are unrealistic as most people have the incorrect assumption that all what we
do is around changing the diet. Eating a healthful healing diet is 50% of the
solution. The other 50 % is correcting deficiencies and using natural
therapeutics to assist the body in healing and the dosages required for this
cannot found in food!
Look for a naturopathic doctor when you want to find out about the cause of
your health challenge, if you are willing to take responsibility for it and
change it and you realize the value of your health in terms of dollars. The
two-tiered health care system is beginning to take hold in this country and I
have been providing an aspect of this for 19 years!
People will learn to see naturopathic medicine as providing a type of “health
insurance”. Just as people value car and house insurance they will come to
realize their “naturopathic health plan” is a monthly investment towards some
protection against the ravages of the common chronic diseases of aging:
arthritis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Dr.
Pincott has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently
practicing in Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com