NHAWC Resources

Naturopathic Medicine is a unique healthcare profession that combines the most current advances in modern medicine with safe effective natural therapies. Naturopathic Medicine is based on the philosophy that our bodies have a inherent ability to heal; as physicians our goal is to remove those factors which are preventing this natural healing process from occurring. Naturopathy has existed in this country for over one hundred years and it is experiencing a re-awakening as more people learn about the tremendous benefits it can offer.

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained in a wide variety of Holistic Therapeutics including Clinical Nutrition, Botanical Medicine, Counseling, Physical Medicine, and Homeopathy. Homeopaths specialize exclusively in homeopathy.

A Licensed naturopathic physician (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as medical doctor. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). Like, MDs, naturopathic physicians take rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician.

There are several ways to answer this question; the first thing most people think of is that NDs use natural medicines and MDs use prescription drugs and surgery. This is certainly an important distinction; natural medicines support and restore healthy function; they don’t just cover up the symptoms.

The main difference that patients notice is that NDs spend much more time with them and are trained to listen and integrate complex information in a much more comprehensive way. Many of my patients lament that their MDs are too specialized and will not focus on symptoms that fall outside their area of expertise. As NDs, we are trained to treat the whole person and will therefore address a person’s concerns on much a broader scope.

Another way of looking at things is that NDs specialize in helping patients with chronic illnesses; whereas MDs specialize in helping patients with acute illnesses or injuries. If you are ever in a car accident, or suffering from an acute illness such as a heart attack or difficulty breathing, you want to see an MD. They specialize in heroic measures that can save your life. Chronic illnesses, on the other hand respond better to a medical system that actually addresses the underlying cause of the problem.

Yes, our office accepts most health insurance plans including:

Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Aetna
ConnectiCare
Cigna
Husky (21 years old and younger)
United Healthcare
Oxford
Many out of network plans are covered up to 80%; please feel free to call our office to inquire about your plan.