What is a Naturopathic MD?

• Dec 28, 2017

What does a Naturopathic MD do?

A Naturopathic MD diagnoses, treats, and cares for patients. They are different from conventional providers because they use a system of practice that bases treatment of disease on the way the body works. Instead of suppressing symptoms with poisons, Naturopathic MDs support the body’s natural physiology to heal itself.  They pay attention to how the body functions, and they treat disease using science – physiology, pathology, anatomy genetics, and biochemistry.

How do they do it?

They employ a holistic philosophy and logical, functional medicine to support the body to heal itself with  physiological (how the body works), psychological (how the brain works), and mechanical methods. Those mechanical methods include clean air, water, sunlight, heat, earth and minerals. They educate their patients about healthy food and prescribe herbal therapy. Most drugs in use today come from plants or natural substances of some sort – they have just been isolated, altered and patented so a profit can be made upon them. You cannot patent vitamins, minerals, plants nor food. A Naturopathic MD will also use psychotherapy, counseling, stress management, electrotherapy – like TENS units used for pain, and physiotherapy or prescribed physical therapy and exercise. They are also trained in minor surgery, and naturopathic and manipulation (similar to chiropractic adjustments. A Naturopathic MD uses natural methods or modalities to treat the cause of disease, and support healthy functioning of the body to halt and reverse disease.

What does a Naturopathic MD not do?

They do not perform major surgery, nor use x-ray radiation and radium as therapies. Most Naturopathic MDs would not consider either of those to be “therapeutic” as x-rays and radium both cause cancer. A Naturopathic MD usually prescribes drugs and pharmaceutical medications as a last resort. The more common drug therapies used would include bioidentical hormones and other elements or compounds which are components of body tissues and are physiologically compatible to body processes for maintenance of life.  Antibiotics and antiviral medications are also often used because they actually treat the cause of disease.

In many states Naturopathic MDs can prescribe drugs, but most choose not to because most don’t fix the problem. Naturopathic MDs focus on prevention of disease. They treat the cause of disease, naturally. Sometimes prescriptions are necessary, but a Naturopathic MD will exhaust other options before prescribing medications.

How do you know you are seeing a Naturopathic MD?

There are several schools in North American that are accredited to train NMDs. To learn more about how the educations compare between MDs and NMDs click here.

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