Five Questions to Ask Your Prospective Naturopathic Doctor

Jun 5, 20210 comments

 

Naturopath Doctor- patient relationship

 

Below are five questions for  your naturopathic doctor.  You are looking for a Naturopathic Doctor and are excited because you have found a few doctors that are close to you. Great! Now What?

What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy is an emerging field with new emerging treatments and tests to help N.D. treat their patients. The best thing you can do is to be prepared when deciding which N.D. is right for you and do some investigating, just as you would when looking for any other medical professional to treat your health and wellness. First, go to their web site to review their background, credentials, and specializations. It is important to understand that naturopathic medicine is holistic in nature and focused on treating the root causes of a condition.

Background Naturopathic Medicine is Part of Functional Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a part of functional medicine which focuses on finding the root causes of illness. Your doctor will do some detective work into your current medical condition. Many chronic diseases are influenced by multiple factors such as genetics, lifestyle choices which includes food choices and consistent movement, stress, and other psycho-social influences such as marital status social support. Your doctor will examine all factors to find the original cause of your symptoms and find ways to help you at best prevent or eliminate the symptoms entirely or at least improve them.

doctor and patient

Naturopath doctor relationship

Which Five Questions are Important to Ask my Naturopathic Doctor.?  These Top Five Questions are a Great Start

  1. Which insurance providers do you take? In New Hampshire, N.D.’s are licensed to practice medicine. However, do check to make sure your insurance company covers naturopaths.
  2. Are they a member of a naturopathic association such as NHAND. You should easily be able to check your doctor’s school affiliation, whether your doctor has published articles in the field and other pertinent information. You should also check to see if your doctor is a member of an association. An association affiliation ensures that your doctor is continuing their education in the field.
  3. What areas do s/he specialize in? You should be able to tell if there is a match.
  4. How will you diagnose my health issues? Will you use physical tests, lab work, or other methodologies and do I feel comfortable with those methods?
  5. How many appointments will I need? Of course, this will depend on that nature of your health concern and how you feel after one appointment, and whether there is a need for follow up visits. Expect that your doctor will work as part of a team of healthcare providers and ask questions as to how they plan on working with the other medical professionals.

Download Seven Questions Every Patient Should Ask Their Doctor

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