I worked as the staff director at an aternative health clinic, and helped to coordinate clients for a group of ND's, acupuncturists, massage therapists...etc.
In California, visiting a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) is becoming increasingly commonplace. In fact, one of our staff ND's had hospital priveledges and worked regularly with MD's. You usually pay out of pocket for each visit, our clinic would issue "super-bills" w/ insurance codes that could be submitted to an insurance company for reimbursment...some of them would cover some ND bills but not many.
ALWAYS check credentials. There are only four or five Naturopathic Medical Shools that are actually accredited, and each state has different laws on scope of practice. You can look them up at
www.aanmc.org. Practitioners who study traditional naturopathy are also called "Naturopaths", but their studies are not nearly as regulated as those who are "Naturopathic Doctors" with a degree from Naturopathic Medical School. I think BOTH practitioners have a lot to offer, but it is important to know their background and training.
In alternative health, a lot of emphasis is placed one learning to build up your health through preventative means rather than managing symptoms, and learning to recognize early symptoms of illness before they develop into chronic or serious conditions. There is a focus on counseling the client on ways THEY can support their body in the healing process in their day to day life. The naturopathic philosophy of healing is largely based on the idea that the body wants to be in a balanced state of health and that this can be achieved through lifestyle changes and natural remedies.
I come from the opposite side of the spectrum from you: born into a family that was always suspicious of western medicine and utilized lots of alternative health practices (chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, massage, yoga....you know, a carricature of Californians) However, I feel there is great possibility for both modalities to complement one another. I have experienced great success with both, and am very passionate about the future of integrative medicine.
One big piece of advice: if you decide to pursue treatment from an ND, make sure you are fully transparent with both your ND and MD about what treatments you are using. There is such a problem right now with people using complementary healing therapies (or even just experimenting with them at home) and not telling there docs...especially dangerous when mixing herbal remedies and prescriptions.
Good luck on finding a practitioner!
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