Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct, primary health care profession, emphasizing a natural, self-empowering approach. Naturopathic doctors emphasize prevention, treatment, and optimal health, and use encourage an individual's inherent self-healing process. The practice of naturopathic medicine includes modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods.

Naturopathic doctors, also referred to as ND's, undergo rigorous training through an accredited four-year doctoral program. In addition to basic medical sciences and conventional diagnostics, Naturopathic education includes therapeutic nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, physical medicine, pharmacology and minor surgery. They receive over 1,000 hours of clinical training, and pass two medical board exams in order to obtain their medical license.

In Washington State, Naturopathic doctors are licensed primary care providers, and may diagnose illness using the same methods used in conventional medicine. They use laboratory tests, imaging and physical exams to identify the cause of the problem. Once licensed, Naturopathic doctors have similar prescriptive rights to medical doctors, and use these medications when they are indicated. They are trained to blend traditional and conventional therapies to create an individualized treatment plan using the least invasive options possible, to achieve the greatest result. Like other primary care doctors, ND's delegate to nurses and medical assistants and refer to specialists when appropriate.