Conventional medicine, although it most certainly has its place, is focused largely on symptom suppression with indefinite treatment timelines and heavy side effect profiles. This industry, driven largely by Big Pharma, is in need of a paradigm shift.
Naturopathy emphasizes a model of wellness medicine, which encompasses prevention as well as a focus on root-cause identification and treatment.
I have seen a number of type II diabetic patients wearing an expression of shock upon their faces when I mention sugar and carbohydrate overconsumption as the driver of their condition.
Why is nutrition not addressed when the hemoglobin A1c lab value enters the “pre-diabetic” zone of 5.7-6.4%?
Why are the metformin drug and other glucose-lowering agents their irrefutable destiny?
Unfortunately, a discussion of nutrition is often overlooked.
For some folks, lifelong medication is a suitable method while for others, it is utterly unacceptable. For those who desire true change, naturopathic medicine focuses on making necessary lifestyle modifications to improve overall wellbeing.
In some cases, pharmaceuticals are unavoidable and necessary. This is not to say that improvements cannot be made by optimizing lifestyle choices to keep inflammation at bay, replenish depleted nutrients, and feel as well as possible.
I am a firm believer in collaborative care.
No matter what the condition, or lack thereof, my approach prioritizes the fundamentals of health:
1. Are you eating nourishing, nutrient-dense foods?
2. Are you drinking enough water?
3. Are you getting proper sleep?
4. Are you moving your body regularly?
These four basic points are essential to wellness.
Whether you are suffering from chronic disease or simply seeking improved health, these are the initial questions that must be addressed. No matter what the obstacle to cure, there are always avenues to improve our current state of health.
It would benefit insurance companies to cover the services of more naturopathic doctors, not only due to the increasing desire for this type of care, but also because the wellness model strives for healing. Ideally, therefore, over time, this would necessitate fewer office visits and decrease overall economic burden.
On the contrary, the current sickness model disregards prevention and emphasizes polypharmacy, which maintains the need for frequent care and lacks truly remedial measures. Further, the often contradictory nature of polypharmacy yields many unwanted and frustrating side effects.
It is evident that, although conventional allopathic medicine holds immense value in various realms, it has proven ineffective in others. Many disease processes may be improved or even reversed with lifestyle modification.
The value in understanding our bodies and retaining the freedom to make informed decisions regarding the path on which we embark in managing our own health is paramount.
