Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic versus Western medicine

• Basic approach:
  • While standard Western medicine focuses on one medical problem or part of the body at a time, naturopathic medicine is an approach to health and healing that addresses the whole person including the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social aspects of health and disease.
     
• Scope of practice:
  • Naturopaths have a range of specialties, including clinical nutrition, botanical medicine (herbals), homeopathy (which makes use of highly diluted extracts), physical medicine (e.g., massage), Asian medicine (e.g., acupuncture), and psychological medicine (e.g., lifestyle counseling, stress management).
  • Doctors of standard Western medicine are either general practitioners (family doctors) or specialists in a given disease area or part of the body (e.g., cardiology).
     
• Treatment:
  • Practitioners of naturopathic medicine treat diseases by enhancing the person's natural ability and processes to support healing.
  • Doctors of standard Western medicine treat diseases by using clinical regimens that have been proven to be safe and effective by scientists and medical researchers.
     
• Prevention:
  • Both disciplines support the maintenance of good health through healthy lifestyle changes and improving disease awareness by patient education.

What are naturopathic products?
The most common types of naturopathic products can be found in your pharmacy; they are usually referred to as "natural health products." While there may be a range of naturopathic products to choose from, they are not all the same in the quality or quantity of the ingredients they contain. This is important for consumers to know because the contents will affect the efficacy and safety of the product. Look for an NPN (natural product number) or DIN-HM (drug identification number - homeopathic medicine) on the label. This number shows that the product has been tested by Health Canada, and that it contains the ingredients and amounts shown on the label, is not contaminated with any other substances, and has accurate instructions for use.

Ten of the most common natural health products are:

• black cohosh
• chondroitin sulfate
• echinacea
• garlic
• ginseng
• glucosamine sulfate
• ginkgo biloba
• saw palmetto
• St. John's wort
• tea tree oil

Are naturopathic products safe?
Although it is common to think that naturopathic products must be completely safe since they're "natural," the ingredients they contain may interact with your regular medications, cause you to have an allergic reaction, or cause side effects.

In addition, naturopathic products may not be safe for:

• women who are pregnant or breast-feeding
• infants and children less than 12 years of age
• seniors
• people with liver or kidney disease or other medical conditions
• people who are scheduled for surgery

Before you start to use a naturopathic product, consult your family doctor or pharmacist to ensure that it is suitable for you. Come visit us at a pharmacy near you. Our Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacists can help you find the products that are appropriate for you and answer any questions about naturopathic products.