How to Choose a Naturopathic Doctor
The stress of our lifestyle today often leaves most of us feeling tired, annoyed and irritated, and often increases our vulnerability to get lifestyle diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, autoimmune problems and hormone imbalances. So what happens? You go to a doctor, you tell them your symptoms, and the doctor prescribes medicines; you feel good for a while after taking the medication, but then you go back to square one. Or worse, they tell you nothing is wrong with you and it’s all in your head.
Nothing can be more frustrating! This happens because the underlying cause of your feeling ‘unwell’ was not established and treated – only your symptoms were suppressed. If you have gone through this cycle of ill health, medication, temporary feeling of wellness and relapsing into illness, and you want to know what’s really wrong with you, or think that you want to achieve and maintain optimal wellness for the rest of your life, you need to think about consulting a naturopathic doctor like Renee Young, N.D..
What is a naturopathic doctor?
A naturopathic doctor always tries to find out the root cause of your illness. They conduct a detailed interview and perform several lab and clinical tests to establish the exact status of your health, and what your underlying health challenges are. Once they’ve reached a diagnosis, they will prepare a customized treatment plan based on the evaluation, and help you on the path to good health.
A naturopathic doctor is a doctor who has gone through 4 years of medical school just like a conventional doctor, but uses that knowledge in a different way, by prescribing holistic and natural treatment methods and working with the body’s natural healing system.
How to Choose
You may think “how will I choose the right naturopathic doctor? I’m seeing so many ads online and offline!” Let us help you with making the right choice. First, make a shortlist of the practitioners you like and then:
- Check their credentials: See if the person you have in mind has the requisite educational qualification, or is just a “naturopath” who has completed a short online course.
- Verify the name with the American Association of Naturopathic Doctors and/or your State Associations to be sure to ascertain if they are licensed doctors.
- Talk to friends, colleagues or family members if they know a good naturopathic doctor personally.
- Check online references; reviews left by former patients are some of the best resources to find out how good the doctor is and how effective the treatment.
- Try to find out the specialties of the shortlisted doctors and match the doctor with your specific problem. For instance, if you know that you have an endocrine (hormone) problem, consult Dr. Young, who specializes in endocrine disorders.
At the Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness you can talk to the patient care concierge who will help you understand what exactly ails you, and whether or not you can be treated at the clinic. The consultation is complementary, so don’t miss out.
