Canadians are now seeking alternative health care for a variety of chronic conditions including fibromyalgia, back problems, migraines and bowel disorders to name a few.  Are you looking to try alternative or complementary care for disease, chronic pain or health issues?  Are you wondering who to consult?  Natural health practitioners include the following:

• Naturopathic Doctors
• Acupuncturists
• Nutritionists
• Chiropractors
• Homeopaths
• Osteopaths
• Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners
• Herbalists
• Massage Therapists
• Colon Therapists
• Aromatherapists
• Medical Doctors/Natural Health Practitioners and Integrative Medicine

What exactly do these natural health practitioners do and what credentials should you be looking for?

Naturopathic Doctors:  The philosophy behind naturopathic medicine is stimulating the healing power of the body to treat the underlying cause of disease.  In their practice these natural health practitioners use and advise on herbs, clinical nutrition, homeopathic remedies, lifestyle counselling and physical treatments as well as Chinese medicine.  Naturopathic Doctors use a whole body approach while they consider your physical, mental and emotional factors to treat both acute and chronic conditions such as asthma, arthritis, menopausal symptoms and skin conditions to name a few.  They do no use surgery or prescription drugs as their goal is to treat the underlying cause of your problem not simply to cover the symptoms.  Look for these credentials:  Naturopathic Doctor [ND].
 
Acupuncturists:   Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM – dates back thousands of years] is at the core of acupuncture treatment.   TCM follows the notion that a type of life force or energy known as qi (pronounced chee) flows through energy pathways in your body and these natural health practitioners will work with you to ensure your body’s pathways remain balanced and unblocked.  Needles are inserted at specific points in your body to restore balance to your qi.  Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in providing pain relief.  Look for these credentials:  Certified Acupuncturist [C.Ac]; Diploma of Medical Acupuncturist [D. Ac]; Registered Acupuncturist [R. Ac]; Registered Acupuncture Practitioner [RAP]; Licensed Acupuncturist [LAc]; Doctor of traditional Chinese Medicine [DTCM or DcTCM].

Nutritionists:  Holistic Nutritionists will work with their clients to determine nutritional imbalances.  Many are trained to provide personalized recommendations regarding food selection and preparation as well as food supplements.  A personalized approach is key while taking into consideration your height, weight, age, sex, level of physical exercise, dietary goals, food preferences and sensitivities and dietary habits.   Look for these credentials:  Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner [RNCP]; Nutritional Consulting Practitioner [NCP]; Registered Holistic Nutritionist [RHN].

Chiropractors:  Chiropractors work to diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine.  Chiropractic treatment aims to keep your spine aligned and healthy in the belief that the nerve system functions better thereby providing overall improvement to your overall health.  Chiropractic treatment is known to be effective for many other ailments including migraine headaches, digestive disorders, stiff neck, shoulder and arm pain, whiplash and menstrual cramps to name a few.  Look for these credentials: Doctor of Chiropractic [DC].

Homeopaths:  Homeopathic Practitioners follow a system that stimulates their patient’s body’s own healing mechanism to aid in the treatment of conditions such as asthma, diarrhea, skin conditions, depression, menopausal symptoms and chronic fatigue syndrome among others.  Treatment is based on the principle that like remedies cure like diseases and therefore minute doses of medicines are chosen to match a pattern of symptoms.  Treatment is considered holistic and therefore these natural health practitioners will look to understand how you experience your symptoms and how they affect your life so that the most appropriate medicine can be provided to promote healing and restore health.  Look for these credentials:  Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Sciences [DHMS]; Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Health Sciences [DHMHS]; Diploma of Homeopathy [DHom].

Osteopaths: Osteopathic Physicians must complete the same comprehensive medical education as their MD colleagues plus they engage in comprehensive training in bio-mechanical assessment of the musculoskeletal system and treatment including osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT).  OMT is used to correct problems with the spine and nerves leading to relief from back and neck pain among other symptoms.  These natural health practitioners believe that when proper structure is restored then the body’s own natural healing abilities will assist the body back to full health.  Look for these credentials: Doctor of Osteopathy [DO].

Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners:  This form of medicine known as TCM is a complete medical system that, for more than 2000 years, has been used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness.  Herbs are a large part of Chinese medicine together with acupuncture and massage.  These natural health practitioners believe that illness is our body’s way of telling us that balance within our body has been disturbed.  Healing will focus on restoring balance and harmony to your body which will enable it to heal itself.  TCM practitioners also focus on what they believe to be the life force or energy in your body, this energy is referred to as qi and it is pronounced “chee”.  TCM may help you with obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and digestive disorders among other conditions.  Look for these credentials: DTCM or DcTCM, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Herbalists:  These natural health practitioners use medicinal plants and natural products in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic disease and also for the maintenance of your best health and well-being.  This form of medicine can also be referred to as “phytotherapy” or botanical medicine.  Herbalists treat a wide variety of conditions including asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, menopausal issues, chronic fatigue as well as digestive disorders among other ailments. Look for these credentials: Chartered Herbalist [CH]; Master Herbalist [MH]; Clinical Herbalist [CLH].

Massage Therapists:    While melting away stress and tension which in turn relieves associated headaches and muscular aches and pains, massage therapy can be relaxing or stimulating depending on the condition that needs to be relieved.  If you have been injured or worked your body to the point of “over-use” then these natural health practitioners can provide help in the healing process while massage therapy can also provide an excellent form of preventative health care and relaxation.  Look for these credentials:  Registered Massage Therapist [RMT].

Colon Therapists:  This form of treatment can be referred to as Colon Hydrotherapy, colonic irrigation or simply colon therapy.  A healthy colon is important for overall health so this type of treatment is set to maintain or regain regular bowel function.  This therapy entails the cleansing of the large intestine through the administration of water, herbal solutions, enzymes or other substances such as coffee.  If a surplus of waste remains in your body then your body is forced to reabsorb it.  The re-absorption of waste material may cause elevated body toxicity levels.  When toxicity levels rise disease and illness result.  Look for these credentials:  Naturopathic Doctor [ND]; Certified Colon Therapist [CCT].

Aromatherapists:  Aromatherapists will use essential oils from plants in their approach to healing both your body and mind.  Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs can offer both psychological and physical benefits.  The aroma of the natural essential oil may stimulate the brain to trigger a positive reaction plus the natural occurring chemicals in the essential oil can provide a therapeutic benefit as well.  A good example is the diffusion of eucalyptus essential oil to help ease congestion.  Aromatherapy may help alleviate stress, headaches, cold and flu symptoms and aches and pains.  Look for these credentials:  Registered Aromatherapist [RA]; Registered Aromatherapy Health Practitioner [RAHP].

In conclusion, many people feel they are not getting everything they want or need from allopathic (medicine focusing on the elimination of physical symptoms with a primary approach to care using drugs and surgery) care.  We should not abandon conventional medicine.  Instead, many of us now rely on what is known as integrative medicine.  Integrative medicine comes from combining parts of both complementary or alternative medicine by natural health practitioners with conventional medicine from our physicians.  Integrative medicine works on promoting a harmonic relationship between yourself and the medical professional with a view to understanding and working with your body’s own healing systems.  Integrative medicine will see physicians and natural health practitioners seeking a balanced approach with patients by working in conjunction with each other rather than in competition.

Tags: Acupuncturists, Aromatherapists, Chiropractors, Colon Therapists, Herbalists, Homeopaths, Integrative Medicine, Massage Therapists, Medical Doctors, Natural Health Practitioner, Naturopathic Doctor, Nutritionists, Osteopaths, Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners