Naturopathic treatment is a personalized plan that combines clinical nutrition, lifestyle counselling, botanical medicine, acupuncture and, in Ontario, certain prescribed substances, built around the causes behind your symptoms. It is delivered by regulated naturopathic doctors, and randomized trials run in Canada have found it improved chronic low back pain, anxiety and cardiovascular risk compared with standard care. Here is what the treatment involves, what it can help with and what the evidence shows.
What does naturopathic treatment include?
In Ontario, the practice is defined in law. The College of Naturopaths of Ontario’s Standard of Practice, based on the Naturopathy Act, 2007, describes it as “the assessment of diseases, disorders and dysfunctions and the naturopathic diagnosis and treatment of diseases, disorders and dysfunctions, using naturopathic techniques to promote, maintain, or restore health.”
In practice, a naturopathy treatment list usually includes:
- Diet and clinical nutrition
- Vitamin and nutrient supplementation
- Botanical (herbal) medicine
- Acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine
- Lifestyle and prevention counselling, including sleep and stress
- Physical medicine
- Homeopathic medicine
- IV and injection therapies, by naturopathic doctors with the extra certification
- Laboratory testing to guide and track the plan
No two plans look the same. The naturopathic doctor picks the tools that fit your condition, your test results and your daily life, and adjusts them over follow-up visits.
Is naturopathic medicine real medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a regulated health profession in Ontario. According to the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Naturopathy Act, 2007 came into effect in July 2015, which placed naturopathic doctors under their own regulatory college.
The training is long and standardized. The Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors states that “A Naturopathic Doctor has a minimum of 7 years post-secondary education” and that “NDs must write and pass standardized North American board exams known as the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX)” or the Ontario entry to practice exams. The OAND describes that education as “more than 3,000 hours of classroom training and 1,200 hours of clinical experience,” and licensed naturopathic doctors must complete “at least 70 hours every three years of approved continuing education.”
The more useful question is whether naturopathic treatment changes outcomes. Canadian researchers have tested exactly that.
Can naturopathic treatment help with chronic pain?
For chronic low back pain, a Canadian randomized trial says yes.
In a trial published in PLOS ONE, researchers randomly assigned 75 Canada Post employees with chronic low back pain to naturopathic care or to standardized physiotherapy advice. The naturopathic group “received dietary counseling, deep breathing relaxation techniques and acupuncture.” The conclusion: “Naturopathic care provided significantly greater improvement than physiotherapy advice for patients with chronic low back pain.”
Pain is also one of the most studied areas in the wider research. A systematic review of whole-practice naturopathic care identified studies in tendinitis, temporomandibular joint disorder, low back pain and general pain. People with arthritis, fibromyalgia and other long-term pain often ask about naturopathic care for the same reason: the plan works on inflammation, sleep, stress and movement together, alongside the care they already get from their physician.
Can naturopathic treatment help with anxiety?
A Canadian trial found that it outperformed standardized psychotherapy for generalized anxiety.
In the study, published in PLOS ONE, anxiety scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory fell by 56.5% with naturopathic care, compared with 30.5% with psychotherapy (p = 0.003 between the groups). The authors concluded that “Naturopathic treatment including Withania somnifera, a multi vitamin, dietary counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to be a safe and effective, with benefit over standardized psychotherapy in the treatment of mild to severe generalized anxiety.”
Withania somnifera is the herb better known as ashwagandha.
Can naturopathic treatment lower heart disease risk?
Yes, according to a trial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Postal workers at higher cardiovascular risk in Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton received either enhanced usual care or enhanced usual care plus naturopathic care. After one year, the 10-year cardiovascular risk was 7.74% in the naturopathic group compared with 10.81% with usual care alone, and metabolic syndrome affected 31.58% compared with 48.48%.
The same pattern runs through the research as a whole. The systematic review of whole-practice naturopathic care covered 12 studies in “anxiety, tendinitis, temporomandibular joint disorder, low back pain, general pain, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, menopausal symptoms, cardiovascular risk and type 2 diabetes,” and concluded that it “provides evidence of effectiveness and cost savings that merit further investigation of naturopathic care for chronic disease.”
Can naturopathic doctors prescribe medication in Ontario?
Within limits set by law, yes. The College of Naturopaths of Ontario lists the controlled acts naturopathic doctors are authorized to perform, including:
- “Prescribing, dispensing, compounding or selling a drug designated in the regulations.”
- “Administering, by injection or inhalation, a prescribed substance.”
- “Taking blood samples from veins or by skin pricking for the purpose of prescribed naturopathic examinations on the samples.”
That means an Ontario naturopathic doctor can prescribe the specific drugs named in the regulations, give injections, and draw blood for testing. Most treatment plans also use natural health products. Health Canada explains that you can identify products licensed for sale in Canada “by looking for the eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM).”
Does naturopathic treatment replace your family doctor?
No. It works alongside conventional medical care, and the profession’s own standards make that clear. The College’s Standard of Practice states that “If a patient’s life is or may be at risk, it is a standard of practice of the profession that the member shall immediately call emergency services to transfer the patient to a hospital.”
Keep both providers informed: tell your naturopathic doctor about your prescriptions, and tell your physician about your supplements and herbs. Our guide to what to expect from a naturopathic doctor in Mississauga covers the first visit in detail.
What conditions do people seek naturopathic treatment for?
The most common reasons are hormonal and women’s health concerns, fertility, digestive problems, fatigue, stress and anxiety, chronic pain and support for long-term conditions. At Nurtured Health, our naturopathic doctors focus on fertility and pregnancy care, hormonal health, mental health support, pain management and family wellness. Learn more about our naturopathic medicine services.
FAQ
What is naturopathic treatment?
A personalized plan from a regulated naturopathic doctor that combines nutrition, lifestyle counselling, botanical medicine, acupuncture and other therapies to address the causes behind your symptoms.
Is naturopathic treatment evidence-based?
Canadian randomized trials found naturopathic care improved chronic low back pain more than physiotherapy advice, reduced anxiety more than psychotherapy (56.5% vs 30.5%), and lowered cardiovascular risk compared with usual care alone.
Can a naturopathic doctor prescribe medication in Ontario?
Yes, within limits. The College of Naturopaths of Ontario authorizes naturopathic doctors to prescribe drugs designated in the regulations, administer prescribed substances by injection, and take blood samples for testing.
How much training does a naturopathic doctor have?
A minimum of 7 years of post-secondary education, including more than 3,000 hours of classroom training and 1,200 hours of clinical experience, followed by licensing exams.
Can I see a naturopathic doctor and my family doctor at the same time?
Yes. Naturopathic treatment is designed to work alongside your medical care. Keep both providers informed about your medications and supplements.
Sources
- College of Naturopaths of Ontario. Standard of Practice: Scope of Practice.
- College of Naturopaths of Ontario. Controlled Acts.
- Health Canada. About Natural Health Products.
- Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Common Questions: Education and Regulation.
- Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Education and Training.
- Szczurko O et al. Naturopathic Care for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial. PLOS ONE, 2007.
- Cooley K et al. Naturopathic Care for Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial ISRCTN78958974. PLOS ONE, 2009.
- Seely D et al. Naturopathic medicine for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: a randomized clinical trial. CMAJ, 2013.
- Calabrese C, Oberg E, Bradley R, Seely D, Cooley K, Goldenberg J. Systematic review of clinical studies of whole practice naturopathic medicine. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012.