Naturopathic Medicine Month – Week 4: Cancer Care & Connection

It’s our last week of Naturopathic Medicine Month–we’ve had a great time answering your questions and busting myths!

Just because the month is over doesn’t mean we don’t want to continue to answer your questions. We’re always open to hearing from you. If you have a question or are wondering if Naturopathic Medicine has a solution for you, drop us a line or book a 15-minute complimentary “meet-the-doctor” visit.  

Myth: “Naturopathic doctors undergo little training”

Many people believe that becoming a Naturopathic Doctor requires little to no training, especially compared with conventional Medical Doctors. The belief that you can take an online course, or read a few books and call yourself a Naturopathic Doctor couldn’t be farther from the truth. As one of the 25 regulated health professions in Ontario, Naturopathic Doctors have access to seven “controlled acts”. Only four regulated health professions have more.  

After completing pre-medical sciences in university, Naturopathic  Doctors, attend a four-year, full-time accredited naturopathic medical school. During those four years, they gain a thorough knowledge of biomedical sciences by taking anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, physical clinical diagnosis, and pharmacology courses, as well as learning the naturopathic modalities such as herbal medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, and physical medicine. Students also complete supervised internships, gaining practical experience with patients.  

In Ontario, an ND must then also obtain a license by first passing board exams, both written and practical and acquiring malpractice insurance.  

The College of Naturopaths of Ontario registers eligible naturopathic doctors, and ensures they maintain continuing education requirements and adhere to professional standards of practice.  

FAQ: “Can I see a Medical Doctor AND a Naturopathic Doctor at the same time?”

You bet! 

In fact, research has shown that those patients receiving naturopathic care alongside conventional care do better than those receiving conventional care only.  

For best outcomes, patients want both MDs and NDs on their teams. MDs are experts in how to diagnose and manage disease and pathology. NDs are experts in the healthy function of your body. When a patient has a plan to optimize their health along with managing their disease they can’t help but win. 

Solution: Caring for Patients with Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can be one of the most frightening events in life. Naturopathic Doctors who work with cancer patients help them navigate through this very stressful and confusing time, and empower them to make an overall plan for their health as they engage with their conventional treatment plan.  

With these patients, the focus is on helping to:

  1. Decrease the side-effects of conventional cancer treatments
  2. Improve the nutritional status of patients before, during, and after conventional treatment
  3. Support the patient’s immune system to avoid additional illness
  4. Increase the effectiveness of conventional treatments
  5. Improve overall health in an attempt to prevent the spread or recurrence of cancer
  6. Support the body’s ability to better heal itself

Dr. Ehab Mohammad, ND practiced oncology as a medical doctor for over 20 years before becoming a naturopathic doctor. Here at StoneTree, he works exclusively with patients who have received a cancer diagnosis. By applying the best evidence and understanding how conventional and complementary therapies work together he helps patients come up for the best plan of management.  

Healthy Living Tip: Connection 

Humans are pack animals. We need social connection to thrive, not just air, food, and water.   

Recent studies on loneliness suggest that being lonely for a prolonged period is more harmful to your health than smoking 15 cigarettes per day! Beyond causing heightened rates of depression, anxiety, and irritability, loneliness is now being associated with potentially life-shortening health issues such as higher blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.

More and more Canadians are now living alone–some 28 percent of households, according to recent numbers by Statistics Canada, which also reports that one in five Canadians identifies as being lonely. 

Living along and being lonely also means eating alone too, and that’s unfortunate–eating together is one of the great secrets of health and wellness. Eating together usually results in eating better food, eating it more slowly, which usually means eating less of it, too!

Eat together!