A naturopathic doctor (ND) is a healthcare professional who practices naturopathic medicine.
Naturopathic medicine is a alternative medicine approach that emphasizes the use of natural medicine and a “whole person” approach to prevent, diagnose and treat health problems.
NDs primarily focus on addressing the underlying causes of illness – rather than just treating symptoms – to help promote the well-being of the body and mind as a whole.
All naturopathic doctors respect the
- First, do no harm. NDs focus on using medications, procedures, and other therapeutic approaches that are as minimally invasive as possible. However, in cases where natural treatment methods are not effective, an ND can direct further care.
- The healing power of nature. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the healing power of the natural world as well as the body’s ability to heal. NDs help the patient use this power by helping to create a healthy environment, both internal and external.
- Identify and treat the causes. NDs work to identify the underlying physiological, biochemical, structural, and psychospiritual contributor to symptoms. By addressing the underlying cause, naturopathic medicine aims to treat the cause of the symptoms rather than improve them.
- Doctor as teacher. NDs function not only as practitioners of natural medicine, but also as teachers to their patients. As part of their practice, NDs teach patients everything they need to know to take care of their bodies.
- Treat the person as a whole. Naturopathy emphasizes the idea that there are multiple factors – physical, mental, genetic, environmental, etc. – which have an impact on health. During treatment, NDs focus on all of these factors, rather than just one.
- Prevention. Although NDs diagnose and treat health problems, the primary focus of naturopathic medicine is disease prevention.
Using the six principles of naturopathic medicine, NDs aim to help patients recover from acute and chronic health conditions while using the most natural and least invasive approaches possible.
NDs begin the path to licensure with a 4-year doctoral program and must complete the following path to licensure:
- Education. The Licensure of a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) or Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD) includes a 4-year doctoral program from an accredited naturopathic medical school. According to the Naturopathic Medical Education Council (CNME), there are nine programs in the United States, which currently allows graduates to obtain licensure.
- Exam. After completing an accredited 4-year program, NDs must pass the Naturopathic Physician Licensing Examination (NPLEX). During the NPLEXCandidates are tested on a variety of topics, including biomedical topics and diagnostics, treatment modalities, and medical interventions.
Once an ND is licensed, they must continue to follow all state naturopathic guidelines while practicing medicine. Although requirements vary from state to state, they generally include meeting annual continuing education requirements and remaining within that state’s specific scope of practice.
Doctors begin their journey by taking an exam called the MCAT, which allows them to be admitted to medical school. After passing the MCAT, students must complete a 4-year doctoral program before being accepted into a residency program.
Residency training can last from 3 to 7 years, depending on the program and specialty. The student can then take an exam to become a state-licensed and certified medical doctor (MD).
A doctor can become a holistic doctor specializing in holistic medicine, which is a type of alternative medicine focused on promoting the well-being of the mind, body and soul. Unlike naturopathic medicine, holistic medicine is not a separate branch of medicine. Rather, it is an approach to medicine that uses both conventional and alternative medicine.
Although
Regulations vary around the world, but in the United States, licensed naturopathic physicians are true health care professionals who can provide many of the same services as doctors.
In the healthcare world, many NDs choose to go into private practice. But many also work alongside other healthcare professionals in various fields.
- hospitals
- clinics
- health centers
- the universities
- other private health establishments
In the United States, there are strict regulations surrounding the practice of naturopathic medicine. Although anyone can go to school to become an ND, not all states allow naturopathic doctors to practice medicine.
From 2022, NDs will be able to become authorized to practice in only 22 states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
In addition to the states listed above, three jurisdictions in the United States offer naturopathy licenses:
- District of Colombia
- Porto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
In other United States jurisdictions that are not licensed for naturopathic physicians, there are three states in which it is actually illegal for anyone to practice naturopathic medicine:
- Florida
- Caroline from the south
- Tennessee
Whether or not an ND is covered by insurance depends entirely on the type of insurance plan you have.
In in most cases, NDs are not covered by insurance. Some plans even specifically exclude NDs from their coverage. However, some of the services that NDs can provide may be covered by certain insurance plans.
As for Medicare, it does not cover services provided by NDs. Actually, Original health insurance will only cover the services of a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or other specialist, such as:
- assistant doctor
- nurse practitioner
- clinical social worker
- podiatrist
- chiropractor
- physiotherapist or occupational therapist
- Oral language pathologist
- clinical psychologist
- dentist or optometrist, depending on your plan
If you live in a state that allows licensed NDs to practice, you can consult your insurance plan’s coverage and benefits booklet for more information about coverage for this type of care.
NDs can treat a wide range of health conditions, including acute and chronic illnesses and conditions.
According to a 2020 survey taken by the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC), the most common conditions treated by practicing NDs include:
Most NDs focus on the most common health problems listed above. But some NDs also specialize in other areas of health, such as men’s health, autoimmune diseases, and oncology.
A licensed naturopathic physician can prevent, treat and diagnose a wide variety of acute and chronic health problems, including many of the problems listed above.
But, like the types of diagnoses a doctor can make, many health conditions require the involvement of a specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
If an ND is unable to accurately diagnose a specific health problem, a referral may be made to an outside specialist for further diagnostic testing and a formal diagnosis.
Although there are 25 jurisdictions that allow licensed naturopathic physicians to practice medicine, only the following 13 states allow NDs to practice medicine. order laboratory tests for patients:
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Montana
- North Dakota
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Utah
- Vermont
Outside of these states, NDs are not authorized to order laboratory tests for patients. Instead, the patient can be referred for any laboratory tests they may need.
Many states that allow licensed naturopathic physicians to practice medicine also allow these doctors to prescribe medications – with limitations.
Under most state regulations, NDs are not allowed to prescribe controlled substances or substances highly controlled by government regulations due to their potential for misuse. However, in New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Washington state, an exception is made for certain drugs controlled based on specific ingredients.
Naturopathic doctors are only licensed to practice in the 25 jurisdictions listed above.
If you live in the United States and reside in one of the locations mentioned above, one of the best ways to find a list of approved NDs in your area is to use The American Association of Naturopathic Physician’s search tool. With this tool, you can search for approved NDs using various parameters, including practice focus, treatment modality, and insurance.
It is important to remember that some people may call themselves naturopaths or naturopathic doctors without ever being licensed. If you live in a state that allows NDs to become licensed, be sure to check your ND’s credentials to confirm that they meet all requirements for licensing.
If you’re wondering whether ND is right for you, it can be helpful to think about your treatment goals and, in turn, this can help you determine how naturopathic medicine might benefit you.
In many cases, naturopathic medicine is the most beneficial for people who appreciate a more natural, less invasive approach to the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. This can be especially helpful for those who have multiple health conditions because often these issues are related in a way that an ND can recognize and treat.
However, even outside of using naturopathic medicine as their primary approach, many people with chronic illnesses can also benefit from having a naturopathic doctor as part of their care team. And in some cases, an ND may already be on your team. In fact, in 2018 there were 28 medical centers in the United States that employed one or more naturopathic physicians.
Naturopathic medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on using a whole-body approach to prevent, diagnose and treat medical problems.
Although naturopathic medicine is banned in more than half of the United States, there are still 25 jurisdictions that allow licensed naturopathic physicians to practice medicine.
If you would like to learn more about other types of alternative medicine, check out our Healthline Natural Center or the Journal of Natural Medicine.
