Naturopathic medicine ‘can benefit people of all ages’
Reported September 12, 2009
Naturopathic doctor Parissa Bunin believes in a holistic and individualized approach to treatment, that’s why she spends more time with her patients than do medical doctors.
“In order to address the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects of health and simply to get to know our patients as unique individuals, we need to spend a great deal of time with them one-on-one,” Bunin said.
She said a patient’s first visit with a naturopathic doctor usually takes one to one and a half hours.
“During this session, we come up with a diagnosis and a treatment protocol that may include one or a number of therapeutic modalities,” Bunin said.
Depending on the physical, psychological and spiritual condition of each patient, Bunin’s treatment will consist of a unique combination of approaches such as clinical nutrition, botanical or herbal medicine, physical medicine, Asian medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy and lifestyle counselling.
Naturopathic doctors use herbs from around the world in the form of capsules, teas, tinctures, foods and salves. They also use Chinese herbal patents.
Homeopathy involves the use of minute quantities of animal, vegetable or mineral products while physical medicine includes soft tissue massage, spinal manipulation and hydrotherapy.
“Naturopathic medicine can benefit people of all ages, from infants to seniors. Virtually all chronic and most acute conditions may benefit from treatment by a naturopathic doctor,” Bunin said.
Bunin said that the most common health conditions brought to them include digestive complaints, skin conditions, women’s health issues, acute conditions, men’s health issues and other conditions such as allergies, mental and emotional stress, insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue, arthritis and hypertension.
Bunin said that being a relatively new profession, the public as well as those working in various healthcare fields are not always aware of what they do.
“We still have a lot of educating to do, and are somewhat restricted in our ability to practise to the full extent of our training because we are not yet a regulated profession in this province,” she said.
Dr. Blossom Bitting, vice-president of the New Brunswick Association of Naturopathic Doctors, said they are trying hard to get licensed in the province.
“We have provincial legislation which we don’t have yet so we’re hoping that that happens within the next 24 months,” Bitting said.
Bitting said that New Brunswick is one of the last provinces in Canada that has yet to pass the appropriate legislation.
The New Brunswick Association of Naturopathic Doctors defines naturopathic medicine as the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention using natural therapies and substances.
The association said that naturopathic treatments can be used on their own or complement conventional medical treatments. A naturopathic doctor blends modern clinical sciences with traditional healing practices.
Bitting said naturopathic medicine uses natural substances to support the body’s ability to heal itself.
To be a naturopathic doctor, one has to undergo about seven years of education – three years university premedical science courses and a four-year naturopathic doctor program at an accredited school.
However, there are only two accredited schools in Canada that offer the four-year program – the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto and the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in B.C.
North American naturopathic licensing examinations must be passed after the second and fourth year of study and upon graduation. Continuing education requirements must also be met on an annual basis.
Bitting however said that most of the people who enter the program have a four-year bachelor of science degree.
Bunin said she decided to pursue this career because she believes strongly in the healing benefits of natural medicines based on her personal experiences.
“And I was attracted to more holistic approaches to health. I also saw a major need for more naturopathic doctors in this part of Canada,” she said.
“I was always interested in pursuing a career in medicine and this profession offered me the opportunity to better balance priorities of career and family.”
She said the opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life makes her career a rewarding one.
“For example, knowing that you had a major impact in improving someone’s health and helping to relieve their suffering, or teaching people how to optimize their health and prevent illness in themselves and their children,” Bunin said.
Bunin said the salary depends on many factors, including one’s business skills and the hours one is willing to work.
She said a full-time naturopathic doctor who is relatively busy can earn $50,000 to $100,000 a year in this region.
“There is an ever growing demand for well-trained naturopathic doctors as the public’s awareness of the profession grows, and we expect that this will increase rapidly with the regulation of the profession,” she said.
Bitting also pointed out the great need for this kind of doctor in the province.
“I’d say (the demand is) probably above average because there’s such a shortage of primary care physicians in the province. So we can really play a role in providing primary care if people don’t have a family medical doctor,” Bitting said.
Bunin encourages people seeking a career in the health field to consider this career, saying there is a great deal of interest in complementary and alternative health care; but there are few well-trained professionals to provide this kind of care. So far, there are only about 12 naturopathic doctors who are members of the provincial association.
The practice allows a lot of flexibility in terms of workload and operation of practice, Bunin said. It also gives one a chance to make an impact on somebody’s life.
Source : CanadaEast Interactive, Brunswick News