In 2013, The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution ( Res.221-113^th ) that officially designated a week in October as “Naturopathic Medicine Week,” to “recognize the value of naturopathic medicine in providing safe, effective and affordable health care.”

In honor of its 2nd year in recognition from Oct. 6-12th, 2014, members of the New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors will be hosting events throughout N.H. You are invited to attend an event to learn more about naturopathic medicine, show your support, and most importantly to enjoy yourself and meet some wonderful doctors! Please scroll to the bottom of this article to see a listing of events.

What’s a naturopathic doctor?

This is a question I am often asked in social settings. After almost 10 years in practice, I realize that my answer has become more concise over time…and that is not easy, because there is a lot to take into consideration. As licensed naturopathic doctors, we attend four years of post-graduate medical school at one of the four accredited institutions for naturopathic medicine in the country. We are taught the basic medical sciences, clinical skills, and rotations necessary in any conventional medical school curriculum to manage disease, pathology, and public health principles. However, we chose this particular healthcare track to also learn as much as possible about wellness, and ways to best to support that in our patients. This means many additional hours, squeezed in during the days, the evenings, weekends and any extra time we have to learn extensively about nutrition, counseling skills, motivation, teaching skills, healthy lifestyle directives, hands on techniques, botanical medicine, homeopathy, and more. From the professional athlete, to those battling end stage cancer, from newborns to those of advanced age, we know that each office visit is an opportunity to improve health and life satisfaction for our patients. We offer a unique and expanded “wellness tool set” that may also include the occasional use of medications and medical procedures, when deemed necessary and according to our training and scope of practice. This allows N.D.’s to routinely solve many problems not adequately addressed by a conventional medicine approach.

For example, if a patient comes in with a rash or hypertension, as N.H.-licensed doctors we understand when and how to refer to specialists or to prescribe conventional medications to control these symptoms if needed. We also understand that these medicines, while helpful in certain cases, can have dangerous side effects for some and often lose effectiveness after extended durations of use, which necessitates even more medications and interventions.

My colleagues and I are trained to resolve these issues (and many others) primarily with natural medicine strategies. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. This requires us to spend the time to get to know each patient, past medical history, health habits, genetic predisposition, nutrition, lifestyle and stressors- because all of these variables significantly impact the presenting symptoms, as well as the direction and course of treatment. This is what holistic medicine is about: recognizing that there are many aspects of one’s beliefs, habits, actions and lifestyle that can either support the body’s attempts to heal and maintain wellness, or be detrimental to it. We also know that it is a jungle out there when trying to find answers about using natural medicine safely and effectively, and as the most highly trained experts in this area, we are the best resources available in guiding our patients.

On a bigger healthcare issue, naturopathic doctors offer huge savings for an overtaxed healthcare system by greatly reducing need for more expensive drugs and procedures (estimated up to 73% savings!. At the same time, naturopathic medicine provides better outcomes in long-term health and wellness. (Click HERE for an extensive list of studies and citations regarding this, in pdf format:)

Conventional medicine is a gift to modern times in the U.S. It has designed strategies to throttle and prevent fatal infections, save lives from serious physical trauma, and vastly improve quality of life for those with disabilities. However, these highly advanced and costly interventions are insufficient to address the rising burden of chronic disease in our culture. It is time to open more discussions about how naturopathic doctors offer a unique set of skills and real solutions for the problems that plague our personal health and the state of our country’s health care system.

We are lucky to be in N.H., which is one of only 18 states that currently regulates naturopathic doctors. All participating doctors must graduate from an accredited naturopathic medical school, pass rigorous national board exams, and maintain sufficient continuing education to remain eligible for licensure. In the other states, even someone with no training may call themselves “a naturopath,” which is confusing and dangerous for the public. (You may use this link from our national professional association to find practicing doctors who are eligible for licensure by zip code, regardless of whether you are living in a state that requires licensing.)

Oh, and my answer when someone asks me, “What’s a naturopathic doctor?”

I am a doctor who helps patients identify and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of their optimal wellness, and a specialist in the safe and effective use of natural medicine to solve health problems.

Links:

For more information about education and licensure of N.D.’s, and for naturopathic medicine in the news:http://www.naturopathic.org/medicare

To visit N.H.’s state professional organization’s list of licensed N.D. providers: http://www.nhand.org/find.php

By Cora Rivard, N.D.

Seasons Natural Healthcare, LLC in Derry, NH

phone: 603-736-7770 email: rivard@seasonsnatural.com website: http://seasonsnatural.com/Home.aspx

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PORTSMOUTH/SEACOAST:
Monday October 6th: 6-7pm
Open house at Vibrant Health Clinic with Dr. Andy Chevalier, ND
501 Islington St. Suite 2B, Portsmouth NH RSVP: (603)610-8882

Wednesday October 8th: 6pm
Informational talk with Dr. Angela Lambert, ND : “Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System”
Hampton Natural Foods 845, U.S. 1, Hampton, NH 03842

CONCORD:
Tuesday October 7th: 4:30-6:30pm
Open house at Concord Naturopathic Clinic with Dr. Jacqueline Rho, ND
46 Main St. Concord, NH 03301 Phone: (603) 228-0407

BEDFORD/MANCHESTER area:
Wednesday October 8th: 6-7:30pm
Open house at Just Naturals & Co. Meet & mingle with a few local naturopathic doctors.
176 S. River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 RSVP: (603)606-1345

NASHUA:
Monday, October 6th from 5:30-8:30pm with Dr. Margrit Miklus of Living Natural Inc.

22 Concord Street, Nashua, NH 03064. Phone:(603)594-0002

You are invited to join us for tea, light refreshments and great conversation in celebration of Naturopathic Medicine Week.

DERRY:

Tuesday, Oct. 7th through Thursday, Oct. 9th, 10am-11am, as available

Morning Tea Time with Dr. Cora Rivard at Seasons Natural Healthcare, LLC

43B Birch Street,, Suite #3G Derry, NH 03038. Phone: (603)736-7770

Click this link to book a 15 minute complementary 1:1 consult, and to sip some fresh, fall herbal tea!