Naturopathic doctors are very well trained and extremely well equipped to make knowledgeable, effective and safe evidence based dietary recommendations. There is a lot of confusing and misleading information out there and many patients encounter difficulties adopting a diet plan that works for them. Depending on the individual and health goal, various therapeutic strategies may be involved including: detoxification, specific diets, supplementation, orthomolecular therapy, use of food extracts, glandular concentrates and digestive aids. Whether your you are looking to lose weight, get stronger, improve a medical condition, improve physical performance or just want to look or feel healthier, a naturopathic doctor can, not only help achieve your goal, but help with long term sustainable and rewarding results.

Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM is a coherent and independent system of thought and practice quite different to western medicine.

Whereas western medicine relies on identifying physiological symptoms, the TCM practitioner attempts to discern patterns of disharmony between various entities in the person as a whole. Two people with the same physiological symptom may receive two very different acupuncture treatments. The extremely powerful and grossly undervalued idea of balance and disharmony is the cornerstone of TCM where patterns of disharmony govern the kind of treatment. Although acupuncture is used commonly for local pain control, a naturopathic doctor trained in TCM relies on insertion of very fine needles into very specific anatomical points along specific meridians. Each acupuncture point has a unique therapeutic effect and commonly, depending on the health concern, a combination of points is selected to achieve an overall therapeutic outcome.

Lab tests are typically recommended for a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan. We typically refer patients to their medical doctors for standardized lab tests such as blood glucose, cholesterol, etc as the cost of these tests are not covered under our health care system. For those patients who do not have a medical doctor, we are able to order these tests at a cost. The information obtained from these tests can be of great assistance in determining further testing and treatment. It is also important to note that in naturopathic practice, your test result may be “normal” on a routine requisition, but not optimal. Specialized lab tests include food sensitivity, hormone levels, environmental exposure, etc offer valuable information and can also be ordered through the clinic. It is recommended that the patient bring all recent lab work to their visits. To view a list of specialized lab tests available CLICK HERE. Please note that in Alberta, fees for naturopathic lab tests are not covered by Alberta Health insurance, and are subject to an additional cost.