The mix of conventional medicine and nutrition attracted Dr. Melissa Bradwell
to naturopathy. As a naturopath she combines the two fields.
She sees a lot of patients who don't want to go down the pill prescription
route. "People are becoming more proactive about their health, instead of
just taking a pill," she says.
Her practice focuses more on the prevention of illnesses. Some of her patients
come to her because they have a family history of disease and they want to
avoid the disease. Fatigue is another common complaint. Her patients want
to have more energy.
When she meets with a patient for the first time, the visit is usually
45 minutes to an hour. She listens to the concerns of the patient and learns
about the family medical history. She usually requests some blood work. She
then has the patient keep a diet diary for a week.
After a week, the patient returns with the diet diary. They review the
diary together, and Bradwell usually suggests some changes to the patient's
diet. She may also recommend a supplement -- a vitamin, mineral or botanical.
"Thank you so much for listening" is something that Bradwell hears a lot
from her patients. She says sometimes it helps them just to talk to someone
about their problems.
Dr. Diana Christoff Quinn is a naturopathic physician in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
She worked with a young woman who wanted a baby but was having trouble getting
pregnant. After a short time under Quinn's treatment, the patient became pregnant
with her first child!
"That was a wonderful experience, because the progress happened more quickly
than we could have imagined. Today her son is almost one year old, and I've
been privileged to see him as a patient as well," she says.
Quinn's patients' success stories are the most rewarding part of her job.
"The body's ability to heal, and the [methods] that we use to support that
healing, can be so powerful!" she says. "I like my job because it is different
every day, and also because I am working with people. I am honored to be a
partner with my patients in their process, along their path to wellness. And
I love the work I do: holistic medicine engages the mind, body and spirit
in such a beautiful way."
Like many naturopaths, Quinn followed this career path because she wanted
to be part of a different kind of medicine and health-care system.
"When we take the Hippocratic oath to 'first do no harm' we are talking
also about using the most gentle, non-invasive treatment possible to achieve
the results," says Quinn. "And, at times, that might mean using powerful prescription
medications. Or, at times, it might mean simply suggesting lifestyle changes
or removing obstacles to cure."
Quinn started her own practice as a naturopathic women's health consultant.
She makes her own schedule and sets her own hours. Typically, she works six
to eight hours per day, three full days and one half day per week.
"NDs may also pursue careers other than clinical: as pharmacists, administrators,
researchers or educators," says Quinn. She says the outlook for the naturopathic
profession is bright. There is a looming shortage of physicians and nurses.
And more states and provinces are licensing NDs, allowing them to practice
within the full scope of their training.
"I believe that the combination of increased need for health care, plus
the trend on the part of consumers to choose...complementary and alternative
care, will continue to grow the naturopathic profession," she says.
She says the biggest challenge in her job is working with patients who
expect her to heal them. Her job is to share information, to call in other
doctors or experts when needed, and to support the patient.
"What I am doing as a naturopathic doctor is educating my patients as to
how they might heal themselves, by working with the healing power of their
bodies. In that process, I am a partner and a teacher, but not a hero or a
god," she says.
The idea that doctors are teachers is important to Dr. Jesse Buttler too.
He is a naturopath in Milwaukie, Oregon. He says, as a naturopath, he must
educate patients and educate their bodies so they can change physical patterns
in the body.
For example, many chronic illnesses are the result of the body being stuck
in a pattern. People have to work to change those patterns.
Typically, sick people go see a doctor, says Buttler. Eventually they're
sent to a specialist for a procedure, such as surgery. Surgery is expensive
and it deals with symptoms -- not with the root causes of the problem, he
says.
"You can only dam that river for so long until it explodes in to other
areas of your health," says Buttler. He says the real work in his job is sitting
with patients and convincing them to change their lifestyles. When people
are willing to make changes, the results are "miracles," he says.
For example, Buttler treated a man in his late 20s. The man had been laid
off from his job, and he was depressed. Buttler helped the patient change
his diet, focus on nutrition and drink more water. With this shift in lifestyle,
the man's energy increased and he got better sleep.
His treatment continued with hydrotherapy -- the use of water to relieve
discomfort and promote physical well-being. It also included homeopathy --
the use of natural substances to stimulate the immune system. The patient
lost weight and felt better. He began to question why little things made him
angry. As his body grew stronger, he found he could face life.
"[The treatment] provided the groundwork of where to start the healing
process," says Buttler.
However, the medical aspect is only one part of a naturopath's job. As
the owner of his own private practice, Buttler must also consider the business
aspect of the job. He enjoys the business side, but he also finds it the most
challenging.
"When the economy is slow it's difficult to find new patients.
Health care is not always a steady incline. There are ups and downs," he says.
He recommends that future naturopaths learn about the business of health before
graduation. Many naturopaths are not good business people, and they stop practicing
when their practices fail. Buttler stresses that having a business plan is
very important.