Humera Sayeed
Today more Canadians are seeking a more natural approach to their healthcare. A recent survey done by the Canadian Association for Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) showed that 40 per cent of Canadians (who had not practiced naturopathy) were now interested in seeing a naturopathic doctor.
Executive Director at CAND Shawn O’Reilly says that 40 per cent translates into five million people. “There are over two million people practicing (naturopathy) right now,” she says.New Changes
Currently Canada has two schools that offer naturopathic studies. Ontario houses the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and British Columbia runs the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. Both schools offer four year full time programs.
“There has definitely been a growth in our schools – there was a 500 per cent increase,” O’Reilly says. “Classes used to range from 25-30 kids to now of 130 people, which shows more Canadians are interested in these practices.”
The 2002 Romanow Commission highlighted Canada’s healthcare system and showed more Canadians wanting a practitioner of their choice. O’Reilly says this illustrates Canadians yearning for more control over their lives.
Clinical Studies
Nick De Groot, Dean of Clinical Education at the Robert Shad Naturopathic Clinic in Toronto says the city houses the largest clinic in North America. “We see around 23 – 24,000 patient visits a year.”
Chronic pain is more commonly treated in many naturopathic clinics across Canada and attracts patients from all diverse backgrounds, representing Canada’s multicultural population. Currently more female patient’s ages 30-50 years seek naturopathic care, however males make up 20 per cent of the demographic. De Groot says naturopathic studies have given him a more global perspective on medicine. “(Naturopathic medicine) seems to plug into a lot of the world – the understanding of medicine that came from other cultures,” De Groot says. “We integrate paradigms from a lot of different cultures and practices, but we still bring it together in the contexts of a western practice.”
An American ad campaign for alternative medicine titled ‘Doctors who listen’ highlights the importance to primary care. A survey done at the Toronto clinic showed 50 per cent of patients agreed naturopathic medicine provided them with primary care, De Groot says.
“I think the large number of people like the additional layer of care we offer,” he says. “They get to talk to us (because) we have the luxury of time to spend with our patients, go through their problems and give them advice on what they’re doing.”
Patients entering a naturopathic clinic in Canada can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $150 a visit. More specialized care such as fertility treatments can be more costly ranging from $700 to $1200 per treatment. O’Reilly says insurance companies are recognizing the importance of alternative medicine and offering partial and/or full coverage.
Legislation in the fall will hopefully make naturopathic care part of the regulated Health Professions Act, De Groot says. “This is quite a big step for us – there is a lot of opportunity for us to go to the next level and we’re all working hard collectively,” he says. “I think we’re just excited about this time we’re in right now.”
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