The discipline of Naturopathic Medicine is regulated in the province of Ontario. It is a primary-contact discipline with no medical referral necessary for an appointment.

Naturopathic medicine is an approach to healing that focuses on patient wellness in its entirety through promoting your health and preventing disease while addressing the underlying cause of your condition. Naturopathic Doctors practice natural medicine. However, they do use a combination of traditional, modern, and scientific-tested therapies. Examples include natural remedies, herbs, massage, acupuncture, stress-relieving techniques, and nutritional counselling.

In naturopathic medicine, the goal is to treat the person as a whole. This means treating mind, body, and spirit. The main principles of naturopathy guide this approach:

  • Do No Harm. This refers to the use of substances/interventions that pose minimal risk. When treating a patient, NDs focus on using safe, effective, natural substances before considering the use of prescriptions, surgeries, and other invasive treatments.

  • The Healing Power of Nature. Naturopathy focuses on the natural self-healing process of the human body. They work at discovering and removing any obstacles to allow for the body to recover.

  • Identify and Treat the Causes. The body will not heal unless the underlying causes of illness are addressed. Therefore, you cannot focus on simply treating the symptoms.

  • The Physician as Teacher. Not only are naturopathic doctors there to assist you in your needs, but they are there to educate and teach patients.

  • Treat the Whole Person. A treatment plan cannot exist only based on the current issue. When creating a plan, they consider an individual’s mental, physical, emotional, environmental, genetic, social, and spiritual elements.

  • Prevention. Assist the patient with identifying risk factors and susceptibility to disease, whether heredity or from their lifestyle.

Naturopathic doctors work more personally; they develop their treatment plans and consider all aspects of a person. Studies have found that the approaches and methods used in naturopathy effectively heal numerous conditions.

Naturopath vs Naturopathic Doctor

While the requirements for these two titles vary based on the country, they are not used interchangeably because their scope of practice differs. While both can provide care that will help the body heal, the education required to become a licensed naturopathic doctor is much more. There is only 6 accredited naturopathic doctor (ND) education programs across North America.

Naturopathy vs Homeopathy

Homeopathy is the use of herbs and remedies developed from all-natural substances. At the same time, naturopathy is a health system that may use homeopathy but includes a variety of other treatments too. Thus, a naturopath can use homeopathy. However, a homeopathic practitioner cannot use naturopathic medicine.

Finding a Naturopath

At Durand Health, Naturopathy is offered by:

Dr. Amani El Sawaf, Naturopath (N.D.)

Dr. Amani El Sawaf is a licensed naturopathic doctor board-certified by the College of Naturopaths in Ontario. Dr. El Sawaf completed conventional medical school training in Egypt, graduating with an honours degree and joined the rheumatology residency program at Cairo University, Egypt. There, she trained in diagnosing and managing autoimmune diseases and arthritis using chemotherapy, biological treatment, and rehabilitation care. Dr. El Sawaf went on to obtain her Master’s and a Doctorate in rheumatology. She was promoted to a professor of rheumatology before leaving Cairo University.

Dr. El Sawaf has practiced rheumatology for over 20 years, during which she published 27 scientific research articles in recognized medical journals, including Lancet and BJR. She has since devoted her time and efforts to studying naturopathic medicine to help people support their physical, mental, and emotional health. She graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2019. Since then, she found a significant advantage in supporting patients compared to her previous training, where she did not practice this type of medicine. In addition, Dr. El Sawaf is interested in other areas of naturopathic medical care that include but are not limited to women’s health, rheumatology, and autoimmune disorders.