REPOST: Naturopathy a family tradition for four generations
As with any other emerging nonconventional medical fields, naturopathic medicine will soon undergo drastic change—not in the way it is carried out, but in the degree of importance it will receive from 'regular' doctors, health facilities, and governments worldwide. The craft, however, needs a deep commitment from its practitioners, and comprehensive academic requirements and practice audits might have to be fulfilled in order to preserve or strengthen its integrity. More details below:
Rebecca Cannon and father Jim Farquharson both practise naturopathy.
Image Source: therecord.com
AYR — Naturopathy runs in the Farquharson family.
Four generations have practised the health profession, even helping to establish it in the province by being involved in the creation of its first legislation and founding a school.
Now the latest two generations closely watch as naturopathy is on the cusp of major change.
Naturopathic medicine will soon have a new regulatory college and come under the umbrella of the Regulated Health Professions Act, which regulates a host of medical professionals in Ontario including doctors, dentists, pharmacists and massage therapists.
"It's a positive change," said Jim Farquharson, who runs the Ayr Natural Health Centre.
Naturopathy has been regulated since 1925 in Ontario under the Drugless Practitioner's Act — legislation Farquharson's grandfather and namesake helped create.
Bringing naturopathy under the health professions act is intended to better protect and serve the public by clearly defining what the profession does and what it's allowed to do and establishing a regulatory college to govern members, as well as access to an independent appeal board to review complaints decisions of the college.
"It's definitely progress for the public," Farquharson said.
The Ministry of Health is working closely with a transitional council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario and stakeholders to finalize regulations before the Naturopathy Act is officially proclaimed and the new regulatory framework adopted, which is expected to happen this year.
"There's a deep commitment to this thing being finished," Farquharson said.
While he said the change won't affect the care he provides his patients, he said naturopaths will have more continuing education requirements and practice audits.
"It will be well defined what we're allowed to do and not do," Cannon said.
Farquharson has been practising naturopathic medicine for 25 years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, and then his oldest daughter Rebecca Cannon kept the tradition going.
She explains naturopathic medicine as a patient-centred, holistic approach to health care.
"The body is encouraged to heal itself using natural methods or products," said Cannon, who has an office in Elmira.
"The whole goal of it is to get the person well, not just treat the disease or symptoms."
Naturopathy draws on a range of treatments, including nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medication and hydrotherapy. Cannon said most practitioners focus on a couple of areas, such as homeopathy, supplements and dietary counselling for her.
Naturopaths complete a four-year program, after the required undergraduate university degree. The program starts out with basic sciences, including anatomy and physiology and then focuses on treatment methods.
The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto emerged from the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine, started in Kitchener in 1978. One of the founders was Farquharson's father Robert, who also served on the regulatory agency being phased out and as college chair.
One misconception about naturopathic medicine is that it's a new profession, but it's been around as long as acupuncture and herbal remedies.
"We're the traditional medicine," said Farquharson, who has been practising naturopathy for 25 years.
He said the profession may seem new because people are now becoming more interested in the holistic, natural approach naturopathy offers. More people of all ages are coming to his office looking for help with a range of health complaints from acute to chronic. Naturopathy is not covered by OHIP.
"Now people are becoming much more informed and they're searching," he said.
Often a person will come in with a single complaint and then the issues will broaden, Farquharson said. He will spend at least an hour talking with a new patient, going over the history of the person, family and disease. A return visit will be about 30 to 40 minutes.
It can take a lot of digging to find the root cause of a complaint. While there are guiding principles of naturopathy, he said diseases are becoming far more complex and each person is a new challenge.
"There are very few textbook cases and every human being is so unique."
Shea Medical is a leading provider of naturopathic medical services to patients across the country. For inquiries, visit its official website.
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