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Would Naturopathic Medicine be Useful for My Child?
Conditions seen by Naturopathic Doctors are similar to what pediatricians see. Parents may choose to see a Naturopathic Doctor because they prefer a more natural or comprehensive approach to their child’s health care or would like other options when considering an invasive procedure or health concern that is not resolving with conventional treatments. A Naturopathic visit can include working on issues related to prevention, food introduction, nutrition, boosting immunity, exercise, food allergies, gastrointestinal complaints, eczema, ADHD, learning disorders, anxiety, low mood, failure to thrive, infections, headaches, anemia, and hormonal imbalance etc. Dr. Chan will suggest natural and non-invasive therapies that would be most suited to your child’s condition and your family’s preferences.
How is Dr. Chan’s Practice Different?
Dr. Chan believes that each person is responsible for his or her own health. Children starting at a young age engage in conversation with Dr. Chan as she teaches them little things they can do to be healthy. Dr. Chan also values developing a trusting patient/doctor relationship where her elementary or teenage patients can feel comfortable asking questions about issues at school, home, friends, their body, or future aspirations in life. Younger children such as babies and toddlers are very comfortable with Dr. Chan and she strives to make visits a positive experience.
What Additional Tests can be done for My Child?
For children with ADD, difficulty concentrating, sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities, mood issues etc, a neurotransmitter test is available to assess balance of signaling molecules in the brain such as epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glutamate. Also testing for fluctuations of cortisol throughout the day along with DHEA is helpful for kids who struggle with anxiety, fatigue or mood issues.
Food Allergy Testing and Comprehensive Stool Analysis are available for children with allergic disorders or gastrointestinal complains. We offer many other specific testing that can be discussed at your appointment.
What is the training of a Naturopathic Doctor?
A Naturopathic Doctor attends four years of medical school following four years college that includes pre-med courses. During Naturopathic medical school, the first two years consists of basic science courses such as anatomy, physiology, embryology, biochemistry, physical clinical diagnosis, pathology, microbiology etc. This training is very similar to what an MD would receive. The final two years of Naturopathic medical school differs from conventional medical school in that natural modalities are introduced in classes such as gastroenterology, pediatrics, immunology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, family medicine etc. Some of the natural modalities include, nutrition, herbs, supplements, physical medicine, at home remedies, epigenetic therapy, homeopathy, flower essences, lifestyle counseling etc.
A licensed Naturopathic Doctor graduating from an accredited medical school must take national board exams. A one-day basic science board exam is administered after the second year of medical school and a three-day clinical board exam is administered following receipt of the ND degree.
14 of the USA states license Naturopathic Doctors as primary care physicians. Currently, Massachusetts is not one of these states. To participate in licensing efforts in the state of MA, see http://www.msnd.org. NDs that completed their board exams practicing in unlicensed states would usually hold a license to practice in another state. NDs practicing in unlicensed states will have limited scopes of practice and will not perform minor surgery, administer immunizations or prescribe prescription drugs for example. Be sure to check with your ND that they hold a license to practice, and have not revived training from non-accredited colleges. http://www.aanmc.org/naturopathic-medicine.php
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