Clinically
trained to safely combine natural therapies with mainstream medical
treatment,
I follow an evidence-based, patient-centred approach to health
care
and aim
to provide complementary care as an adjunct to conventional medicine. As a licensed
Naturopathic Doctor my goal is to work collaboratively with
the medical community
to enhance patient care and well-being. I
bring my enthusiasm
and passion
for Naturopathic Medicine to every patient visit. I
look
forward to working with
you to determine the cause of your condition; this
will
help
you
to understand your
health and increase your quality of life. Through
education and empowerment using
dietary changes, nutritional
supplementation,
detoxification,
homeopathic medicine,
hydrotherapy,
acupuncture, and botanical medicine, I am able to affect substantial
change in
the quality of my patient's lives. I
received my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from the Canadian
College
of
Naturopathic
Medicine in 2006. During
the four-year, full-time naturopathy program,
academic
and clinical education combines conventional medical topics such
as medical
diagnoses,
lab interpretation, and pharmacology with specialized
training in the
use of
natural
therapeutics. Naturopathic
Doctors s are trained to perform
screening
physical exams and to assess the need for referrals to medical
specialists
for
appropriate work-up and diagnosis.
Visit Schedule &
Costs
Your
first visit will be approximately 1 hour. In this time, Mary will take a
thorough case
history, do a screening or complaint oriented physical exam and may
analyze urine
and blood samples where indicated. Please bring any relevant
laboratory results
from
your other health care practitioners to your first visit. This will help
Doctor
Mary MacDonald to fully understand
your current health status. In your second
visit, Mary will gather any more information
needed, discuss your treatment plan
and options for treatment, and answer any
questions you may have. Depending
on the treatment plan decided upon, follow up visits
will be
scheduled as needed.
Treatment
Options
Your
Naturopathic Doctor is trained in the following modalities and will
most likely
use a mixture
of these treatment options when determining
your treatment
plan
Clinical Nutrition: Clinical
Nutrition studies the relationship between diet and health
on
an
individualized basis. A specific diet plan and supplements may be
recommended to
address
deficiencies, treat disease processes, improve gastrointestinal
functioning, or
promote
health. Benefits may include increased energy, improved
immunity
and an increase
in general well being.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
The goal of TCM is to eliminate disease
and balance
the flow of energy through the body by using acupuncture, botanical
formulasm and
dietary modification. TCM is most beneficial in the treatment of chronic
health conditions and pain.
Botanical Medicine: Botanical medicine is an integrated modality
that is the foundation
of modern pharmacology. Using teas, tinctures, capsules and other
forms
of herbal preparations, it assists in recovery from injury and disease
as well
as boosting the body's immune system.
Homeopathic Medicine: Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed
in the 1700s
that uses minute amounts of a natural substance to stimulate the
body's
innate healing ability. The aim of treatment is to stimulate the body's
own force to
act against the root cause of the disease. It is a powerful tool that
works on an
emotional & physical level.
Lifestyle Counseling:
Helping patients make
healthychoices is an integral part of Naturopathic Medicine.
Physical Medicine: This includes hands therapies on including spinal manipulation,
massage
and hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is a powerful treatment in
itself. It
refers to the therapeutic use of water to affect circulation and the
immune system.
