As you embark on your new health journey that employs naturopathic care and practice, you will be pleasantly surprised at how thorough your initial appointment with your naturopathic doctor is. Naturopathic Rx’s naturopathic doctors in San Diego take the time to listen to patients and value their input. Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) understand that the patient’s story is a key consideration in developing their customized, naturopathic treatment plan.
Initial Naturopathic Care Visit: Getting to Know YOU
At Naturopathic Rx, your initial appointment with your naturopathic doctor in San Diego will last 60-90 minutes. It will be longer than the follow-up visits afterward. During this comprehensive appointment, your doctor will get to know you and your medical and family history and ask several questions regarding your daily habits and lifestyle. Your ND will assess your physical, mental, and emotional well-being and order lab tests that will assist with making an accurate diagnosis and preparing an individualized healthcare plan to address your specific needs effectively.
Your Naturopathic Treatment Plan San Diego: Engaging in Better Health
Using the data collected from your initial naturopathic care appointment and lab test results, your ND will develop a customized treatment plan that will require you to engage in your health to be successful. The naturopathic care plan will be discussed during your second visit, with ample time for questions and adjustments. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled to assess how effectively the strategy works and make any necessary changes or additional recommendations. We want to clear up any myths about naturopathic treatment, therefore, here is what you can expect your naturopathic treatment plan to be structured somewhat like this:
- Treatment Goals: This protocol will list your personal health goals and any goals your ND feels necessary to resolve a particular issue or to attain better health. These goals may include weight loss, for example. They may consist of improving cholesterol or blood sugar levels so that they fall within healthier ranges. The ND will further break down these goals into short- and long-term objectives, providing detailed recommendations for achieving both.
- Supplements, Herbal Medicines, and Pharmaceuticals: Your ND will make recommendations based on quality, potency, and your specific needs. Naturopathic Rx doctors in San Diego are able and willing to provide pharmaceuticals as needed; however, herbal medicine and supplements are typically excellent at achieving the desired results.
- Dietary Recommendations: Your ND will list foods that are beneficial to consume (high in fiber, low in saturated fat), such as healthy nuts, oats, lean meats, fish, and fruit, and what foods to avoid (minimizing sugar, and avoiding processed foods and saturated fat), which include foods that offer little to no nutritional value, also referred to as “empty calories”. Naturopathic Rx doctors work with patients with all kinds of dietary preferences and restrictions to maximize their health outcomes. Rest assured, dietary recommendations for vegans and vegetarians are sound and medically solid.
- Lifestyle: An exercise regimen will most likely be listed here, offering a variety of activities to choose from, such as cycling, walking, or yoga, based on your personal interests, capabilities, and effectiveness (with your goals in mind). Your ND will recommend a schedule that includes the number of days per week you should strive toward, duration (30, 60, 90 minutes), and impact level. Additional activities to assist with stress reduction are often recommended as are using tools such as dry body brushing, modified sleep hygiene, hydrotherapy, and castor oil packs which aid in helping to balance the immune system.
Naturopathic Treatment Plan San Diego: Achieve Better Health
The naturopathic treatment plan developed by you and your ND will be a collaborative effort that employs the most effective, least invasive, least toxic, and most natural tools to achieve better health. This plan is not set in stone; as you meet objectives and your health improves, the plan will be modified. The journey to wellness is constantly evolving, starting with learning how to support your body’s natural healing abilities. Schedule an appointment at Naturopathic Rx and get on your customized path to wellness!