What is a naturopathic doctor?

Watch as Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist Dr. Peter Bongiorno explains the difference between a naturopathic doctor and a more traditional medical doctor.

Transcript

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Naturopathic doctors are the third kind of doctor, and we also learn about primary care medicine. So we-- in the states where we're licensed,

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we can practice as primary care physicians. But our training also teaches us to look at the body in a more holistic view.

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Well, a lot of people don't know about naturopathic medicine as a choice that they have in terms of getting medical care.

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Naturopathic doctors are a little bit different from the conventional medical doctor. A regular medical doctor goes to a four-year medical program,

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and studies the basics of medicine, and basically learns how the body is run in systems. So if you have a problem with your skin,

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you see a dermatologist. You have a problem with your stomach, you see a gastroenterologist, and so on. There's doctors of osteopathic medicine

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who are also trained in medicine. And their training also talks more about musculoskeletal

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alignment as being part of keeping a person healthy. Naturopathic doctors are the third kind of doctor, and we also learn about primary care medicine.

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So we-- in the states where we're licensed, we can practice as primary care physicians. But our training also teaches us to look

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at the body in a more holistic view. So in that style, exercise, homeopathics,

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vitamin therapies, herbal therapies, old German water cure known as hydrotherapy. And the whole idea is that you really

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want to look at the body as a whole and try to figure out how to create healing using the body's own natural ability to heal itself.