The Dempster Clinic: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is my first visit FREE?

Yes, it is. We offer a free 15-minute consultation to explore your needs, whether it's optimizing your health, addressing a specific concern or reducing your risk of chronic diseases. This can either be in person, or over the phone. Treatment is not included - this is an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. Of course if you prefer, you can skip this free consultation and go directly to the initial 'benchmarking' visit.

2. What can I expect from my first paid visit?

The initial 'benchmarking' visit is 1 hour and allows time to establish a detailed understanding of your health needs. There is time for a complete medical history review, including current health status and any contributing factors to current health issues. This visit is likely to include:

a detailed questionnaire
a relevant physical exam
live blood cell analysis in which you will learn about the health of your blood while viewing a magnified drop of blood on a computer monitor

The cost is $200, including analysis.

3. Do I need to have a specific concern, or can I just make an appointment to discuss my health?

We offer a free 15-minute consultation to explore your needs. Many of our patients simply want to optimize their health, so there's no need to feel that you have to have a specific concern. We can all improve our internal balance - that's what naturopathic medicine is all about!

4. How does billing/payment work?

Your initial 15-minute consultation is free. Your next visit is a comprehensive 'benchmarking' visit involving:

a detailed questionnaire
a brief physical exam (fully clothed)
live blood cell analysis

This visit lasts an hour and costs $200. Half-hour visits thereafter cost $100. Our receptionist will process your payment in cash, by credit card or debit, immediately following each consultation.

5. What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine. Naturopathic medicine is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention using natural therapies including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, naturopathic manipulation, traditional Chinese medicine / acupuncture, and lifestyle counseling.

A Naturopathic Doctor is a primary care practitioner that seeks to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature's inherent self-healing process. A Naturopathic Doctor views the individual as an integral whole including the physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environment and lifestyle factors affecting health. Symptoms of disease are seen as warning signals of improper functioning of the body and unfavorable lifestyle habits. Naturopathic Medicine emphasizes disease as a process - rather than disease as an entity. The primary goal is to treat the underlying cause of the disease. This approach has proven successful in treating both chronic and acute conditions. Treatments are chosen based on the individuality of each patient, not on the generality of symptoms. The human body is a complex integrated system that responds and reacts to everything like thoughts, emotions, foods, physical trauma and environment. A Naturopathic Doctor understands the value of taking the time to listen and understand the complexity of each individual and to provide the needed support and various treatment options to reach personal health goals.

Naturopathic doctors can also complement and enhance health care services provided by other health care professionals. They cooperate with other branches of medical science referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate. Naturopathic Doctors provide patients with a truly integrative form of health care.

In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession's infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research.

6. What can Naturopathic Medicine do for you?

Naturopathic medicine treats all forms of health concerns -- from pediatric to geriatric, from irritating systems to chronic illness and from the physical to the psychological. It is the approach, philosophy and training of naturopathic doctors that sets it apart from other forms of health care.

There are typically three types of patients that seek naturopathic medical care:

Patients that are looking for disease prevention and health promotion strategies. Individuals that recognize that health doesn't just happen by chance, that it is a life-long process that involves a clear understanding of the factors that affect health and how to deal with them on a daily basis. People looking for health promotion as a way of life are increasing tremendously all the time.

Patients that have a range of symptoms that they have been unable to address on their own or with the help of other medical practitioners. With Naturopathic medicine's broad understanding of health and the relationship between health, life and the environment naturopathic doctors are often able to offer patients a new perspective and provide safe and effective ways to restore health.

Patients that have been diagnosed with an illness and are looking for alternative treatments. Naturopathic medicine is very effective in improving quality of life for those with serious and life threatening illnesses. It is used extensively and effectively for those patients that are looking to combine conventional and naturopathic treatments with the aim of minimizing side effects to drugs, surgery or conventional treatments.

The naturopathic philosophy is to stimulate the healing power of the body and to treat the root cause of disease. For many patients, this difference in approach to health provides them with a new perspective and awareness. By addressing the root cause(s) of disease and through the appropriate use of natural therapies many patients with chronic illness have found tremendous benefits.

7. Are Naturopathic Doctors Regulated in Ontario?

Naturopathic Doctors (ND's) are the only regulated health professional in the field of natural medicine in Ontario. ND's are regulated in Ontario under the 1925 Drugless Therapy Act and are registered (licensed) by the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy � Naturopathy (BDDT-N). The BDDT-N functions to ensure that NDs are properly qualified to practice naturopathic medicine and that they follow appropriate standards of practice.

8. What training do Naturopathic Doctors have?

To obtain a naturopathic medical credential (ND) that qualifies the recipient to sit for licensing examination students must have the following:

Prerequisites including three years of pre-medical sciences at a University with a cumulative grade point average 3.00 on a four point scale. Prerequisite courses: biology, biochemistry, chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory psychology and humanities.

Successfully complete a 4-year-full time program in an accredited school of Naturopathic Medicine that includes more than 4,500 hours of classroom training and 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience.

Pass NPLEX board exams that are written after the 2nd year and 4th year of study. NPLEX is the standard examination used by all licensing jurisdictions for Naturopathic doctors in North America.

Meet the Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits as required by the provincial regulatory boards on an ongoing basis.

Naturopathic Doctors undergo training similar to medical doctors plus they include the naturopathic disciplines. The four areas of training in the four year, full-time Naturopathic Medicine curriculum are:

Basic Sciences

This area of study includes anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and pathology.

Clinical Disciplines

Diagnostic medicine areas of study are physical and clinical diagnosis, differential and laboratory diagnosis, radiology, naturopathic assessment and orthopedics.

Naturopathic Disciplines

There are six major disciplines that define the areas of naturopathic practice. Each discipline is a distinct area of practice and includes diagnostic principles and practices as well as therapeutic skills and techniques. They include: clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulation and lifestyle counseling.

Clinical Experience

All students must complete 1,500 hours of clinical requirements and demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of Naturopathic Medicine prior to graduation.

9. What are my treatment options?

Nutritional Support

Nutritional Support and dietary recommendations are integral to ensuring that the body has the needed building blocks to sustain health and aid healing.

Nutritional Supplementation to address deficiencies assists the body in eliminating toxins, stimulate healing or address specific health concerns.� This is customized to the individual after appropriate testing and analysis.

Intravenous (IV) Therapy

Intravenous (IV) Therapy involves the administration of specific vitamins, minerals, amino acids and nutrients to rapidly aid cellular healing.� This therapy improves absorption rate, delivery time and bypasses any digestive malabsorptive issues delivering the nutrients straight to the tissues in need.

Botanical Medicine

Botanical Medicine using herbal teas, tinctures or capsules as an adjunct in�treating specific health concerns and aiding the body in recovering from injuries or disease.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine includes the use of acupuncture, botanicals and the energetics of food to balance the body.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy utilizes minute doses of specific agents in order to�stimulate the healing processes in the body from the inner to the outer levels.

Lifestyle Counselling

Lifestyle Counselling addresses that link between health concerns, lifestyle, events, thoughts and emotions and provides recommendations such as breathing and relaxation techniques or coping strategies.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is the use of water as an accessible and effective form of stimulating healing.

Physical Medicine

Physical Medicine like hands-on techniques using soft tissue work, physical manipulations and stimulation techniques to provide support for healing, especially for the nervous system and muscles.

10. What is Intravenous Therapy?

Usually we get nutrients through our diet however there are some instances in which a great diet does not translate to proper nutrition on a cellular level. The advantage of IV administration is that the nutrients bypass the stomach, get directly into the bloodstream where they are able to rapidly reach cells. IV vitamin therapy is an aggressive treatment that can provide effective result that may not be found in other therapies. It nourishes the cells and helps restore the body's inherent healing mechanisms.

IV protocols are tailored to each individual patient and can be effective in many situations. Some disease that are treated with IV therapy:

Cancer
Migraines & tension headaches
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue
Allergies
Asthma
Parkinson's disease
Macular degeneration
Depression
Chronic disease
Detoxification
Chronic or acute muscle spasms
Acute viral illnesses and colds
Enhancing overall wellbeing

11. Is naturopathic medicine covered by OHIP?

While naturopathic medicine is not covered by OHIP, it is covered by many extended healthcare benefit packages. We encourage you to request that your policy include coverage of all naturopathic services.

12. What conditions can benefit from Naturopathic Medicine?

ADHD
Allergies
Anxiety & Stress
Arthritis
Back Pain
Breast Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Chronic Fatigue
Cold & Flu
Diabetes
Digestive Disorders
Ear, Nose and Throat Infections
Eczema
Infertility
Fibromyalgia
Hair loss
Headaches
Insomnia
Menopause
Musculoskeletal pain or injuries
Pain
PMS
Prostate Problems
Repetitive Strain Injuries
Skin conditions
TMJ
Weight management issues
Women's health concerns

* A crucial tenet of naturopathic medicine is to treat the individual as opposed to treating the disease. As such, time will be spent examining causative agents and predisposing factors which may contribute to the disease process.