Maintaining optimal health goes beyond addressing illness, it's about preventing future ailments and ensuring your body functions at its best. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are strong advocates for preventative medicine and well-positioned to support you at any stage of life, ensuring regular health checks are performed.
Given the strain on our current health-care system, it can be difficult to keep up and receive an annual check. Many people have extended health plans that cover private services such as naturopathic medicine. This can help relieve some of the burden on our current health-care system by ensuring regular visits (at least annually) and encouraging a preventative approach.
In BC, NDs are licensed to provide primary health care and have a strong educational foundation: typically eight years of education, including a four-year undergraduate degree and four years of specialized naturopathic medicine training. Initial consultations are similar to those with a medical doctor, and also include a more detailed assessment of lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and stress.
NDs prioritize addressing the root cause of disease. They educate patients about health risks, potential interactions between natural and pharmaceutical treatments, and encourage personal responsibility for health.
What should you expect during a health check?
A physical exam will be conducted in-office. NDs review past labs results and can order additional tests as needed. Annual labs can give us insight into many aspects of your health, including: immune system; cardiovascular; metabolic and blood sugar; kidney, liver and gallbladder function; nutrient levels; and inflammatory markers.
If there is a more specific health concern or a strong family history of a condition, additional labs may be suggested.
Based on age, personal history and family history, screening tests such as mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, colon cancer screenings and prostate cancer screenings may be recommended.
What I enjoy about checking in with patients on an annual basis is being able to go over all aspects, including sleep, level of stress, energy, exercise, mood, what the person is eating, how foods make them feel and what their daily routine is. As part of a regular check, we can focus in on an area to improve when the stakes aren’t as high and the person is feeling well to do so.
That’s preventative medicine, small changes over time. They are the key to overall health. My goal is to have the patient leave the appointment with an actionable plan they can put into place right away.
By visiting your ND annually, not only can you keep up to date on your routine screening and check in on labs, you can also do an inventory of these health markers and start to make changes before a more serious concern arises. Whether you are looking to optimize your health or manage a chronic condition, a naturopathic doctor can provide you with guidance and support to help you thrive.
Take a proactive step and schedule your annual health check; your health will thank you.
Dr. Lani Nykilchuk, ND, practices at Broadleaf Health Collective in qathet. For more information, go to broadleafhealthcollective.com.
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