what is naturopathic medicine?

great question!

Naturopathic medicine is a system of health care that recognizes that symptoms indicate an underlying imbalance on a physical, emotional and even spiritual level. Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained as primary care providers and combine the wisdom of ancient healing traditions with the science of modern medicine. NDs take the time to listen, strive to understand and work collaboratively with patients to uncover what is causing and maintaining acute or chronic health concerns.

The Right Recommendation For the Right Person at the Right Time

When it comes to naturopathic medicine, no approach is off limits. NDs are guided by the Therapeutic Order of Naturopathic Medicine to determine the safest and most effective option for you (and that will do the least harm to your wallet!). Sometimes focusing on the foundations of health will move the needle the most for you. Sometimes you need something stronger to relieve a symptom while working to resolve a root cause issue. At Philly Naturopathic, Dr. Michal will never shy away from referring to medical colleagues when a higher force intervention may be the right thing for you. And then we’ll work together to reduce any side effects and continue to address root causes and maintaining factors of your health concern.

The Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

If you’ve visited an ND before, you may find some similarities to and some differences from how Dr. Michal approaches care at Philly Naturopathic. While each ND brings a particular flavor to their practice of naturopathic medicine, we are all guided by the same Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine:

  • First Do No Harm

  • The Healing Power of Nature

  • Identify and Treat the Cause

  • Doctor as Teacher

  • Treat the Whole Person

  • Prevention

Common Questions about Naturopathic Medicine

If you haven't heard about Naturopathic Medicine, it's not you. While commonplace in other U.S. states and Canadian provinces, this distinct system of medicine is slowly gaining more awareness here in Pennsylvania.

  • It depends who you ask! Dr. Michal is a naturopathic doctor and has gone through rigorous training in integrative medicine, including four years of full-time naturopathic medical school and two years of primary care residency. While she has great respect for her colleagues, she is NOT a medical or osteopathic doctor and DOES NOT practice medicine in Pennsylvania. Instead, she uses her extensive training, patient care experience, empathy and intuition to support you through a transformational healing process.  

  • As of 2024, yes! Thanks to the tireless efforts of NDs in Pennsylvania, Dr. Michal is among the first cohort of NDs registered through the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine. We still have a long way to go until NDs can provide the level of care in Pennsylvania as in other areas, like Washington State where Dr. Michal maintains an active license as a primary care provider. To that end, she currently serves as co-president of the Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians (PANP), striving to increase access to naturopathic medicine here at home. 

  • It’s not, but it totally makes sense that you’ve heard about homeopathy, since Philadelphia is an important part of homeopathy’s history. Maybe you remember the old Hahnemann Hospital that used to be part of Drexel? It began as a homeopathic hospital in 1848 and was named for Samuel Hahnemann, who founded homeopathy in Germany. I actually wrote a paper comparing homeopathy with the “regular” medicine in mid-19th century U.S. in my social history of medicine seminar in undergrad, so let me know if you want to geek out on this sometime. But I digress. Homeopathy uses dilute forms of certain substances to stimulate your innate healing capacity. Naturopathic medical education introduces homeopathy, but not all NDs use it in their practice. At Philly Naturopathic, I can certainly advise you if you have an interest in using homeopathy as part of your healing and would likely refer out to a trained homeopath if you wanted to take a deeper dive in this modality. 

  • I know it’s so confusing, right? I almost wish there was a different term so that it was clearer for you as you navigate your options for care. Traditional healers of all kinds have a long history in Pennsylvania - I have positive relationships with many of them and have personally experienced healing in their hands. The thing is that if you encounter a provider with the title Naturopathic Doctor, it may be hard to distinguish their level of training, since until 2024 anyone in Pennsylvania could use this title and many still do, even though they do not qualify to be registered with the State Board of Medicine. 

    Traditional naturopathy and naturopathic medicine come from the same origins, but my profession evolved to incorporate more rigorous scientific study so that it could be better integrated into the health care system. Some people may even prefer to work with a traditional naturopath! For me, I love being able to speak “medical-ese” and to be a bridge between your conventional health care team and natural approaches to healing. I warmly welcome collaboration with my colleagues from all backgrounds to ensure the best care for our shared clients and patients.