Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Health

The College of Naturopaths of Ontario maintains a publicly viewable registry of everyone in Ontario who’s licensed to practice naturopathic medicine. It’s a good idea to check the registry before you see any naturopathic doctor in Ontario.

That depends on the reason why you’re seeing your naturopathic doctor in the first place. As a general rule, your visits will be more frequent at first, but you can get away with fewer and shorter ones as you get closer to your health goals.

Naturopathic college is similar to medical school in many respects. First of all, the entry requirements – in order to get in, you need to do a pre-med undergrad degree. From there, you’ll spend four years in school and take classes like pathology, physiology, biology, chemistry, psychology, and more.

There are currently eight schools in North America where someone can earn a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree.

Dr. JJ, chief medical officer of the Liberty Clinic, Dr. Anne-Marie Lacroix ND, and Dr. Meera Dossa ND, all earned their degrees at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto.

Yes, absolutely. Naturopathic doctors are trained to understand how pharmaceutical drugs work, and which naturopathic solutions will react badly with them. Whatever your health concern, your naturopathic doctor will be able to provide a treatment plan that doesn’t interfere with what your medical doctor is doing.

In Ontario, Naturopathic doctors may prescribe a few medicines, including desiccated thyroid and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) with estrogens and progesterone creams. If appropriate, Dr. JJ, Dr. Anne-Marie Lacroix ND, and Dr. Meera Dossa ND may provide you with a prescription for these.

In most cases, no. You may feel mild discomfort, as well as some soreness for a day or two after, especially if you’re just beginning care. But this is almost always no worse than you might feel the day after you first went to the gym after an absence.

The popping sound you may hear is the sound of your joints releasing small air pockets. It’s not your bones. Chiropractic treatment is focused less on your bones and more on the joints between them.

In the hands of a properly qualified chiropractor, chiropractic treatment is considered very safe. Your chiropractor will discuss any concerns with you, and tailor your treatment to work around any injuries or limitations you may have experienced.

Yes, in general it’s considered to be a very safe treatment. Side effects are rare, and generally no more severe than minor bleeding or bruising. Your acupuncturist will discuss any potential risks with you before your treatment.

There’s a misconception that if something is considered “natural health” or “alternative medicine” it’s mostly a “mind over matter” thing that doesn’t actually make a difference. This is not true with treatments offered by the Liberty Clinic. Naturopathy, chiropractic, and all other health services we offer are backed by in-depth and ongoing scientific research.