Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of healthcare that emphasizes the body’s ability to heal itself, using a combination of natural therapies and conventional diagnostic tools. It operates on the principle that identifying and addressing the root cause of illness, rather than suppressing symptoms, leads to better long-term health. Practiced by licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) in more than half the U.S., it spans everything from clinical nutrition and botanical medicine to physical exams and lab work.
The Six Principles Behind the Practice
Naturopathic medicine is built on six foundational principles that guide how practitioners approach diagnosis, treatment, and the doctor-patient relationship.
The healing power of nature. Living systems have an inherent ability to organize, maintain, and restore health. The naturopathic doctor’s job is to support that process by removing obstacles to recovery and creating conditions that let the body do its work.
Identify and treat the cause. Illness doesn’t happen without a reason. Symptoms are often the body’s attempt to defend itself or adapt, not the problem itself. NDs aim to find and address underlying causes rather than simply managing symptoms.
First do no harm. Practitioners choose methods that minimize risk and apply the least invasive intervention necessary. Suppressing symptoms is generally avoided because doing so can interfere with healing.
Doctor as teacher. The word “doctor” originally meant teacher. NDs prioritize patient education and self-responsibility, recognizing that an informed patient is better equipped to maintain their own health.
Treat the whole person. Health is shaped by physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social factors. A naturopathic approach accounts for all of these rather than isolating a single organ or system.
Prevention. Preventing disease before it starts is considered preferable to treating it after the fact. This drives the emphasis on diet, lifestyle, and early intervention that characterizes most naturopathic care.
Education and Training for NDs
Licensed naturopathic doctors complete a four-year graduate program at an accredited naturopathic medical school. The first two years focus on foundational biomedical sciences: biochemistry, human physiology, gross anatomy, microbiology, immunology, pathology, neuroscience, and pharmacology. These are the same core sciences taught in conventional medical programs. The final two years center on clinical training, where students work directly with patients under the supervision of licensed medical professionals.
Only a handful of schools in North America are accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), the recognized accrediting body. These include Bastyr University in Washington and California, the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Ontario and British Columbia, National University of Health Sciences in Illinois, National University of Natural Medicine in Oregon, Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Arizona, and Universidad Ana G. Méndez in Puerto Rico.
After graduating, NDs must pass national board exams and meet state-specific continuing education requirements to maintain their license.
Licensed NDs vs. Traditional Naturopaths
This distinction matters. A licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) has completed an accredited four-year graduate program, passed board exams, and holds a state license. They can diagnose conditions, order lab tests and imaging, perform physical exams, and in many states prescribe certain medications.
A traditional naturopath, by contrast, may have trained through non-accredited programs that vary widely in length and content. Traditional naturopaths are not eligible for licensure and cannot legally diagnose or treat medical conditions. If you’re seeking naturopathic care, verifying that your provider is a licensed ND is an important first step.
Where NDs Can Practice
At least 23 states and Washington, D.C. currently regulate naturopathic doctors. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. What NDs are allowed to do varies significantly by state.
Fifteen states grant NDs some form of prescriptive authority, meaning they can prescribe pharmaceutical medications. Eight of those states (Arizona, California, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington) allow NDs to prescribe limited controlled substances. In other states like Kansas and Maine, prescribing requires a collaborative agreement with a conventional physician. Many states maintain specific formularies that restrict which drugs NDs can prescribe.
What NDs Actually Do in Practice
Naturopathic treatment modalities include clinical nutrition, botanical (herbal) medicine, behavioral counseling, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, physical medicine, and in some cases, pharmaceuticals and minor surgery. Diet tends to be a central focus. NDs spend considerable time on what you eat, how you respond to certain foods, and what nutritional gaps might be contributing to your symptoms.
For diagnostics, NDs use many of the same tools as conventional doctors: blood work, urinalysis, saliva testing, physical exams, and imaging like MRIs and X-rays. They may also incorporate techniques from East Asian medicine or other traditions to build a more complete picture of a patient’s health.
What a First Visit Looks Like
Expect your initial appointment to last 60 to 90 minutes, considerably longer than a typical primary care visit. The ND will take a detailed health history covering your current concerns, past illnesses, medications, supplements, and lifestyle habits. Diet gets particular attention: what you eat regularly, how you feel after certain foods, and what patterns might be relevant.
You’ll receive a physical examination, and the ND will order any lab tests needed to complete their assessment. The diagnostic approach blends conventional methods with naturopathic principles, which means the ND is looking not just at what’s wrong but at why it developed and what factors in your life are maintaining it. By the end of the visit, you’ll typically leave with a treatment plan that addresses diet, lifestyle changes, and any recommended therapies.
Working Alongside Conventional Medicine
Naturopathic medicine increasingly functions as part of a broader healthcare team rather than an alternative to conventional care. This is especially visible in oncology, where naturopathic doctors with specialized training work alongside oncologists to help manage treatment side effects, improve overall response, support recovery, and reduce the risk of recurrence.
In cancer care specifically, naturopathic oncology providers develop deep contextual knowledge about the patient’s overall health and coordinate with the rest of the medical team through shared treatment goals and clear communication. They address co-existing conditions, provide referrals for mental and emotional support, and build survivorship plans focused on resolving lingering side effects of treatment, both physical and psycho-emotional. When a patient is enrolled in a clinical trial, the ND communicates with trial coordinators to ensure nothing in the naturopathic plan conflicts with the study protocol.
This collaborative model extends beyond oncology. Many patients see an ND alongside their primary care physician or specialist, using naturopathic care to address lifestyle factors, chronic conditions, or aspects of health that benefit from the longer appointment times and whole-person focus that naturopathic practice provides.