What is Naturopathic Medicine?
By Mackenzie Jardine

Naturopathic Medicine is the art and science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease using natural therapies with a focus on optimizing health and well-being through individualized patient care and public education. Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) operate on a wellness rather than an illness model.

The primary goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the cause of an illness rather than simply treating or suppressing symptoms. While naturopathic medical care helps to alleviate specific symptoms, the focus is more on the “why” of a disease than the “what.” Our inherent belief is in the healing power of the body and the importance of removing the “obstacles to cure” while supporting the body’s own internal healing mechanisms in order to restore health and wellness to our patients. The core principles of Naturopathic Medicine include: identify and treat the cause, doctor as teacher, treat the whole person, prevention is the best medicine, and support the healing power of the body.

What Conditions Can Naturopathic Medicine Treat?

Naturopathic Medicine address all types of conditions, from acute to chronic, in all ages and stages of life. Some of the most common conditions we see include:

• Children’s health • Digestive health
• Hormonal disorders and stress syndromes • Men’s health
• Musculoskeletal health • Women’s health

We also specialize in cleansing and detoxification, helping to restore your energy, health, and vitality through individualized detoxification protocols.

Your Naturopathic Doctors

All of our NDs at the Cathedral Centre for Wellness are licensed Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine, registered to practice in Saskatchewan. All four of them have received their extensive post-graduate training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine and have successfully completed the intensive international licensing examinations (NPLEX) required to practice naturopathic medicine.

Dr. Marika Geis, ND, practiced in British Columbia prior to moving her practice and family to Saskatchewan in late 2010. She is a certified birth doula in addition to being an ND, and enjoys a broad primary care practice emphasizing family medicine. Her ultimate goal is to bring each patient to a state of independence in their health, to restore their flexibility and resilience, and most importantly to educate and empower them.

Dr. Julie Zepp Rutledge, ND, has been practicing Naturopathic Medicine in Regina since early 2005. She enjoys working with patients of all ages and demographics and has a special interest in mind-body medicine and working with her patients to help develop their inner strength, skills, and resources to help them succeed in their health goals.

Dr. Allison Ziegler, ND, has advanced training in parenteral therapies, in addition to her naturopathic medical training. She provides a variety of safe and effective injection and intravenous therapies to patients to further enhance their treatment plans. She enjoys patient and public education.

Dr. Michelle Sthamann, ND, promotes anti-aging therapies through diet, nutritional supplementation, exercise, acupuncture (regular and electro stimulation therapy), counselling, botanical medicine, and Chinese medicine. She is also certified in facial rejuvenation acupuncture and facial massage.

Your healing journey begins now… To book your initial consultation with one of our doctors or for more detailed information regarding our services, please contact our office. See the display ad on this page for location and contact details and/or visit www.cathedralwellness.ca.

Mackenzie Jardine is currently Cathedral Centre for Wellness’s fieldwork student who is completing her Bachelor of Health Studies at the University of Regina. The team at Cathedral Centre supports education of young professionals through mentorship of past and present fieldwork students.