Naturopathic Medical Doctors or Naturopathic Physicians (NMD) are the only licensed naturopathic providers in Idaho who are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges recognized by the US Dept of Education. They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illness to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person’s inherent self-healing process. While naturopathic physicians can prescribe medications, they prefer to work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized, whole-body treatment plans to address them.
In addition to practicing many natural modalities, NMDs can prescribe medications, order lab tests and imaging, and are licensed as Primary Care Providers in Idaho.
How are an ND and an NMD different?
The terms “ND” and “Naturopathic Doctor” and “naturopath” can be used in other states to denote licensed naturopathic physicians but these titles remain unregulated in Idaho and can be used by anyone – with or without any training. In Idaho, only the title “NMD” is used by licensed naturopathic physicians.
What is Functional Medicine?
Many kinds of licensed and unlicensed providers use the term “functional medicine” to describe the services they offer, but there is no standardized training or requirements of education to use the term. Functional medicine providers sometimes have conventional training first and then add holistic training later, on their own or through a certification program.
For More Information:
- Idaho Chapter of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- Idaho Naturopathic Medical Licensure Board
