"Naturopathic doctors practice as primary care providers. They make a conventional Western diagnosis using standard diagnostic procedures such as physical examination, laboratory tests, and radiology. However, they also make a pathophysiologic diagnosis using physical and laboratory procedures to assess nutritional status, metabolic function and toxic load. In addition, a considerable amount of time is spent assessing the patient's mental, emotional, social and spiritual status.

Therapeutically, NDs use virtually every known natural therapy: dietetics, therapeutic nutrition, botanical medicine, physical therapy, naturopathic manipulative therapy, lifestyle counseling, exercise therapy, homeopathy, psychological and family counseling and hydrotherapy.

Naturopathic medicine concentrates on whole-patient. Wellness, the medicine, is tailored to the patient and emphasizes prevention and self-care. Naturopathic medicine attempts to find the underlying cause of the patient's condition rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. Naturopathic doctors cooperate with all other branches of medical science referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate."