Primary Care
Naturopathic Medicine for Comprehensive Primary Care
A Naturopathic Approach to Primary Care
Searching for primary care? We can help.
Many people assume naturopathic medicine is only for certain conditions, but the truth is that naturopathic doctors (NDs) are primary care physicians. And many patients find that the care they receive from NDs is what they’ve been missing in other healthcare relationships.
Primary care should be about understanding your health over time, not just in brief, isolated visits or a yearly check-in and medication review.
For many patients, their healthcare experience has meant short appointments where symptoms are addressed individually. This time crunch often means there’s not enough time to step back and explore whole-person wellness, dig into concerns, and make essential connections.
At our clinic, we practice primary care. When we say ‘primary care’, we mean whole person, whole health care.
Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care providers. That includes diagnosing conditions, ordering and interpreting lab work, managing both acute and chronic concerns, prescribing medications when appropriate, and coordinating care with specialists when needed.
The difference lies not in the type of care you receive, but in how we deliver it.
We take the time to understand patterns, context, and contributing factors. Your care is not limited to symptom management alone. We build a relationship that lasts over time so that we can make meaningful connections and meaningful improvements in your health and well-being.
What Primary Care Can (And Should) Look Like
Quick visits and limited time can make patients feel like primary care is something you use only when you’re sick. At Canby Clinic, we practice primary care to build long-term health. , but it’s where long-term health is built. Naturopathic medicine is about understanding your health history and current concerns, and supporting long-term well-being. Yes, you can use your care with an ND when you are acutely ill, too.
Patients come to us for:
- Annual exams and routine health screenings
- Acute concerns (injuries, infections, illness, or new symptoms)
- Chronic condition management
- Lab work and diagnostic evaluations
- Medication management and follow-up
- Preventive care and risk assessment
- Coordination with other healthcare providers
All of this is an essential part of naturopathic medicine. It’s not a separate category of care, but the same scope you would expect in any primary care setting; it’s just provided through a naturopathic medicine framework.
When Primary Care Feels Incomplete
Many of our patients arrive at our naturopathic clinic after feeling that something is off and missing from their healthcare experiences. They’re looking for answers, not just symptom relief or a prescription.
The concerns we often hear from new patients include:
- Symptoms that continue despite “normal” lab results and no answers
- Treatment plans focused only on symptoms or short-term relief
- Rushed appointments without enough time to explain what’s going on or discuss concerns
- Feeling like those concerns are minimized, dismissed, or dispatched with quick fixes that never get to the root causes
- Managing multiple symptoms without investigating potential connections between them
These experiences are not uncommon, especially when primary care appointments are short and few and far between.
Primary care works best when it is individualized, and there is enough time to discuss, investigate, and understand the full picture.
Naturopathic Medicine is a Clinical, Evidence-Informed Approach
Naturopathic medicine is often misunderstood.
It’s not informal care or an alternative to a medical evaluation. It is a licensed, regulated form of medicine with training in:
- Clinical diagnoses
- Laboratory testing and interpretation
- Pharmacology and prescription management
- Chronic disease management
- Preventive care and screening
Naturopathic care is informed by clinical research, current and modern guidelines, and patient-specific factors. The care you receive from a naturopathic doctor is different from the care you receive from a medical doctor, but not in the ways you think.
Naturopathic care allows for a broader lens. We consider nutrition, sleep, stress physiology, digestion, and hormonal patterns as part of standard medical care, not separate from it. And, perhaps more importantly, we take the time to listen, look at the whole picture, and find solutions to the root causes, and stimulate the healing energy from within.
Our Approach to Primary Care
Primary care at a naturopathic clinic will feel familiar and yet expanded.
Depending on your individual needs, your care may include:
- Diagnosis and ongoing condition management
Together, with you, we’ll identify and evaluate any new symptoms, diagnose conditions, and manage both acute and chronic health concerns. We use many of the same clinical tools and testing you’d find at any other healthcare practice. We may also recommend new or specialized testing. - Preventive care and screening exams
Preventive care is often what patients are missing. Doctor visits that occur only during illness or in acute need do not help keep you healthy. We’ll provide routine screening and work to identify risk factors to support your long-term health. This includes lab work, physical exams, and ongoing monitoring. - Pattern identification across systems
More time during visits and an ongoing relationship with your doctor means more time to identify patterns. Since many symptoms do not appear out of nowhere and do not exist in isolation, we want to look at the whole picture.
Your body is an interconnected system, and when one system is off, symptoms may first appear elsewhere. Whether it’s fatigue, digestive issues, hormonal imbalance, sleep disruption, or skin issues, they’re often interconnected. Without a full picture and without time to discuss, it’s harder to see the patterns. How your symptoms manifest changes how we approach care.
- Nutrition, lifestyle, and system support
Most people are used to seeing a specialist to address concerns, such as a nutritionist or a sleep doctor. There’s a specialist for every system. In naturopathic care, we start with the understanding that your body is a whole being made up of many parts. These aspects of health are not add-ons. They are part of how the body functions and how conditions develop over time, so we address them all to improve outcomes.
- Herbal medicine and targeted supplements
When it’s appropriate, we may recommend herbal medicine or physician-grade supplements. These are offered to provide targeted support to specific systems and your unique needs. They are always selected carefully and based on both longstanding traditional wisdom and modern research.
Medication Use and Prescription Management
We know that for many Americans, medications are part of primary care. If you are currently taking medications, we’d like to help patients understand how those medications fit into their overall health.
We prescribe when appropriate and manage ongoing medications as needed. Some patients come in seeking to explore additional mechanisms or tools to support their well-being or improve how they feel alongside their current treatment. Some patients are simply trying to understand their options and the root causes of their conditions before starting medication, which may be symptom-focused rather than cause-focused.
All of this is valid.
Naturopathic Doctors know that medication can be necessary, helpful, and sometimes essential, but we also recognize that it may not address every contributing factor and may be best suited to support as we address a larger systemic issue.
When multiple providers are involved, we will coordinate care to ensure consistency and safety.
What to Expect at Your Visit
Let’s start with this: your first visit will not be rushed. In fact, your first two visits may last up to 60 minutes. We want to get a full picture of your health and understand your concerns.
We will set aside time to understand:
- Your health history and current concerns
- Any ongoing symptoms or diagnoses
- Medications and supplements you are currently taking
- Sleep, stress, and your daily patterns
- Your diet, nutrition, and digestion
- Preventive care needs and screening history
- What has or hasn’t worked in the past
- What concerns you have about ongoing care and wellness
From there, with you, we’ll order an appropriate diagnostic workup, including labs and imaging, and make referrals if needed. After these results come in, we will work with you to develop a plan that reflects your current health picture and your long-term health goals.
Building a Long-Term Primary Care Relationship
Primary care is not a one-time visit. It’s not about acute illness or injury. It’s about building an ongoing relationship where we can track changes in your health over time. With that information, we can make adjustments when needed and allow your care to evolve as your life and health change.
You and your primary care doctor should have a relationship that builds over time. Whether an ND or an MD, that relationship should create better continuity of care, more informed decision-making, and a clearer understanding of what is actually working and what isn’t.
Ready to Establish Primary Care?
The search for a primary care doctor should not be a challenge. If you’re looking for primary care that is both medically grounded and more comprehensive in its approach, with time for you and your health concerns, we may be a good fit.
REVIEWS
What Our Clients Say About Us
Shauna Carter
Canby Clinic, Erin Walker and staff are by far the kindest, most thorough physician group I have ever experienced. I have a lot of experience with other doctors, and Canby Clinic is the best, hands down. I am so grateful for the time and energy that Canby Clinic puts into every experience. I will drive hundreds of miles to see them for mine and my family care.
Jen Jacobson
This is the BEST clinic you can ever go too! Dr. Walker is incredible and listens. My 14 yr old son had a bad experience with a conventional doctor and never wanted to see a Dr. again. I got him in with Dr. Ferguson and he LOVES him. Go sign up now! You won’t regret it!
Shannon Warren
I love Canby Clinic It was the best choice I have made for my health! This last year they have helped me so much with my medical issues and I am feeling better than I have in a long time. Can’t wait to see how much better I am this time next year. Dr. Walker is the best and Dr. Ferguson is amazing as well. If you want to heal your whole body and are tired of just treating the symptoms then this is the place for you!