Naturopathic Services available on Thunder Bay Campus
Student Health and Wellness in Thunder Bay is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Jordan Sokoloski to our centre.
He will offer naturopathic services to Lakehead staff, students and faculty, both virtually and in-person. There is a fee for Naturopathic services that is not covered by Student Health and Wellness.
To book an appointment visit his website or call 807-683-7287.
To learn more about naturopathic medicine, read on:
Naturopathic medicine is primary health care that blends traditional forms of medicine with modern clinical research and medical knowledge. It is evidence-based and informed by available research, clinical experience, and each individual patient’s unique health situation and preferences.
Health promotion and disease prevention are a particular foundation of naturopathic practice. Treatment draws from a number of therapies including clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture/traditional Asian medicine, and diet and lifestyle counselling.
Naturopathic medicine is for people of all ages and health histories and naturopathic doctors are trained to find the root cause of a patient’s symptoms and to identify any possible side effects that may arise between a patient’s prescription medication and any recommended therapies.
The majority of naturopathic doctors work in multi-disciplinary practices with health professionals from other regulated professions including medical doctors, nurses, and psychologists. The profession is regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, whose mandate is to ensure the protection of the public and professional competency.
The student population is a specific group that stands to benefit greatly from naturopathic care. University students are under significant stress and some of the effects of chronic stress are often seen in students, including disrupted sleep, decreased immunity, low energy, muscle tension, and indigestion.
Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are also common. Healthy lifestyle factors become compromised as convenience foods are substituted for nutritious meals and exercise becomes a challenge to prioritize. Naturopathic medicine is well equipped to manage these concerns. When under stress, there is a distinct physiological response that can affect the function of many body systems.
These changes are addressed in several important ways, including:
- Discussing clinical nutrition and dietary medicine and finding ways to encourage more convenient, easily prepared whole foods in the diet;
- Emphasizing sleep hygiene and optimizing sleep while giving consideration to those things that may be interfering with restful sleep;
- Finding healthy coping mechanisms for stress, including exercise and meditation;
- Using physical therapies such as acupuncture to address chronic muscle tension and optimize nervous system function;
- Making evidence-based supplementation recommendations that support the body’s ability to respond to stress and address the individual concerns mentioned above, including poor sleep, increased frequency of colds and flus, and indigestion.
Naturopathic doctors are primary care health professionals well-equipped to manage the often complex health concerns of the student population.
There is a growing interest in natural medicine, and the multi-disciplinary clinic setting at Lakehead University will foster understanding and collaboration between the different health professionals working there. I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to work with this team to improve the health and well-being of the staff, students and faculty at Lakehead University.
-Jordan Sokoloski, ND