healthcare careers

Many of Amrit Devgun's paternal relatives in India were community holistic healers, and her family carried on the tradition after moving to Canada. "We rarely reached for Tylenol when we felt sick," she says. "Instead we looked in the cupboard for the appropriate herb or spice."

Natural Healing

Devgun carried on this family tradition by becoming a doctor of naturopathy. Naturopathic medicine combines safe and effective traditional therapies with current advances in modern medicine. It focuses on the body's ability to heal itself and supports individuals by teaching them how to make better lifestyle choices.

"Naturopaths treat a wide variety of chronic illnesses, chemical or environmental sensitivities, and nutritional imbalances or deficiencies," says Devgun, who practices in the Natural Care Center at Woodwinds Health Campus.

She holds a four-year degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, where she studied the same basic sciences as an M.D., along with clinical nutrition, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, herbal medicine, psychology and lifestyle counseling.

Devgun notes that collaboration is increasing between M.D.s and naturopaths. "We each can do things the other can't," she says. "I can't perform major surgery, but I can provide nutritional support for patients after surgery. Better yet, I can educate a patient on prevention."

Body Type And Energetic Balance

Devgun's practice is enriched by her training in ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old system of Indian medicine. "Ayurveda looks at the total picture," she explains. "All physical illness has a psychological and spiritual component - and vice versa."

Ayurveda goes beyond the general principles of naturopathy to tailor recommendations to the individual. For example, a naturopath might advise patients to drink eight glasses of water each day.

An ayurvedic practitioner, however, would consider the individual patient's body type and energetic balance. One patient might need to drink only when thirsty. Another might need to drink more with a focus on warm fluids like herbal tea.

"Naturopathy and ayurveda integrate beautifully," Devgun says. "Many M.D.s are becoming interested in integrative medicine because it combines the best of allopathic and holistic medicine. It's possible to integrate naturopathy, ayurveda and conventional medicine in ways that effectively support healing and benefit patients."

Learn More

• The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, www.naturopathic.org
• Minnesota Association of Naturopathic Physicians, www.mnanp.org/naturopathicmedicine.html
• The Ayurvedic Institute, www.ayurveda.com
• The American Institute of Vedic Studies, www.vedanet.com
• National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine
• What is Ayurvedic Medicine? nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda
• An Introduction to Naturopathy, nccam.nih.gov/health/naturopathy