Naturopath takes up practice in Sydenham

Jeff Green | Nov 17, 2011

Andrea Dingwall is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, where she completed a four-year course after doing her undergraduate work at Trent University. She will be accepting patients at a shared location with Chiropractor Sheldon Cook at 3161 Rutledge Road (next to Silverbrook Gardens).

Andrea Dingwall lives in a rural property near Moscow, where her carpenter husband is building a house, and she has been looking for a location to set up a practice. The clinic was a suitable location, and her services complement those offered by Sheldon Cook.

“I really like Sydenham, and this location is ideal for me,” she said.

She will be offering the kinds of assessment and diagnosis services that people often receive from primary care physicians but with a focus on lifestyle changes, the use of supplements, botanicals and acupuncture treatments.

“One of the big differences between what a doctor does and what I do relates to the amount of time I can spend with patients, and the relationships that develop,” she said.

Diet is a major factor in people’s health and is a treatment option, according to Andrea Dingwall. She can supervise patients in using a number of diets to improve patient health.

Among the kinds of issues she deals with on a regular basis are gastrointestinal issues, women specific problems, hormonal conditions, weight loss, pain and nerve problems, and more.

She does not see her practice as a challenge to the medical establishment, and said that over the years the practice of medicine and naturopathy have moved closer to each other.

“Diet and lifestyle are taken more into account than they were in the past and Naturopathy has become more oriented to evidence-based treatments at the same time,” she said.

As she starts up her practice Andrea Dingwall is offering a free 15-minute meeting for patients (normally her rates are $40 for 15 minutes). A first session usually lasts about an hour and subsequent sessions are shorter.

Details about the service offered are available at the website natural-route.com.

In addition to accepting new patients, Andrea Dingwall will be conducting free talks about health care issues.

The first one that she has scheduled is coming up on November 22 at her clinic. It is called “Avoiding the Cold and Flu - Naturally” and will focus on how to avoid getting sick this year, touching on diet, lifestyle, the flu vaccine, supplements to take and supplements to avoid.

To contact Andrea Dingwall, call 613-876-2855.