Complex chronic diseases are characterized by the presence of more than one chronic disease simultaneously in the same individual. The incidence of complex chronic diseases is on the rise in Canada with an estimated 70% of persons with chronic disease in Ontario having two or more co-morbidities. The care of persons with complex chronic diseases is difficult and places a significant economic burden on Canada’s health care system, a system that recently has been shown to need improvements in its effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. It is becoming increasingly evident that effective management of persons with complex chronic disease requires that each individual disease is not treated separately but the common pathological features treated and prevented in an integrative manner. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies can help provide this comprehensive treatment strategy.

This seminar will provide support for the naturopathic medical principles of health promotion and disease prevention by teaching the impact of lifestyle and dietary choices, chronic stress, treating root cause, and using therapeutic detoxification to remove any obstacles to cure. In particular, it will discuss the role of natural health products (NHPs) in regulating several key contributors to the pathogenesis of complex chronic diseases, such as insulin regulation, inflammatory mediators and environmental phthalates. The safe, effective use of CAM therapies will improve clinical outcomes in persons with complex chronic diseases and assist in the creation of a more sustainable health care system in Canada.