Meet the Doctor: Dr Paul Hrkal ND
I wanted to briefly introduce myself as a new member of The Pain & Wellness Centre healthcare team. In the spirit of community and relationship that is so central to the mission of the Pain and Wellness Centre, I wanted to share a little bit more about myself and my clinical practice as a Naturopathic doctor.
I was born in Toronto area spending my childhood years in the Caledon area north of the city. I graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Kinesiology and then went on to complete my medical studies at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in North York.
During my university years, I was member of the McMaster varsity volleyball team. I had the privilege and opportunity to compete at the national level, traveling throughout North America to play against the top teams from the both Canada and the United states. I have a strong background in sports medicine and work with athletes to allow them to quickly recover from injuries and optimize their performance.
In addition to my physical and sports medicine background, I actively have an interest in a number of clinical areas. These include, but are not limited to pain management, cancer, and neurological health. Despite my interest areas, I maintain a broad practice base, applying Naturopathic principles and tools to numerous conditions.
One of the most exciting areas in natural medicine is the integrative and cooperative style of patient care at the Pain and Wellness Centre. The beauty of naturopathic medicine is that the wisdom of ancient and proven therapies such as acupuncture and botanical medicine are complemented with the latest approaches such as intravenous therapies. Powerful and safe results can be achieved through the synergy of traditional and modern medical approaches.
I pride myself in taking an active role in the community. One of the key principles of Naturopathic medicine is the doctor as a teacher. In fact, the word doctor actually comes from the latin word docere, which means ‘to teach’. I work with a number of organizations in the GTA area and am an active public speaker, educating patients on the science and application of natural medicine. For my latest public event and speaking event please visit my website (www.paulhrkalnd.com) or stay tuned to my facebook and twitter feeds.
What excites me the most is seeing the power of patient-centred medicine at work. So many factors and stresses impact us on a daily basis, pushing us into a state of disharmony which ultimately leads to illness and dysfunction in multiple bodily systems. The strength of naturopathic medicine is to get to the root cause of our disease and restore our health at every level. Naturopathic medicine is strategically positioned to use tools and strategies to bring about not only symptom relief but disease resolution and a higher state of health. I hope you join me and the members of the Pain and Wellness Centre team to promote optimal wellness and spread the word on how naturopathic medicine can change your life; I know it has changed mine.
In Health,
Dr Paul Hrkal ND