Dr. Lucas MacMillan, Naturopathic Physician
Tomorrow's health care, today.
Clinic Director at Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre in North Vancouver. A registered nurse before I was a naturopathic physician — and still the same clinician who wants to know why something is happening before deciding what to do about it.
From Nursing to Naturopathic Medicine
The question that changed my career
I started out as a registered nurse. During a mental health rotation, a patient asked me something I couldn't answer well: were the medications he was on actually the best thing for his health? He wasn't being difficult. He genuinely wanted to know, and I realized I had been trained to administer care without always being equipped to interrogate it.
That question stayed with me. My wife Brittany, an ICU nurse, was the one who pointed me toward the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. What I found there wasn't an alternative to what I already knew — it was the other half of it. If you leave an appointment knowing more about your own body than when you walked in, that's part of the treatment, not a bonus.
“Are these medications actually the best thing for my health?”
A patient's question during a mental health nursing rotation — and the reason I went back to school.
Scope of Practice
What I actually treat
Most of what I see falls into a few broad areas. If you're not sure whether your situation fits, that's usually worth a conversation rather than a guess.
Pain & Musculoskeletal Injury
Hormones & Longevity
Energy & Whole-Body Health
Injection & Regenerative Therapies
Yes — including the back, the neck, and most places you'd think to ask about
This comes up constantly, so I want to be direct about it. Patients often assume injection therapy stops at knees and shoulders. It doesn't.
Where I inject
The most common areas are knees, shoulders, hips, and ankles. Beyond those, I also perform neck injections, spinal injections, sacroiliac joints, and the related ligaments around them.
That isn't a closed list. I've treated a wide range of less common areas on request — including the pubic bone — and I'm genuinely open to unusual asks. If you're wondering whether somewhere can be treated, ask me rather than assuming it can't.
What I inject
I work with the full range of injectable solutions: corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, prolotherapy, and platelet-rich plasma, among others. Which one makes sense depends on the tissue, the timeline, and what you're trying to get back to doing.
On ultrasound guidance
I use ultrasound where it genuinely adds value — not reflexively for every injection. Some structures simply don't show well under it, and staring at a screen can pull attention away from what my hands and the needle are telling me. What you describe as I work matters too. That said, I can ultrasound-assess tissue any time it's clinically useful, or simply because you'd like to see what's going on underneath.
The training behind it
My advanced orthopedic injection training — the highest level recognized by my regulatory college at the time, including PRP — dates back to 2016, now over a decade. That level of training covers the entire body, spine and neck included.
Seriously considering injections?
Most patients start with a brief complimentary phone chat — about ten minutes — so we can work out whether this is the right fit and whether what I offer is actually what you need.
Working Alongside Your Existing Care
I'm not going to ask you to stop your medications
Naturopathic and conventional medicine aren't opposing camps, and I don't practise as though they are. I regularly work with patients who are on statins, antidepressants, GLP-1 medications, and a long list of other prescriptions — building around those treatment plans rather than against them.
My nursing background means I read your chart the way your other providers do. That makes collaboration straightforward rather than adversarial.
There is one clear boundary worth stating plainly: I do not treat active cancer. Those cases are referred directly to oncology specialists, where they belong.
Testing & Advanced Diagnostics
I like testing. I don't like testing for the sake of it.
Good testing answers a question you actually have. I use conventional and advanced labs readily, but I hold the large, expensive investigations back until there's a clear clinical need, a genuine point of confusion to resolve, or a patient who understands the trade-offs and specifically wants to go looking.
I'm comfortable working with full-body MRI screening such as Prenuvo, and with DEXA scans for body composition and bone density from BodyComp and other providers. If you've already had one, bring it — I like incorporating that information into my assessment. In some cases I'll suggest one.
I work with genetic panels including those from DNA Power and other providers, and I'm happy to interpret results you've had run elsewhere.
On an as-needed basis I use organic acid testing, urine heavy metal excretion testing, chronic infection panels, and a wide range of conventional bloodwork.
The question I ask before ordering anything is simple: will this change what we do next? If the answer is yes, or if it resolves real uncertainty, it's worth running. If it just produces more data without changing the plan, I'll tell you that too.
Training & Credentials
The training behind the practice
Education & Licensing
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Boucher campus, graduated 2016. Registered Nurse background, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grant MacEwan University. Currently registered with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of British Columbia.
Injection, Regenerative & Hormone Training
Advanced injection therapy training since 2016, including prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma, completed through Maui Regenerative Medicine, with further specialization through the Naturopathic Academy of Regenerative Injection Therapy. Ultrasound-guided techniques applied across the full body, including spine and neck. Hormone and longevity training completed through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the LP3 Network, supporting my work in hormone optimization, sleep, and metabolic health.
Continuing Education
Ongoing continuing education spans hormone therapy, pharmacology, immunization, and clinical toxicology, reflecting a commitment to staying current across both naturopathic and conventional medicine. I also offer a wide range of conventional and advanced lab testing, and continue training in functional medicine and intravenous therapeutics.
Speaking, Media & Publications
Talking about this work publicly
I'm a frequent guest on television and podcast programs, including nineteen episodes of Run With It covering topics from hormones and injury recovery to sleep and pain management, as well as 21st Century Pain Solutions.
My contributions extend to print, with articles for regional publications and a licensing exam resource, plus a pair of articles written for Christine Blanchette's network, and a featured webinar for the American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges, a North American organization, speaking to nurses and other healthcare providers exploring a transition into naturopathic medicine.
Beyond media, I've presented directly to local businesses on topics ranging from hormones and menopause to testosterone, sleep, exercise, and recovery.
Where you'll find that work
A Note From the Other Side of the Table
Then I became the patient
I trained in martial arts from the age of fourteen, most recently Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, until a significant injury ended that chapter. I herniated discs in my neck, and the change to my daily life was substantial.
I had been treating injuries like mine for years. What I hadn't done was live one. Working through the system as a patient — specialist referrals, waiting on MRIs and EMGs, explaining the same history over and over — made me a better practitioner. I understand the waiting, the uncertainty, and how much it matters when someone explains what they're actually seeing.
These days you'll find me hiking the North Shore with my wife and daughters.
Common Questions
Questions patients actually ask me
Both. Knees, shoulders, hips, and ankles are the most common areas I treat, but I also perform spinal injections, neck injections, sacroiliac joint injections, and injections into the surrounding ligaments. My level of orthopedic injection training covers the entire body. If you're wondering about a specific area, ask — I've treated plenty of unusual requests.
No. I regularly work with patients taking statins, antidepressants, GLP-1 medications, and many other prescriptions, and I build around those plans rather than against them. My background as a registered nurse means I'm comfortable working alongside your other providers rather than in competition with them.
Yes. I'm familiar with Prenuvo and other full-body MRI screening, and I'm glad to incorporate those findings into my assessment. Bring the report with you if you've had one. In some situations I'll recommend a scan, though I don't treat it as a routine first step.
Yes. I regularly work with DEXA body composition and bone density scans from BodyComp and other providers, genetic panels including DNA Power, organic acid testing, urine heavy metal excretion testing, and chronic infection panels. If you've already invested in testing elsewhere, I'd rather use it than duplicate it.
Not by default. I use testing readily where it changes the plan, but I hold back the large, costly investigations until there's a clear clinical need, real diagnostic uncertainty to resolve, or you've told me you understand the trade-offs and want to look anyway.
Both are regenerative injection therapies that aim to stimulate healing rather than simply mask pain. Prolotherapy uses an irritant solution to prompt a healing response in ligaments and tendons. PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, uses a concentrated portion of your own blood to deliver growth factors directly to the injured tissue. Which one suits you depends on the tissue involved, how long it's been an issue, and what you're trying to get back to doing.
No, and that's deliberate. I use ultrasound guidance where it genuinely improves precision. Some structures don't image well, and watching a screen can distract from what my hands and the needle are telling me. I can ultrasound-assess tissue whenever it's clinically useful, or simply because you'd like to see what's happening underneath.
In British Columbia, naturopathic doctors are regulated health professionals. I hold a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree, am registered with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of British Columbia, and carry prescriptive authority. British Columbia is one of the provinces where the title "naturopathic physician" is permitted, which is why I use it.
I do not treat active cancer. Those cases are referred directly to oncology specialists. Beyond that, if something falls outside what I can genuinely help with, I'll tell you plainly and point you toward the right person.
I practise at Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre in North Vancouver, British Columbia, where I am also the clinic director. I am currently accepting new patients.
Ready to take the next step in your health?
Book a consultation with Dr. Lucas MacMillan and discover how naturopathic medicine can work alongside your current care to help you feel your best — today and tomorrow.
Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre · North Vancouver, BC · Accepting new patients