Naturopathic Medicine – How it can work for you
What it is and how it can fit into your health care
Naturopathic Medicine is a system of health-oriented medicine that stresses maintenance of health and the prevention of disease. The practice of Naturopathic Medicine is an ever-expanding body of knowledge that draws from diverse traditional practices and modern scientific resources.
It is not composed of a single modality, but of an array of healing practices that focus on the integrity of the individual and their given circumstances. As a result, a primary goal of a Naturopathic Doctor is to restore the natural function of the body through treatments that enhance and support the body’s innate healing. The individual is viewed as an integrated whole and the symptoms of disease are seen as indicators of improper functioning.
The philosophy of naturopathic medicine draws its’ wisdom from as far back as Hippocrates, with twentieth-century naturopathy more recently rooted in Central Europe. This comprehensive system of natural medicine has built its’ foundation on six principles:
- The Healing Power of Nature, Vis Medicatrix Naturae. One of the most time honored principles in the belief that the body has considerable power to heal itself.
- Find the Cause, Tolle Causam. Every illness has an underlying causative factor that contributes to disease that may be avoidable and thus preventable.
- First Do No Harm, Primum Non Nocere. Non-invasive treatments that minimize harmful side effects are the preferred course of action.
- Treat the Whole Person. This results in a multifactorial therapeutic approach addressing the complex interaction between variable factors.
- Preventative Medicine. Principles are addressed that support health and prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious or chronic degenerative diseases.
- Wellness. This is inherent in everyone. If wellness is recognized and experienced by the individual, healing will occur more rapidly on one level or another.
- Doctor as Teacher, Docere. The principle objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate and emphasize self-responsibility for health, while recognizing the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.
A variety of therapeutic methods and treatments are employed to work in harmony with the healing process of the body. They include clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy (use of water treatments), physical medicine, and life style counseling.
To the uniformed, naturopathic medicine may appear to be a fad. But it is becoming clear that more and more people are looking for the type of health care that naturopathic doctors can and are supplying. Not only are they well train in an accredited four year doctorate program, they work with a set of principles that can support the individual, the community, and the environment.
