What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a holistic and natural approach to health and healing based on the belief that the body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off disease and maintain a healthy balance. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) treat the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually using a combination of modern medical science and traditional medicine. The main difference that separates NDs from the traditional medical system is the focus on treating the cause of disease instead of merely suppressing the symptoms
The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
- First Do No Harm – Primum Non Nocere
Naturopathic Physicians prefer non-invasive, safe treatments, which minimize the risk of harmful side effects. Naturopathic Physicians are also trained to know when to refer patients to other health care professionals.
- The Healing Power of Nature – Vis Medicatrix Naturae
The body has an innate ability to restore health. It is the Naturopathic Physician’s role to support this process by using medicines and techniques that are in harmony with the natural process.
- Discover and Treat the Cause – Tolle Causam
Naturopathic Physicians seek to discover and address the underlying cause of disease.
- Treat the Whole Person – Tolle Totum
Dis-ease comes from a complex interaction of physical, emotional, dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle and other factors. Naturopathic Physicians take all these factors into account to formulate individualized treatment plans for the patient.
- Physician as Teacher – Docere
The Naturopathic Physician’s major role is to educate and empower patients to take responsibility for their own health. This is done in a doctor-patient relationship that is an encouraging partnership to optimal health.
- Prevention – Preventare
Patients are taught ways to live a healthy life so they can prevent major illnesses. Naturopathic Physicians are preventative medicine specialists. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
