Naturopathy

What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare with an emphasis on natural therapies.  Patients are active participants in their own healing; they partner with their doctors to reestablish health.  Naturopathic medicine addresses the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—to find the safest, least invasive, effective treatments necessary to correct health problems.

Naturopathic Physicians are guided by the following principles:

  1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
    Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent ability in the body which is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to recovery and to facilitate and augment this healing ability.

  2. Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam)
    The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to eliminate or merely suppress symptoms.

  3. First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)
    The methods of naturopathic medicine are designed to be the least invasive (with least harm done to the patient), avoid suppression of symptoms, and to have few or no side effects resulting from diagnosis or treatment.

  4. Doctor as Teacher (Docere)
    Naturopathic physicians recognize the importance of health education, as it allows for people to take a new level of responsibility for their own health. They also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship.

  5. Treat the Whole Person
    Naturopathic physicians treat each individual by taking into account physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and other factors. Since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physicians encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual path.

  6. Prevention
    Naturopathic physicians emphasize disease prevention, assessment of risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to disease and making appropriate interventions to prevent illness. Naturopathic medicine strives to create a healthy world in which humanity may thrive.