What is Naturopathy?
Naturopathy is a system of medicine founded on the most time-tested medical principle, vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature. Under this system, the goal is to restore the natural functioning of the body through the use of substances and treatments that enhance the body’s innate healing abilities.
In naturopathic medicine, the body, mind and spirit are viewed as an integral whole, and symptoms of disease are seen as indicators of improper functioning or unfavorable lifestyle habits. A primary goal of treatment is to address the underlying cause of illness.
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care profession that combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Naturopathic doctors care for patients of all ages and genders. They provide individualized evidence-informed therapies that balance the least harmful and most effective approaches to help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health.
A licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) attends a four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic doctor also studies clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling. A naturopathic doctor takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician in states licensed as such.
I would like to learn more about Naturopathy:
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Naturopathic Education: American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website.
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Naturopathic Medical Universities: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges
6 Principles of Naturopathy
Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae) Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in each person, which is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic doctors act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment this inherent self-healing process.
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First, Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere) Naturopathic doctors utilize methods and natural substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat while avoiding when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms; and respecting the individuals’ self-healing process.
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Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam) Health and “dis”-ease are the result of various factors in our lives. We look beyond the symptoms to the underlying cause
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Doctor as Teacher (Docere) The origin of the word “doctor” (docere) means teacher. The naturopathic doctor upholds this responsibility by viewing each patient visit as an educational opportunity.
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Treat the Whole Person Health and disease result from complex interactions between our internal (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, genetic) and our external (social, environmental) experiences. Naturopathic medicine recognizes that optimal health is based on the harmonious functioning of these factors.
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Prevention Naturopathic doctors emphasize the prevention of disease by assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease. Appropriate interventions are made in partnership with the patient.
Source: Bodhi Clinic
Naturopathy integrates a wide range of natural therapeutics emphasizing the healing power of nature to treat the causes of disease, rather than suppressing the symptoms. As part of a holistic medical healthcare system with an emphasis on education and prevention, the naturopathic physician seeks to motivate the individual toward a healthy and balanced diet, lifestyle, and mental attitude.
Treatments such as homeopathic medicines, clinical nutrition, traditional Asian medicine, and acupuncture are used to enhance the body’s natural healing process.
Naturopathic doctors combine the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, naturopathic physicians help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the naturopathic doctor’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping create a healing environment, both internally and externally.
Naturopathic medicine integrates alternative medical practices, such as botanical medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, and oriental medicine, with modern scientific diagnostic methods and standards of care.
Naturopathic doctors are trained in conventional medical disciplines as well as in alternative approaches. They integrate this knowledge according to principles that recognize the body’s inherent ability to heal itself, the importance of prevention, and the possibility of therapeutic use of nutrition to promote health and fight disease.
Naturopathy was founded in the beginning of the 20th century by a group of therapists who were followers of Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th-century proponent of the healing powers of nature. At the height of its popularity, there were more than 20 naturopathic medical schools in the United States and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most states. The practice of naturopathic medicine declined as the use of pharmaceutical drugs increased. However, in the past several decades, there has been a resurgence of interest in naturopathy. Now there are over half a dozen naturopathic medical schools in North America and many States are licensing naturopathic doctors again.
Source: Naturopathic Health.net
Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic physicians teach individuals to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ abilities to prevent and treat disease. They view a person as a complex, interrelated system or as a whole person, and not as a disease or a constellation of symptoms. Therefore, identifying the cause of illness is necessary as it may be expressed by a variety of imbalances as the body attempts to compensate. Therefore, every individual’s treatment plan is comprehensive and tailored to his or her specific health concerns, unlike others.
Naturopathic physicians are trained as primary health care practitioners at accredited four-year medical universities, whose diverse therapeutic techniques include a blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only identify and treat the causes of illness, but to also restore health. Naturopathic physicians also have advanced training in clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, counseling and homeopathy. The first visit with the physician may be one hour or more in length. A very extensive history is taken to gather information about your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
THE PRINCIPLES OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
The following principles are founded on medical tradition and scientific evidence:
The Healing Power of Nature
The body has the inherent ability to establish, restore and maintain health. Naturopathic doctors act to identify and remove the obstacles to recovery and to facilitate and augment this healing ability.
Source: Aloe Wellness
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