What is Naturopathic Medicine?

What is naturopathic medicine anyway?

This can vary depending on who you’re speaking to and their understanding of what naturopathic medicine is. The American Naturopathic Association defines naturopathic medicine as “a distinct primary health care profession that emphasizes prevention, treatment, and optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods and substances that encourage an individual’s inherent self-healing”.
So, what does that mean? Essentially, what naturopathic medicine is…is using the body’s inherent ability to heal itself through the use of specific modalities encouraging the innate along with the healing process. It’s the reason when we get sick, we always get better. Over time, we as a human race have chosen to evolve and adapt to our environment. This is what naturopathic medicine is based on.

Naturopathic medicine involves:

The healing power of nature within. This is what we call in the profession…the Vis Medicatrix Naturae. Naturopathic medicine recognizes the innate healing process within people and that it is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to remove the obstacles to cure that could negatively impact this ordered and intelligent process.

What exactly is an obstacle to cure?

Obstacles are things that inhibit our ability to heal naturally and heal well. This is based on our determinants. Determinants are essential aspects of our lives that can impact our health…like sleep, diet, hydration, rest, and relaxation.

Naturopathic physicians attempt to identify the root cause of illness rather than eliminating symptoms or just suppressing them. They treat each patient as an individual assessing all aspects of the patient including physical, emotional, social, spiritual, genetic, and environmental factors.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE IS TOTAL HEALTH

Naturopathic physicians are guided by the principle of Do No Harm. This is based on the following principles:
Use the least invasive, minimal force necessary to diagnose and treat.
Use methods and medicinal substances that have low risk for adverse side effects.

Naturopathic doctors emphasize disease prevention looking at all aspects of the patient, assessing their risk factors, predisposition to disease and making appropriate recommendations in conjunction with the patient.

Naturopathic physicians believe that doctor means “teacher”. This is using every opportunity to educate and empower the patient, encouraging them to be advocates for their own health. This is why it is so important to develop that trusting relationship from the beginning.

Naturopathic physicians understand the art of healing and can successfully treat acute and chronic conditions.

I hope you have a better understanding of what naturopathic medicine is. If you have any questions, feel free to message me and I would be happy to help.

Until next time,

I wish you peace, love, and good health.

Christine Marie