- The healing power of nature vs. medicatrix naturae. Naturopathic Medicine recognizes an inherent self healing process in the person which is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic Doctors act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery and to encourage this inherent self-healing process.
- Identify and treat the cause. Illness does not occur without cause. Naturopathic Doctors identify and remove underlying causes of illness and therefore eliminate symptoms as well. The DN must evaluate the patient's cause for illness including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
- First do no harm. Primum no nocere. Naturopathic Doctors use methods and medicines which minimize the risk of harmful side effects. Avoid, when possible, the harmful suppressing of symptoms.
- Treat the whole person. Health and illness are a result of complex interactions of an individual and environment, genetics, social, physical, emotional and mental factors. All aspects of a person' life have to be balanced before a satisfactory level of health can be reached.
- The physician as teacher. Docere. Naturopathic Doctors share information and knowledge with their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health.
- Prevention. The ultimate goal of Naturopathic Medicine is prevention. This is accomplished through assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease. Prevention is the best "cure".
Doctor of Naturopathy
natural healing arts
Philosophy
Naturopathic Medicine is a distinctively natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person. Naturopathic Medicine emphasizes the treatment of disease through the stimulation and enhancement and support of the inherent healing capacity to the person. Methods of treatment are chosen to work with the patient's vital force, respecting the intelligence of the natural healing process.
The practice of Naturopathic Medicine emerges from six underling principles of healing:
Is it safe?
The safety record for naturopathic medicine is excellent. This makes sense given the emphasis on non-toxic, natural source medicines and gentle, non-invasive treatments. Side effects are rare and DN's are knowledgeable about contraindications between naturopathic remedies and conventional medicines.
It is always a good idea to know that your DN is willing to work with your physician as well. Both can be very helpful and go hand in hand. There are those that prefer only natural medicine when in fact there are times both are very necessary and beneficial to you.
A Naturologist
Is a trained practitioner in Naturology who educates clients through lectures, testing, evaluation and demonstrations. Naturology is derived from two root words: NATUR, which means "not artificial but lifelike", and OLOGY, which means " a branch of learning or science".
It concerns the study of nature as it applies to the health of humankind, involving physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and environmental aspects. The Naturologist will use nothing artificial and will embrace fully the physical, mental and spiritual concept of health. As a patented title, Naturology can only be used by the American Institute of Holistic Theology and the graduates thereof. A Naturologist is not practicing medicine without a license.